Bode Miller carves it up at Granby Ranch

One of the best skiers of all time brought the snow with him on his visit to Granby Ranch.

Bode Miller, the most decorated male alpine skier in US history, came to Granby Ranch to demo the new Crosson Skis this week. The chief innovation officer for Crosson, Miller skied Granby Ranch for the first time Tuesday and found the small ski resort to be a perfect place for the demo.

The skis are designed for any level, but with beginners in mind.

“There’s a lot of good skis out there, but skiing especially in the beginning is all about confidence,” Miller said. “You’re trying to build your confidence. There’s a lot of crashing and a lot of moments of uncertainty as you’re about to fall over and you panic.”

He described the skis as soft, forgiving and stable. It’s a ski that does “exactly what it’s supposed to do” and instills confidence into the rider, according to Miller.

“It’s a ski that is just always there for you and always supports you in the right ways,” he said. “That’s particularly appealing for the beginner and the irony is it also works really well all the way up to the experts.”

Hearing the positive reviews for the skis in real time as he enjoyed the mountain and light snow, Miller said it was satisfying to see something he helped design work so well.

“I’m like an artist in a way. You create something and you hope people like it,” Miller said. “That’s the best part, when you see you’ve had some kind of impact.”

Miller was also impressed by the leadership at Granby Ranch. The Olympic gold medalist has done his far share of skiing across the world, but asserted that even the most beautiful mountain won’t make for an enjoyable experience without the proper management.

“In the ski industry, part of it is the raw material, the hill you have,” Miller said. “The much bigger part of the experience of skiing — which is what we all experience — you don’t just look at the mountain. We sit in the lodge, we go through lift lines, we do all that stuff. That is the management team.”

Miller highlighted the experiences of Granby Ranch’s new management team, Ridgeline Executive Group. Andy Wirth has spent his life managing resorts across the industry and his son, Jace Wirth, has grown up learning that process.

“There are things that when you’ve experience it you tend to understand it better and change it or make it better,” Miller said. “That’s what I think is really special about here.”

Miller looked forward to getting back on the mountain, which was filled with families for the holiday week.

“People are going to come here because of the experience,” Miller said. “Not because there’s huge nasty peaks of intimidation, but there’s enough terrain that it’s fun and exciting and great for families.”

Miller returns to Granby Ranch for another demo Feb. 13. Granby Ranch is also demoing the Crosson skis without Miller on Jan. 16, March 6, March 13 and March 20. Those interested can enter a raffle to win a spot at a demo, including the remaining Saturday featuring Miller, at http://www.granbyranch.com.