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Articles by Steve Skinner
Skinner: The kids are all light and we are all stars
Here’s a fun quiz. What’s about 4.5 billion years old and resting comfortably in its mid-lifespan? Here’s a hint: Even though it’s 27 million degrees Fahrenheit in the center, you can’t touch it and you shouldn’t look at it but we see it almost every day and we can’t live without it. Give up? It’s the sun! The sun is a star and so is Miley Cyrus.
Skinner: Go ahead, knock yourself out
Today as I write this, I have once again decided to let myself be happy. Not pockets full of hundreds walking to Performance Ski to pick up some new boards happy, but regular happy. We can’t always choose this but setting the aspiration is a very good start. It changes the potential. The last time I decided to be happy was a few short years ago after a long partnership with Eeyore. I put him out to pasture and turned the corner to better times.
Skinner: It’s time for Aspen to pedestrianize
Did you hear the news? London just closed a near mile-long section of Oxford Street and “pedestrianized” a big part of a busy shopping district. No more cars, mopeds and buses. No white pickup trucks. No e-bikes or scooters. No Teslas. “Revitalizing Oxford Street will boost jobs and economic growth in the capital,” said London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Ya think?
Skinner: White bread and milk are on the menu
Man, I’m in the right business but working for the wrong company. I could be making big bucks pontificating about climate change and partisan divides and encouraging dialogue from a sweet office with a window seat looking out at Snowmass Ski Area instead of pecking out a column, one letter at a time from the confines of my Chevy Express camper van. After seeing the article (“Aspen One works to engage voters, influence climate policy,” Oct. 17, Aspen Daily News), I went in for a closer look.
Skinner: We want the funk
The first time I pulled into Grand County and looked around, I thought to myself, “This place is primed for destruction.” Having lived in the Roaring Fork Valley for decades has made me an expert on what happens to green meadows and strategic hillsides when they run into money. Once it starts, it does not stop. A recent swing through Grand County reveals staggering growth. You’d hardly recognize the place.
The future of XPS skiing is here
Hope you got to shred the gnar last weekend, folks. It may be 66 degrees outside while I write this, but — due to the wonders... Hope you got to shred the gnar last weekend, folks. It may be 66 degrees outside while I write this, but — due to the wonders of modern technology — we got to make turns and flip off the rails at Snowmass. And … wait for it … it was free! I know what you are thinking: It hasn’t snowed in years.
Skinner: Try to smile when you look in the mirror
Opinion What stands 4 feet tall, weighs 5 pounds soaking wet, has a wingspan of over 6 feet and looks like something you’d see in a movie about dinosaurs? You guessed it... What stands 4 feet tall, weighs 5 pounds soaking wet, has a wingspan of over 6 feet and looks like something you’d see in a movie about dinosaurs? You guessed it, the great blue heron. I just enjoyed a great blue moment that was both commonplace and extraordinary at the same time.
Skinner: Captain X has left the planet
Sometimes there are no words, and this could be one of those times. But sometimes you have to try to explain what someone means to your life. And like a lot of us, I sometimes take people for granted. They are there and that’s the way it is. Always there. Steady. That was Captain X. Some people knew him as Corey Spagnolo, but in my circles he was always X or Captain X. He always called me Nige (short for Nigel). The Roaring Fork Valley lost a very special person when Captain X passed on Sept. 7.
Program: Freight about to crash
As consumers demand more and more 'stuff' the impact on the freight industry will be enormous. The number of trucks on the roads will double in two decades. This will have important implications for traffic, roads, pollution, and energy use. Steve Skinner reports. Renewable Energy, Pollution, Government and Politics THEME Stephen Skinner: Welcome to Background Briefing on ABC Radio National, I'm Stephen Skinner.
Skinner: There’s no welcome mat for the bootless and unhorsed
Opinion I walked outside Saturday night and instantly saw a shooting star. I consider that an awesome omen. I like saying those words, too: awesome omen. I walked outside Saturday night and instantly saw a shooting star. I consider that an awesome omen. I like saying those words, too: awesome omen. I’m a tree hugger. I like them all, but the ones that you can’t get your arms all the way around are special. I like visiting trees in places where I am welcome. Public lands. Parks. River banks.
Skinner: Burning distant coal for trivial pursuits
I’ve heard that once you see Earth from space, your whole perspective of life on the big blue ball is turned upside down. The fragile beauty and connectedness... I’ve heard that once you see Earth from space, your whole perspective of life on the big blue ball is turned upside down. The fragile beauty and connectedness come into focus. In the high country, the view of space from Earth can have a similar effect. I’ve been looking up for as long as I can remember. The void puts you in your place.
Skinner: Visiting the region of the wildest desolation
Fire and flood. They go together like salt and sugar: opposite but inevitable. Rifle, Parachute, Glenwood Canyon, the Colorado River, the Green... Fire and flood. They go together like salt and sugar: opposite but inevitable. Rifle, Parachute, Glenwood Canyon, the Colorado River, the Green River and many small creeks, rivulets and roads have surged into the news lately with water taking center stage.
Skinner: Hey baby, what you gonna be?
Being a baby gives you a chance to start fresh. A clean slate. On day one you have the wonder and confusion of being squeezed out of the dark and into wherever... Being a baby gives you a chance to start fresh. A clean slate. On day one you have the wonder and confusion of being squeezed out of the dark and into wherever you happen to be. Maybe you close your eyes and block it all out for a few more days. Or maybe you squint into the bright lights and raise your voice against the current conditions.
Skinner: Climate-controlled escape pods are the problem
When you are looking for luxury and comfort and price is no object and you also want entertainment and safety, look no further than the 2027 Mercedes-Benz... When you are looking for luxury and comfort and price is no object and you also want entertainment and safety, look no further than the 2027 Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan.
Skinner: Porcelain pedestals threaten the Roaring Fork River
Looking at the weather forecast in Aspen it looks like there’s a chance of rain every day for the next week. Every drop will be absorbed with thankful thirst as we continue... Looking at the weather forecast in Aspen it looks like there’s a chance of rain every day for the next week. Every drop will be absorbed with thankful thirst as we continue down the path of drought, dust and dry. How dusty and dry, you ask? Very. On Monday, Aug.
Skinner: A bird’s-eye view of tough love
Tough love. Is that still a thing? I received a few lashings when I was being reared but I probably deserved more. I have discovered that tough love is not exclusive... Tough love. Is that still a thing? I received a few lashings when I was being reared but I probably deserved more. I have discovered that tough love is not exclusive to humans. From my perch, it seems like it’s time for tough love to make a comeback. It works! We may have learned it from the birds.
Skinner: I gotta go where the river goes
They say that even the most spectacular people need to put their pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us. But not Katie Lee. She pulled hers down two at a time and started her day by wandering off into the unknown, naked and unafraid. I sure miss that lady. Katie was a Hollywood movie star, semi-famous folk singer, distinguished author, naturalist, photographer, model and, most importantly, a pioneering Western river runner.
Skinner: French firefly sparks wonder
I finally saw my first firefly of the summer. This is huge because I used to live among them in the Crystal River Valley. I saw them all the time. Sometimes winking across the river in Filoha Meadows, laying low in the marshy orchids and columbines. And other times swarming all around, their lanterns sparkling in some kind of natural order. This time I had to head north and east to find this lovely French Canadian firefly, blinking seductively near a low maple tree in front of my camp.
Skinner: I’m a just a scrumbag
It is with great joy that I see that the Gentlemen of Aspen are back to winning on the pitch. And beating Vail on Sunday is icing on the cake. Go Gents! Going to watch the Gentlemen of Aspen is a classic Aspen tradition that I indulged in many times. Back in my Aspen days, the team was the talk of the town and they were winning — so much winning. If a Gent entered a bar wearing the colors red and black, the drinks would flow freely. Now there’s a women’s team, which is only appropriate.
Skinner: It’s time to clear the air
I confess. I notice things that others often miss. I don’t think I have any special powers but I notice things. Thich Nhat Hahn was a Vietnamese Zen monk and a peace activist. He taught people to notice things very carefully. He even taught people to notice and to be happy about things like not having a toothache. Now that’s something to celebrate. Kahn led famous walking meditations where you walk slowly, contemplating the connection to the earth and all the things in it with every step.
Skinner: The ‘Aspen Idea’ remains a good one
Now that everything is back to normal, we can check out some little nuggets that we’ve been walking past. Town is filling up with young musicians from all over the globe. They will be breathing our rarified air while advancing music skills to take out into the world. About 500 students puff out the town, participating in the summer session of the Aspen Music Festival and School. The students bring a lot of energy to town and it’s one of the best times to be around.
Skinner: ‘Condragulations’ to all you graduates
As you graduate high school, I am here to congratulate you. Thanks for asking me to speak at your commencement. I am humbled and honored to be with you at this crucial moment in your life. You are surrounded by your friends and teachers and families. Everyone wishes you well. We want you to succeed. We are rooting for you and always will.
Skinner: Zooming into the abyss
Some of my fondest memories from my youth involve cars. Fast cars. Race cars. Go karts. My dad gave me a car when I was 16. In retrospect he was the coolest guy in the world, handing me the keys to a cherry red 1967 Ford Mustang Coupe with a small block 289 V8 engine, the perfect car for zooming around the Santa Cruz Mountains. It didn’t take me long to crash it but there were other cool cars to be driven and crashed. Those American gasmobiles could take a hit and keep going.
Skinner: Yes, I’m telling you there’s a chance
The world really is going to hell in a handbasket. We are going down the tubes, flushed in a sea of bad habits. All we have to look at is who’s advertising what to whom and we can see for ourselves where the cancer is. Fattening fast food. Weight loss drugs. Oversized pickups built for tough guys. Jeeps driving through sensitive desert habitats and creeks. Personal injury attorneys. Eczema drugs with side effects that include death. Heart meds. Procedures. Skyrizi. Online gaming.
Skinner: A new trend with some real teeth
Hockey. Gotta love the Colorado Avalanche and all I can say is that it’s a thin line between victory and humiliation. I’m not a huge sports fan but when a major sport gets close to the final countdown I get involved. Lately I’ve found myself yelling at the television. “Get to the puck!” “Center it!” Unfortunately, the Avs are down three to the Las Vegas Golden Knights, a team you want to see trounced just because of their name.
Skinner: E-bikes: Don’t be a jerk
The signs are everywhere. Electrification of transportation is taking over. Cars. Buses. Bikes. Surfboards. Boats. Speaking as someone who likes to breathe, the overall results are trending positive. I just watched a video of a drag race where a Tesla outran a souped-up Firebird. As with all tech “improvements,” the rules and regulations stagger behind as people reveal how they can use new tech to show how low they can go. Adult supervision becomes necessary as the scofflaws exploit new openings.
Skinner: Aspen is the land of opportunity
I read with great pleasure that young local Patrick Keleher is chasing his dream of being an actor. He reminds me of me when I was his age: recklessly ambitious. Keleher went to Hollywood to become a movie star. And now he’s back in the Roaring Fork Valley, pursuing funding to make an original indie film. He’s already passed the halfway mark to the $100K goal. I’ve seen him perform. He’s great. Go man, go! Aspen is the place to do it. It’s the land of dreams and action and possibility. The mothership.
Skinner: Running toward the fire
What takes 160 hours to train for, literally puts you in the path of danger and keeps you awake at night? Volunteer firefighting. It’s hard to believe that these words actually go together but they do. I like to think I’ve done a bit of volunteering in my life but when I look at firefighters I realize that I have done very little in comparison. The last time I wrote about being a volunteer, a reader suggested that I look at volunteer firefighters.
Skinner: Soldier on in the shoulder season
I prefer the shoulder seasons. Not too hot. Not too cold. Sprouts in spring. Falling leaves in fall. In Aspen, the offseason presents a refreshing break from the hustle and bustle. Not as much traffic. Bulbs lifting into buds. Maintenance at the airport. Trails opening up. Local faces at Carl’s. I always joke that Aspen should “put up a gate” at the Maroon Creek Bridge. It’s fun to imagine Aspen without all the tailpipes.
Skinner: The climate is right for innovation
Despite the wonky winter, Spring sunshine can lift the mood. The longer days are a lotion for my emotion. We are getting a little more than 14 hours of daylight now. Sunshine. I remember when it was a big deal to unfold a little solar panel on river trips and camping excursions to recharge computers, cameras and cell phones. Now everyone’s doing it. As batteries improve, capturing solar makes more and more sense.
Skinner: Time for a women’s movement
Man, it’s time for sure to hand over the planet to fresh young minds led by the women of the world. We are getting there but the change couldn’t come soon enough. I can’t be the only one who really wants his mommy right now. Despite most folks being nurtured from birth by a loving mom, we sure churn out some arrogant pricks who think they own the world and all the creatures, animals and plants on it and in it.
Skinner: Playing the role of God
I’ve toyed with religion. As astronauts spin around the moon, I wonder: Do they get a closer perspective of the creator? Humbling. Religion still plays a major role on this planet. Everybody’s doing it. Even the president is praising Allah as he pushes the red buttons on his desk. And from a distance, I hear the big blue ball still looks beautiful and full of spiritual magic. Peaceful even. Down here on the ground we still have some beauty in the world.
Skinner: They are circling, watching and waiting
I like to joke about buzzards circling whenever I see them, which is all the time, everywhere I go. Either they are waiting for me to keel over or they really are everywhere. Happily, I think it’s the latter. And another thing. It’s not buzzards I see circling, it’s turkey vultures. They are everywhere. And they are different from buzzards. Who knew? Turkey vultures are easy to spot when they are circling.
Skinner: I can’t drive 45, not even in Basalt
When people aren’t looking — that’s when you can be yourself, right? I suppose God is always watching, and that may slow some people down, but I wouldn’t count on it. Admit it. Like me, there are at least two of you. Driving used to add a layer of anonymity to life. It still does sometimes but there are more challenges. In situations where most people don’t know that it’s me behind the wheel, it’s easy to slip into personality two. I feel like no one sees. I hide in plain sight.
Skinner: Docked for the time he was up in the sky
I’ll be damned if this great country wasn’t built on the backs of immigrants and slaves. I remember when President Barack Hussein Obama mentioned once that no one could do anything alone because everything is connected. Such a simple and elegant concept. Of course, the comment backfired but a closer look exposes the truth. The enlightened Buddhists base their beliefs on this concept of interconnection.
Skinner: Woody Creek: A private place for members to race
I imagine that one of the appeals of living on the cushion of wealth is the ability to control things, especially things you see and do. After all, who doesn’t appreciate an exclusive view of something beautiful that others can’t afford to see? Maybe it’s a fjord. Maybe it’s a small garden. Perhaps a gated castle. And just maybe, it’s a private racetrack where the view and fumes are limited to like-minded enthusiasts in sunglasses, sundresses and Corinthian leather jackets. I like racing. And speed.
Skinner: Get the Flock out of here
I meandered through the packed Walmart last Sunday, holding my phone up to my chest, wandering the bustling aisles full of people just trying to buy what they need to get by. I was shooting a time-lapse video. I’ve had fun with these lately and it takes the busy world and speeds it up by absurd proportions.
Golf’s boom isn’t a moment — It’s building a sustainable future - Golf Inc.
Golf is booming again, only this time, the momentum feels different. More durable. More intentional. And, importantly, more grounded in the way people engage with the sport. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Tiger Woods effect sent golf into hyperdrive. Interest was sky-high, and course development surged to match it: More than 4,000 new courses opened in a 15-year sprint. But when the economy slowed, so did optimism.
Skinner: Hotdog Hans takes the world by storm
The Olympics are a wrap and Aspen’s superhero, Alex Ferreira, did us proud by crushing the competition with an epic halfpipe run, earning a gold medal. It’s so cliche, but in an interview before his run he said to Hotdog Hans, “Never give up on your dreams.” Hans, who was conducting the interview, dozed off while Alex was talking about his “perfect season.” It was hilarious.
Skinner: Hotdog Hans takes the world by storm
The Olympics are a wrap and Aspen’s superhero, Alex Ferreira, did us proud by crushing the competition with an epic halfpipe run, earning a gold medal. It’s so cliche, but in an interview before his run he said to Hotdog Hans, “Never give up on your dreams.” Hans, who was conducting the interview, dozed off while Alex was talking about his “perfect season.” It was hilarious.
Steve Skinner, Author at Golf Inc.
Golf is booming again, only this time, the momentum feels different. More durable. More intentional. And, importantly, more grounded in…
La lutte contre le trafic de drogue, "une priorité absolue" martèle la préfète de l'Hérault
La lutte contre le trafic de drogue est "une priorité absolue" a martelé la préfète de l'Hérault, vendredi, lors de la présentation du bilan 2025 de la délinquance. Elle était entourée du procureur de la République de Montpellier, Thierry Lescouarc'h, de celui de Béziers, Arnaud Faugère, du Directeur interdépartemental de la police nationale, Benoit Desmartin, et du commandant du groupement de gendarmerie départementale, le général Thomas Deprecq.
Skinner: We’re getting what we voted for
Look up! Two new asteroids are heading our way. These are ’roids of our own making and they will add a few more nails to a coffin already full up with nails. And, like everything on this little blue ball, they are related. One comes in the form of a sad, dribble of water in the Colorado River and the other is another city-sized development looming on the parched Roaring Fork River. A final deadline has come and gone for Western states to make a deal on sharing the water in the Colorado River.
Skinner: A ‘silly fellow’ who put Aspen on the map
In 1952, a force of nature came to Aspen. The force set the tone around town for 15 years with music, farce, words, deeds and pranks that will never be topped. Thankfully, the legacy endures. If you can on Tuesday, get to the Paul JAS Center and then to the Aspen Collective art gallery to rub elbows with those in the know about the man with the nose, Freddie Fisher.
Skinner: Are the days of innocence gone?
I almost cut my hair. It’s definitely getting in my way. But it’s what I use to declare my stubborn hold to the last tendrils of optimism and innocence. Now that it has reached my shoulders I know that if I do cut it, that it will be the last time I make a commitment like letting it grow, grow, grow. In October 1995, I wrote my first column for this newspaper (“Why don’t we do it in the road?” Oct. 25, 1995, Aspen Daily News).
The Golf Boom: This Time, It’s Built to Last
Illustration/Grace Hughes. Photo courtesy KemperSports Today’s guest columnist is Steve Skinner, CEO of KemperSports. Golf is booming again, only this time, the momentum feels different. More durable. More intentional. And, importantly, more grounded in the way people engage with the sport. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Tiger Woods effect sent golf into hyperdrive. Interest was sky-high, and course development surged to match it: More than 4,000 new courses opened in a 15-year sprint.
Skinner: Flying higher and faster in Aspen
In the beginning, there were skateboards. A wooden deck, and if you were lucky, plastic wheels (but sometimes metal) hijacked off of a pair of strap-on roller skates. In the mid-’70s, I found myself in the sweet spot when skateboarding emerged as a diversion for thousands of California kids seeking a new thrill. Those thrills were found in empty swimming pools mostly, but also the rolling hills with delicious, smooth pavement. Before helmets. Before knee pads. Just knuckleheads and raw courage.
Skinner: What’s wrong with human rights?
I have civil rights on my mind these days. And as I write on this national holiday with some celebrating Martin Luther King Jr., I’m reminded of the passion and sacrifice that preceded the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The civil rights movement was forced onto a nation that was not ready or willing. Some still are not ready or willing for equal rights with our neighbors.
Skinner: I thought music and good will were normal
As the final tendrils of warm light fade once again into the cold sky of winter, the sun has officially set on the “Summer of Love.” God’s rays in the sky made their final withdrawal after Grateful Dead founder Bob Weir closed his eyes for the last time on Jan. 10 of this year. The eyes of the world are forever dimmed. The Summer of Love started in June 1967 and was so sweet and rich and powerful that like a comet, it had a long tail that continued to shine long after the main event.
Skinner: Getting a read on the situation
I guess it’s always happening but there has been so much change in my world over the past four decades that my brain is spinning like a top inside my skull. Like some of you, I still cling to certain traditions and activities that help anchor me to the ground, lest I be flung off. Reading is one of those things. As tempting as staring into my smartphone is, I sometimes stop to read something tactile like a newspaper, magazine or book.
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