Break Yourself: Top 5 Spring Break events in Colorado

Whoever first thought up that old t-shirt slogan "Life's a Mountain Not a Beach" must have spent one unfortunate Spring Break in Miami Beach, as skiers and snowboarders from around the world know that the real party is right here in Colorado. If you're staying close to home this year, here are our five favorite mountain events of the season: 1. 10th Annual Spring Jam at Aspen/Snowmass, March 19-21 and March 26-28. Snowmass is running its Bud Light Big Air Friday Series now through April 2, but to really break yourself for Spring Break, check out the KickAspen Big Air Invitational at the Aspen base on March 19. 4. Red Bull 1976 Games at Copper Mountain, April 16-18. This one celebrates that fateful year in local history when the International Olympic Committee awarded the Winter Games to the square state, only to have Colorado voters reject the bid. You'll get as many points for sporting a seventies 'stache, vintage gear, and groovy getup as you will for booking it down in the Snowblade Cross and blasting daffies in the Old School Air contest.

5. Spring Massive at Breckenridge, April 1-18. The Spring Massive Festival kicks off on April Fools Day with the Bite of Breckenridge restaurant event, followed by KSMT's 4th annual Massive Beer Festival on April 3. The main attraction is the Massive Open Competition April 9-11, with open competition in Superpipe, Rail Jam, Style & Air, and Slopestyle. But our favorite for sheer gnarliness is the Imperial Challenge on April 17: Start the triathlon with a 6.2 mile mountain bike ride from town across Peak 7 to Peak 8, then ski, skate, snowshoe or otherwise sprint up Peak 8 to the top of Imperial Bowl where you'll drop in on skis or a snowboard for the race to the finish line. For an even bigger challenge, try The 5 Peaks on April 10: Competitors in North America's longest ski mountaineering race will see 10,000' of Ten Mile Range vertical the hard way as they skin, climb, ski, and traverse Peaks 10, 9, 8, and 7.