Olympic Skier Gus Kenworthy and A-Basin Ski Resort ‘Ambush’ Skiers with One-Of-A-Kind Day on the slopes

On a busy Saturday morning in March, Denver-based creative agency Cactus, and Olympic Medalist Skier Gus Kenworthy offered skiers a chance to go on a different kind of ski adventure: skip wherever they were heading to and instead join the party bus heading to Arapahoe Basin Ski Area (A-Basin), also known as “The Legend” thanks to its challenging terrain, unpretentious atmosphere, and shorter lift lines. This was the A-Basin Ambush, and the people who chose to be enticed to get on the A-Basin Ambush bus, were treated to a one-of-a-kind ski experience!

The A-Basin Ambush took advantage of a well-known quirk within Colorado’s Front Range ski community, the Dinosaur Park-N-Ride, where skiers and riders from all over the world meet up with friends and family before departing for Colorado’s world-famous ski mountains. The Cactus team surprised unsuspecting early risers, offering them a choice: continue with their plan for the day or join them for an adventure at A-Basin. Or as Gus cheekily joked: "In a totally non creepy way, we want you to get on our bus!"

“We’re really proud of our terrain, our culture, and the way we do things at A-Basin,” Al Henceroth, Chief Operating Officer, says, “We saw this as a great opportunity to give folks a day they’d never forget.”

The day included a ride on a tricked-out party bus, themed merch, prize giveaways, a catered ski experience at A-Basin, complete with mountain guides and incredible food, and an Aprés party on A-Basin’s infamous “Beach.”

Adds Cactus Associate Creative Director Andy Bartosch, “The Dinosaur Park-N-Ride is one of those unique quirks of the Colorado ski community. In the winter, it serves as a basecamp for skiers and riders worldwide on their way to our most famous Rocky Mountain ski resorts. Doing the A-Basin Ambush there allowed us to find people right at that decision point. A-Basin is such a special place, and it was so cool to help skiers discover, or re-discover, what the mountain has to offer.”

Skiers and mountainboarders are a tight-knit community, these ambushed people will be sure to tell their freinds about their epic day, and word will spread about the A-Basin.

Ad agency: Cactus
Principal talent: Gus Kenworthy