SneakPEAK Dec. 6, 2012

Thursday, Dec. 6 -Wed., Dec. 12, 2012 | sneakpeak 1

1

www.sneakpeakvail.comThursday, Dec. 6 - Dec. 12, 2012

FREE, WEEKLY, LOCAL... Only the good stuff!

Catching up with Vails alpine pioneer, ski-town royal and

orginal daredevil

New winter eatsLudwigs and Yellowbelly

Snow DazeQ&A with The Shins

World Cup-boundNordics Ryan Scott

Meet Pepi Gramshammer

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The Shins James Mercer got off to what you might call a slow start.The songwriter and guiding force behind the seasoned in-

die rock group played in various bands throughout his twen-ties. At the age of 29, he remembers sitting down with his parents to talk about his future.

It was time to get serious about life, Mercer remembers. I said, Im going to try and record an LP. Im going to put everything I have into it and make it as good as I can. If it doesnt work out, Im going to go back to school and get my life sorted and become a real adult.

Fortunately, thats right about when things started moving for Mercer. He released The Shins first record with a group formed with other musicians hed been playing with, and around the same time, some of his singles began garnering attention in music circles. Then Zach Braff, who was pro-ducing Garden State, heard The Shins and put the band in the spotlight by featuring the music in the film.

Since then, youve probably heard The Shins jangly pop sounds, anchored by Mercers artful lyrics on hits such as 2001s New Slang, as well as other top singles that have been featured on television shows such as The O.C. and Gilmore Girls.

The group, always with Mercer at the helm, has gone through various changes in the past decade. After touring for their third album, Wincing the Night Away, the group took a hiatus, during which Mercer began working with a side project, Broken Bells. For a while, it looked as if The Shins might be no more.

However, Mercer returned with a completely new group of musicians and recorded Port of Morrow, released in March of this year. Mercer and The Shins play at Ford Ampi-theater on Thursday, Dec. 13 for their Vail debut.

SneakPEAK chatted with Mercer before he headed to the mountains about what-ifs, songwriting and whats next for The Shins.

SneakPEAK: How did you get started in music?James Mercer: It really started with me writing songs in

my bedroom and recording them on a four-track. Through-out my 20s, I had been playing in different bands, mostly me and (guitarist) Neal Langford. We were writing songs to-

gether, and wed book tours as a band called Flake. We were doing what a lot of twenty-somethings do. I never thought itd be what it became.

SP: What would you have done if The Shins first record hadnt worked out? What would you have done as a real adult?

JM: (Laughs) Looking back, in my high school career, the stuff I was good at was literature and the humanities. My dad always pushed me to do something more technical, more science-and-mathematics based. I was kind of confused by the time I got to college because of that. I got pushed to be pragmatic, not to do something just because I liked it. I think I would have probably ended up majoring in English

or something like that.

SP: There was a five-year break between your last two al-bums. What were you doing in that time? Tell us about your other project, Broken Bells.

JM: After Wincing the Night Away, we toured quite a bit. Im not a huge fan of being gone from home for long periods of time. The stress of that and the changes that were happening in everybodys lives in the band at the time caused some stress.

I told a producer, I need to survive The Shins I was in the mode of trying to find a new distraction and a place to use my talents, which is mostly songwriting. I needed a break from that.

(Artist/producer) Brian Burton heard about this, and he was sort of in this mode of wanting to find a new project as well. He said, Lets just start a band and figure out our new identity together. He was so enthusiastic, so we started

Frontman James Mercer explains how indie rockers The Shins got their groove back. Interview by Melanie Wong.

The wandering songwriter

If you go...What: The Shins with openers The Divine FitsWhere: Ford Amphitheater, VailWhen: Thursday, Dec. 13. Music starts at 6:30

p.m.How much: $30 through Dec. 11More music: See the full Snow Daze lineup at

www.vail.com.

[See THE SHINS, page 23]

Annie Beedy photo.


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4

Vail has seen its fair share of larger-than-life figures over the past 50 years, but few have left the lasting impression of Pepi Gramshammer, an Austrian-born ski racer who was and still is the towns signature celebrity.When Gramshammer left Europe in 1961 to be a ski instructor at Sun Valley, Idaho, the

cheese maker-turned-racer was already a juggernaut on the international alpine circuit. He had honed his skills on the Austrian National Ski Team in his 20s, and daredevil speed led to dozens of first-place finishes on peaks from Loveland Pass to Chamonix in France. (His one regret: not making a Winter Olympics team.)

Gramshammer was first wooed to Vail in April of 1962, the same year he claimed the most prize money of any professional skier. The fledgling resort needed a high-profile name to boost its reputation someone akin to Hunter S. Thompson in Aspen, albeit with a less turbulent personality and Vails investors found one in Gramshammer.

But racing was just the beginning. In 1964, Gramshammer opened one of Vails first lodges, the still-thriving Hotel Gasthof Gramshammer on Bridge Street. His wife, an equally charismatic Austrian dancer named Sheika Moser, ran the hotel and adjacent restaurant until her husband retired from racing in 1967. Thanks to the hotels Old World appeal and modern comforts, it quickly became an alpine oasis where the young couple charmed ski bums and U.S. presidents alike.

Decades later, Pepi and Sheika are as prominent as ever Sheika recently christened Vails new Gondola One and still live in the hotel, surrounded by a town heavily influ-enced by their European sensibilities. SneakPEAK sat down with Pepi to chat about his ski-racing roots, Vails ever-changing legacy and a Super Bowl-winning coach who cant ski.

SneakPEAK: While you were a professional racer, you spent more than a decade travel-

ling the world to ski. Why did you decide to call Vail home? Pepi Gramshammer: I came here because it was the middle of America, close to Denver.

People could get here easily, even if there was no interstate we only had Highway 6. After my first time here, I came back with (founder) Pete Seibert and (ski school director) Morrie Shepard when they were going to open, and they had done so much. They built the top lifts, they had built quite a few buildings there were a lot of things going on. Not big things, but very interesting. I said, The mountain was so beautiful. I liked it very much because the village here was right next to the mountain you didnt have to drive. We didnt think much about it at the time, but I knew it was going to be a very good place for a resort.

SP: You helped build Vails reputation as a resort for serious skiers, but you were brand

new to the hotel business. How did you transition from ski racing to lodging?PG: Can I tell you something? This is America. This country, and all the people I met

here, they helped me really build something, build the hotel. I had a lot of help to start the hotel, and now, Ive paid them back and own it myself. But when nobody was around here, they invested in me. Yes, they knew me because I skied for Howard Head, but they were such great people. Now, I didnt build it all by myself. Mr. Head and Walter Hensley, a dis-tributor from Switzerland, they knew me from skiing and gave me the extra money I needed to start this hotel. I would not be anywhere without them.

SP: You were one of the first downhill racers to adopt Heads metal skis in the mid-60s. What difference did they make?

PG: I worked for Head because their skis were so good I cant even tell you how good those skis were for competition. When I raced, I used that ski because I knew I could do bet-ter than everyone else with them. Those skis were so good at holding, even on the very icy

(l-r) Pepi and Sheika Gramshammer stand in front of Hotel Gasthof Gramsham-mer, a Bridge Street landmark. Pepi and his wife arrived in Vail in 1962, using his fame as a professional ski racer to mold the fledgling ski towns image. Zach Ma-hone photo. On the cover: (l-r) Sheika and Pepi ski Vail, circa 1965.

Vailsoriginaldaredevil

Local icon Pepi Gramshammer talks ski racing, health issues and U.S. presidents.

Interview by Phil Lindeman

[See PEPI GRAMSHAMMER, page 23]


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As strange as it sounds, its fried chicken that you can feel good about. Opened last week in West Vail near Qdoba and Gohan-Ya, Yellowbelly restaurant offers a different take on the comfort food previously associated with The Colonel and the southern United States.

Thats an image that co-owner Barry Davis wants to change when it comes to his restaurant. The recipes start with the bird. Davis and company source as many products as they can in Colorado and the chickens are all-natural -- no GMO, free-range and vegetarian-fed. Nothing is frozen. When you look into the kitchen, youll see real cooks cook-ing, not people just heating things up. Very little is pulled

out of a bag and tossed into a fryer without the caress of a qualified cook.

The chicken options are simple -- rotisserie or fried. The fried-chicken batter, though, is where Yellowbelly sets itself apart. First off, its completely gluten-free. The gluten free batter gives the crunch that fried chicken should, while also offering a distinct flavor.

We didnt start with gluten-free or try to find the best way to make things gluten -free, says Davis. We were trying a bunch of different recipes, and this one was the best. It also happens to be gluten-free. We didnt sacrifice any flavor to get there.

A daydream turned realityDavis, who also owns the upscale bowling alley-and-res-

taurant Bol, started Yellowbelly with chef Eric Wupperman and friend Michael Friedberg. The name Yellowbelly came about because someone who is a yellowbelly might also be called, well, a chicken. The restaurant started as a brain-child of Davis and Wupperman.

Bol is a big animal in the winter we have 100 employ-

ees, and it gets pretty crazy, Davis says of the Vail restau-rant. The idea for Yellowbelly started as a daydream me and Eric (Wupperman) thought, What if theres just the two of us cooking food, what would we want to eat? On our nights off we just want something quick that we can pick up.

Feel-good fried chickenVails new Yellowbelly specializes in all-natural bird

By John ONeill

(Top) (l-r) Julio Cortez, Michael Friedberg, Barry Da-vis, Eric Wuppermann and Patrick Smith launched new restaurant Yellowbelly last Friday. (Left) Fried chicken gets the Colorado treatment at Yellowbelly. The restaurant offers all-natural fried and rotisserie chicken, as well as healthy, original sides. Kent Pettit photos.

[See YELLOWBELLY, page 15]


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EARLY SEASON SKIING

6

If you didnt know Steven MacCutcheons story, you might think that his finishes last weekend at a FIS Cop-per Mountain NorAm were normal finishes. Racing head-to-head in parallel slalom and giant slalom on a snowboard, MacCutcheon would finish fifth for the Ameri-cans in slalom and sixth for the American in GS. Accounting for the international competition, he would fall back to 23rd out of all competitors on the day in both disciplines.

Those at the course that knew MacCutcheons story, though, were probably curious to notice his name on the start list. As a teenager, MacCutcheon was slated to become a big name in snowboard racing. He was a junior world competi-tor and one of the fastest names on a snowboard race start list. Then he disappeared.

Yet last weekend, there he was again on the start list, curi-ously arranged to begin 54th out of 60 competitors. At the end of the day, he would climb 21 spots. He would also earn 36 of the 100 or more points hell need to compete interna-tionally and establish himself, once again, as one of the most competitive snowboard racers in the country.

The high finish was welcomed both as a result and as a comeback for MacCutcheon, now 25, whose disappearance from the snowboard racing scene came about after suffering life-threatening injuries in a race on April 5, 2005.

MacCutcheon wasnt supposed to make it out of the hos-pital alive following the crash, let alone make it back onto a snowboard, back into a race and certainly not back into the winners circle. Yet almost seven years later, he stands with goals of making the Olympic team for the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. He has his eyes on NorAm races in Canada, and then a trip planned to Europe if his results permit it.

I was hooked from the start

MacCutcheon started snowboarding at five years old. At the time, snowboard lessons were reserved for only the six year olds, so he willingly fibbed to exchange his skis for a board.

Oh man, I was hooked from the start, MacCutcheon says. I took a lesson with my dad and my brother at Ar-

rowhead mountain. I went out and got a Rossignol board that night. I absolutely loved it.

That Rossignol board would see a lot of use, too. Mac-Cutcheon says he would get out on the mountain every chance he could and started progressing quickly. He recalls his mom pulling him out of school early so he could get in a few late afternoon runs before the lifts closed. He loved to ride fast, and picked up the nickname that still sticks, Speedy Steve.

He got his first carving board when he was eight years old after joining the Ski and Snowboard Club Vails first snow-boarding team with coach Hoyt Hottel.

Hoyt introduced me to all events some slope style, some racing, some half pipe, MacCutcheon says. But I re-ally loved to go fast. I told Hoyt that, and he set me up to start racing.

By age nine he registered for his first race. By 11 he won

nationals for his age group in slalom. He made the Junior World team at 15.

That summer, when he was 16, he went to Chile for train-ing and was introduced to boardercross a now popular dis-cipline that headlines as a premier event at the Winter Olym-pic Games. Boardercross has snowboarders race downhill, around gates and over jumps. At 17, he was racing boarder-cross full time, loving the mixture of speed, air and techni-cal focus. But that is when he began to battle injuries a fractured shin and constant knee problems.

Despite those set backs, he made another junior world team in boardercross and GS. The race was supposed to be in Switzerland, but snow there delayed the event, allowing MacCutcheon to race once more on American soil before heading to Europe. He registered for a national race at Cop-per.

Somebody could die on that courseThe weekend was going well for MacCutcheon in GS and

slalom.I dont remember exactly how I did, but I was top 10 defi-

nitely, MacCutcheon says. Even now he doesnt remember a lot about that weekend, and some events leading up to it are still hazy.

All I had left was boardercross. I remember there was one jump on the course that didnt look good to anyone. It was a lippy jump that kicked you into the air and landed right into a left hand turn on a berm. It was really hard to prepare for, he says.

What he recalls is specific his friend had gotten hurt on it earlier. It was a blue-bird day.

I remember looking over at one of my friends who was racing next to me. I remember turning to him and telling him

Riding on faith, home-grown snowboard racer Steven MacCutcheon looks for a miricle comeback this season.

By John ONeill

Thereturn of

Speedy Steve

Speedy Steve Fundraiser

When: Friday, Dec. 7 at 5 p.m.Where: Alpenrose Restaurant Why: Steven MacCutcheon returns to com-

petitive snowboarding after traumatic brain in-jury. Funds from the event will go toward race travel and equipment expenses.

[See SPEEDY STEVE, page 22]

Local snowboarder Steven MacCutcheon looks to return to the national and in-ternational racing circuit this year after two life-threatening injuries nearly ended his career. Sherri Innis photo.


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sneakPeak wants you to send in your photo submissions that capture what makes living in the Vail Valley great. Well feature one photo each week, so send in images from your latest ad-ventures and other captured moments from around town, along with a short caption, to [email protected].

Caption: Still waiting for snow, but the views are beautiful.Credit: Amy Owens


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8

At first glance, not much seems to have changed at The Sonnenalps in-hotel restaurant, Ludwigs. But pay attention to what is being served and youll see that it is a different place entirely.

Executive Chef Steven Topple, who juggles the Sonn-enalps five different restaurants with an unflappable attitude and characteristic class, decided to completely revamp Lud-wigs last winter. The German-themed restaurant, formerly serving wild game and other mountain-inspired dishes, has now become a seafood haven, with the promise of sea to table.

Doubters may raise an eyebrow at the thought of truly good seafood in the Colorado mountains, but Ludwigs man-ages the feat with carefully chosen, fresh seafood ordered from suppliers from all over the country.

I cant stress how fresh it is, says Topple, describing the nearly daily calls he gets from seafood purveyors reporting the latest catches that have come into the auctions. Its re-ally interesting how it works. The other thing (working with all these seafood companies) allows me to do is to introduce things people dont normally see up here, like wolf fish. Last year, we once did nearly 50 types of fish in the restaurant at a time. I dont know too many restaurants that do that.

With the help of those seafood buyers, the restaurant gets daily shipments of the freshest oysters from Maine, kingfish from Hawaii and, of course, Colorado trout and bass.

Creative seafoodYou wont find a commitment to a certain style of prepara-

tion at Ludwigs, just what Topple calls creative seafood. I really love game and seafood, and I think its what I

really love cooking, so we dont really stick with a certain style, the chef says. I enjoy trying different things with it.

That could mean a simple twist on a classic, such as a de-constructed New England clam chowder served with crusty bread and a light broth, or an all-out, one-of-a-kind creation like the tuna and foie gras square. This starter is the unlikely

marriage of seafood and breakfast, but it manages to work. Melt-in-your mouth foie gras is wrapped in seared tuna and served with a small stack of orange pancakes covered with a sauce inspired by maple syrup. If that dish doesnt assure you youre in for a less-than-ordinary meal, nothing will.

Fans of crab cakes will also be impressed with Ludwigs version, which is really more of a roll than a cake. The ap-petizer is generous with unadulterated crab chunks and light on breading, served with a vinegary cucumber salsa and red pepper sauce.

Topples fish entrees are where Ludwigs really shines, with original and well-executed creations. Dont miss the red snapper, normally not the most glamorous fish. How-

ever, it becomes one of the menus best dishes the fish is

seared to a crispy finish and served in a bath of coconut-lime froth with a nutty couscous salad. The coconut milk adds a pleasant richness without the heaviness of dairy, and the crunch of macadamia nuts nicely echoes the crispy crust.

Also try the baked Dover sole, served with fanfare on sev-

Top: Chef Steven Topple is at the helm of Sonnenalps Ludwigs and its new gourmet seafood menu. Jeffrey Hulse photo. Left: Starters feature dishes such as the rich tuna-wrapped foie gras. Center: Meat lovers will find something, too, such as the olive-dusted lamb loin. Zach Mahone photos.

FromOcean to Table

Sonnenalps Ludwigs restaurant embarks on second year of dishing up creative seafood. By Melanie Wong.

Sneak picks at Ludwigs

Crab cakes Not overly breaded, with gener-ous chunks of tender crab.

Seared, crispy red snapper This Hawaiian-themed dish partners fresh fish with coconut-lime sauce and macadamia nuts for a light, healthy meal.

Kalamata lamb loin Rack of lamb usually steals the show, but this different cut gets a completely unique taste when paired with ol-ives and thyme sauce.

[See LUDWIGS, page 23]


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9

With the demolition of Vails beloved Club 8150 for the construction of residences in 2007, restaurants and bars of the valley had to step up and fill the void for live music. While at the moment there is no major venue in the area designed solely for the purpose of hosting live music, there are many places throughout the valley that do double duty, and do it surprisingly well. All over the valley there are a multitude of restaurants and taverns shows -- be it local or national, live or electronic, bluegrass or dub step, if you search for it, you will find it. While this is by no means a co-

hesive list, here is a lineup of SneakPEAKs favorite haunts for hearing live jams.

Vail

Shakedown BarThe newly anointed Shakedown Bar sits at the top of

Bridge Street in Vail Village. Down the stairs into the bar, you will typically find the Scott Rednor Band warming the crowd up, or Steve Meyer opening for some of the musical acts the bar has lined up for this season. While the stage is small and quarters are tight, the space just adds to the inti-mate feeling you get watching a show. Shakedowns next special event is Corey Smith in mid December, a self-ac-claimed country music troubadour. Call Shakedown Bar for more information at 970-376-0556 or head to www.shakedownbarvail.com for a full schedule.

Samana LoungeAt another set of stairs a little farther down Bridge Street

lies Samana Lounge. It has a low ceiling and dark motif, lending itself to a European club-style atmosphere you cant

get anywhere else in town. Samana prides itself on having something special for everyone.

We try to tailor each night to a certain crowd, says bar-tender and booking agent Ross Cohen. A plethora of live musical acts pepper Samanas winter schedule. The month of December alone showcases Mark Farina, Jerry Joseph and Sophistafunk. One of the highlights of the week for lo-cals is Mondays Open Turntable night, where local DJs are encouraged to set up their tables. Contact Samana www.samanalounge.com to see their calendar or to book a show.

Vail Ale HouseWalk through the door of the Vail Ale House, and youll

see what theyve got going for them. Formerly the Sandbar, the soon-to-be-opened Vail Ale House will, yet again, be the largest music venue in the area. Additions and improve-ments, like the removal of the DJ box at the side of the main stage, and the brand-new sound system, will take the Ale House from a decent venue to a great one. Looking to once again be a consistent pit stop for nationally touring acts, the Vail Ale House will have a variety of other acts on tap.

My favorite part of booking bands is when I go on a rec-ommendation from someone and book a band I have never heard of and then they blow my mind. says General Man-ager Jason Barber.

The Vail Ale Houses grand opening is Friday, Dec. 14, with local favorites the MTHDS performing. For more in-formation, call 970-476-4314

AvonRoute 6 Cafe

Until recently, Route 6 Cafe in EagleVail was simply a

The sounds of winterYour guide on where to catch live music in the Vail Valley

By Jenna Stecker

Edwards band Laugh-ing Bones performs at

Woodys Bar and Grill in Riverwalk last Thursday.

Woodys is among the taverns and restaurants in the valley where you

can catch live music from both local and national

artists. Scott Ostrom photo.

[See LIVE MUSIC, page 16]


10

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When Davis Hermes fell while walking across a strip of fabric suspended over a chasm some 400-feet deep, the most harrowing part wasnt the fall it was getting back up.

In the Hermes family kitchen about two weeks after Thanksgiving, Davis and his mom, Amy, watch video of his fall on a tiny digital camera. Amy recorded it in Moab the previous weekend during an annual gathering of profession-al slackliners, the modern equivalent of old-school tightrope walkers. Even while standing in the comfort of their home in Cordillera, Amy cringes inadvertently when her 12-year-old sons recorded image falls, catches in a harness, and hangs suspended over a massive canyon dubbed The Fruit Bowl.

The whippers are intense, Amy says, using the slack-line lingo for a fall. Watching your child fall from a line, you know its safe, but nothing will make your heart race faster.

As the sound of an unseen acoustic guitarist wafts across the bright, unseasonably warm desert the sport is known as a favorite hobby of dreadlocked college students Davis eyes remain locked on the replay. This was the hard part, something the eerily precocious slackliner of just six months had never attempted in his life. In the video, Davis hangs from the harness and eyes the webbed, one-inch-wide line some five feet above him. He swings one leg over his head and catches the safety rope on his shin, using it as a lever to hoist his body toward the slackline above. Along with bal-ance, he has incredible upper-body strength and climbs the rope with ease. Within seconds, hes sitting on the line with one leg beneath him and the other dangling down a perfect image of the sports top pros, and not far from the way any-one Davis age might lounge on a school desk.

Davis break is short-lived. To make up for the whipper, he does several tricks on the wobbly line, including an stall on his hands and chest (called a chongo mount) that forces him to stare directly into the abyss. Digital voices holler and cheer, and Amy whispers something like, Of course he did.

The crowd was stunned stalls are difficult enough with the two-inch-wide tricklines used on the rapidly growing competition circuit but Davis tenacity was to be expected. Barely an hour prior, he became the youngest person ever to walk (or send) The Fruit Bowl slackline, referred to as a highline when so ridiculously, well, high. And he did it nearly 10 times without a fall.

I had no intention of going out there and breaking any records, says Davis, putting down the camera to practice a hand stall on the kitchen counter. Its really intimidating to get out there and see that highline. I didnt think there was any way I could have been prepared for what I did. But once youre on the line and experienced, you feel stable. Its still scary, but I didnt think it was all that crazy.

The birth of a sport and starSlacklining began nearly four decades ago, when a group

of rock climbers in Yosemite National Park slung strips of webbing between trees to practice on balance between as-cents. For years, it remained a cross-training tool, and ath-

letes gave it little serious thought. On the surface, sending a slackline resembles walking a tightrope. Both require a combination of intense balance and concentration, and both can be done in precarious locales.

But all comparisons are thrown out the window with the punk-infused sport of tricklining. Pioneered five years ago by the U.S.-based company Gibbon Slacklines, the compe-titions are quickly gaining traction with a youthful mix of gymnastics-style moves and freestyle attitude. Team pros put on demonstrations at the X-Games and Dew Tour, and they hope to be in the Summer Olympics by 2032.

Audiences in Vail got a taste of slacklining when Gibbon hosted a tournament at Teva Mountain Games this past sum-mer. In a town known for fast-paced sports like skiing and snowboarding, slacklining was a major hit, drawing crowds of several thousand spectators to the makeshift venue at So-laris Plaza in Vail Village. Among them was Davis, who saw shaggy-haired pros like Andy Lewis (a trainer for Madon-nas 2012 Super Bowl show) perform backflips, twists and stalls on the line. He was immediately hooked, even though it was harder than expected.

The slackline prodigyEdwards 12-year-old tackles a record, 400 feet in the air

By Phil Lindeman

Edwards resident Davis Hermes, 12, walks a highline across a 400-foot deep canyon in Moab, Utah. Photo special to SneakPEAK.

[See SLACKLINE, page 24]


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COLORADO MOUNTAIN COLLEGE AND BATTLE MOUNTAIN STUDENTS

Jumping levels in sport is a challenge. Join-ing varsity after JV participation is an ac-complishment. Joining a collegiate program after high school is an accomplishment. After college, though, the jumps get harder, the com-petition gets stiffer and the accomplishment of any success is sweeter.

Team Homegrown athlete Ryan Scott had one of the biggest jumps of his career as a Nor-dic racer last weekend in a set of races in Montana and West Yellowstone.

The West Yellowstone race was a 1.5-kilometer sprint race, in which racers battled poor snow conditions. Scott would end up winning his qualifier and the race by 2.33 seconds.

The second race series was in Bozeman, Mont., and were also sprint races. Scott would find success in the skate sprint after winning his quarterfinal and semifinal, and then finish-ing third overall

It was a good set of races for me, Scott says. The competition really showed up and I felt like I skied well.

Winning the race in Yellowstone and finishing third were sweet, but where the finishes get Scott are sweeter. By skiing strong at the start of the season, he secured his spot to represent the U.S. Ski Team in two upcoming World Cup races to be held in Canada.

He will represent the U.S. in both team and individual events at a race in Quebec this upcoming weekend and one later in the season in Canmore, Canada. If he skis well there,

he will be awarded more starts to upcoming World Cup races in North America and Europe. Its pretty exciting to finally break through, Scott says. It is definitely not easy to make

that final step up there. I feel like I am in great form, and I hope that I can get up to Canada and perform where I hope to.

Scott is a Boulder native, but made Vail his home this fall to train with Ski and Snowboard Club Vail coach Dan Weiland under Weilands Team Homegrown, a program for post-colle-giate athletes who look to further their racing career after their NCAA eligibility has run out.

Scott is from Boulder where he attended Boulder High School. He then moved to Boze-man and skied for Montana State University for five years.

Eric Pepper, one of the coaches at SSCV, was Scotts junior coach for six years. When Scott graduated from Montana State, he was connected both to Pepper and had already met Weiland through racing. He knew that Weiland and Pepper were looking for skiers to con-tinue their careers and knew of skiers like Sylvan Ellefson, another Nordic star for Team Homegrown. He knew Vail was where he needed to be.

At the moment, Scott and the other SSCV athletes, have had minimal snow practice thanks to the noticeably dry conditions. Scott says theyve been making the best of it by practicing on a small loop at Minturns Maloit Park on the Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy campus. The Nordic Center in East Vail, unfortunately, is still waiting for snow.

Nevertheless, Scott says hes been impressed with the caliber of Nordic training hes found in Vail.

I think the way they structure the program and the way they built that whole network of support throughout the Vail Valley and throughout Colorado is exceptional, Scott says. They have done an incredible job bringing in new skiers of all ages. They get the high school kids into the sport and are seeing results. They are extremely knowledgeable of all aspects of ski racing. It really is an ideal situation up here.

Success

skate skison

Team Homegrown athlete Ryan Scott earns Nordic

World Cup berths. John ONeill

vail.com

Pictured Ski and Snowboard Club Vail Nordic skiers take to the race track last season. This year the program has seen good results so far, especially with podium post-collegiate racer Ryan Scott. Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy photo.

SneakPEAK writer John ONeill can be reached at [email protected]


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It went from something that was fun to talk about to something that became a viable idea, Davis says.

The two did some more research and found out that there wasnt really anyone around going where they wanted to with an all-natural, quick-and-easy piece of chicken. They aim to do for chicken what Chipotle and Qdoba have done for burritos or what the local Larkburger has done for burg-ers its traditional fast food gone natural and gourmet.

Going forward, the trio of Yellowbelly saw that no one was doing the all-natural thing with chicken. Davis and Wupperman picked up Friedberg a former World Cup skier and entrepreneur - as a partner and the restaurant was born.

Fried chicken, Colorado styleDont be deceived by the sound of the four-wing plate, as

the wings at Yellowbelly are full chicken wings. They are the two-bite stomach buster covered in hot sauce and served with celery and ranch.

The wings at Yellowbelly look as though a bird once thought they could fly with them, making them meal not appetizer worthy.

And Davis and Wupperman werent lying about the flavor. The batter dresses the meat with a coat of golden and not-too-greasy distinction.

But nobody orders fried chicken for its looks. The cooks at Yellowbelly excel in taste. Tear apart the first wing and watch steam rise from the still moist and hot tender meat harbored under the batter.

A bite of Yellowbelly fried chicken is sensory gratifica-tion. At the high-top, low-top, long and square tables around the restaurant, you can hear the crunch, crunch, crunch of happy customers munching on their fried chicken. Inside the batter, the meat remains succulent despite the harrowing

process of frying.The short list of sides offered are great, healthy compli-

ments as well. Like a sidekick to a superhero, the citrus qui-noa could have a story of its own. Filling and refreshing, the quinoa takes taste buds on a different, but welcomed path, while at the same time keeping the main in site and making sure the diner never forgets that bouncing back to the fried chicken is a good idea.

The smashed potatoes are a new twist on French fries. Theyre not wedge cut, skinny or sticks in any way. They also arent orange and dont curl. They give the satisfied feeling of eating a potato while providing a guilty pleasure that only French fries can.

Also of note at Yellowbelly, is the fountain soda. The restaurant doesnt only offer the option of Coke-and-Pepsi products. Their machine has natural cane cola, black cherry cola, natural root beer and more that prompt refills on top of refills.

Only at the end of the meal does one noticethe perfect portions and difference between Yellowbelly fried chicken and southern fried chicken. When youve finished, you wont feel hungry but neither will you feel stuffed and ooz-ing frying oil. And thanks the to the gluten-free recipe and high-quality products, it doesnt feel as though you have a deep-fried brick sitting heavy in your stomach.

Yellowbelly registers as a must try. They also have whole birds that can be taken away for family meals or sandwiches and wing plates to be enjoyed in the restaurants. For a full list of their offerings, visit www.yellowbellychicken.com.

YELLOWBELLY [From page 5]


breakfast and lunch place. Now, in a new location, it serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and music. Owner Ollie Holdstock knew the new location would be an undertaking and that live music would be a part of it.

Im not a night club owner, but I am a Deadhead! Hold-stock says.

Holdstock knew that the redesigned spot would draw patrons if it was designed correctly. Using the large wrap-around bar to its fullest, Route 6 is the perfect cozy spot for an open mic night (Thursdays), 80s dance parties (the first Friday of every month) and especially live music (Whiskey-grass Wednesdays). In its first winter season in the new lo-cation, Route 6 is looking for new musical acts to fill their weekends. For more information, 970-949-6393.

AgaveAgave is restaurant by day, nightclub and music venue by

night, Agave packs a punch with its diverse schedule year round. This is the place to see Pretty Lights musical protg Michael Menert or the all-female AC/DC cover band Hells Belles or even 90s Southern rap group Nappy Roots. One of the most attractive features of Agave is its split-level design with dual bars. Watch the music from below, or travel up a flight of stairs and view the music and the crowd from the 360-degree wrap-around balcony above. Check out their full winter calendar at www.agaveavon.com.

EdwardsMain Street Grill

Tucked inside the heart of the Riverwalk Center in Ed-

wards, the Main Street Grill has long stood as the local go-to for music and atmosphere. Owners Nikki and Chris Heiden were fans of all things New Orleans, including the music, and were looking to bring a touch of that bayou vibe to the mountains when they opened in 2000. Dimly lit and decid-edly local, Main Street Grill has an everybody-knows-your-name vibe. Main Street may be small, but it makes up for size with heart and variety. Booking agent Lynne Krnacik says that they are almost fully booked for the winter season, and the inquiries keep coming in.

Even with our lack of venue, we have proven that there is an obvious desire for someone to provide live music, she says. Now if only we had the room for a stage.

To hear about the full winter schedule see www.main-streetgrill.org.

WoodysJust a few paces down the street from Main Street Grill

is Woodys Bar and Grill. The epitome of a hometown bar, Woodys is bright and lively with a few of the usual suspects around the bar or playing music most evenings. On Thursday nights, you will find Edwards own Laughing Bones pick-ing away, tucked in to the music corner with Dave Perrons voice floating over the crowd. Most Fridays find the musical styling of Bob Masters on guitar and Kaitlyn Covers sweet and simultaneously sultry voice wafting over the sounds of her ukulele. For more info, call 970-926-2756.

LIVE MUSIC [From page 9]

SneakPEAK writer Jenna Stecker can be reached at [email protected].


HolidayMens Gift Guide

OUTDOOR FANATICThe Suunto Ambit HR features include GPS, 3D compass, accurate barometric altitude, barometer, temperature, global, local PD grid and much, much more. For more information visit Ptarmigan Sports at the Riverwalk in Edwards or call 970-926-8144.

TRAVEL COMPANIONFind unique gifts ideas for all of the people on your Christmas list at the Baggage Cheque in Vail (970-476-2247). This LAND toiletry kit is the perfect gift to make traveling fast and effi cient.

BEER AFFICIANADOThe Spiegelau Beer Connoisseur Glass Set includes a Pilsner, lager, wheat, and stemmed Pilsner glass. Each glass is designed to enhance a specifi c style of beer and maximize its appearance, aroma and taste. Get this set today at the Kitchen Collage in Edwards. Call 970-926-0400.

RARE WHISKEY ENTHUSIASTA very rare whiskey aged in used barrels allowing the more delicate fl avors of the rye distillate to prevail. A truly sophisticated sipping whiskey available at Alpine Wine and Spirits in West Vail 970-479-8116.

from your locally owned & operated shops

TECH-SAVVY READERThe Kobo Glo eReader is a great gift for big travelers who like to read, anywhere they happen to be, and always have a few books on the go. The Kobo Glo reads like a paper book, has a battery that lasts, and a built-in light for read-ing at night. The Kobo eBookstore is jam-packed with nearly 3 million eBooks globally, including bestsellers, hidden gems, newspapers and magazines. Find it now at The Bookworm, located at the Riverwalk in Edwards and online at www.bookwormofedwards.com.

ARTISTS AND WRITERS Its not the pencil that draws and writes its your hand. These solid graphite drawing tools write with every available surface. Youve got to see it to believe it. See the varied selection at Asian Village in The Edwards Riverwalk. 970-926-6188

16


HolidayWomens Gift Guide

from your locally owned & operated shops

SOFT SHOESPeace Love World slippers are on every girls wish list. These plush slippers are perfect to wear after a long day at work or on the slopes. PE 101 at the Riverwalk in Edwards (970-926-0520) carries a great selection of Peace Love World. Stop in today!

ONE-OF-A-KIND JEWELRYThis signature necklace designed by Susan and UnChu at Asian Village in the Edwards Riverwalk is available in sterling silver and 14-carat gold. The necklace stands for peace, chi, eternity, happiness and beauty, and the earrings stand for harmony. For more info, call 970-926-6188.

WRAP UP Scarves are the perfect way to jazz up any outfi t for the holidays! Mommy and Me Boutique is a one-stop shop for all moms and moms-to-be. Shop their maternity clothing, childrens clothing, accessories and more at their great location in EagleVail. For more info, call 970-949-4555.

FLOWER LOVERRed roses and carnations are exquisitely arranged with white lilies and chrysanthemums in a ruby-red glass vase. This beauti-ful bouquet is available at Sweet Pea Designs in EagleVail by calling 970-949-6617.

WARM WINTER WEARStay warm this winter with a faux-fur vest from Alpine Ambiance located at the Riverwalk in Edwards and on Broadway in Eagle. Alpine Ambiance carries a great selection of accessories, ornaments, jewelry, candles and more.

BE-JEWELEDThis 24 pair earring box is perfect for the Wom-en who loves her jewelry. Shop at the Baggage Cheque in Vail for ladies purses, wallets, lug-gage and more. Call 970-476-2247.

ONE-OF-A-KIND JEWELRYThis signature necklace designed by Susan and UnChu at Edwards Riverwalk is available in sterling silver and 14-carat gold. The necklace stands for peace, chi, eternity, happiness and beauty, and the earrings stand for harmony. For more info, call

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Editors Note: Minturn-based sports fan Patrick Whitehurst writes for www.fanrag.com. Read his mus-ings on the site or in Sneak-PEAK.

Fantasy football is a fickle game. Every year is differ-ent, and in order to consis-tently win, fantasy owners must build a roster with depth and get lucky at certain points in the season. In most

leagues, the fantasy playoffs begin this week.

If youre one of the millions of Americans who play fan-tasy football, week 14 in the NFL is either a blessing or a curse. If your season didnt turn out the way you had hoped --chalk it up to bad luck and look forward to the fantasy-football karma train picking you up in 2013. If you were fortunate enough to successfully navigate another crazy NFL season, or you were savvy enough to draft Robert Griffin III, Adrian Peterson, Demaryius Thomas and Doug Martin, theres a strong chance you made the playoffs.

At this point it doesnt matter if your first-round draft choice was a bust (Darren McFadden) or that you had a re-volving door at the quarterback position (Joe Flacco, Mi-chael Vick, Josh Freeman). What matters now is that you made the tournament and in a few weeks, your friends, co-workers, family members, significant others and rivals might be forced to say, Congratulations, League Champ!

Now that the postseason is here, theres still work to be

done. The stakes are raised for every fantasy owner. Whether your league offers a financial reward or simply family brag-ging rights, its vital to your teams success that you adhere to few simple rules that I have developed over my 20-plus years of being a fantasy football junkie. Good luck!

1. Dont get cute. Every fantasy owner wants to make the right decision when finalizing their optimal lineups. But the playoffs are no time to consider benching your top play-ers, even if they have difficult matchups. Insert Tom Brady, Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green, and Arian Foster as you nor-mally would, even if you read a crazy stat somewhere about their road splits, or how they have a tendency to perform poorly after the left tackles birthday. If I lose in the fantasy playoffs, I want it to be because my top guys were in my lineup. Theres no guarantee that your studs will put up their best numbers of the season in the crucial weeks, but you can bet that theyll have monster games if you bench them on a whim or for some silly reason.

2. Ride the hot hands. Its natural for fantasy owners to think that players who have been dominant over the last few weeks will be due for a drop-off. Andre Johnson, Dez Bry-ant and C.J. Spiller have been beasting lately. Keep them in your lineups, and watch as the terror on your opponents face grows. Along the same lines, if a player has struggled to be productive recently, keep them on the bench. I dont own Matt Forte or Miles Austin (as a personal rule, I try not to acquire any Bears or Cowboys), but their prospective roles have been lessened, and they cannot be relied on to help your fantasy team.

3. Dont overestimate the cold-weather factor. Its win-

ter, but that doesnt mean NFL players will clam up and fail to play to their potential just because its cold outside. The Green Bay Packers arent going to give James Starks or Alex Green 30-plus carries when its 10 degrees in Lambeau, the offense will still run through Aaron Rodgers. Greg Jennings, Randall Cobb and maybe even Jermichael Finley all make for strong plays. When the Broncos play at home in weeks 16 and 17, there will be a high probability for snow and cold weather -- dont worry about Peyton Manning, Eric Decker, Demaryius Thomas and the awesome Broncos defense not playing great. Conversely, if its sunny and 80 degrees in Mi-ami without wind, I dont want Ryan Tannehill leading my team. Inside the University of Phoenix Stadium, the weather is always perfect, but no Arizona Cardinals player should be a fantasy starter (sorry, Larry Fitzgerald) except for maybe the kicker.

4. Continue to work the waiver wire. LeSean McCoy owners know that Bryce Brown has put up gigantic num-bers in place of the concussed running back, and if they were smart enough to add him, their production has not dipped. Many NFL teams out of the playoff picture will give ex-tended looks to young players, so snatch them up and reap the benefits.

5. Stay on top of the injury report. As the games become more important, fantasy owners can ill-afford to get a giant goose egg from a player by failing to check their status one hour before game time. Have a secondary plan if your run-ning back or wide receiver is questionable.

6. Its only a game, have fun. Enjoy the competition and remember that its not real life -- its fantasy.

SneakSpORTS: a guide to the winReal-life fantasy football rules that every fan can live by

Patrick Whitehurst

When local mountain biker Brett Donelson first began working with young mountain bikers three years ago, he started with a handful of unlikely riders, teenaged girls who made a splash in the community competing in local town series races. This coming January, he looks start a new non-profit aimed at getting new young riders into the sport in Eagle County and beyond.

The new nonprofit, called The Cycle Effect, gives high school kids who would not otherwise have the opportunity a chance to experience mountain bike racing. The program will provide bikes, coaching and other support for the rid-ers to not only learn how to mountain bike, but successfully complete a season toeing the line with other competitive rid-ers.

Were looking for students with a need, says Donel-son. That could be financial, academic or social, or they just need an outlet. Well be adding different demographics (from previous years), which is neat to see, that on a bike, were all equal.

In the past, Donelson has worked with small teams of lo-

cal girls through area mountain bike races efforts that were very well-received in the community.

We had a lot of people say they wanted this in more com-munities. They said, Why is it only 15 girls? says Donel-son, who has a background as a personal trainer, ski coach and endurance sport trainer. I got more passionate about the idea of getting kids on bikes, but of course the logistics of a program like this is hard. I just decided, Im going to do it.

Donelsons vision is to make The Cycle Effect a statewide organization that gives both girls and boys the opportunity to race mountain bikes and be mentored by the programs lead-ers. The riders will be coached and trained, and compete in the Vail Recreation Districts short track series and the town mountain bike series. Aside from riding, racers will also be connected with internships in the community.

Donelson says that hes seen young riders benefit dramati-cally from bike racing and is excited to see that opportunity offered to more kids.

We know high school is difficult. We know there are a lot of social pressures, and we know we saw girls make much better choices (because of the program). Some of the girls were dealing with very difficult situations, and we were

there to give them some relief, he says.As executive director, Donelson will be launching The

Cycle Effect with the help of his wife Tamara, a professional XTERRA athlete and avid mountain biker.

Donelson says he is in the process of looking for sponsors, donors and volunteers to kick off the program.

We are finalizing our bike sponsor now and some other great organizations are stepping up to help. How great will it be when kids that work hard, and regardless of their back-grounds, get opportunities to enrich and benefit their lives while riding a bike and embodying that which the Rocky Mountain outdoor lifestyle represents -- health, wellness and personal growth? he says.

The first round of riders will apply for the program in mid-January, and Donelson says the program will take as many riders as feasible. The idea is to have teams of 10 riders lo-cated in several hubs throughout the valley, and next year the program may expand to Summit County.

To get involved, or for more information, go to [email protected]

Local rider launches The Cycle effectYouth mountain biking program to reach Eagle and Summit counties

By Melanie Wong

SneakPEAK editor Melanie Wong can be reached at [email protected]


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that I didnt think I was going to make it through the course, that somebody could die on that course, MacCutcheon says.

Little did he know that he would be forecasting his own future. MacCutcheon hardly remembers starting the race.

We all came into that jump. I had friends say that I was in the lead. I cant remember. But I flipped upside down going way too fast and came down right on my head on the berm.

MacCutcheon had broken his helmet and immediately fell into respiratory failure. Ski patrol had to revive him. He was then taken by Flight for Life to St. Anthonys in Denver. He was told that he was revived twice in the helicopter.

At St. Anthonys he would be diagnosed with two brain hemorrhages one in the frontal lobe, one in the temporal lobe. There was shearing of the brain. He had shattered his shoul-der. He had eight fractures in his humorous. He destroyed his labrum, tore his rotator cuff and broke his elbow.

I dont remember much of the week prior. I was even dating a girl at the time, and I couldnt remember that for a long time. My mom got there and was greeted by a priest and taken to a bereavement room. She was intent on seeing me, and they let her in. I was on a respirator. I had a machine pumping my lungs. I was in a medically induced coma, he says.

To put in perspective how close MacCutcheon was to dying the doctors had a cooler in the room next to his bed. The cooler was for his organs had he passed away.

Heres where some might say a miracle happened MacCutcheon, an active member at Cavalry Chapel, says he believes that Jesus had a helping hand in saving his life.

The diagnosis was close to terminal. Then my Mom started to pray. She believed Jesus would heal me. Then the doctors started seeing the quickest recovery, he says.

His brain had begun dangerously swelling, and the doctors were ready to drill into his skull to relieve the pressure. Then, one day, the pressure began to dissipate.

Avoiding the drill helped everything dramatically, MacCutcheon says. I was able to recover so much faster. Everyone kept on praying that I would get better, and I continued to improve and improve faster than what anyone expected.

Sounds like a miracleIt wasnt until he left the hospital that the reality set in snowboard racing was over for

him. One day I was thinking about going to Europe to snowboard, then I am coming home.

The worst part was that before the accident I had packed all my bags for Europe, and when I got home from the hospital, they were still packed. That was the first time it really set in, he says.

The MacCutcheons even moved the family to South Carolina so their son could recover away from the mountains, but he knew he wanted to be back on a board. But at the time, full recovery was a long ways away he even had trouble speaking.

I had to relearn emotions. I remember there being so much pain. No happy and a lot of

pain. I couldnt even communicate it, he says. That was kind of a drag, but I had faith that there was going to be a complete turnaround in my life. I had faith that I could get through it. Faith sees a setback as an opportunity for a comeback.

It took a lot of work, but one year later after careful evaluation from his doctor Mac-Cutcheon was back on a board, riding for fun. After a while, he was getting fast again, and had considered getting back into boardercross.

Those plans were quickly curtailed, however, at the end of the 2010 season. He was hit-ting a jumps in Vail, loving the feeling of getting air again. It was a windy day. He remem-bers hitting a jump. Then he remembers waking up in the hospital -- again.

He had a fractured eye socket, concussion and a broken wrist, and a second head trauma injury could have been completely debilitating. Yet doctors found nothing wrong.

They were bewildered, MacCutcheon says. They couldnt find anything. They couldnt even find any signs of previous injury. It sounds like a miracle to me. I was 100 percent healed. I guess it was kind of a real opportunity to find out exactly how I was doing. And I was doing just fine.

A calling back to the mountainsAfter the second injury, MacCutcheon who is also an accomplished musician moved

out to Indiana to pursue a career in music. He had picked up music while recovering from his first injury, and thought that was where his life was headed.

And then the mountains called me back. God called me back to the mountains. When I got back, I started thinking about snowboarding as something I really need to consider doing again, he says.

This time, MacCutcheon set his sights on the speed disciplines of slalom and GS. Since the beginning of the summer, hes been in the gym, working with trainers. However, the road back to competition is largely unpaved. While he rides for a Steamboat Springs-based team, national snowboard racing doesnt receive funding. Even the board hes riding is a used board.

His only current sponsor is the Alpenrose restaurant in Vail, where he also works. The restaurant will be hosting a fundraiser for MacCutcheon this Friday, December 7 at 5 p.m., with a portion of proceeds helping to cover his travel, race and equipment expenses.

So for now, MacCutcheon is riding on faith, with a strong crew of friends and family behind him.

I believe in Jesus and that he has a plan for me, he says. Getting back onto a snow-board, racing again, it isnt just a chance to be back on the mountains. It is a second chance at life and something that I love doing.

SPEEDY STEVE [From page 6]



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eral plates the fish is deboned at your table, nestled into potatoes and squash, and then drizzled with a brown butter sauce. Its an unexpectedly sumptuous dish and the buttery sauce practically melts in your mouth.

A treat for the eyes and taste budsNot a fan of seafood? Dont worry Topple makes sure

to please the meat-lover at the table as well. His lamb dish separates itself from the flock with a Kalamata olive crust. The two strong flavors seem like they would compete for attention, but instead act to create a whole new flavor with

every bite. Its served with thin slabs of potato and green beans, then slathered in a red-wine sauce.

Finish the meal on a sweet note with a dessert. Theyre treats for the eye as well as the mouth, with each presented in intricately cut shapes and sculpture-like, sugar-spun decora-tions. Theyre so pretty you wont want to dig in almost.

Chocolate fans should go for the Valrhona Trio, a sampler of velvety chocolate crme brle, molten chocolate cake and a berry-and-cream Napoleon. Those with a fruit bent will like the banana crisp. Its a great a winter dessert, with its rum-infused nougat and a dash of cold from a scoop of

coconut ice cream. In more of a holiday mood? The plum tart features winter spices as well as Asian flavors, with a sample of citrusy kumquat sorbet.

In the humblest way, Topple believes that he and his staff have managed to create something unique not to mention delicious in Vail.

I dont want people to think its just another fine din-ing restaurant, Topple says. I really want people to know about the seafood focus. Its really a secret gem.

LUDWIGS [From page 8]

courses, even when I was going against those superstars. They were a lot of fun to ski on, and those skis are why I was able to win so many races. Theyre how I made all the money (laughs).

SP: Since the beginning, you and Sheika have attracted many people to Vail. Talk about some of the notable figures youve encountered.

PG: I met President Ford in 1969 the first time, and then later on I became his instructor and skied with him when he would come to Colorado. He was quite a good skier. We skied everywhere sometimes he would bring some older people or younger people with him who werent very good. One time, he came with a football coach from Miami (Don Shula), and he was not a very good skier. I said, Mr. President, you go and ski ahead, and Ill stay with the coach, because he (Shula) could not do some of the runs we had planned. He couldnt keep up.

SP: Youve had two strokes in the past decade. Has this prevented you from skiing, or do you still get a few turns in every season?

PG: Oh, yes I still ski. Last year, I skied maybe 45 times. Sometimes it can be a problem when the weather gets cold because I can have trouble breathing. Im 80 years old now Im a little bit older than I used to be. I have to be careful.

SP: What are your favorite runs?PG: My favorite is Riva Ridge. Its the best run there. Its long, from the top to the bottom,

and just a wonderful run. It has everything you could want. A lot of times, people will go to the back because they dont know the front is the best place to ski, really. It is wonderful for me.

SP: You were instrumental in bringing the 1989 FIS World Alpine Ski Championships to the valley. Do you still follow ski racing?

PG: A little bit I do. I like watching the racers from Europe because it is just a very dif-ferent place for skiing. There are so many little areas around there, and people come there from all over. They have Italy and France and Switzerland and Austria they have so many people and very good skiers. They treat it like the Super Bowl. Everyone keeps their eyes on the ski racers.

SP: Its a bit tempting to glamorize Vails early years. What was the biggest challenge you and other original residents faced?

PG: Well, first of all, we have a great mountain. That was half the battle, just putting the lifts up there so people could enjoy the good skiing, the good snow. It helped me, it helped the whole area. Me and (original Vail investor) Dick Hauserman, we spent a lot of time pro-moting, travelling across the country and going on TV to tell people about how incredible Vail is. But when we were done with that, there was still a lot of work to be done. You have to think President Ford also did a lot to really build the whole thing up. He was one of the best guys we had here.

SP: Youve practically lived in your hotel for five decades. Talk about raising a family in the middle of a ski resort does it ever get overwhelming?

PG: I have two children, and they belong to this town they belong here. It is wonderful to have them here. It is very interesting for my children to grow up in a place like this. It is such a beautiful place, a beautiful area, and it is just the best place I have ever found. There are many wonderful places around everybody has their favorite, and that is good, I am not against anything but I think Vail is the best place my family could be. Some people like Aspen, or they like going to Jackson Hole, and there is nothing wrong with it. But every-thing here, it has been fun. When I moved here, there was only one building and nothing else it was all dirt and snow. It was a great place then and a great place now.

PEPI GRAMSHAMMER [From page 4]

Broken Bells. It was so different for me because he has a very different way of approaching song writing. He starts the whole process with recording, as opposed to sitting on the couch with a guitar and a pad like I did. I feel so lucky that we were able to do something like that. It was perfect timing. It almost makes me superstitious.

SP: So what made you return to The Shins?JM: Through all that, I was still at home sitting there

and writing songs. They started building up, and I realized, Well, Ive got another Shins record. I didnt want to go

back to the same dynamic as before. I didnt want to get back in the bus, three years later. I knew I wanted to work with new people. Its been really cool. The new band has some great musicians, and Im learning from them. I feel engaged with the whole process again.

SP: What is the name The Shins from? Is there a story behind that?

JM: The Shins I got from The Music Man, my Dads favorite musical, and the first VHS tape I ever saw in my life. The main family in the movie was named the Shins. It kind

of came from that. Its cool because it has this connection to music and to my life, but its also nonsensical and doesnt tell someone what kind of music you play.

SP: Whats next on the music horizon for you? JM: The next thing is Broken Bells were going to do

another record. Ill be back working with Brian (Burton). Weve got some cool songs already and hope to have it out in the fall of next year.

THE SHINS [From page 3]

SneakPEAK editor Melanie Wong can be reached at [email protected].

SneakPEAK writer Phil Lindeman can be reached at [email protected]

SneakPEAK editor Melanie Wong can be reached at [email protected]


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24

I couldnt even step on the first time it was so, so hard, says Davis, who got a slackline at Teva and practiced three to four hours per day during the summer. Im surprised when people can get on and even take two steps. You just cant get disgruntled. You just have to practice and commit.

It helps that Davis is naturally athletic. He plays football and basketball his mom, an elite mountain biker, calls them the all-American sports and is a freestyle skier in the winter. But he claims slacklining is his favorite, and carries his ratchets and lines every-where in a backpack.

For a program this fall at The Vail Academy, Davis invited representatives from Gibbons do a presentation and explain the sport to his classmates. Josh Beaudoin runs the companys outreach program and came to the school, where he was blown away by the talented stu-dents. But none impressed him like Davis.

I see a lot of potential in Davis. He really does have the opportunity to take slacklining to the next level he already is, says Beaudoin, who invited Davis and Amy to Moab. As a young kid, he really needs to find his niche, but if he decides slacklining is it, he has a major head start.

Kids these daysLike many new and bizarre sports say, snowboarding in the 1970s slacklining has

run into vocal opposition. Davis likes to practice outside at parks, but community members have told him its bad for trees and basketball poles. At school, hes occasionally allowed to string a line on the volleyball court, although hes often given questioning looks by teachers.

People like to make snap judgments about something new, using that kids-these-days mentality, Amy says. Highlining in particular has drawn ire for its seemingly reckless dan-gers, yet Beaudoin and others call it safer than rock climbing. In Moab, the three lines Davis crossed the 22-foot and 47-foot lines, and fell on the 60-footer were anchored to the rock with bolts. Amy is adamant that the sport is safe, and understands that many of the worries are related to her sons age.

I have to be sure I lead him in the right direction, but when you research something and find its safe, theres no reason not to help him make it a life goal, Amy says. He has ex-celled at so many things, but this is a dream of his, and how can I stop that?

After watching the video, Davis begins practicing sends and stalls in the living room, where a metal contraption holds a trickline. Compared to his other activities, slacklining is relatively inexpensive: The lines are around $80, and in-house stands like Davis arent required when parks allow the sport.

If the Moab trip and record is any indication, a small but growing fringe group is ready to embrace slacklining and young athletes like Davis. He hopes to be on the frontlines when it makes the jump from novelty hobby to serious sport, and take a spot alongside the youngest current pro, 15-year-old Alex Mason of California.

I think hes a circus child, Amy says as Davis practices. Were seri

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SneakPEAK Dec. 6, 2012