Can Aspen save the world?

The Aspen Ideas Festival (AIF)2010 is aiming to do just that.  The 6th annual AIF is taking place RIGHT NOW in our little mountain hamlet, Aspen, Colorado.  AIF describes itself as  "a conversation-packed exploration of some of the most important ideas and pressing issues we face" .  We being --mankind as a species and earth as a planet.  AIF 2010 is presented by The Aspen Institute and Atlantic Magazine. 

Bill Clinton makes the scene in Aspen.AspenSpin is still on hiatus in California, so we are not actually attending this fantastic event, however we are covering it via the interwebs.  While we normally like to get the "inside information" and "super-sick photos" for all Aspen events, this time.... we are on the outside looking in.... its still fascinating none the less.  AIF brings together thought leaders from around the globe to chat, network and hopefully change the world.   Topics include World Affairs, Arts and Culture, The American Agenda, The environment and sustainability.   AIF networks a bunch of incredibly smart, well connected, affluent people.  Hopefully they will find the solution the the world's problems, and share it with the rest of us ASAP.

Click AIF 2010 to see photos, videos and more.   All photos presented on AspenSpin are snagged from the internet, please don't sue us.Walter Isaacson President of the Aspen Institute tweets with Twitter founders @ev and @biz neither of whom finished college. Twitter is a phenomenom, but what's the end game?                                                                                             Futurist KR Sridhar, CEO of Bloom Energy raps about fuel cells and the future of energy.

NY education Czar Joel Klein weighs in on the importance of education.Isaacson with Barbara Streisand, Jane Lubchenco (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and NBC's Andrea Mitchell.Barbara Streisand is excited to meet best selling author and Harvard History Prof. Niall FergusonBill Gates spoke at the Aspen Ideas Festival 2010 in Aspen.Author Sebastian Junger shared his adventures at AIF 2010 in Aspen.

The Aspen Chamber Resort Association(ACRA) hosted a business "after hours" networking event at the new Jean Robert's Gym in Aspen. 

The ladies and gentleman (singular) of ACRA took networking to a new level at the decked out top floor workout facility.  Il Mulino attracted an A-List crowd with their "live" pasta presentation coupled with wine and beer.  Jean-Robert Barbette's  new remodeled space along with JR's Gym (the former Aspen Athletic Club) impressed Aspen's biz crowd.Catherine, Sally and Sarah netwokring in Aspen. 

Click the pix to ENLARGE.  

  Fisa Z. and Jean-Robert Barbette celebrate the grand opening of JR's Gym.                     The Dream Team from Il Mulino. Francis, David and Chef Michael. Olivia and Eliza in between sets at the ACRA event.  Carole, Benoit and Sarah working out at Jean-Robert's.Video pros Chris and Heather joined Kim and Nicole from The Aspen Club.                                                                                                

CannonBall . click 4 pixAspen's 2008/09 Ski Season came to a glorious end on Sunday 4-26 @ Aspen Highlands. It was an awesome season to be sure, and the super-stars of Aspen came out for THE LAST LAP.  We experienced Winter & Spring conditions all in the same day as the unpredictable Rocky Mountain weather spit-up a final POW storm to close it out.  It was freezing, windy and dumping in the morn.--followed by a bluebird afternoon. Ankle shots all day. What a way to go out.  See the pix, click  THE LAST LAP.

Sure the economy sux and all- but we get to crib & breathe it all up, right here in a little place we like to call Aspen, Colorado.  The Roaring Fork Valley, ZG, A-Town, Fat City, the Capital of Skiing, Cougar-city---call it anything you want ---we call it siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick.Jello shots? click 4 pix

AspenSpin registered 101 ski days this season. NOT BAD for a gaper.  That's 101 ski dayz, in addition to all the insane partying that we documented for A-Spin.   Special thanks go out to our equipment sponsors, they kept us properly geared-up all season: Kudos to  KJUS, CLOUDVEIL, IBEX, BLIZZARD / TECNICA, & HIGH SOCIETY. Extra-special thanks to GORSUCH for the spectacular tunage and the fat boyz that we "borrowed" for all the really BIG days.   Thanks to THE ASPEN CLUB for keeping us in shape (sort of) and to the boyz @ CRYSTAL PALACE GRILL for filling our belly with grub all season. ACRA was a great promotional partner. TREW GEAR, RED BULL & OAKLEY kept us swimming in swag all season.    Our Real Estate partners RAIFIE BASS, RESORT QUEST and AJAX Real Estate  are 100% ready to make a GREAT DEAL for you in Aspen---right now.  DR. KEN MARK made us "camera ready" all Winter long with various botox treatments, derm-abrasions, zit cream and even a full-on face-lift.  How do I look? Good enough to party @ CARIBOU CLUB---right?

Cougar Hunting? This is real.Congratulations go out to BERLONI AMERICA on the opening of their new big-daddy U.S. showroom.  We want to share the luv with our affiliates VINTAGE SKI WORLD, STAY ASPEN/SNOWMASS, Buckaroo Builders, Aspen Skiing Company and CHARITY BUZZ, along with the hoards of non-profits we worked with all season including AAM, Susan Komen, Chris Klug Foudation, Shining Stars,SpingBoard, Aspen Deaf Camp, Aspen Historical Society, Grassroots TV etc. etc.  A-Spin is not just about the parties and good times and stuff---we try to give back too. We helped raise over $100,000 (via on-line auctions and direct contributions) for various local charities. Again, not bad for a gaper

MOST OF ALL we want to congratulate YOU---the loyal, award winning readers of AspenSpin.com--and to those of you who posed for our long lens all season. Without your narcissism, hedonism and voyeuristic tendencies we would not exist.  It's been a great ride, a fantastic voyage and a big BLAST for the past 3 years.  We really are LIVIN' the DREAM in Aspen, Colorado.  As we said from the start--Go BIG---or ?  Well, we're still here Bi-atchs.

PARTY/OUT

BitterSweet POW. It's all over @ A-Spin HQ. Click 4 Pix