Skiing

The Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club has four alums competing in the Sochi Olympics this year. Tyler Lindsey, Walt Evans and Amy Throm talk about the program.

http://www.teamavsc.org/

EDITOR’S NOTE: We are very excited to share the travels of Simi Hamilton’s family to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Over the next few weeks we’ll be sharing dispatches from Ruthie Brown and family as they give you a first-hand, “behind-the-scenes” look at the Olympics.

EDITOR’S NOTE: We are very excited to share the travels of Simi Hamilton’s family to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Over the next few weeks we’ll be sharing dispatches from Ruthie Brown and family as they give you a first-hand, “behind-the-scenes” look at the Olympics.

Simi flew in this morning from Munich to Sochi and sent us this photo so we could checkout our accommodations for the next few weeks. Palm trees and all.

And he sent this view of the mountains.

With just eight days until the Olympics start in Sochi...the Aspen community sends off four local athletes who will compete.

Health care prices in the Valley have been rising for years. Now, a handful of local employers are trying to improve worker’s health--and bring down costs.

Basalt’s setting a path for its future...in a non-traditional way. It’s using a method called “crowd-sourcing” to gather input on urban planning.

A new group in Aspen wants to make it easier for young people to stay in Aspen. City council approved the Next Generation Advisory Commission this week.

And, as Colorado’s population grows, the state’s water supply can’t keep up. A Basalt organization is involved in a statewide water plan.

Terrain parks are ubiquitous at ski resorts around the country. Now, there’s an effort to make them safer.

Finally, Aspen’s Torin Yater-Wallace is heading to the Olympics. The freeskier is recovering from injuries...but, says he’s ready to compete.

After seeing the tricks, flips and crashes at last week’s Winter X Games, it’s hard to understand why someone would take such risks. And yet, terrain parks with similar, but smaller features are ubiquitous at ski areas around the country. Education around how to be safe in these parks is growing. And, as Aspen Public Radio’s Marci Krivonen reports, the efforts are also meant to draw more people to snowboarding, which has seen a drop in popularity on the slopes.