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ENLARGE
Summit County will be the site of the 50+ Open Winter Games, providing senior members of the community with an opportunity to win gold, silver and bronze medals in the traditional winter sports.
Anyone over the age of 50, as of this coming Monday, can participate; however tonight at 5 p.m. is the deadline for registration at the Summit County Community and Senior Center. The entry fee, where you compete in one or 12 events, is $30.
The games were founded 32 years ago in Colorado Springs, where they spent a few years before relocating to Devil's Thumb Ranch in Winter Park. It was a brief stint over Berthoud Pass before the games found their permanent home in Summit County.
Senior athletes travel from all over the state, and in some cases from all over the country, to compete, although event chairman Ellis Simon said the bulk of the participants are from Summit County.
“We have a whole variety. We have people who take part in every event they possibly can and we'll have people that will do one or two events,” Simon said. “Some people try to fit in as much as they can and others who only do their specialty.”
The games are back to their full glory this year after falling on hard times with financial and attendance trouble a few years ago. But with improved sponsorship and fundraising efforts spearheaded by Barbara Becker, the event has gone from being a financial drain on the senior center to being able to actually give back to various charities around the county.
“The games bring in money that goes directly to the seniors and disperses money to needy senior activities in the county,” Simon said. “I've been at the meetings where they disperse that money, and needless to say, there's never enough.”
The games get under way on Monday with figure skating competitions and ice skate races at 9 a.m. at Keystone Lake, along with the popular hockey puck shoot. Competitors have to merely walk out on carpeted ice and shoot the puck from 75 feet.
At 11 a.m., the alpine races commence on Dercum Mountain. Races include a NASTAR GS, and abbreviated slalom and a “rally” race. Then at 1 p.m., there competitors will meander through an obstacle race that simulates the kind of thing one would encounter in back country skiing.
On Tuesday, the action shifts to the Frisco Nordic Center, where Nordic races start at 9 a.m. Both classic and freestyle Nordic ski races, snowshoe races and a biathlon (shoot and skate) will take place. For those unsure of their footing, there will also be a snowball throw competition.
An Olympic-style awards ceremony will take place back at the Community and Senior Center at 3 p.m. later that day, with nearly 300 gold, silver and bronze medals awarded. Divisions are divided into ladies and gentlemen, as well as five-year age groups in accordance with NASTAR's standards.
A spaghetti-and-meatball dinner prepared by Steve Nguyen, executive chef of the Keystone Conference Center will serve as the games' opening ceremony on Sunday evening. Cost of the dinner is $10 with door prizes handed out to competitors. Reservations can be made at the senior center.
“It's a lot of fun,” Simon said. “There's a camaraderie, a certain amount of competition. We have been who have been doing it for 10 or 15 years and just keep coming back,” Simon said.
Anyone over the age of 50, as of this coming Monday, can participate; however tonight at 5 p.m. is the deadline for registration at the Summit County Community and Senior Center. The entry fee, where you compete in one or 12 events, is $30.
The games were founded 32 years ago in Colorado Springs, where they spent a few years before relocating to Devil's Thumb Ranch in Winter Park. It was a brief stint over Berthoud Pass before the games found their permanent home in Summit County.
Senior athletes travel from all over the state, and in some cases from all over the country, to compete, although event chairman Ellis Simon said the bulk of the participants are from Summit County.
“We have a whole variety. We have people who take part in every event they possibly can and we'll have people that will do one or two events,” Simon said. “Some people try to fit in as much as they can and others who only do their specialty.”
The games are back to their full glory this year after falling on hard times with financial and attendance trouble a few years ago. But with improved sponsorship and fundraising efforts spearheaded by Barbara Becker, the event has gone from being a financial drain on the senior center to being able to actually give back to various charities around the county.
“The games bring in money that goes directly to the seniors and disperses money to needy senior activities in the county,” Simon said. “I've been at the meetings where they disperse that money, and needless to say, there's never enough.”
The games get under way on Monday with figure skating competitions and ice skate races at 9 a.m. at Keystone Lake, along with the popular hockey puck shoot. Competitors have to merely walk out on carpeted ice and shoot the puck from 75 feet.
At 11 a.m., the alpine races commence on Dercum Mountain. Races include a NASTAR GS, and abbreviated slalom and a “rally” race. Then at 1 p.m., there competitors will meander through an obstacle race that simulates the kind of thing one would encounter in back country skiing.
On Tuesday, the action shifts to the Frisco Nordic Center, where Nordic races start at 9 a.m. Both classic and freestyle Nordic ski races, snowshoe races and a biathlon (shoot and skate) will take place. For those unsure of their footing, there will also be a snowball throw competition.
An Olympic-style awards ceremony will take place back at the Community and Senior Center at 3 p.m. later that day, with nearly 300 gold, silver and bronze medals awarded. Divisions are divided into ladies and gentlemen, as well as five-year age groups in accordance with NASTAR's standards.
A spaghetti-and-meatball dinner prepared by Steve Nguyen, executive chef of the Keystone Conference Center will serve as the games' opening ceremony on Sunday evening. Cost of the dinner is $10 with door prizes handed out to competitors. Reservations can be made at the senior center.
“It's a lot of fun,” Simon said. “There's a camaraderie, a certain amount of competition. We have been who have been doing it for 10 or 15 years and just keep coming back,” Simon said.
