Off the pedals of incredible achievement and in the midst of Spoketober, it’s easy to forget another key fact about Durango: winter and winter sports are also big.
Durango bears many connections to high levels of competitive winter sports, including renowned Nordic skiers, Olympic speed skiers, talented coaches and some of the best industry supporters and leaders around.
The Durango Winter Sports Club and the Durango Nordic Ski Club have not forgotten, particularly now in preparation for the latest winter season, and they will co-host a Winter Sports Celebration and Fundraiser Movie Night Thursday night at Fort Lewis College’s Community Concert Hall to kick off the unofficial start of winter.
All are invited, from skiers, downhillers and snowboarders to cold-averse nature lovers wanting to share the beauty of the sport and Durango.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the event begins at 6 p.m. There will be several movie shorts featuring big mountain and Nordic skiing – including two films produced by Fischer Skis, “A Love Letter to Skiing and Live to Ski: Kikkan Randall,” “Rab’s White Line,” and “Skida’s Cross Country Revival,” according to a news release.
The feature film is Matchstick Productions’ 2023 release, “The Land of Giants.”
This film features some of the best skiers in the world, riding in unbelievable conditions and riding to the very edge and beyond, according to the release.
It's a celebration of the natural world and a reminder of the power of the human spirit. According to the release, the film showcases some of the most iconic mountains on earth, from the Smoky Range in Idaho to the Niseko Range in Japan and the Lyngen Alps of Norway, with stops in the Sierras, Wasatch, Chilkat Range in Alaska, and British Columbia’s Fitzsimmons and Kitimat Ranges.
There will be two showings of “The Land of Giants.” The first will be at 7 p.m. and benefit Durango Winter Sports Club and Durango Nordic Ski Club youth programs, while the second showing starts at 9 p.m. and supports FLC’s Freeride Ski Club.
Prior to the first showing of the feature film, tickets will be available by donation for prizes from local businesses, including Pine Needle Mountaineering, Purgatory Snowcat Adventures, Durango Harley-Davidson, the Durango Nordic Center, and DWSC, per the release.
All proceeds from ticket sales and donations for the first showing will support scholarship funds and direct program costs for both organizations.
Echoing the mission of the nonprofits, DWSC board member Caitlyn Kneller said in the release that the club seeks to offer “inclusive and accessible programs” for area children.
“Community outreach events like this help raise awareness of our mutual efforts, as well as raise funds,” she said. “These funds directly support tuition assistance to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars each year for dozens of athletes who might otherwise not join or continue to pursue excellence in their competitive discipline. Funds also support the coaching staff and their continued training, as they are the backbone of everything we do.”
Durango Nordic’s Executive Director, Lydia Lawhon, said in the release it’s exciting to bring back the annual film night partnering with the Durango Winter Sports Club following a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This event is such a fun way to celebrate the beginning of winter and bring together our community of winter outdoor rec enthusiasts for what is essentially the first collective snow dance of the season,” she said.
For more information, visit durangowintersportsclub.org and durangonordic.org.
Tickets for the Winter Sports Celebration and Fundraiser cost $20 and are available online at durangoconcerts.com.
