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Swedish Acid, Village People and mustaches were in prime display this past weekend at Copper Mountain as the 1970s theme celebrated in remembrance to an athletic event that never occurred.
On Sunday, the energy drink company Red Bull sponsored an athletic event that looked to give Colorado redemption for the 1976 Olympic Games, which the state was never able to host.
In 1976, the winter Olympic Games were awarded to Denver, but due to worries about environmental issues and a rise in costs, voters in Colorado rejected the offer to host the games.
The games were then moved to Innsbruck, Austria.
Red Bull sponsored the event to celebrate the 1976 Olympic Games, including the drug-induced spirit of the 1970s itself.
Teams participated in two events: “snowbladecross” and an “Old School Air” competition.
However, snowboards were not allowed. In fact, one snowboarder got on the course and the announcer asked him “what he was doing with those skis glued together” in an attempt to keep the 70s theme alive.
The participants did not score based on the best tricks possible, but rather the best tricks that were possible in the seventies. Spectators were wowed by Daphies, Twisters, Spreads, and the infamous Screamin’ Seamen, not to mention spectacles that push the boundaries of what is possible today.
To add flair, competitors were encouraged to wear team “uniforms” that represented their team spirit such as seventies attire, or in the case of team Village People—loin cloths, tool belts, and navy attire.
DU students Wade Buxton, Nate Polta, Kyle Robinson, Kelly Stoy and Emily Murphy competed in the event.
Wade Buxton, part of team Village People, pulled off a myriad of ticks in the Old School Air contest to seal a third place finish. Their top trick involved two people riding on the same two skis landing a 30-foot gap jump successfully.
Team Magic Fire Ride, consisting of Polta, Robinson, Stoy and Murphy, were a crowd sensation with synchronized jumps and downright 70’s antics.
Some teams even had skis with triple bindings and went through hoops, while one daring competitor even went down the hill on a single water ski. The event was well attended and everyone got deep into the seventies feel thanks to a jolt of energy provided by one of the more famous beverage companies from the 21st century.
