Every year, Breckenridge’s Ullr Fest attracts thousands to celebrate all things winter in the hopes of encouraging Ullr, the Norse god of snow, to bless local peaks with powder all season long.

But when Ullr Festival kicked off Thursday, Dec. 7, one woman who partook in this year’s successful bid to break the world record for the longest shot-ski was not just celebrating winter — she was also celebrating her 99th birthday.

Maxine Eldridge traveled from her home on Grand Island, New York, to Colorado to visit her daughter Deb Lesinski, a Breckenridge resident, and join in the Ullr Fest activities that happened to coincide with her 99th birthday.

“You have no idea how much we’ve all looked forward to this,” Lesinski said. “We all have our ridiculous viking hats. I just love it.”

At 99, Eldridge exuded a jolly energy tinged with cleverness. While she was not a woman of many words, she made up for that with her humor, cracking jokes with Lesinski and her other daughter, Sandy Stahl, during an interview Wednesday.

An employee of the U.S. State Department during the 1950s, Eldridge traveled the world before meeting her husband, a Marine, while in Tiran, Iran, and raising a family. 

Eldridge used to visit her daughter in Breckenridge more regularly, but that has gotten harder as she has become older and needs someone to travel with her. Still, Eldridge likes visiting Colorado, “Because they’re here,” she said, pointing to her daughters, “They can tell me all about my grandchildren and my great grandchildren.”

Why participate in a Shotski at age 99? 

Well, Eldridge said, “Because I can do it.” 

And because, “I like bourbon,” she added.

This year was not Eldridge’s first time participating in the Shotski at Ullr Fest. In 2021, when Eldridge was 97 she also participated. She hopes to participate next year too, when she will turn 100 around the time of the festival.

Despite being neither a skier nor a Summit County resident, Eldridge nonetheless said she has a place in her heart for winter and the snow Ullr brings each season.

“I like winter,” Eldridge said. “In fact, I wouldn’t live anywhere where there isn’t a change of season.”