The Dew Tour 2017 Review – Breckenridge, Colorado
The beautiful thing about Colorado is that you can reach high elevation with a relatively short car ride. What more of a perfect location then Breckenridge, Colorado, to be Home to the Dew Tour 2017? Breckenridge is a beautiful 88 mile drive from Denver due West. About an hour and half in the car leads you to the majestic White River Forest of Summit County. The perfect place for an early season competition. West of the continental divide with the peak elevation at 12,998 feet, lack of snow tends not to be an issue there. This year’s event brought top competitors from all over to compete, not only for the Dew Tour 2017 top spots, but also to qualify for the US Olympic Men’s and Women’s Ski and Snowboard teams. I’m sure this weighed on many competitors minds as they prepared for the winter season events to unfold.
The Events
The Dew Tour 2017 was FREE to anyone who wanted to experience it with the option for VIP upgrade. This got you warmth and a better viewing area, definitely a good choice for next year! Events for the Dew Tour 2017 include Men’s and Women’s Ski and Snowboard Superpipe, Team Ski & Snowboard Competitions, Slopestyle, Men’s & Women’s adaptive, and Street style. There’s so much to take in it’s hard to see it all so it’s best to plan ahead if you visit.
As I mentioned before, this year’s event wasn’t just about the competition at Breckenridge, this year was also an Olympic Qualifying event. Starting on February 9th the best athletes from all over the planet will meet in PyeongChang, South Korea, to compete for Olympic Gold. The biggest names in winter sports came out to the Dew Tour 2017 and solidify their spots to represent the USA in the 2018 Winter Games. This adds intensity into every run made down the mountain. Go big or go home is the vibe and there were huge hits and spectacular crashes to back that up.
The women came to play with new tricks to wow the judges. Chloe Kim cemented her spot on the US Women’s Olympic Snowboard team, while athletes like Kelly Clark took the podium and showed why she belongs too. Gotta give it to Clark, she had a pretty solid crash that the whole crowd felt. Being that Olympians are a breed of athlete beyond normal standards, she got back in and threw a huge Frontside 1080 to land herself a spot on the podium. A very special moment to witness live, I mean, who doesn’t love a come back?!
Shaun White, Ben Ferguson and Jake Pates have all made their spots on the Men’s Snowboard Team. Honestly, Shaun White didn’t have a great weekend in Breckenridge. However, he made up for it in Snowmass, showing any doubters why he will be a Snowboard legend. He proves time and time again that when it comes to the Olympics, he has us covered. Personally I’m a big fan of all these guys having watched them ride a lot the past years. There’s really nobody better to bring back the gold from PyeongChang.
My favorite part of the weekend was the Men’s Street Style event held on Main Street Downtown Breckenridge. Not every winter sports fest has this, but I think they should consider it for their next event. Take a dumpster convert into rails, kickers, tires and slides to create a video game like competition in the streets. It’s up close and personal with the backdrop of Downtown Breckenridge for added aesthetics. You can’t beat this. They begin the competition around sunset so spectators were treated with a purple and pink Colorado sunset. One after another skiers and riders go head to head at the same time for who can pull of the craziest line. Nobody can take their eyes away, including the competitors themselves.
This was our first year covering this massive event, it was intense to say the least. If you’re looking for a Colorado experience there’s really no better place. Breckenridge is beautiful and the Dew Tour has something for everyone. Hike up the Superpipe, get downtown for Street Style and cheer loud your favorite athlete, this is a must visit Colorado event!! Stay hydrated!