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Since moving to Steamboat Springs I've photographed a lot of ski races.

My favorite is the annual Cowboy Downhill.

Cowboys and Steamboat Springs go together like Oreos and milk.

On Friday and Saturday nights in the summer, cowboys make their home at the Brent Romick Rodeo Arena in Steamboat Springs. But in the winter they put on a show on the slopes of Headwall that has become legendary.

If you've never seen this event, you need to head to the Ski Area Tuesday and check it out. But take my advice and stay behind the fence, because when these guys get going, it's a recipe for big-time crashes and big-time laughs.

There is something about seeing a cowboy dressed in his hat and chaps sliding down a hill, even a beginner's slope like Headwall, that brings a smile to your face.

Sure it helps that the race crews at the ski area have built up the start and added a speed bump in the middle of the course to add a little suspense. It also increases the odds that there is going to be a full-scale yard sale at some point.

It's hard to explain why cowboys can't ski, but it just doesn't seem natural. Especially when there are 20 to 30 of them coming down at the same time

in the final run of the day.

These guys are top-level athletes who are willing to climb on the back of animals whose only purpose, other than eating, is to throw cowboys into the air like rag dolls. So the idea of sliding down a hill on a pair of skis should seem pretty tame, right?

The truth is that many of the cowboys who will take part in this year's Cowboy Downhill are not new to skiing. Some of them are inexperienced, but others come to Steamboat every January, and a few of them could make cruising down any slope on the mountain look easy.

But the one thing all of these cowboys have in common is that they know how to have a good time, and that is what has made the Cowboy Downhill a fan-favorite for more than 33 years.

So if you happen to have a few minutes next week, I would suggest heading to the ski hill to watch these adventurous cowboys show you what having a good time is all about. I can promise you that there will be plenty of thrills, more than a few spills and at the end of the day everyone who's skiing and those who are just there to watch will all have a good time.

The truth is that summers were made for rodeo, but it's never too hard to find a cowboy in Steamboat Springs. You just need to know where to look.

-To reach John F. Russell, call 871-4209 or e-mail jrussell@steamboatsprings.com