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At Home, Winter 2009-10

This story appears in the Winter 2009-10 edition of At Home in Steamboat Springs magazine. Find the magazine in racks across Steamboat. View the online edition of the magazine here.

I imagine that working at a news organization during the Olympics is pretty exciting no matter where you are. But short of being in Vancouver this February, I doubt it could get more exciting than working at a newspaper and magazine in Ski Town USA.

Since 1932, Steamboat has produced dozens of Olympic athletes. Not only do we regularly write about those athletes in the pages of the Steamboat Pilot & Today newspaper, but we’ve been fortunate enough to send a writer and photographer to cover the last two games — in Salt Lake City and Turino, Italy.

Most news organizations the size of At Home in Steamboat Springs magazine and Steamboat Today wouldn’t be able to send someone to cover the Olympics. But when you come from the land of Champagne Powder, things are a little different. At Home writer and photographer John F. Russell has been to two Winter Olympics and will head to Vancouver in February to cover his third. More important, John’s daily coverage will provide a window into the experiences and successes of Routt County-based athletes competing on the biggest stage in the world.

John has some great stories about his Olympic experiences, a couple of which he shares in his column in this issue.

We may not be the biggest or most well-known ski town, but the world hears about Steamboat Springs every four years at the Winter Olympics. Steamboat’s exposure will be even brighter this year. The U.S. Olympic Team is holding its aerials and Nordic combined team trials in Steamboat on Dec. 23 and 24. The U.S. Freestyle trials are at Steamboat Ski Area, and the U.S. Nordic combined trials are at Howelsen Hill. The Olympic fates of several athletes will be decided right here on the slopes we ski year after year.

Some of the athletes whose Olympic fortunes may be determined in late December are featured in a special section of this issue that starts on page 46. Included in the profiles are Olympic veterans and homegrown talents like Todd Lodwick and Johnny Spillane. We also include a number of athletes whose chances of a trip to Vancouver are far from certain but who nonetheless are spending countless hours training for the opportunity.

One thing’s for sure — Steamboat will be well represented in Vancouver this winter. And during those three weeks, John Russell will be there to capture the moments and send them back to share with the hometown crowd.