Colorado Snowsports Museum

09/05/2026

Ever wish you could have a snowboard license plate? Now is your chance, but we need your help. Add your signature to the petition for a Colorado snowboard license plate by following the link below. We need 3,000 signatures, so please share, like, and spread the word about this exciting opportunity. Proceeds from the license plate benefit the Colorado Snowsports Museum, supporting the preservation of snowboard history.

Sign up here: https://snowsportsmuseum.org/license-plate-petition/

Wondering what the plate will look like? Artwork will be created in collaboration with Colorado Snowsports Hall of Famer Trent Bush and Evan Hecox, legendary Colorado-born artist and designer for brands like Twist, Burton, Chocolate Skateboards, Nike, Adidas, and Volkswagen, among many others.

09/03/2026

You know their names. Now hear their stories.

Every corner of Colorado snow sports has a story, and behind every great story are the people who shaped it.

On October 10, we’ll gather in Beaver Creek to celebrate six individuals whose creativity, leadership, innovation, and passion have helped define Colorado’s snow sports legacy.

Come raise a glass, share a few stories, and celebrate the people who helped make Colorado what it is on snow.

The 2026 Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame Celebration
October 10, 2026 | Beaver Creek, Colorado
VIP Reception + Induction Ceremony

Tickets and sponsorships are available: https://snowsportsmuseum.org/event/26hof/

Class of 2026 is legendary for a reason, from snowboard innovators and stewards to celebrating the longtime leader behind Arapahoe Basin Ski Area. Tickets now available for induction celebration on October 10 at the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek.

09/02/2026

Ever wonder how snow sports became so central to Colorado’s identity?

As we reflect on Colorado’s 150th birthday and the Colorado Snowsports Museum’s 50th anniversary, this question has been at the forefront of our minds.

Today, mountains and skiing are nearly synonymous with Colorado, but that identity didn’t happen overnight. Early ski clubs, winter carnivals, and community celebrations helped establish winter recreation as an important part of life in the state. More than just opportunities to ski, these events brought people together, built community, and helped create the snow sports culture that continues to define Colorado today.

This photo captures the first annual Winter Carnival in Hot Sulphur Springs, held February 10–12, 1912. Events like this helped lay the foundation for a culture that would eventually grow from local clubs and friendly competition into a world-renowned snow sports industry, producing some of the greatest athletes, innovators, and adventurers in the world. Do you wonder if anyone in this photo had a sense of living history and took a moment to pause and realize how impactful this day would be for Colorado's history?

Wonder Wednesdays are here. On periodic Wednesdays, we’ll dive into fascinating photos from the Colorado Snowsports Museum archive. A single image can tell a thousand stories—but what story do you see? Join us as we explore, question, and uncover the hidden moments behind Colorado’s snow sports history.

What do you see when you look at this photo? A winter carnival? A community coming together? Or the early beginnings of something that would become central to Colorado’s identity?

09/02/2026

Colorado is home to some of snowboarding’s biggest moments, legendary riders, and most influential brands. Now it’s time for Colorado to have a license plate that celebrates that history.

We’re working to make a Colorado snowboard-themed license plate a reality, and we need your help!

✍️ Sign the petition
📣 Share it with your snowboard crew
🏂 Help us reach 3,000 signatures before the end of the year

Proceeds from the plate will benefit the Colorado Snowsports Museum and help us continue to preserve and celebrate Colorado’s snow sports history.

Sign up here: https://snowsportsmuseum.org/license-plate-petition/

Wondering what the plate will look like? Artwork will be created in collaboration with Colorado Snowsports Hall of Famer Trent Bush and Evan Hecox, legendary Colorado-born artist and designer for brands like Twist, Burton, Chocolate Skateboards, Nike, Adidas, and Volkswagen, among many others.

09/01/2026

Tribute Tuesday • Erich Windisch • Hall of Fame Class of 1994 • Athlete & Inspiration

Erich started skiing in his native Germany at the age of three and won his first race at age seven. For five years, he was a member of the German National Team in ski jumping and Nordic Combined, winning nine divisional and national championships.

In 1949, Erich was instrumental in the evolution of ski jumping, changing the forward arm movement for balance to a quiet, aerodynamic position of arms alongside the body. This technique is still in use today. His best jump was 337 feet at Oberstdorf in 1950. Also in 1950, he held the world record in water ski jumping.

Following the war, he taught the Mountain troops of the 3rd US Army, and later was Director of the Ski School at Schneefernerhaus on Zugspitze near Garmisch.

In 1957, he moved to Colorado and became co-director of the W***y Schaeffler Arapahoe Basin Ski School. While there, he made an immediate impact by introducing the short-swing (wedel) technique that was soon adopted by the Professional Ski Instructors Association (PSIA). He became a fully certified ski instructor in Europe in 1948, and since 1957, in the Rocky Mountain Ski Instructors Association. In 1965, he was selected to represent PSIA as one of five demonstrators for the Interskie Congress in Badgestein, Austria, and continued on the PSIA demonstration team for several seasons. He also has run numerous clinics for different divisions of PSIA.

Erich taught for over 50 years and was on the Rocky Mountain Ski Instructors Association examining board for 20 years, also serving as Certification Vice President. Erich participated in Alpine Masters competitions where he won 9 National and 11 Rocky Mountain Championship titles.

Later in life, he worked with Vail Associates for 25 years and supervised the Vail/Beaver Creek Ski School. In 1994, he was honored by Colorado Ski Country, USA as the Ski Instructor of the Year.

09/01/2026

Planning your trip to Vail for the 2026 Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame Celebration this October 10, and not sure where to stay? Manor Vail has been a proud sponsor of our event for several years and offers our guests a discounted hotel room rate.

Learn more and secure your lodging today: https://be.synxis.com/?Hotel=25993&Chain=33230&promo=16K2US

Book your Hall of Fame Celebration experience today!

Secure your seats: https://snowsportsmuseum.org/event/26hof/

08/31/2026

This year, as Colorado marks 150 years of statehood, we’re looking back at how five of those frontier towns became the signature resort communities that attract residents and visitors from around the world. Learn more about the people who helped build these iconic resorts, many of which are members of our Hall of Fame.

Learn more about Winter Park, Breckenridge, Vail, Crested Butte, and Telluride here: https://livsothebysrealty.blog/2026/08/28/from-open-frontier-to-first-tracks-150-years-of-colorados-favorite-mountain-resort-towns/

The CSM was pleased to provide vintage photos for this piece by LIV Sotheby’s International Realty.

In 1876, the year Colorado became a state, the Rocky Mountains stood mostly untouched. There were no lifts, lodges, or roads carved into the high mountain passes. The state was a new frontier of plains, river camps, mining towns, and people with the pioneering spirit and grit to build something last...

08/28/2026

Hey Front Range — before the snow flies, come celebrate the people who help make Colorado snow sports legendary!

We’re heading to Beaver Creek to celebrate four of your own: Boulder’s Trent Bush and Chris Pappas, and Denver’s Tim & Tracey Canaday of Never Summer, as they join the 2026 Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame. In addition, we'll be recognizing the University of Colorado's Collegiate Athletes of the Year: Louison Accambray and Fabio Allasina. Go Buffs!

It’s a celebration of Colorado’s snow sports legends, and we want to see you there!

📍The Vilar - Beaver Creek | October 10 | 🎟️ Tickets on sale now

For more information, event tickets, and information about discounted lodging at Manor Vail, please visit our website: snowsportsmuseum.org

08/27/2026

Two Boulder men who have been influential in the molding of snowsports for the past four decades in Colorado and throughout the world, Trent Bush and Chris Pappas, will be honored in October as part of the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame class of 2026.

The Colorado hall of fame will recognize the pair, along with four others, in a ceremony October 10 at the Vilar Performing Arts Center at Beaver Creek.