Photo Credit: Curtis DeVore POWDR

Copper Mountain: The Athlete’s Mountain

Copper Mountain, Colorado, proudly identifies itself as the Athlete’s Mountain, and for good reason. Ski Racing Media had the opportunity to interview Frank Kelble, the Competition Manager, and Dustin Lyman, the President of Copper Mountain, to delve deeper into what makes this mountain unique for athletes.

Unmatched Training Opportunities

Copper Mountain is renowned for its exceptional training facilities. In the fall, early winter, and spring, the mountain offers unparalleled training on varied terrain and surfaces. Its high altitude ensures excellent conditions, attracting the world’s best ski teams and athletes. Frank Kelble says, “We have the elevation and the snow, and we use all our resources to get the most out of the ski areas.”

Seasonally Prioritizing Training Over Public Terrain

During the early season, the resort prioritizes alpine ski training and racing over opening more terrain to the public. This commitment makes Copper Mountain the top choice for many world-class teams to conduct their final speed event training before the season begins. Frank Kelble explains, “We put all those resources into ski racing, and then when the crowds start coming, the product available to the public is awesome and remains good throughout the season.”

Click on images to enlarge

Welcoming the World’s Best

This fall, Copper Mountain will once again host many of the world’s top giant slalom skiers as they prepare for the World Cup GS race in Beaver Creek. The resort manages complex lane scheduling, netting, and grooming programs to cater to every level and age in ski racing. Frank Kelble highlights, “We try to maximize the space but keep things safe, ensuring everyone from 12-year-olds to World Cup athletes can train effectively.”

Adapting to Challenges

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Copper Mountain adapted by offering training lanes in the spring and early summer. Top athletes, including Mikaela Shiffrin, are frequently seen training during this period. The resort’s high altitude guarantees overnight freezes, providing excellent training conditions on three unique trails at the top of the mountain. Concerning the first COVID spring, Kelble remembers thinking: “If we can do it without violating protocols and keeping people along the health guidelines, let’s do it.”

Expanding Commitment

While other resorts are reducing their commitment to early-season ski racing, Copper Mountain continues to expand its commitment. The resort invests significant financial and human resources to make snow, manage fencing, and maintain safe training lanes. This early-season commitment includes four training times throughout the day on almost all their lanes and three on the tech center. Notably, they offer two sessions in the spring to minimize the need to use salt. Subsequently, Copper incurs considerable expense to transport teams up and down the mountain to their training. “We have the expertise and are passionate about it,” says Dustin Lyman.

Financial and Operational Commitment

Copper Mountain’s dedication involves a massive commitment of financial, human, and machinery resources by both the resort and POWDR Corp. This benefits thousands of domestic and international racers annually. “The team we’ve got with Frank (Kelble), our operations team, and the extensive fleet of vehicles are not easily gathered in a short time. The skills get accumulated through experience over a long period,” states Dustin Lyman.

Embracing the Challenge

Despite being one of Colorado’s most popular ski resorts, Copper Mountain willingly embraces the challenges of alpine training. This passion for supporting the sport and providing top-notch training opportunities for skiers worldwide drives this commitment. “Being the Athlete’s Mountain is core to what we do. We love seeing guests from all over the world appreciating what Copper offers,” Dustin Lyman concludes.

Quotes from the Interviews

Frank Kelble: “We back it up with the resources, and we’ve got the elevation and we have the snow. There’s value to bringing kids through athletics and sports, and also it’s a market that’s going to continue skiing.”

Dustin Lyman: “Our company, POWDR Corp and Copper Mountain Resort, is passionate about it. We have uncommon race expertise here that very few mountains have, we apply those skills to our built-in advantages. We also have unique advantages that we’ve created ourselves through the expertise that we’ve developed, and we are open-minded when we’re approached by people who want additional time on snow.”

The Departments Making It Happen

Mountain Operations: Mountain operations form the backbone of Copper Mountain’s training infrastructure. This includes snowmakers, groomers, lift operators and mechanics. They ensure that the slopes are in top condition and that all equipment runs smoothly.

Competition Department: Frank Kelble says, “Our race crew ideally has a core of 10-12 people, plus part-time staff who return each year, ensuring consistency.” This dedicated group manages 13.7 miles of netting to protect the early-season training venues.

Training Seasons: Copper Mountain provides extensive training in both fall and spring. During these periods, Copper Mountain caters to various teams, from local clubs to international World Cup squads. Frank Kelble notes, “We try to put apples with apples, ensuring similar levels train together safely.”

Medical and Safety: Safety is paramount at Copper Mountain. Medical staff are always available to respond to incidents, ensuring a safe training environment. Mountain safety teams also monitor the slopes to maintain order and assist where needed.

Lift Operations: Lift operators and mechanics are crucial in the training experience. They ensure that all lifts function correctly, allowing athletes to maximize their time on the slopes. Dustin Lyman notes, “Our lift operations team and mechanics are essential for keeping everything running smoothly.”

Lodging and Accommodations: Copper Mountain provides ample team lodging options, including close-in condo-style lodging ideal for ski training and competitions. Housekeeping and accommodations staff ensure athletes have comfortable and convenient places to stay.

Food and Beverage: The resort’s food and beverage team offers a variety of dining options, from restaurants and cafeterias to banquet-style food service. This ensures that athletes have access to nutritious meals to fuel their training.

Parking and Transportation: Even though parking needs are less during the training seasons, the parking and transportation teams ensure smooth traffic flow and convenient access to the slopes.

More Training Details

Infrastructure and Planning: Copper Mountain has made significant investments in infrastructure to support training. This includes extensive snowmaking capabilities, grooming equipment, and dedicated training trails. “We’ve learned a lot over time and crafted our approach. We prepare trails throughout the summer, making small changes with big impacts,” says Dustin Lyman.

Adaptations for Weather: Copper Mountain’s high altitude ensures reliable snow conditions. However, the resort also adapts to weather conditions by stockpiling snow strategically. “As soon as the resort closes, the cats are out pushing snow into shady areas, ensuring we have enough for spring training,” explains Frank Kelble.

Biggest Challenges

Dustin Lyman sees managing the demand as the biggest challenge of hosting extensive training at Copper Mountain. “As big as we are and as much as we can offer, we still have more demand than supply. Whether clubs or national teams are looking for space to train, it is always hard for us to disappoint. We don’t always have the availability,” he says. We must prioritize safety by ensuring that training spaces are not overcrowded.

Future World Cup Potential

“Hosting a World Cup at Copper is something we’ve talked about for a long time, and we certainly have a great venue for it. Many things still need to be figured out, including our capacity to host an event, given everything else that we have going on at that time of year and the domestic and international schedules for athletes, coaches and staff. So it wouldn’t surprise me if it becomes a reality at some point in the future, but it’s too soon to say when,” says Lyman.

What Dustin Likes Best

For PresidentLyman, the best part about being the Athlete’s Mountain is seeing the guests’ satisfaction. “It speaks to the passion of our staff and for the people that work here at Copper and live up here in Summit County. Seeing guests from all over the world seek out the experience at Copper and appreciate it for what it is—a great ski mountain either professionally or recreationally—is truly rewarding,” he shares.

Copper Mountain’s comprehensive approach to training ensures it lives up to its reputation as the Athlete’s Mountain, offering world-class facilities and support for ski racers of all levels.