June 25 & 26, 2011

The Tough Mudder series was created because there is not an event in America that tests toughness, fitness, strength, stamina and mental grit all in one place and all in one day.

Tough Mudder is a series of obstacle course competitions that bill themselves as “probably the toughest one day event on the planet.” According to the New York Times, the event is designed to be “more convivial than marathons and triathlons, but more grueling than shorter runs or novelty events.” For example, Warrior Dash courses are between three and four miles, while Tough Mudder courses are between seven and twelve miles. It is estimated that about 20% of participants do not finish the course.

http://toughmudder.com/events/colorado/

Find lodging at www.beavercreekwest.com

Beaver Creek Resort is set to host the eighth annual Malay Day Competition on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. in The Rodeo Terrain Park. The event is held in honor of local snowboarder Josh Malay, who died while snowboarding in 2004. Friends and industry members are encouraged to come out and celebrate as a competitor or spectator.

Malay Day is a three-part competition that will include a rail jam, big air and freestyle contest. Free food will be available for all participants. Prizes will be given to the top competitors in all three categories and “The Destroyer Award” will be given to the one who best exemplifies Josh’s goal, “to destroy the mountain and everything on it.” The contestant who receives this commemorative title will be recognized and awarded with a 2011-12 Epic Pass.

Additional prizes will be raffled off to competitors at the awards party located at Finnegan’s Wake in Avon at 5:30 p.m. and featuring DJ Opie Won.

Malay Day is open to all ages, genders and disciplines. Participants must register for the competition the morning of the event at the tent located at the base of the mountain on the Starbucks level in Beaver Creek Village from 9-11 a.m. The event registration fee is $20 and a lift ticket or pass is required. Those under 18 must bring a parent or guardian to registration to sign waivers.

For more information, call Jan Hiland at 970-471-9783 or Kevin Rowe at 970-390-4484.

The event is a throwback to the 1940s featuring a lineup of competitions on the resort’s Haymeadow Race Course complete with canvas competitor bibs, hand-painted banners, natural bamboo gates, an old fashioned scoreboard and more. So dust of the old skis, gear and vintage fashion apparel and join the competitions for a chance to win prizes including Epic Passes and American Airlines tickets, or just stop by as a spectator to enjoy the final weekend of the ski season.

International flights into the local airport could begin landing in time for the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships, supporters say.

Vail Valley Jet Center CEO Jim Allen says the international terminal will hopefully be ready when the world championships return to Vail/Beaver Creek for the third time.

“We’re hopeful that it could be ready in time for the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships,” Allen said.

The Eagle County airport is already Colorado’s third busiest during the ski season.

Industry experts say that around 20 percent of all Aspen’s skier days come through the Eagle County airport.

Locally, about half of all destination skiers arrive through the local airport.

Commercial flights could originate from Mexico and South America. European flights would have to stop once for fuel, possibly in Newfoundland, before landing in Eagle County, Allen said.

There’s room in the current buildings to accommodate international flights, Allen said.

“It could be a huge boost to our local economy,” Allen said.

It’s Lucy Kay’s job to help make it happen. The Vail Valley Jet Center and the Eagle County airport hired the former Vail Resorts executive to head the Eagle International Arrivals Project.

The idea has been bouncing around for years, and could cost between $2.5 million and $3 million.

Kay spent March compiling information that she’ll share with various stakeholders.

In the meantime, the airport is doing just fine, according to passenger statistics. With the ski season winding down, the numbers of passengers is up 0.5 percent, said Chris Anderson, the airport’s assistant manager.

The winter 2009-10 season had 13 nonstop flights from 12 major U.S. cities. This winter saw 11 nonstop flights from 10 major U.S. cities.

You know that rock face just east of Georgetown along I-70? And when you drive by it, you think, “If one of those boulder came down it could ruin someone’s entire day”?

Well, the state Department of Transportation is bringing some down of those boulders, because they don’t want your day ruined, or your life.

Next Tuesday and possibly Wednesday, the Colorado Department of Transportation will close Interstate 70 in both directions to remove big rocks, before the rocks remove themselves and land on the highway below.

The work will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, and last all day. If they’re not done, the closure will run Wednesday, said CDOT Regional Transportation Director Tony DeVito. The object is to remove an unstable cluster, which would be a great name for a rock band, except that this unstable cluster is actually dangerous.

Why: To remove unstable clusters of boulders teetering above I-70.
Where: Georgetown Hill between U.S. 40/Empire, Exit 232, and Silverthorne, Exit 205.
When: Tuesday and possibly Wednesday.
Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Restrictions: I-70 will be closed in both directions as long as the work continues.

How to get around it
While I-70 is closed, the primary detour routes between the Front Range and the Western Slope are:
I-70 to U.S. 40 (Empire Junction), U.S. 40 west over Berthoud Pass to Kremmling, and State Highway 9 south to I-70 in Silverthorne (73 miles)
U.S. 285 southwest to Fairplay, State Highway 9 north over Hoosier Pass to I-70 in Frisco (101 miles).