Aspen Spin

Cold as Ice

The stock market has been crazy this week, but here in Aspen we're still rockin'.  Some of the big wheels from Duetche Bank were in town for a "financial conference".  All the meetings took place in the gondola. The DB group threw a private party at the Belly Up the other night.  To get invited, you had to have one of two characteristics---you either had to be a billionaire -----or you had to have huge boobs.  Luckily, Aspen Spin knows a lot of high net worth individuals, because our boobs would not have made the cut.   Thanks to Billy Rudin for giving us the nod, and to Michael Rains for taking a couple of pix.  Foreigner was loud and rowdy.  Mick Jones, Jeff Pilson (formerly of Dokken), Kelly Hanson and Jason Bonham ( son of Led Zeppelin drummer, John) proved they could still rock the house.  All the young girls in the audience, those born before 1976, experienced what it was like back in the old days.

Foreigner played all their hits, Juke Box Hero, Hot Blooded, Cold As Ice, Feels Like the First Time, etc. It was sweaty, but none of the I. Bankers scored with the local talent. The Aspen girls are holding out for the Goldman conference next week.

Deep and Deeper

Based on the Aspen Spin Ski-o-Meter today was the best ski day of the year---so far.  Last week, The Prezzies got pretty good conditions, a few blue bird days and even some pow.  Yesterday we got about 4 or 5 inches of fresh followed by today's 12 to 15".   Niiiiiiiiiiiiice.  It was deep and kept getting deeper, all day.  It's still dumping so tomorrow should be Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick!!!

The airport's been closed for two days, man.  No one his here.

The U.S. Comedy Arts Festival sponsored by HBO starts tonight---so --- we gotta go.

Check out the photos album entitled 4 Mountains under a GROOVE.  The pix are a few days old, but we got to party heavily with George Clinton and the Funkadelic All Stars and Tommy Lee amongst others.  Click it----that's the ticket.

Goin' to Work

Aspen Spin has been workin' it.  On the slopes by day, at the clubs by night.  We may be old, but we're not dead.

Danger Kitty and Anthem played a 2 night stand at Belly Up just as the Aspen airport re-opened, after even more POW.  If Danger Kitty comes to your town, and you like to rock---see them!!!   We think they do the LA, to SD to Vegas circuit alot. They play all the hits, and you may have seen their National commercial for Discover Card.   Check out www.perfectworldentertainment.com for more details.

The Honda Ski Tour---the loudest show on snow,  was in town which created an entertainment rush.  Check out their cool website at www.theskitour.com for all the facts. A skier-cross race and skier pipe competition brought a world class field to town.  They brought their party bands with them.  Sean Paul, George Clinton and his All Stars, Tommy Lee, Swollen Members,DJ Logic and Joseph Israel and the Jerusalem Band all played shows over the weekend.

Aspen for President

It's been really crazy this week.  It's like a condenced version of Christmas.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words----so here's about 25,000 of 'em.  The conditions got a lot better on TUESDAY to the tune of about 10".   Ten more on FRIDAY night and clear sunny conditions the rest of the time left the visitors begging for more.

Check out the pix.   This is part one for Prez week.  So make us a favorite and click in to www.AspenSpin.com   HBO Comedy Arts Festival starts next week and A-Spin will be spinning it from the inside.

Parties, Pix & POW!!!

There's a lot going on right now, but A-Spin is not asleep at the wheel.  President's week is fully happening.  We've decided to create one major photo album to document the entire week's activities. That should be coming soon.   You spinners seem to enjoy the pix---so we're gonna give 'em to ya.

The official dog of Aspen Spin, Carmelo, has been getting a lot of play in the local press.  Check out last Saturday's Aspen Times for her latest photo spread. 

All the upscale clientele is in town.   The fractionals are packed to the gills.  Owners and renters alike are battling over dinner reservations and slots at the airport.  Luckily the private schools in NYC don't give the entire week off, or else Aspen would be in total kayos.  Last friday 100 mph winds closed Aspen's Sardy Field AND I-70, so the town was effectively closed and the weekend started slowly.   

Today was special for 2 reasons--- first, it snowed about 10" in the past 24 hrs and then cleared up like crazy into a bluebird session, and second, Aspen Spin was approved for a press pass to HBO's U.S. Comedy Arts Festival next week.  We're not sure what that gets us, but we're fired up anyway.

So keep clicking, and send us some of your own pix----we'll shock the world.

White Room

...and G*d said  "let there be snow"!!!   An all night dumpage layed about 8 to 10" inches on Ajax. Today was one of those days that the touristas and the fractional types---just don't get to see. NSNP---New Snow, No People.    After 2 weeks of "The Firm"---we needed POW.  What was especially nice about today's dropping was the dry, fluffy nature of the flakes. SWEEEEEeeeeeeeet!!!  The huge bumps became stompable.

Here at Aspen Spin we don't just report about the snow, or read about it on other web sites-----we ski it.  Today we skied it hard.  Valentine's day 2007, found it's way into the A-SPIN top 10 days of the season----so far.  It wasn't the absolute best, but maybe 5th or 6th.  Lets hope it gets knocked out of the top 10 soon------starting tomorrow. 

Hiding out in the new ASPEN SPIN SHRINE (l to r) are Lenny Allen, a major force in Aspen R.E. Mary and Adam Cherry who crib in Del Mar & Aspen and local legend, Jonathan Feinberg   You'll need more than a trail map to find the A-Spin Shrine, you'll need to hire a "Redcoat" to take you there. As always, in Aspen, -----you gotta pay to play.

Shown below is extreme ski pro Pat Vaughn along side Lenny Allen gettin' ready to enter The White Room. 

Uncle Neal

Even though Aspen is the best place in the world, life here is not just simply fun and games.  Aspen Spin received a bit of bad news late last week.  Neal Schechter, an all around great guy, passed away at age 77.  Uncle Neal, as he was known to thousands of campers at Camp Walden in Cheboygan, Michigan was a founding partner of the camp in 1959.  Generations of kids grew up singing 3 Wooden Pigeons, drinking milk and cookies and swimming for their muskie award.  Many spinners still reflect lovingly on those hot summer days and cool Northern Michigan nights.

All of us at A-Spin were deeply saddened to learn about Neal's passing.  His influence and leadership helped mold the lives of countless kids.  Once we all grew up no one could resist it when Neal said in his deep, friendly voice "Hey, do me a favor" and then he'd grab you with his traditional bear hug.  He was a tremendous guy, and he will be missed greatly.  Our sympathy goes out to his family and friends.

Another sad note, Tashie, a 120 pound Alaskan Malamute who guarded over the Oklahoma Flats neighborhood in Aspen was killed by a speeding car on Mill Street last week.  Tashie, who was a big, furry bundle of love belonged to Gerry and Chris Goldstein.  Like most dogs in town, Tashie went wild whenever an avalanche bomb was dropped on Aspen Mountain.  Recently, a few bombs were dropped in the Trainor's area on Ajax, which is very close to town.  Tashie reacted to the explosions and broke away from her leash.  Unfortunately, she too, is no longer with us.

A-Spin partners with Green Mountain

Big news out of Aspen.   Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (stock symbol GMCR) has been chosen as the official coffee of Aspen Spin.  Check out their web-site at www.GreenMountainCoffee.com.

Green Mountain also provides free coffee every morning at the base of all four mountains here in Aspen.  As the official coffee of Aspen Spin, Green Mountain, which is based in Vermont, helps us to start our engine each day.  Aspen Spin looks forward to a mutually beneficial partnership with Green Mountain Coffee.  Give it a try, you'll quit drinking Four-bucks, oops we meant Starbucks.  Actually in Aspen it's Six-bucks anyway.

It has nothing to do with coffee, but the picture below shows international surfing star Diane Kessler and a group of Bhutanese Monks on top of Aspen Mountain.  Kessler is a high scoring forward on Euro-Trash, the Aspen Recreational Hockey League's defending champs.

Taming the Cougar

As mentioned in our previous post---Sausage Festival, there seems to be an especially high number of men in town this weekend.  Dr. Neal Mozen, celebrity foot surgeon is one of those men.  An accopmlished athlete, (all-state nose guard) and nail clipper to the stars, Mozen became the object of one lady's affection.  Shirley Platt, age 78, visiting from Palm Beach, Florida put her best moves on Dr. Mozen at the St. Regis.  Shirley, who has been skiing in Aspen since 1954, seemed taken by Dr. Mozen's  "joi de vie" and made her intentions known to him.  The picture shown below is the last anyone has heard from Mozen. 

Sausage Festival

The first week in February must be boys week out.  There are countless gangs of guys out here without their wives, and there are very few available women around for them to ogle.  Typically the sausage count in Aspen is about 3 to 1, but this week it was more like 8 to 1.   There were a few cougars lurking around The Little Nell bar which is appropriately nicknamed---The Wrinkle Room.  The cougars can often be quite aggressive towards younger men, and they are always ready to pounce.

It hasn't snowed in more than a week so snow conditions, while still pretty good, are not optimal.  The spectacular warm sunny days have been welcomed by the locals and tourists alike, but A-Spin has been doing the snow-dance every night.

The pic above shows the Boyz from Boca.  Dan Willens, Ricky the Rocket and Stef Elk.  These guys skied hard, but they partied harder.

  On the right, celebrity podiatrist Neal Mozen, Deb & Bill Davis and dentist to the stars David Newman just before a near riot broke out at The Tavern at Little Nell.  The hullabaloo started when The Tavern ran out of truffle fries.

Musicians Tom Bellinson and Dan Mark were spotted jamming at the Belly Up with 2 time Grammy winner Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.  Tom is from Ann Arbor and Dan lives in NYC.

Spied shredding double diamonds at Aspen Highlands sans spouses were San Diegans Adam Cherry and Alan G. along with Aspen local Curt Kaufman.

As you can surmise it might be time for A-Spin to re-subscribe to spanktravision.