Aspen – The annual pop-culture pilgrimage has begun.
Tens of thousands of teens and 20-somethings have flocked to Aspen and the Buttermilk ski area this weekend to pay homage to the hard-core kings and queens of extreme sports and the high-energy lifestyle they and the ESPN Winter X Games exemplify.
With more than 70,000 spectators, athletes and corporate executives expected to attend the free skiing, snowboarding, motorcycling and snowmobile competitions – more than double the size of the crowd at the first games here in 2002 – the Roaring Fork Valley is busting at the seams.
Every available pillow in Aspen, Snowmass, Basalt and Carbondale was booked solid on Friday night, with most booked for Saturday as well.
That exploding demand has driven the event’s core demographic – males ages 16 to 24 – searching for cheap lodging as far down valley as Rifle and Glenwood Springs, where a room for four at the Americas Best Value Inn costs $64.
Karl Hujus, 18, of Pagosa Springs said his group packed eight people, including his parents and his younger brother, into a two-bedroom suite at the Cedar Lodge Motel in Glenwood Springs, more than 40 miles down Highway 82 from Aspen.
“We couldn’t find anything affordable in Aspen,” Hujus said. “But as long as we’re here and get to see all this, it doesn’t matter where we’re staying.”
Zac Giammuarrusco, 17, of Evergreen was more disappointed that he couldn’t find an affordable room close to the games. He was staying at the Comfort Inn & Suites in Carbondale.
“I’m kind of bummed,” said Giammuarrusco. “I wish it was cheaper to stay in Aspen because it’s kind of a long drive.”
The other main hotel in Carbondale, the Days Inn, took out ads in local papers touting its more affordable rates, which were still $30 higher than a normal January weekend.
“It’s because of the demand,” said Days Inn owner Ted Miernicki. “Not everyone can afford (Aspen) prices.”
The Winter X Games, which run through Tuesday, have once again transformed this mountain enclave from an exclusive destination for the rich and famous to party central for those who prefer pizza by the slice and cramming six friends into a cheap hotel room.
And that demographic will most likely continue to journey here for at least four more years. On Friday, Aspen Skiing Co. officials celebrated the announcement that they’ll host the Winter X Games through 2010, instead of losing the event after next year.
“It’s fun to be a winner, and these games keep getting more and more successful each year,” said Aspen Skiing president and chief executive Pat O’Donnell.
And thanks to an increased corporate presence at the games, Aspen’s swankier lodges – such as The Little Nell, where a two-bedroom suite costs up to $4,000 a night – also booked up earlier than normal for the weekend.
Spectators trekking up Buttermilk to view the live competitions this weekend first have to navigate a gantlet of corporate sponsorship booths – including Taco Bell, PlayStation, Jeep and the Navy – all trying to build brand loyalty with Generations X and Y by plying them with schwag – free promotional stuff – such as sunglasses, mini-snowboard bottle openers and giant taco-shaped foam hats.
The sponsors, the town and the ski resort will also reap incalculable benefits from the millions of viewers who will tune in to the Winter X Games on television.
ESPN and ABC plan to air 15 hours of live coverage from Aspen over four days and ESPN International will broadcast the event to 190 countries in 21 languages.
Joseph Peossoa, 16, of Sao Paolo, Brazil, said watching the Winter X Games on TV influenced his group’s decision to book a two-week ski vacation to Aspen.
“Everybody likes to see it on TV back home,” he said. “And I think it’s a good time to come here because Aspen is a lot cooler this week than it normally is.”
Others echoed that sentiment.
“You’ve just got to come, man,” said Ryan Hoffman, a 26-year-old chairlift operator from Breckenridge.
“This is the Olympics of cool.”
Julie Dunn can be reached at 303-820-1592 or at jdunn@denverpost.com.
