Photo courtesy Woodward at Copper

Not ready to let go of the ski/snowboard dream and put that crummy snow season behind you, even weeks after all the resorts have closed? Neither are the coaches at Woodward at Copper, where they're gearing up for summer camps -- and guaranteeing an on-snow experience.

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Although this past weekend felt like the start of summer, there's still good riding to be had in Colorado -- and this week is also a prime opportunity to catch some of the country's best amateur snowboarders in action: The 23rd annual United States Snowboard Association's USASA National Championships got going yesterday at Copper Mountain and run through April 5, followed by the USASA Freeskiing Nationals April 7 through April 11.

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In January we reported on a handful of homegrown Colorado ski companies making handcrafted and custom skis that stand up to or surpass anything else on the market. If we'd waited a few weeks, we could have added another local brand to the mix: Silverton-based Venture Snowboards.

For the last few years Venture's entire snowboard line has been available in split-board models to allow snowboarders access to backcountry terrain that had previously been the domain of skiers with telemark or alpine touring gear (at a place like Venture's testing grounds at Silverton Mountain, where one lone chairlift is supplemented by hike-to and helicopter-accessed terrain, that's a must). This season Venture has shaken things up even further with a new prototyping program called the Shape Shack, releasing small-batch editions of experimental designs like the Euphoria, a swallowtail snowboard designed to be "surfed" without bindings. That's the kind of thing a small company can get away with when it's maintaining a nimble manufacturing presence in the United States and not outsourcing everything to China, and Venture has established a reputation as an innovator in the industry. Still, the most recent Shape Shack experiment, known as Sultans, is an interesting twist for a snowboard company.

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Do you need some winter inspiration? Do you love the iconic ski and snowboard films produced by Warren Miller Entertainment? We thought so. Here's your chance to win a pair of ticket vouchers to the Friday, November 18, showing of the company's latest -- and 62nd annual -- flick, ...Like There's No Tomorrow, at the Paramount Theatre.

Just tell us in the comments section below about the first Warren Miller film you ever saw and what, if anything, it meant to you. The best story, as judged by Westword, wins. Remember to submit a real e-mail address so that we know how to contact you; the contest closes at 5 p.m. Thursday, November 17.

And remember, these are VOUCHERS, which means you need to show up half an hour before the show to claim your actual tickets (normally $25 each).

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Kimberly Tremberth

The line is short at A-Basin.

Are you sitting in a cubicle? Do you wish you were hitting the slopes? Well, we can't buy you a ticket, but we can give you a little taste of what is going on in the high country -- both at resorts that have opened already and a few that are still getting ready. All of these pics are from today. Enjoy!

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Thinking about taking a snow day and heading for the hills this morning? Crank up the Black Flag and point towards the Continental Divide, because the first snow of the season here in Denver hit ski country even harder, with Loveland reporting over 10 inches this morning at 5 a.m. and Arapahoe Basin reporting 8 inches. Both ski areas have been open for daily business since mid-October, and both have been opening new terrain this week -- thanks to prime snowmaking conditions and big dumps of the real thing.

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When the Son of God books his Second Coming tour, members of the Denver chapter of Snowboarders and Skiers for Christ like to think he'll head to Colorado for some sliding on frozen water.

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Photo by Dustin Schaefer, courtesy Loveland Ski Area

Lauren Weibert saw a rainbow on opening day at Loveland

The season of winter stoke is upon us: Wolf Creek, Arapahoe Basin, and Loveland Ski Area were all open over the weekend and, this being the 21st century, we found some sweet video coverage -- including wild remote-control helicopter footage from A-Basin -- for you to wistfully watch on this Monday. And as you check out the video clips (after the jump), take heart in the knowledge that it's snowing like crazy right now at just about every ski area in Colorado.

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2010 first chair photo courtesy Loveland Ski Area

First chair honors at Loveland will be up for grabs on Friday

The 2011/2012 ski season is officially upon us: Arapahoe Basin opened this morning and Loveland is opening tomorrow. Each will be open daily until well into the Spring skiing season.

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Photo by Dave Camara, courtesy Arapahoe Basin

A-Basin opens for business tomorrow.

This morning, Arapahoe Basin announced it will open tomorrow, October 13, at 9 a.m., for the season. The ski area is reporting an eighteen-inch base after a week of snowmaking and several inches of natural snow. That's not quite as epic as the 36-inch dump that helped Wolf Creek temporarily open last weekend but it's still good news for skiers and snowboarders eager to make some early-season turns, and it makes Arapahoe Basin the first Colorado ski area officially open for the season.

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