. >> this is silverton mountain.ey got $100,000 in state loans and sunk their savings into a dream to build a ski resort like no other in america. >> at the time, i was a sponsored snowboarder. i was sponsored by cliff bar. we ate a lot of cliff bars at the time. >> they signed a four-year lease and bought a used chairlift from the 1970's. it was colorado's first new ski area in 20 years. it is one-of-a-kind. a ski area with expert only terrain. >> there was a void in the ski market. everybody is focusing on trying to be mini disneyland. we were thinking about the hard-core skiers. we were being left out. >> most ski areas in colorado are massive playgrounds. one of the biggest ski resorts in the country has 20 mountains and lots of outdoor ski activities. you won't find swanky lounges at silverton. there's an outhouse, an old broken down trailer as a ski rental shop. >> one of the risks is that it is totally reliant on the quality of skiing resorts. luckily, we are in one of the snowiest places in the united states.