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Time Machine: 25 years ago, Vilar Center opens to the public

10 years ago

Feb. 27 to March 3, 2013

The Burton U.S. Open visited Vail for the first time after spending nearly three decades at Stratton Mountain, Vermont. Event founder Jake Burton told the Vail Daily that Vail was “a natural choice” for the event.

“There’s great history here,” Burton said from Vail. “A great history with snowboarding, a great history with running events.”



Lodges in Vail were “virtually booked solid,” the Vail Daily reported. “The same is true in Avon. Even downvalley hotels are busy this weekend.”

Mark McMorris won the men’s slopestyle event and women’s semifinal leader Spencer O’Brien was named winner of the women’s slopestyle contest after finals were canceled due to weather. Shaun White won the men’s halfpipe competition, with Kelly Clark finishing on top in the women’s event.

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Seattle rapper Macklemore, fresh after selling out Red Rocks, played a free show at the Solaris stage in Vail which caused severe crowding in town.

20 years ago

Feb. 28, 2003

Vail Resorts, the U.S. Forest Service and the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office put the kibosh on the annual Vail Mountain party known as BB&B, the Vail Daily reported.

“Named for two body parts — the parts covered by a bikini — and an alcoholic brew that comes in kegs, BB&B evolved from Vail’s Great Race sometime in the mid-80s,” the Vail Daily reported. “Over time, the mid-April gathering at Minnie’s Deck, high above Lionshead, has become a cherished rite-of-spring costume party marking the end of the ski season.”

U.S. Forest Service District Ranger Cal Wettstien was quoted in the story, saying piles of trash and human waste, under-age drinking, illegal drug use and reports of sexual assaults have rendered the event out of control.

“There is a lot of support from local law-enforcement entities to terminate the thing,” Wettstien said.

Former U.S. President Gerald R. Ford at the grand opening of the Vilar Center for the Arts in February of 1998.
Courtesy image

25 years ago

February, 1998

The Vilar Center for the Arts opened its doors to the public in Beaver Creek. The venue’s first performances were purposely not disclosed to build suspense and excitement for the inaugural events.

The grand opening of the Vilar Center for the Arts began with the dedication of the Ford Family Relief, a wall outside the venue that depicted former U.S. President Gerald R. Ford and his family participating in a variety of valley-wide events. The first performances included Ani and Ida Kavafian with the Santa Fe ProMusica Orchestra, Spalding Gray, All-American Dance Stars, Capital Steps, and Marvin Hamlisch.

40 years ago

March 4, 1983

Landowners threatened by pine beetle attacks near the Holy Cross Wilderness would be wise to protect their property through private timber management, a draft study by the Forest Service recommended.

“The Forest Service, which cannot take action on private land anyway, may not even have funds available to combat beetle infestations in or around the 40 acres of privately owned land adjacent to the Holy Cross Wilderness,” the Vail Trail reported. “The environmental assessment, which studied ways private landowners could cope with the problem, did not make a decision on whether infested areas within the wilderness should be treated. A decision to do so would probably be opposed by environmentalists who fear the action would set a precedent for protected wilderness areas. The study leans toward chemical spraying and selected cutting of infested trees on National Forest land, but Forester Mark Sensibaugh said no decision on treatment inside the wilderness has been made in the document.”

50 years ago

March 2, 1973

Rob, Tim and Dave Garton announced the opening of a new subdivision, known as Vail Intermountain, located three miles west of Vail, the Vail Trail reported.

“There are some major differences between this subdivision and previous subdivisions in Vail Valley,” the Trail reported. “The lots average an acre in size and are being sold for about $.50 per square foot. It’s been a long time since land in Vail Valley was available this inexpensively.”


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