Skiing + Snowboarding

How to Blend in with the Locals

Want to mix with the native population? You'll have to follow a few rules.

Illustrations by Hayley Dosha November 29, 2016 Published in the Holiday 2016/2017 issue of Vail-Beaver Creek Magazine

Drink Something Made Here

No, that cheap swill won't cut it.

Make Friends With People Who Matter

They will make your life a lot easier.

Dress down, Ditch the Ski Gear

Only gapers are seen after dark in bars with their ski pants on.

Ski by Numbers

All those fancy names Vail Resorts uses for their lifts are useless.

Daily Lift Tickets are for Suckers

A walk up daily lift ticket will cost you north of $160 and isn't much cheaper when you purchase it online in advance.

Kids Like Lanyards

It's OK to be a kid at heart, but ditch that yellow thing flapping around your neck.

Fall Off Chair, Be Heckled

Pay attention when loading the lift! Seriously.

Every Day is Different, Keep Racking up the Vert

You have no excuse not to get as many laps as you can given all the high-speed quads on this mountain.

The Early Bird Gets the Powder and the Barstool

If you're getting on the lift at 9:00 a.m. you're so far off the back that you might as well go home and back to bed.

Sure, you have the puffy down jacket and a logoed beanie. You've got an Epic Pass and know where the Vail outlet of Loaded Joe's is. You may even know the name of your bartender at your favorite aprés ski watering hole. But if you really want to pass as a local (and not the cheap Front Range weekend warrior facsimile of one) then you'll need to step up your game by following a few simple rules.

Village Talk, Skiing