Pagosa Springs, CO –Members of the Gray Wolves Ski Club and fellow ski enthusiasts showed up at Wolf Creek Ski Area in Colorado on Tuesday to celebrate Charles Elliott’s 100th birthday. As usual, Charles spent his birthday by going skiing.
But this time he had over 150 fellow skiers cheering him on. Elliott is credited as one of the pioneers of skiing in the San Juan Mountains and is a founder of the Wolf Creek Ski Area. He was inducted into the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and is a lifetime member of the National Ski Patrol, which he helped found in Colorado.
Elliott is also a past president of the Gray Wolves Ski Club. As part of the birthday celebration the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team, which is currently training at Wolf Creek, made Elliott an honorary member and presented him with his official Team jacket.
“I guess it is special, it only happens every 100 years,” Elliott quipped.
Elliott has skied every year since 1934, except for the five years when he served in the Air Force during World War II. He is looking forward to celebrating his 101st — on skis of course.