The fourth annual Boot Tan Fest will, for the first time, be held at Sunlight Mountain Resort outside of Glenwood Springs on March 29 and 30.
Jenny Verrochi, founder of the event, said this is the first year with Sunlight as the venue and shared, “They are a wonderful partner. They’re truly letting us have the entire mountain just to play on.”
The event began at Bluebird Backcountry in Kremmling in 2021, with 27 women skiing an after-hours naked lap. The following year, it was a ticketed event with 200 women participating, and last year garnered 450 female attendees.
Last summer, after Bluebird Backcountry announced it was permanently closing its gates, Verrochi began the search for a new venue. “I reached out to resorts in Colorado and on the east coast of California, and almost every single one of them was interested in hosting, but I chose Sunlight because they’re local and privately owned. It’s just the perfect place,” she said.
Working with more staff and volunteers than previous fests, Verrochi said over 400 tickets sold in the first week, and they expect a turnout of 1,500 attendees — specifically women and “femme folks” (non-binary or trans-identifying).
In the first few hours of launching online sales, they sold 200 tickets, and by week’s end, they’d sold 200 more. Verrochi attributes the brisk sales to people who’d come to past festivals and saved the date.
“One thing that the media does skew a bit, if I don’t talk to them in-person, is they call it ‘a nude ski event.’ It is not. It is the world’s largest ski and snowboard festival for women and femmes with a naked lap, which we call a party lap,’” she explained.
Camping slots sold out quickly, but a partnership with sponsor Hotel Colorado and other Glenwood Springs hotels offers discounted lodging.
Former Olympic freestyle skier and three-time Olympic medal winner Kari Traa has committed to a two-year sponsorship, according to Verrochi. Around 25 years ago, Traa founded a women’s base-layer clothing company designed for training and outdoor activities which is contributing 200 base layers for giveaways at the Sunlight event.
Additional sponsors include Coalition Snow, which offers specially designed ski and snowboard equipment for women, and Scott Sports, USA. Buck Wild Coffee, a New England-based sustainable coffee roasting company founded by Verrochi’s parents, will provide free coffee during the event.
Weekend highlights
On Friday at 9am, ski lifts will start running and the “vendor village,” showcasing the work of over 40 local artists, opens. Denver native and comedian Shanel Hughes performs at 3:15pm. The load-up for the special after-hours party lap begins at 3:45pm. The evening includes live music, a tailgate competition, beginning at 7pm, all-night uphill access and camping.
Saturday’s festivities start at 9am with live music from Denver-based indie duo LVDY (pronounced Lady). Artist and educator Andrea Slusarski leads a guided journaling practice. The morning event concludes at 10am, with optional skiing and snowboarding on your own to follow.
Verrochi encourages attendees to embrace the festival’s ethos and urges them to “come as you are.” Whether a seasoned skier or a beginner — ski and boot rental is available — the festival provides a space for everyone “where you can take a breath and be yourself because the camaraderie in the community is so amazing. Whether you’re in your sixties or twenties, everybody’s a friend — it’s a cool experience.”
When asked if the naked lap is cold, Verrochi replied, “You’re fueled by adrenaline, so you’re not cold; it’s just exhilarating. Everyone’s a little nervous, and you feel very comfortable when you reach the top. Nobody’s looking at each other, and nobody’s judging one another. You’re just in a sea of supportive women who are having a blast,” Verrochi said.
Safety and privacy remain top priorities, with measures like taking Sunlight’s Ute run for its coverage, privacy and staffing by Sunlight’s female patrollers and lift operators.
“This is where we can feel completely free and in our bodies. In the past, women have reached out to say that this event has changed their lives and how they look at and treat themselves. And that’s just what the spirit of the event is about,” Verrochi said.
Attendees must be 21 years of age or older. Sunlight will have food available for purchase. For more information, visit www.boottanfest.com