Robert Patrick prices skis for the 2013 Colorado Ski & Snowboard Expo at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver last November. The expo runs through Sunday at the Colorado Convention Center. (Photo by Erin Hull, The Denver Post)
They call it the , but really the state’s 23rd annual consumer gathering of all things snowy is the Ultimate Slackers Ski Expo.
If you somehow missed the spring season pass sales, the summer emails promising impending price increases for passes, the overly hyped deals-deals!-DEALS! of the and the glut of last-chance pitches for those passes, you’ve still got the Expo to get tightened up for 2014-15.
With Specialty Sports clearing their inventory with 40 percent to 75 percent savings on last year’s ski and snowboard gear and resorts from across Colorado, the Western U.S. and Canada offering passes and vacation packages, the Expo this weekend at the Colorado Convention Center is a final opportunity to organizer discount fun in the hills this season.
An array of winter-focused activities aims to make the Expo a destination more than a shopping trip. A Nordic village will introduce cross-country skiing, ski jumping and snowshoeing with a simulated experience for all ages. Members of the U.S. Paralympic Ski Team – including Colorado’s – will share their stories. Skateboarders can ride the Woodward Copper Skate Park. Vail and Beaver Creek will be trumpeting their hosting of the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships with an interactive game that recreates the experience of skiing the Beav’s Birds of Prey racecourse. Crested Butte is bringing a mechanical bull.
Slacklining, an obstacle course, kid-friendly learning centers and the mountainboard show keeps the gig interactive for attendees. The beer garden, as usual, makes it a party.
The Expo runs from 1pm to 10 pm on Friday, Nov. 7; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Click over to for the lowdown and a coupon worth $3 off the $15 admission price. (Kids under 12 are free.)
