Telluride Sports history

By 1904, more than $360 million of gold was pulled out of Telluride’s mines.

The miners brought the original interest in skiing in 1937 when William H. Mahoney, erected a primitive tow rope fashioned from a Volkswagen engine near Town Park’s Beaver Pond.

In 1968, Joe Zoline, a Chicago and Beverly Hills based businessman, heeded the advice of a friend from Aspen from years earlier who suggested he check out Telluride, thinking it would make a great ski area.

By late 1970, the Ski Area offered snowcat skiing for $10 a day including a sack lunch.

In 1987, Allred and Wells’ plans came to fruition with the founding of Mountain Village.

The Gondola connecting the historic town with the new luxury Mountain Village opened on December 20, 1996 and provided a unique, sustainable and efficient means of transportation between the two towns to help eliminate cars on the road.

In 2001, TASP launched a summer therapeutic horseback riding program in Ridgway and became a year-round program.

In February of 2004, the resort transferred hands to Chuck Horning, a real estate investor from Newport Beach, Calif., who remains the current owner today.

Telluride Ski and Golf continued its commitment to fine culinary offerings with the opening of Bon Vivant in 2011.