FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Mandy Gauldin, 970-945-5534
LEADVILLE CELEBRATES WINTER WITH 61st ANNUAL SKI JORING,
AND CRYSTAL CARNIVAL, MAR. 5-7
Highlights include horse-drawn skiers racing over jumps on snow-packed streets; a snowman-building contest for kids; sled dog, snowshoe and mountain bike races; and broomball games
LEADVILLE, Colo. (February 4, 2010) — Winter is a cause for celebration in Leadville, Colo., the highest incorporated city in North America. At 10,152’, the residents have learned to make the most of their natural abundant snowfall and are gearing up for a weekend of ski joring and snow-themed activities. The Annual Ski Joring and Crystal Carnival events will take place Mar. 5 - 7, in downtown Leadville, and will include horse-drawn skiers racing over jumps on snow-packed streets; a snowman-building contest for kids; sled dog, snowshoe and mountain bike races; and broomball games.
Leadville has been hosting ski joring competitions since 1949. Ski joring, which entails a horse and rider pulling a skier down a snow-packed road over jumps while spearing rings in a timed competition, draws teams from all over the country. This year’s event will include four classes on Saturday and again on Sunday: the Open Class, for experienced competitive teams; the Sport Class, for beginners; the Legends Class, for experienced teams who are getting a little long in the tooth for the Open Class; and, new this year, the Snowmobile Class. The Open Class will feature a $1,000 added purse each day; the Sport and Legends Classes will each feature a $500 added purse each day. The entry fee is $70 per team in the Open Class, and $60 per team in the Sport and Legends Classes. Teams must prequalify the day of the event to compete in the Open Class. On Saturday morning at 10:30, kids can also try their hand at ski joring behind a snowmobile for just $5 a ride. More details are available at http://www.leadvilleskijoring.us.
The Crystal Carnival, which commemorates the original winter sports festival held in Leadville in 1896, offers a not-your-usual-winter-weekend experience for the entire family. All events are free for spectators; some require fees for participants. The winners of the second annual Crystal Carnival Original Drink & Dessert Contest, which began Feb. 1, will be announced during the carnival as well. The contestants are: Cookies with Altitude, Doc Holliday’s, Szechuan Taste, Tennessee Pass Cafe and Wild Bill’s in the desserts category, and Bobbie’s Place, Doc Holliday’s, The Grill, Manhattan, Pastime Bar, Quincy’s, Silver Dollar Saloon, Tennessee Pass Cafe, and Zichitella’s in the drinks category.
Schedule of Events
Friday, Mar. 5
7 p.m. Harrison Avenue Knock-Out Nordic Sprints — 400-meter sprints under the lights, with cash prizes (http://www.leadvillenordic.org)
Saturday, Mar. 6
All Day: Free sledding on Dutch Henri Sledding Hill —Bring your own sled or rent
a tube for $5 (snow permitting; tube rental available noon – 5 p.m.)
8 – 11 a.m.: Ski Joring — Registration at the Elks Lodge
9 a.m.: 3rd Annual Mt. Massive Mush — Presented by Mount Massive Golf Course and the Rocky Mountain Sled Dog Club (http://www.rmsdc.com/new-site/race-info.html)
10 a.m.: Kids’ Parade — Children (ages 5 – 12) are welcome to join in and will receive a free balloon
10:30 a.m.: Kids’ Ski Joring — Kids can try ski joring behind a snowmobile for $5 a ride
11 a.m.: Ski Joring Draw, Calcutta and Competition — Teams draw for time slots, followed by Calcutta Sale, then the Sports Class, Legends Class and Open Class competitions
11:30 a.m.: Snowman Showdown — Snowman-building contest on the Courthouse lawn for children age 7 and under
12:30 p.m.: Book Signing and Presentation — Discover the history of the Ice Palace and Leadville’s first Winter Carnival with author Darlene Godet at the movie theater behind the courthouse
1 p.m.: Shelter Dog Shuffle — Ski, snowshoe, run or walk with your shelter dog in this one-mile race at Mount Massive Golf Course to benefit the Leadville/Lake County Animal Shelter and Planned Pethood Assistance
1 – 9 p.m.: Lake County Ice Skating Rink — Admission $2.25; skate rentals are $1 for kids; $2 for adults
5 p.m.: Mineral Belt Mayhem — An 11-mile loop on Leadville’s Mineral Belt Trail; registration and check-in at 5 p.m. at Cycles of Life, 309 Harrison Ave.; race starts at 7 p.m.; part of the Winter Mountain Bike Race Series
Sunday, Mar. 7
All Day: Free sledding on Dutch Henri Sledding Hill — Bring your own sled or rent
a tube for $5 snow permitting; tube rental available noon – 5 p.m.
8 – 11 a.m.: Ski Joring — Registration at the Elks Lodge
8:15 a.m.: Crystal Snowshoe Shuffle — 1.5-mile race on the Mineral Belt Trail at Dutch Henri Sledding Hill; registration at 8:15, race at 9; $15 fee; proceeds support Beta Sigma Phi community fundraising efforts
9 a.m.: 3rd Annual Mt. Massive Mush — Presented by Mount Massive Golf Course and the Rocky Mountain Sled Dog Club
10 a.m.: Golden Broom Broomball Game “The Guns vs. The Hoses” — The Policemen take on the Firemen for the coveted Golden Broom Award
11 a.m.: Ski Joring Draw, Calcutta and Competition — Teams draw for time slots, followed by Calcutta Sale, then the Sport Class, Legends Class and Open Class competitions
11 a.m.: Golden Broom Broomball Game — ALCO vs. Safeway
1 – 9 p.m.: Lake County Ice Skating Rink — Admission $2.25; skate rentals are $1 for kids; $2 for adults
Located in the center of Colorado, 103 miles west of Denver and 129 miles northwest of Colorado Springs, Leadville is known for its rich history, Victorian architecture, friendly small-town atmosphere, and beautiful scenery. The downtown district is lined with charming shops, eateries and inns. Go http://www.visitleadvillecolorado.info for more information.
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About Leadville and Twin Lakes
Leadville, the highest incorporated city in North America, is located in the geographic center of Colorado, 103 miles west of Denver and 129 miles northwest of Colorado Springs, on US Highway 24, part of the Top of the Rockies Scenic and Historic Byway. Once one of America’s richest, longest-lived and bawdiest mining boomtowns, 70 square blocks of the downtown area has been designated as a National Historic Landmark of Victorian architecture. Activities include skiing, fishing, camping, golfing, hiking, whitewater rafting, four-wheeling, biking, museums, historical tours and train rides. Nearby Twin Lakes, located 15 minutes from Leadville at the eastern entrance to Independence Pass, is also a National Historic District and a popular summer destination for camping, boating, hiking and fishing. Visit www.visitleadvillecolorado.info for more information.
About Ski Joring
The sport of ski joring began several hundred years ago in Scandinavian countries as a way to travel during the long winters. Laplanders skied on Nordic skis holding the reins attached to reindeer. Ski joring found its way to North America, where ranchers attached a long rope to the saddle horn of a horse that was ridden at high speeds down a long straight-away. Currently, the sport of equestrian ski joring has become a highly specialized competitive sport, where competitors must navigate a course of jumps, gates and sometime spear rings. Competitive ski joring competitions are currently taking place in more than five states in the USA, and in several countries worldwide. In some parts of the world, skiers are pulled behind dogs, mules and snowmobiles. Whatever the means, the sport of ski joring is growing rapidly, and is just as much fun for spectators as it is for competitors. Courtesy of the North American Ski Joring Association.
About the Crystal Carnival and Ice Palace
During the winter of 1895-1896, local businessmen decided to combat the downturn of the town’s mining economy by building an incredible Ice Palace. Requiring 5,000 tons of ice to be cut from the nearby lakes, the Ice Palace featured life-sized sculptures of prospectors and burros, a skating rink and a “gallery of commerce” with frozen produce, beer and more. A Crystal Carnival, with parade and fireworks, lit up the town and the throngs who came in by train from Denver and around the country. The Ice Palace melted in the spring of 1896.
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