Angel Fire Resort:  On Fire with Shovel Racing and Family Fun

Angel Fire Resort

What are you doing next weekend? Down in New Mexico they’re going to be having a helluva time at Angel Fire Resort. Young and old will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of an event that began with the lifties (lift operators) sliding down the hill on shovels at the end of their shifts; they’ll be holding their World Championship Shovel Races on Friday and Saturday, February 8th & 9th. And I bet there are plenty of folks doing warm up laps this weekend, even if it’s on a slope near their house, perhaps on the icy hills of the Midwest.

Shovel Fun

Yes, that’s right. People come from all over–some from international destinations–to compete or just hoot and holler at this legendary event. The skiing and riding have been great all over the Rocky Mountain West this season but it’s always fun to add a little spice to your wintertime activities (particularly in New Mexico where people love hot stuff in their food and fun). 

New Mexican Food

Racers of all ages, starting from six years old (the Little Scoops), compete by sitting on the scoop of a standard aluminum grain shovel with the handle pointed downhill. They then lift their hands and feet to allow gravity to take them for a ride. Each rider gets two shots to clock the fastest time down the front of the Angel Fire ski mountain where top speeds regularly exceed 70 miles per hour. The practice session will be held February 8, with the competition occurring February 9. Note that many folks take this very seriously and there are even pro teams. 

Shovel Finish

The event, which is regularly covered by major media outlets such as ESPN, ABC Sports, MTV, and The Travel Channel, always guarantees a good time. Food, drink and surely a bit of ski boot dancing enhances the scene.

Angel Fire is a super family-friendly year-round mountain resort destination in New Mexico just about a half hour outside of Taos. Situated at over 8,600′ elevation in the Southern Rocky Mountains, Angel Fire strives to offer the best value and choice for family outdoor recreation activities to its members, guests and visitors–including skiing, snowboarding, tubing, sledding, golf, mountain biking, zipline, tennis, fishing, hiking and more. Note that it’s also one of the few resorts in the West where you can night ski.

In terms of mountain resorts, Angel Fire ranks among the most affordable in the United States. And yes, you can even bring your picnic lunch into the lodge and stash it with your after ski boots under a bench. It exudes an Old School charm that’s most refreshing in this world of pricey mega resorts. Spring breakers might want to consider Angel Fire–along with Powderhorn, another small resort just outside of Grand Junction, Colorado that I wrote about a while back. Thankfully there still are some moderately-priced vacation options out there; you just have to look a little.