ML - Aspen Peak

2014 - Issue 2 - Winter

Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak

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photography by matt power; courtesy of mike ganzi (stables) Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Florida. His hometown got its first taste of the sport when snow polo was introduced in 2001. A modified ver- sion of grass-field polo, the game is played in a snow-packed arena. Polo ponies are shod with cleated shoes to provide traction, and, perhaps most notably, the ball is larger, lighter, and red in color. The spor t init ia lly received a lukewa r m recep - t ion from Aspenites due to lack of publicit y a nd involvement , so t he or ig ina l event orga nizers enlisted Ga nzi, who a lso ser ves as president of t he Aspen Va lley Sk i a nd Snowboa rd Club, to t a ke on t he event a nd build a fa n base. He a nd Melissa have g row n t he World Snow Polo Cha mpionship into a n inter nat iona l affa ir, att ract ing players from a round t he world. "We wa nted to t a ke it to a not her level a nd ma ke it more accessible to resident s a nd v isi- tors," he says. The Ga nzis did t his by mov ing t he event from R io Gra nde Pa rk to t he more highly v isible a nd interact ive Wag ner Pa rk, adding a V I P recept ion a rea, a nd ma k ing ga mes easier for loca l resident s to watch. W hile t he w inter spor t is popula r in St. Mor it z (Sw it zerla nd), Ba r iloche (A rgent ina), a nd Cor t ina ( It a ly), Aspen is t he only cit y in t he United St ates to host professiona l snow polo event s. Last w inter, onlookers were t reated to t he beaut iful spect acle of six horseback r iders (as opposed to t he eight r iders common in f ield polo) set aga inst t he backdrop of mount a ins a nd snow. Per fect ly t imed after t he A rgent ine Open, t he compet it ion drew players such as Nacho Fig ueras a nd Nic Rolda n, who hoped to add f ina l point s to t heir seasons' t a llies. "Aspen is now a mea ning ful stop in t he sum- mer and w inter inter nat iona l polo circuit ," says Ga nzi. Indeed, t his summer's Rocky Mount a in Open at t he Aspen Va lley Polo Club att racted counterclockwise from top: Snow polo is played over the course of four seven-minute chukkers (periods); classic polo mallets are made with rare manau canes from Southeast Asia and the dense wood of the South American tipa tree, from which the mallet heads are carved; in Aspen Valley Polo Club's stables, ponies are shod with special cleated shoes to provide better traction on the snow. a round 60 0 spect ators. "Wit h t he World Snow Polo Cha mpionship, World Cup sk iing, t he U.S. Pro Cycling Cha llenge, a nd t he X Ga mes, peo - ple ca n now consider Aspen home to four major inter nat iona l spor t ing event s. That is somet hing t hat t he cit y of Aspen ca n be proud of." Piaget World Snow Polo Championship finals will take place December 18-19. Preliminary rounds will be held at the Aspen Valley Polo Club in Carbondale. Game viewing is free for spectators. 970-710-1663; worldsnowpolo.com AP "Aspen in now A meAningful stop in the summer and winter internAtionAl polo circuit. thAt is something thAt the city of Aspen cAn be proud of." — marc ganzi CULTURE Hottest Ticket 84  aspenpeak-magazine.com

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