Aspen, the winter playground of serious skiers and revelers, is spreading out the snow for the World Snow Polo Championship when it gallops into town on December 18 & 19th. The excitement mounts as dashing patrons, players and pros parade on horseback into Rio Grande Park in downtown Aspen, hosted for the twelfth year by Aspen Valley Polo Club.
Aspen Valley Polo Club owners Melissa and Marc Ganzi will host the world-class event which has joined St. Moritz as one of the world’s top snow polo tournaments and one of Aspen’s major international sporting events. In addition, it claims the trophy as the only snow polo tournament in North America. Melissa’s enthusiasm is contagious: “Aspen is the most magical place, with incredible things to experience, mix in snow polo and Aspen becomes an even more unique travel destination!”
A longtime bucket list destination, this year we are delighted to be attending at the invitation of polo playing friends. Looking forward to the action both on and off the field, on hard packed snow.
Dressing in Aspen is always such fun as almost anything goes from classic Western Styling to chic Tyrolean looks. And at night, the town buzzes with the excitement of a movie premier where Hollywood celebrities hobnob with well-heeled (and booted) locals.
This particular week in December, the bold face names belong to High Goal Players whose style is legendary well beyond the equestrian world.
Polo is very much a family affair, and we are looking forward to watching Marc & Melissa’s son, Grant Ganzi, a third generation polo player and a rising star in the sport, who has also followed his family into their philanthropic pursuits. In 2020 he was named “Man of the Year Palm Beach” by The Lymphoma & Leukemia Society. And with Nic Roldan, Grant hosts the Sunset and White Party in Wellington in March to raise funds for children’s charities.
For what to wear to the highly anticipated St. Regis Snow Polo Championship, we shopped at Neiman Marcus and Glamourpuss NYC to put together an ensemble worthy and warm, to spectate in style. In this case, we worked from the ground up, starting with cozy boots — to keep you elevated off the cold ground — then layer up from there! Jeans, sweaters, vests and jackets, all the way to these terrific Glamourpuss Feathered Hats.
Land’s End has sensational silk long underwear which is a must have in cold weather destinations. It is so luxurious against your skin and it is thin enough to wear under jeans or pants and also works under long skirts and boots. Whether slopeside or cityside, it is a must for winter travel. It comes in several shades and makes a great stocking stuffer.
Hilary’s palette radiates under the bright Aspen sunshine. “I am thinking pops of red for the Holiday Season with a bit of a western nod. Cowboy hats and fringe seem appropriate under the western sky. And as we noted above, warm foot wear and cozy accessories are a must as we watch the action on the snowy fields. I am thrilled that KK will be there to report back on all the goings on … and off the field. Especially the fashion!”
Snow Polo was first played on a frozen lake in St. Moritz, Switzerland, created by Swiss hotelier and polo visionary Reto Gaudenzi in 1985 and has been growing in popularity ever since, attracting thousands of spectators and top players from around the world.
The game as explained on the website — “Snow polo is a modified version of regulation polo. Games are played on a snow-packed field surrounded by fencing to keep the ball in play. Teams have three players instead of four as in typical polo. Play consists of four chukkers. The horses have special cleated shoes to provide better traction. The ball is larger and lighter and a specific color for visibility on the snowy surface.”
And here’s a rundown of the equipment needed from St. Moritz Snow Polo Magazine.
If you do happen to get in on the excitement, here’s a smattering of some smashing places that Aspen has to offer.
KK’s Aspen Don’t Miss:
Breakfast: Paradise Bakery
Lunch: Bonnies on the Mountain
Apres: Ajax Tavern
Cross Country: Pine Creek Cook House
Culture: Baldwin Gallery
Shopping: Performance Ski, Gorsuch
Dining & Dancing: The Caribou Club
Melissa Ganzi’s Best of Aspen List:
Restaurants: Bosq, Cache Cache, Matsu
Unique Stores: Lugano Diamonds, ECT, Performance Ski, Nuages, Max
And for a younger perspective, we asked Grant Ganzi for his “hot spot” recommendations:
Restaurants: Catch Steak, Matsuhisa, Campo De Fiori, Las Montañas
Bars: Caribou Club, Casa Tua Patio, Hotel Jerome, Ajax Tavern
And just in case you need a packing list for your holiday, here is an excerpt from our book, Packing for Travel, From Jet Set to Trek Set, the Definitive Globe Trotting Guide!
Photos courtesy of Aspen Valley Polo Club, St. Moritz Snow Polo, and The City of Aspen
Hilary Dick and Karen Klopp of What2WearWhere.com. We take the guesswork out of dressing, the legwork out of shopping, and the panic out of packing.©
