Summit County is home to some of the best skiing in the country. One could make the argument that it's home to some of the best skiing in the world. Then it should come as no surprise that Summit County is home to some of the most talented skiers and snowboarders in the country. The whole state is can stake claim to that since, well, Colorado is the best!
In the most recent Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, 19 of the Olympians were from Colorado.
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Keri Herman of the United States waits for her score in the Freestyle Skiing Women's Ski Slopestyle Finals on day four of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park on February 11, 2014 in Sochi, Russia.photo credit: zimbio.com[/caption]
While only one was from Summit County, Keri Herman (ski slopestyle), it's awesome there was even one. But that's just the start of the famous skiers and snowboarders in and from Summit County.
There are professional snowboarders from Keystone, Jack and Zachary Black. When there are snowboarding events around the country, you will more than likely see both of them.
As this story points out, the U.S. Freestyle Moguls team has long had a connection with Breckenridge. The story adds that the head coach of the team, Scott Rawles, is a long-time resident, as are his parents.
Rawles knows a thing or two about moguls, having coached through three Olympics, including the most wins in U.S. Freestyle Moguls Team in history at the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver in 2010. Under his guidance, U.S. team members won three medals. Hannah Kearney captured the gold, while team mates Bryon Wilson and Shannon Bahrke both won bronze medals.
Keamey also spends time in Breckenridge. When she's not skiing, she volunteers her time by signing autographs. As word spreads on the great slopes for skiing and snowboarding, that number will only get higher. This list doesn't include the people who train in Summit County to get ready for the Olympics or World Championships.
From Lindsay Vonn to Shaun White, when you walk around Breckenridge during the winter and the slopes are open you could see just about anyone who has either competed at the Olympics or will some day.
Keystone Resort has one of the country's best terrain parks, featuring its own lift, over 100 features and 60 acres. The A-51 Terrain Park is known for its unique and ever-changing features and has been named with several awards, including #2 Terrain Park by TransWorld Magazine and #3 Terrain Park by Freeskier Magazine. It is not unusual to see the pros practicing here on a regular basis!
That's the beauty of Summit County. It's no big deal for the people who are there.
There's no doubt that it's exciting, but the people who visit or live there know not to make a big deal out of it because it's such a common occurrence. It's nothing new for them. Still, it is pretty cool to see Summit County produce such great athletes. Though it's not really a surprise given the how great the slopes are!