The Hamilton Sports Family

Hamilton Sports was founded in 1996, opened in 1997 and to this day operates as a true Aspen ski shop dedicated to real skiers, run by real skiers.

Bill Miller – Owner
Started skiing: “When I was 3 on a side hill next to our house”
Favorite ski hero: It’s a toss up between Jean Claude Killy the greatest of his time and Steve McKinney who broke world records and boundaries never seen before on skis”
Ski racing experience: “Spent 10 years racing as a speed skier, 7 of those years were spent in Europe racing as a professional against the world’s fastest skiers. My top speed – a clean 130mph!”
Why Hamilton Sports: “I had always wanted my own ski shop, since I was a kid. I had just retired from ski racing after a bad fall at 125mph and Jeff said lets open a ski shop – I said where? Aspen was our first choice and we just made it happen.”

Steve Ornowski – Shop Manager/Shop Gear Junkie
Started Skiing: In 1976…rolled into the Aspen Valley a few years later…and still loving it!
Why Hamilton Sports: “You know it’s a great shop, I get to see my friends all day while working hard and the boss respects my needed time to be on the mountain.”
Favorite Ski this Year: Out of my quiver…I’d say the Gotama…for the skiing I do which is all-mountain attack this is a great ski!

Rebecca Hill – Assistant Manager/Shop Flirt
Started Skiing: “Wait, I ski?”
Favorite Ski Hero: Dexter Rutecki from Aspen Extreme. Now there’s a hero!
Favorite Hamilton Gear: Kjus Skiwear…by far the sexiest ski wear around…. cause a girl’s got to look good in Aspen.
Why Hamilton Sports: Where else would you find 10 hot guys to work with, who will give me just enough grief for being a girl, teach me how to ski like a guy and become the best of friends, all in one season?

Keith Brisson – Assistant Manager/Our Man About Town
Started Skiing: The White Mountains of New Hampshire
Famous for: Increasing the return rate of female visitors to Aspen.
Why Hamilton Sports: Simply put…I love these guys …they are my family.

Frank Shine – Head Ski Technician/Our Pro of Pros
Started Skiing: five years old….a little late, I know.
Favorite Off-Season Escape: Picture this - a two bedroom house, 9 of my closest friends, a stash of surf boards and of course…a beer bong.
Main Squeeze: Christine Poirier…sorry boys…she’s all mine!
Famous for: Quite a bit and nothing that can be written down here.

Jeff King – Sales Associate/Sanitation Director
Started Skiing: in a satin Red Sox Jacket, unzipped all the way down, his gold necklace from his high school girlfriend blowing in the wind, as he conquered the blues at Killington on his K2 Extremes.
Favorite Aspen Hangout: The Cantina – Anders makes the best Marg’s in Aspen.
Why Hamilton Sports: – Hamilton Sports is the perfect place to hideout from my parents, who are begging me to leave Aspen and join the “real world”.

Joe Flamer – Ski Technician/Danger Man
Started Skiing: When I heard from my high school buddies, that it was the best way to score with the chicks.
Best Piece of Clothing this Year: The entire Cloudveil catalog – I pretty much ordered it all.
Favorite after skiing snack: White Cheddar Cheese-its…uumm..good.
Where you can find him after the shop closes: Close to his friends and close to a Bud at one of Aspen finer establishments.

Brian Payne –Sales Associate/The Songman
Started Skiing: I’m thinking about giving it a go this year, thanks for asking….actually when I was 5 and it was with Amish people... I’m serious.
How do you feel about working at Hamilton Sports: Given my years of experience as a seasoned boot king with Surefoot, great!…again, thanks for asking. I’m just excited about being a FREE AGENT helping my new team win a championship!
Anything else you’d like to mention: Lots of inside jokes in the song… any of our courteous staff would be happy to elaborate on any foggy points.

Ryan Kiernan – Sales Associate/Ski Tech/ Rookie

Steve Huebsch- Sales Assocate/Ski Tech/Rookie

Oliver – World Famous Shop Dog
Started Skiing: before I could hold a tennis ball in my mouth
Main Squeeze: Janne, Sue, The Bacon Lady, Kelly….I’ll really must consult my black book, there simply are too many.
Where can you find him at the end of the day: Cozying up on his daddy’s couch.

Major – Oliver’s shop friend and famous cover dog
Started skiing: When Steveo saved me from a life of misery in Florida.
Favorite après ski snack: Bacon, it doesn’t get better than bacon!

About Aspen

Aspen in the heart of the Elk Mountain range is unique in Colorado or in the United States for the matter that we enjoy the privilage of having four different distinct ski mountains in one location so close together and under the umbrella of one owner. What this means to you is a mountain with a personality for each member of your group of family, or even your mood.

Aspen Mountain
The original mountain of the 4 opened in 1947 with a single chairlift, Americas first. Today Aspen has a network of chairlifts including the famous "Silver Queen Gondola" rising right out of downtown Aspen. There aren't many mountains in this country where you get the privilage of walking to the Gondola from your hotel in your ski boots! Aspen Mountain is an expert skiers dream, no green runs, the majority of the mountain is expert and advanced terrain only! With marvelously steep bump runs like Walshes and amazing tree skiing in "The Dumps" Aspen will satisfy your craving for intense skiing! Rising 3,267 above Aspen the views are amazing, looking down onto town and to the east over beautiful Independence Pass, Aspen Mountain is one of the most scenic place in the country! Many people are not aware this "exclusive" mountain opened its slopes to snowboarders several years ago so now everyone can enjoy this action packed mountain.

Snowmass Mountain
The largest mountain in the Aspen 4 pack with over 3000 acres of terrain, and a vertical drop of 4,406 ft. making Snowmass Ski area one of the largest in the country. Snowmass is legendary for it’s wide open groomers, but look deeper and there is expert terrain to challenge the most experienced skier. Hike the wall or ride the Poma to the Cirque for double black terrain as steep as you can handle. Home to two of the national extreme skiing qualifying events, Snowmass has opened an area with “mandatory air” you think your tough on skis you have to check this out. Snowmass Mountain is now expanding with the recently approved Base Village. This already luxurious mountain stocked with amenities is going to be one of the hippest places to stay in the nation.

Aspen Highlands
Where the locals ski! Another incredebly steep mountain with challenging double fall lines. The Highlands is also home to Highlands Bowl. A snow cat takes you part of the way, and your legs do the rest. The bowl has the longest steepest pitches in Colorado. It also faces north so the snow stay light and fluffy all winter long. With an evevation of 3,635 ft Highlands is one of the tallest mountains in the state of Colorado. This mountain also enjoys a completely new base area opened for the first time in the 2003/04 season. The best part, never a lift line.

Buttermilk
"New School Ground Zero" The official home of the Winter X games, snowmobiling, motto-cross, freestyle, half pipe and more, if you can do it on snow this event has it. Simultaneously Buttermilk has some of the best beginner terrain anywhere. If you need to learn how to ski Buttermilk is your mountain, miles of groomed green runs, the majority of this mountain is beginner and intermediate terrain. Just don’t forget to spot your landings you may go bigger than you planned!