Ray K. Erku

2 weeks ago | aspentimes.com | Ray K. Erku |Ray Erku

Standing atop Ajax on Wednesday convinced me spring skiing sometimes transcends powder days. Skiers lounged upon Sundeck lawn chairs like Audrey Hepburn on South Beach. Though my favorite runs were carpeted with casseroles of mashed potatoes encrusted upon beds of coarse pebbles, phalanxes of instructors and their pupils practically diminished. Fifty-degree temps, a gentle breeze, and an iridescent, bluebird horizon cloaking snow-capped peaks greeted me at every lift.

Dec 10, 2024 | aspentimes.com | Ray K. Erku |Ray Erku

Add another record breaker to the books. The Aspen Education Foundation on Saturday generated $1.9 million in contributions through its paddle raise live auction featured at its annual Flamingo fundraising gala at the St. Regis Hotel. The total makes it the Foundation’s highest-grossing annual fundraiser to date, according to AEF Executive Director Cynthia Chase.

Dec 5, 2024 | aspentimes.com | Ray K. Erku

There’s an ongoing joke among self-funded, “independent” professional skiers. “We’re amateur skiers, but we’re professional bag transporters,” former World Cup skier Will Gregorak quipped. Gregorak once again joins Aspen’s own Wiley Maple, 34, as his technical advisor. Together, they will lug quivers of equipment — up to 10 bags weighing an estimated 75-100 pounds, worth thousands of dollars in custom-tailored skis — through international security checkpoints and customs booths.

Oct 22, 2024 | aspentimes.com | Ray K. Erku

A Pitkin County Commission candidate is accusing an incumbent commissioner of stealing her campaign sign from an upper Roaring Fork Valley convenience store, but the property owner states it’s the result of confusion and not malice. Toni Kronberg is running against Commissioner Francie Jacober. Kronberg submitted a five-page affidavit Monday claiming Commissioner Patti Clapper parked in front of the Old Snowmass Market and stole her campaign sign.

Oct 6, 2024 | aspentimes.com | Ray K. Erku

There’s a new way Roaring Fork Valley high schoolers can learn more about performing arts. The Arts Campus At Willits (TACAW) recently launched a new teen apprenticeship program. Referred to as becoming an Arts Influencer, local teens can delve into the world of making a live performance happen. By joining, students will learn behind-the-curtain production, promote community engagement, attend live events and provide critique, and so much more, according to TACAW Education Manager Anna Feiss.