Mt. Crested Butte, CO – Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR), which many consider to be the birthplace of Big Mountain competitions, plays host to the 20th annual U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Championships this week. Crested Butte was the first resort in the U.S. to launch an extreme freeskiing contest 20 years ago and the tradition continues this season as the resort also celebrates 50 years of skiing and riding.nPart of the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour (FWT), a Mountain Sports International (MSI) series, the U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Championships in Crested Butte is the longest running event of its kind, hosting male, female, junior and masters competitors. Bragging rights and a cash purse totaling $20,000 – the largest on the freeskiing circuit – ensure a talented field and edge-of-the-seat excitement as competitors descend steep, technical lines in CBMR’s Extreme Limits terrain.

“This is an iconic event for CBMR,” said Daren Cole, vice president of sales and marketing for the resort. “Many of the best-known freeskiers in the world have carved out a place in history at this competition. The Extremes are such a unique aspect to the resort and this week they get the spotlight.”

With pitches ranging from 39 to 45 degrees, and natural hazards such as boulders, cliffs and trees, the Extremes at CBMR offer some of the toughest in-bounds terrain available. This year, thanks to exceptional early-season snowfall and the efforts of mountain operations crews, the resort’s Extremes opened early, offering guests a “wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling” experience.

Competition is already underway, with the finals scheduled to take place on Saturday.