Leslie Jordan has had to back out of his appearance at Aspen Gay Ski Week, says producer Paul J. Williams, due to a conflict with another obligation. Instead, Williams has made this a “best of” year, with returning favorites: Michele Balan, Chuck Sweeney and Jim David will take over for the Jan. 20 concert.
Leslie Jordan cancels Aspen Gay Ski Week gig
Queering up the slopes
A new gay ski event joins winter wonderlands already catering to gay sportsmen (and chill partiers)
ARNOLD WAYNE JONES | Life+Style Editor jones@dallasvoice.com
- SHOOT THE BUTTE | Crested Butte, Colo., is home to two gay winter events next year: OutBoard and the inaugural Matthew Shepard Gay Ski Week.
The landscape of gay ski weeks is changing faster than the view from a waxed Telemark swooshing down a double black diamond.
The African-American-centric Winter Explosion enjoyed its last slalom earlier this year, but there’s a new gay ski week founded in conjunction with the Matthew Shepard Foundation — and it’s closer by! And some of the big ones changed their dates in a big way.
Of course, there are many more reachable resorts that don’t have gay ski weeks per se (read about some next week in the Voice), but here are the ones that plan entire weeks around getting queer skiers (and just people who like to cuddle up in the lodge with a furry fellow) to hit their slopes.
Utah Gay & Lesbian Ski Week, Park City, Utah. Jan. 5–9. The season kicks off, as always, in the home of the Sundance Film Festival. Gayskiing.org.
Aspen Gay & Lesbian Ski Week, Aspen, Colo. Jan. 16–23. The 34th annual granddaddy of gay ski weeks brands itself the Wild Wild West this year, and all we have to say is, yee-haw! Dallas-based comedian Paul J. Williams returns to host the Drag Downhill comedy night and performs with Emmy winner Leslie Jordan. GaySkiWeek.com.
Winter Rendezvous XXV, Stowe, Vt. Jan. 19–23. For those who prefer the powder of the Northeast, Winter Rendezvous returns to the home of U.S.-based gay marriage — Vermont — for its 27th outing. Comedienne Shawn Pelofsky, who recently stopped by the Rose Room, headlines. Winterrendezvous.com.
WinterPride, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. Jan. 30–Feb. 6. Earlier this year, WinterPride got bumped later in the season because of the Winter Olympics (a fair trade — one town can only handle so much gay at one time), but it’s back to early in the season for the 19th annual party where Queernadians are joined by their Anglo-Gringo supports across the border for this skier and snowboarder party. DJs like hot bear Ted Eiel keep the fun going. GayWhistler.com.
Telluride Gay Ski Week, Telluride, Colo. Feb. 26–March 6. Named the U.S.A.’s top gay ski week by Gay.com, the Mountain Village event is back with T-11. Returning to the party are The A-List’s Reichen Lehmkuhl, who will hosting the pool party Wet, and dragcomedy legends the Kinsey Sicks. (Big news for the Dallas-based traveler: A new nonstop direct flight on American from DFW to Montrose/Telluride Airport.) TellurideGaySkiWeek.com.
Lake Tahoe WinterFest Gay & Lesbian Ski Week, Lake Tahoe, Nev. March 6–12. Organizers insist WinterFest XVI is on the calendar for the first weekend in March, though no details have been released yet. LakeTahoeWinterfest.com.
Mammoth Gay Ski Week, Mammoth Lakes, Calif. March 16–20. Not that boarders aren’t welcome everywhere, but for the biggest gay ski event in California, you just know they are gonna turn out in droves. The 9th annual event kicks off with DJ Josh Peace (who also hosts The Party @ 10,000 Feet) and yummy DJ Escape spinning at the Avalanche party. MammothGaySki.com.
Shoot the Butte (Matthew Shepard Gay Ski Week), Crested Butte, Colo. March 19–26. The newcomer to this year’s ski family is both an ambitious party and a benefit for the murdered teen’s foundation. Reichen pulls double duty (here and in Telluride) with an appearance, and there will be daily skier “hook ups” (meet-and-mixers), a pub crawl and several late dance parties. Be the first to check out this one. MatthewShepardGaySkiWeek.com.
OutBoard Gay and Lesbian Snowboard Week, Crested Butte, Colo. March 29–April 3. If you like Shoot the Butte, why not just hang around a few days — OutBoard begins just three days later. (In the last three years, it has moved from Crested Butte to Steamboat Springs to Breckenridge and back again to CB this year). You don’t need to snowboard, either — there are ice-skating and wall climbing adventures to be had as well. OutBoard.org.
Vail Gay Ski Week, Vail, Colo. March 30–April 3. Vail, which this year had its event in late January, bumped it two months into the late winter, capping off the gay ski season. This version brings back the Vail Splash Club hot tub and pool party as well as the beer bust and daily après ski socials. VailGaySkiWeek.com.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition November 26, 2010.
Another reason to go to Aspen: Leslie Jordan
Last week, I mentioned that time was running out to get some early-bird deals for Aspen Gay Ski Week, the Who’s-your-granddaddy of gay ski events. Scheduled entertainment included Dallas’ own Paul J. Williams, who will host the “comedy night.” Now word comes in that the headliner for the event will be Leslie Jordan.
The Emmy-winning star of Will & Grace and Sordid Lives is a fixture in Dallas where his home-spun queer humor plays well. No word yet on whether Jordan will perform his Trip Down the Pink Carpet one-man show, his standup or just improvise with Williams. (I know from experience: Jordan needs no help to be funny extemporaneously for long stretches.)
The show takes place at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen on Jan. 20. Tickets are $50. Buy ‘em at 970-920-5770.
Leslie Jordan’s ongoing quest to be on ‘Dancing with the Stars’
I’m guessing Leslie Jordan is hoping to go viral with his newest bid at Dancing with the Stars fame (and money). He’s made no bones about wanting to be on the show, and just released this video on YouTube to get the excitement rolling.
Leslie Jordan aims for ‘DWTS’ fame (or infamy)
Just who does that good ol’ gay Southern boy Leslie Jordan think he is? Apparently, he thinks he’s Betty White. Hence the push from the Emmy Award-winning Will & Grace star, Sordid Lives cover boy and frequent Dallas visitor (we last profiled him here) to be one of the contestants on the next season of ABC’s reality competition series Dancing with the Stars. Jordan first began his campaign about two years ago, but with the rise of Facebook — which led to the surprisingly successful bid to get Betty White as host of Saturday Night Live (making her the oldest host in the 35-year history of the show) — Jordan is trying for viral enthusiasm. So far, Jordan’s Facebook page has a respectable 2,400 “likers,” but you know we can do more. So, if you’re on Facebook, click here to become a fan and let all your friends know. Jordan might not be the first openly gay dancer, but he’ll no doubt he the most fun.
Lily, Leslie; Leslie, Lily; both, off-Broadway
Leslie Jordan is the creator of several one-man shows, but his latest owes something to yours truly. My Trip Down the Pink Carpet, which started as a book and morphed into stage monologues about his life in Hollywood, begins at the Emmy Awards, where he won best guest actor in a comedy series for his role on Will & Grace. Jordan’s most memorable line at the primetime ceremony — that he took his award to bed with him, making Emmy the only woman he’s ever slept with — was fed to him by me. Yup. I wrote that line. No acknowledgement. Not credit in the book. I’m not holding my breath for a memo in the Playbill.
But I digress. The real news is Lily Tomlin — who worked with Jordan on an aborted HBO series set in Dallas — will produce Jordan’s show off-Broadway. Lily’s longtime partner, Jane Wagner, is also a producer. It is set to open at New York’s Midtown Theatre on April 14 and run trhough July. I wish him well, despite his omissions of me.
