Publisher's Notes Summer 2001

Welcome to beautiful Telluride, Colorado

"Shangri-la; a Rocky Mountain oasis; the pinnacle crowning point at which the earth and heavens merge; a Venus on the face of the earth; mind-boggling beautiful; an high-impact beauty with an alluringly charismatic charm; the Mistress of the San Juans who delightfully blends old with new, contemporary with Victorian;" these are just a few of the ways I've portrayed Telluride over the 15 years of writing about this San Juan mountain-town. To me, they all hold true and then some...Could there be more? Could we be a Cindy Crawford and possess stunning looks as well as have a good personality, discerning tastes and sound judgments? It does happen. Yes, our town has a huge personality. We like to do things up right and in a timeless fashion. We consider the past, present and future, which makes us a "resort of resorts."
These "time" questions are good, but what makes Telluride really good is that it is the "ultimate in comfort zones." Like your favorite pair of jeans, Telluride has an unabiding appreciation and acceptance of everyone's individualism and need to simply feel at home, be "taken care" of or, even be left alone. Mostly, you'll see and notice throughout the pages of TellurideStyle Magazine, a montage of people who do "what comes naturally" to them. They've tapped into their inner selves, gotten into their "comfort zones" or Zen states-of-mind and have excelled. Being in the "zone" has allowed many of the personalities featured to achieve some great and unusual things.

Herein are some of the lifestyles of long-time locals: Rick Denesik has climbed all 54 of Colorado's 14,000 foot peaks a total of four times; Kari Distefano has very likely won and run more races than any other athlete in the state of Colorado; David Neishabori's family has the oldest family-run (Azadi) rug business in the world; Dave and Shari Flatt in First String Players were instrumental in starting what the American press-society dubs as one of North America's most glorious towns, Mountain Village; Vanessa Sprang and Heather George are dynamic ladies who have launched their "niche" businesses with great successes; Craig Walsh rides his bike across America or different continents once a year, even after his leg was virtually crushed to bits; John Dourlet races his "muscle car" across the West and holds an A/Stock national record. Russell Kelly, Tracy Inglis and the guide-owners of Telluride Flyfishers, Marty Wilcox, Tom Richards, Mark Scholtez and Eric Reeser, have paddled our native rivers, rivers on the East and West Coasts as well as executed whitewaters in New Zealand and France, made Himilayan river descents, finessed the mighty Zambezi of Africa, the Fetaleusu in Chile and the Choru in Turkey as well as other waterways that span the globe over. The people of the Last Dollar Ranch, Duane and Amy Beamer, and owners, Vince and Joan Kontny, put the "genuine" in Colorado. They keep our American heritage thriving by restoring ranches. Gabby Anstey, Daily Planet's sports editor, tells us how she spent her off-season helping the poor people of Nepal. Additionally, you'll find stories and images about B&B, woodworking and restaurant owners as well as Telluride's largest and most comprehensive listings of businesses. Then, of course, you have the opportunity to encounter and meet our quirky, front cover gentleman, Dave Chevevert, who finds great joy in riding his unicycle up and down main street in the summer months.

Undoubtedly, in Bush & Associates, Inc.'s 15 years of publishing magazines here, this issue pulsates to the inspiring rhythms of some of Telluride's most dynamic characters. To visitors, these people may seem like ordinary citizens, though their achievements certainly are not; but to locals, they are what create the strength, heart and soul of Telluride. They put the style in Telluride. Their home-spun attitudes and uncomplicated ways, are, in retrospect, what make Telluride, Mountain Village and the San Juans such an uncommon place.