Woodward at Copper guarantees snow for summer camp, adds mountain bike camps Photo courtesy Woodward at CopperNot ready to let go of the ski/snowboard dream and put that crummy snow season behind you, even weeks after all the resorts have closed? Neither are the coaches at Woodward at Copper, where they're gearing up for summer camps -- and guaranteeing an on-snow experience. More >>

Mile High Club vs. 5280 Fight Club: The crosstown roller derby rivalry heats up Although the Denver Roller Dolls and Rocky Mountain Rollergirls are often billed as crosstown rivals, their traveling all-star teams hardly ever skate against each other: The last time DRD's Mile Club and RMRG's 5280 Fight Club competed directly was at the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) Championship tournament in 2009. Saturday's matchup at the 1STBANK Center ought to be quite a spectacle, and not just because it's a rare one: On paper, they're two of the most closely-matched teams in roller derby, and local derby fans on either side of the aisle are in for some jostling as the two teams jostle for position in the lead-up to the WFTDA's West Region Playoffs and 2012 Championship tournament. More >>

Crisis Skateboards shop team drops crisis-filled video trailer Young filmmaker Blaine Davies's new trailer for the 2012 Crisis Skateboards team video nails the perfect mix of what everyone wants to see in a proper skate vid: It's a combination of equal parts mind-blowing, technical, holy-shit skateboard prowess and people wrecking themselves over and over again, as if you can't fully appreciate the one without the other. The forthcoming video features Crisis Skateboards owner Jeremy Frankovis as well as team riders for the skate shop at 6821 West 120th Avenue in Broomfield, including Connor Grosh, Carleigh Samson, Kevin Davenport, Chris Schwartz, Keenan Meyer and Justin Rice. More >>

Let the mud-slinging begin: Mountain bike season gets an early start Photo courtesy Breckenridge Open SpaceThe month of May, as any mountain biker can tell you, is mud season. Just three weeks ago skiers and snowboarders were still making decent turns at Breckenridge as the ski area closed out its fiftieth anniversary season, and in a typical year May is a month of downtime for the mountain town as all the snowmelt sorts itself out. But this year has been anything but typical, and while the slow snow season was a downer for skiers and snowboarders (and whitewater river sports enthusiasts), it's been a boon for mountain bikers. More >>

Make Your Own Legends: Apply now for a 2012 Jonny Copp Award grant Jonny Copp's credo for the Adventure Film Festival he founded in Boulder was "Make Your Own Legends," and while the climber/artist/musician/writer/adventurer made many legends of his own before his death in 2009, one of his greatest legacies may turn out to be posthumous, thanks to the Jonny Copp Foundation that his family, friends and sponsors set up in his memory. The foundation is currently accepting applications for the third grant cycle of its Jonny Copp Award, "created to help support adventurers, artists, and environmentalists inspire others by sharing their true passion in life." More >>

Last ski area standing: Arapahoe Basin announces early May 6 closure, last hurrah "We made a very tough decision today," reported Arapahoe Basin CEO Alan Henceroth in a dispatch sent out on yesterday. "Arapahoe Basin will close for the season Sunday, May 6. With the light snowfall, big wind events, and warm temperatures, Mother Nature made life for Colorado skiers very difficult this year. We often say we will stay open as long as there is snow and as long as people keep skiing. Well, this year we are running out of both snow and skiers. I apologize to all of you. We really wanted to stay open into June, but sometimes things happen we don't like. Next season..." More >>

Of Souls+Water: Forge Motion Pictures premieres Skip Armstrong's Nomad Photo by Tim Kemple, courtesy Forge Motion PicturesErik Boomer sends it over Sahalie Falls during filming of "Nomad"Over the weekend, director Skip Armstrong and the Carbondale-based Forge Motion Pictures crew premiered Nomad and The Mother at the 5Point Film Festival in Carbondale. The films are the first in a planned five-part web series titled Of Souls+Water, profiling five different people whose lives revolve around water; the series will be released online over the next five months through a partnership with NRS Films and New Belgium Brewing. We caught up with Armstrong for a chat about the series and a full look at Nomad, a portrait of adventurer Erik Boomer (video after the jump). More >>

The 500-mile Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango: Even a kid can complete it The Van Zweden family completed the Colorado Trail on August 12, 2011.Hiking the 500-mile Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango is one of the most epic -- and scenic -- adventures in the state, and it's a more accessible bucket-list goal than you might think: Last year the Colorado Trail Foundation added three kids under the age of twelve to its official list of CT Completers. Tonight at 6:30 p.m. Roy Van Zweden and his sons Jonas (8), Miles (10), and Eli (12) will be at REI Boulder, 1789 28th Street, sharing tales from their 2011 trek together. More >>

Royal Stain hits up Arvada Skate Park, a Best of Denver 2012 winner -- with David Reyes The new Arvada Skate Park took Best of Denver 2012 Best Skate Park honors last month, and the more time we spend there, the more we love it. This edit from local filmmaker Tristan Minton, of Royal Stain Design, which features 303 Boards team rider David Reyes and The Denver Shop team riders Ryan Lybarger and Josh Murphy, helps illustrate why: More >>

Derby Baby directors turn to Kickstarter for roller derby documentary distribution Denver-based filmmakers Robin Bond and David Wruck premiered their roller derby documentary Derby Baby on March 31 at the Atlanta Film Festival and screened it earlier this month at the Sonoma International Film Festival, but before they can bring it to a wider audience they need to sort out a global distribution model. This being the 21st century and all -- and inspired by the DIY derby ethos they just spent two years immersed in -- the filmmakers are taking matters into their hands and have turned to Kickstarter to give the project a kick. More >>

Snowboard Colorado presents 2013 Demo Day at Loveland Ski Area On Saturday Snowboard Colorado and Loveland Ski Area will co-host a demo-day event featuring next season's gear from at least sixteen different brands, including boards from Colorado companies Never Summer, Unity Snowboards and Oz, as well as boards from YES, Capita, Technine, Salomon, Niche, Echelon, Mervin Manufacturing, Signal, Arbor and K2, and goggles from Zeal Optics, Spy and Smith. Unless you're an industry insider and got to hit up the SIA Snow Show's On-Snow Demo at Winter Park in January, this will be your first chance to test out the 2012-2013 lines. More >>

Photographer Cory Richards wins American Alpine Club's 2012 Rowell Award Selp portrait on Gasherbrum II by Cory Richards, courtesy Forge Motion PicturesThe American Alpine Club announced this week that Boulder-based photographer Cory Richards has won its 2012 Rowell Award for the Art of Adventure. The $15,000 award, which will be officially presented next month during Mountainfilm in Telluride, is named for photographers Galen and Barbara Rowell, who died in a plane crash in 2002. "Cory is inspired by the human elements, man's struggle with the wilderness and nature," wrote members of the Rowell Legacy Committee, in his award citation. "He has the rare ability to capture the rawness in all of us." More >>

Ready for the Mile High Club? The Denver Roller Dolls date auction is live now Photo by Dave Wood / Denver Roller DollsThe Denver Roller Dolls' 2012 Mile High Club All-Stars.Attention, would-be skater daters: The Denver Roller Dolls' Mile High Club all-star roller derby team is putting its "Real men play with Dolls" slogan on the line this week with a "help us kick butt all over the country" date auction to raise travel funds for the team. Bids start at $50, with the winners to be announced at the bout this Saturday at the 1STBANK Center; top bidders will get to attend the Movie Night with Mile High Club event on Friday, April 27 with one (or more) of the league's top skaters as their date. More >>

USA Pro Cycling Challenge unveils 2012 posters USA Pro Cycling Challenge organizers revealed the winning design in a national poster competition yesterday, by Montrose-based artist Leanna Johnson, and this morning gave us a first look at the winning poster for the Denver Time Trial stage poster, the seventh and final stage of the second annual race, by Grand Junction-based artist Robb Reece. "I think it's going to be a great opportunity for Montrose,and it's super-exciting to be part of the race and to get to see all the riders in person," says Johnson, who runs the Treeafeather Creative design studio in Montrose with her husband, Jordan. Montrose is one of four new host cities for this year's race, which will take place August 20-26. Stage 2 begins in Montrose on August 21 and ends in Crested Butte. More >>

Colorado skateboard film crews hit the streets with new spring edits Some of our favorite local skate crews have been busy this month, dropping Spring video clips that will have you ready to take to the streets. First up... Ben Ericson and Tristan Minton's 2012 Spring Street Trash edit (above) featuring the 303 Boards team. More >>