Hometown Hero - Aaron Blunck's Love for Crested Butte

All Images: Dave Kozlowski | Featured Skier: Aaron and Nolan Blunck

To understand Olympian Aaron Blunck, you have to understand his home of Crested Butte, Colorado. A prolific halfpipe skier, Blunck has become one of the most recognized faces in all of skiing. But his rise to freeski celebrity status wasn’t predictable. In many ways, it was an anomaly. He grew up riding Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR), a ski area with a small terrain park and no discernible history of freestyle royalty. But Blunck’s story, much like Crested Butte's, is one of authenticity.

Now, well over a decade into his career and still climbing, Blunck is shining a light on the Gunnison Valley. While producing a documentary about his relationship with his hometown, making a run for the 2026 Winter Olympics and joining Crested Butte-based Romp Skis, Blunck is stepping into a new era and bringing his roots with him.

Crested Butte is a speck on the map, located in the vast mountains of south-central Colorado. “We’re tucked away compared to the busy rush of the I-70 Colorado ski scene,” Blunck told FREESKIER. “But that’s the best part about this place, in my opinion. That, and the fact that it’s the best skiing in the world,” he laughed. But the truth is, Blunck isn’t far off.

In addition, CBMR, the Elk Mountains and the greater Gunnison area are home to some of the best sled-to skiing around, and the options are nearly limitless. You can find pillow lines, pow fields, steep descents and peaks ripe for mountaineering adventures. 

Crested Butte and the Gunnison Valley are tucked away from the busy Colorado ski scene... and that's how they like it

That’s been a focal point for Blunck as long as he can remember. “Most places I’ve been to seem to have their notorious ‘zones’ that people will go to. But here, I just keep finding new areas every season,” Blunck stated as we chatted about the incredible terrain around the Valley. After a lifetime of skiing at CBMR, he’s still finding new ways around the mountain. 

That’s not uncommon to hear from locals and newcomers alike. After all, the Butte is legendary for a reason. Surrounded by 14,000-foot peaks, Mount Crested Butte protrudes from the ground like a daunting fin, darting towards the sky with several miles of flat ground all around it. This is where Blunck’s tenacious ski style was born and bred, a mountain-wide playground that blends natural features with steep chutes and heart-pounding pitches. As a training ground for freestyle skiing, it might be unorthodox, but the results speak for themselves.

When asked about his favorite area on the resort, Blunck paused. “The High [T-Bar] Lift. Or top to bottom on Silver Queen Lift... actually North Face T-Bar. I mean, whatever you’re in the mood to ski, you’ll find it!” And that’s one of the biggest keys to Crested Butte. There’s great skiing everywhere; it just depends on what you’re looking for. 

Alongside his brother, Nolan, Aaron Blunck has been discovering new zones at CBMR for nearly three decades

But what Blunck is looking for these days extends beyond the adrenaline of a gold medal or the cold rush of a face shot. Just a few weeks ago, he became a dad, and it’s shifted how he views Gunnison and his future in it.

“It made me think twice about the things I care about, and the things I’m doing,” Blunck said candidly. “Living in Gunnison, I feel like I’m curating the life I want to show my daughter. I want her to recognize the importance of the outdoors, the importance of community, and the importance of living true to yourself. Those are all things that this valley taught me growing up here, and this is right where I want to be so I can pass those lessons on to her.” 

It’s a moving sentiment, and one Blunck is backing up with action. He recently left his long-time ski sponsor, HEAD, in favor of joining a brand closer to home: Romp Skis. Handmade in Crested Butte, Romp has been around since 2010. Along with his friend and local, Chase Gardaphe, who purchased Romp just over a year ago, Blunck wants to take the brand in the new era of freeskiing. It’s a bold move, but one that cements his place as both a symbolic and tangible pillar of the Gunnison Valley. 

Buying a home, having a kid and becoming professionally tied to the area are all pieces of Blunck's story that he hopes to better tell in a feature film premiering fall of 2026. “I’m so excited to keep working on this project,” he said when discussing the upcoming movie. “We’ll continue to document my push for the Olympics, film a bit of riding at [CBMR] as well as a few other events in the works that will showcase why this place is so damn special.” 

Though the town has changed throughout the years, Blunck’s thesis remains consistent: Crested Butte is special. There are more lavish houses than in years prior, and new faces show up more regularly, but it’s all about perspective in Blunck’s eyes. “You could look at the change and wave a finger at it, or you could see it as an opportunity,” he replied optimistically. “The main thing I’m proud of is that the spirit has stayed the same. There’s an old saying here that 'every day is a Monday and every night is a Friday.' To me, that means that you get up and work as hard as you can at whatever the day brings. It also means that you enjoy the good times and remember not to take life too seriously.”

Perhaps that mantra, though cliché, is the perfect way to sum up this small pocket of passion nestled in the West Elk Mountains. The Gunnison Valley can be a tough place to call home. The winters are long and the cost of living has increased. But the community has remained steadfast through it all, and it’s this passion and zest for life that Blunck looks forward to curating in his next chapter of life, still meeting the day with a smile, and always grateful to call Crested Butte home.

One trip to the thunderous Elk Mountains and you might be wanting to call them home, too