About

History

FSW was created in 2007. In 2006 six of us made a weekend trip up to Copper, which was when we first experimented with fursuit skiing/snowboarding. The experience and time with friends was so much fun that we wanted to share it with others. We organized some close friends, rented an amazing house for the weekend, and we’ve continued that tradition every year, expanding out to include many new furry faces.

Who are we?

  • Dire
  • Tek
  • Tuaolo

What to Expect

  • FSW is a very welcoming, laid-back, communal environment. Many of the attendees know each other and have been friends for years. All are eager and willing to contribute toward everyone else’s enjoyment through providing rides, helping cook and clean, and participating.
  • We value and strive to create a safe, respectful, and responsible environment for all who attend, and continually adjust and improve based on attendee feedback.
  • We value and go to great lengths to provide you the best experience possible. We provide food for breakfast and dinner, as well as a variety of snacks and drinks. We provide a vast array of beers, spirits, and other items which are all unlimited and free to those attending. Games and music of all varieties will be provided as well.
  • Fursuits abound both on and off the slopes. Wear yours where and whenever you like. Other skiers on the slopes and those in the village love us and will often ask for pictures and/or hugs, so expect a lot of attention!
  • It’s often been said FSW is like a con where everyone you like is always at the same room party. We’re big on having fun and being furry!
  • We tend to congregate each night in the main house, but there are not official events other than our fursuit runs. However you like to spend your time is up to you.
  • Generally on Sat afternoon we all get together to do our official fursuit runs. We’ll have several spotters and those with cameras and/or video cameras. We’ll do 2-3 runs (you’re welcome to any number, but don’t feel obligated), then meet afterwards for tubing, which copper has very graciously agreed to provide us free of charge.
  • We’re not officially a non-profit, however we put 100% of our meager profits back into FSW. This will often manifest as new Go-Pros for recording, more amenities for you, and other improvements.

When is it?

  • March 3rd-6th, 2022
  • Thursday, Friday, Saturday
  • Houses should be open at 2pm Thursday
  • Sunday we have to be out of the houses by 10am

Attendance

  • We currently try to accept ~60-70 full attendees and it will vary depending on availability
  • To attend you will need to:
    • Be at least 21 years old (or will be by the first day of FSW).
    • Create an account/profile.
    • Have a current or previous attendee(s) in good standing with the event vouch for you.
    • Be respectful and kind to all other attendees and staff, act responsibly at all times both in the houses and on Copper Mountain, and help foster a safe and participatory communal experience.
    • Arrange your own transport to and from the houses.
    • Make your payments in full once approved to secure your spot.
  • We give preference to:
    • Friends and friends-of-friends of the organizers or previous attendees
    • Fursuiters who ski/snowboard
    • People who have attended several times
    • People who fit in well and put time and energy into making the event better for everyone
    • People who have wanted to attended but didn’t make the cut in previous years
    • Significant Otters of those who have attended in the past or have been accepted
    • In short, people we can trust to act responsibly, integrate well, and get the most out of the event.
  • All are welcome! We do not discriminate on the bases of sex, race, religion, origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, persons with disabilities, or age.

Single-Day Attendance

  • We are not currently accepting single-day attendees

Signing-up

  • Registration will open September 1st.
  • You’ll need to register an account to sign-up for FSW. Creating an account is not the same as registering!
  • To register for the current year, go to Registration and Status and click the registration request button.
  • If you are approved the status in your profile will change to reflect it. You’ll be sent an email, and you will then have the ability to pay.
  • FSW is not first-come-first-serve. We will accept registration requests for two weeks and then make our decisions. Signing up after that period will almost certainly land you on the waitlist.
  • Those on the waitlist will be approved as spots or additional housing becomes available.
  • Deciding who may attend is often a very difficult decision. Reasons for why someone was accepted or rejected will not be provided.

Altitude

  • The houses are at 9700 ft (2956 m), and the runs on the mountain range up to 12,100 Ft (3688 m).
  • The air is thin and some people have had adverse affects as a result. Aspirin, water, and rest tend to help alleviate these.
  • The air is very dry. We suggest you drink plenty of water. We also have humidifiers available if you’re having trouble sleeping.
  • Alcohol and other substances tend to be stronger at altitude, so be sure you take this into account while enjoying them.

Dietary Restrictions

  • You can indicate your dietary restriction on the Preferences page and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.
  • If you have multiple allergies or one not listed, select “Other” and notify the staff.

Recreational Cannabis

  • Since 2013 owning and use of cannabis has been legal in the state of CO.
  • Anyone 21+ in the state can purchase cannabis, you don’t need to be a resident.
  • Cannabis has become very potent, and we suggest you follow these guidelines if you intend to consume it:
    • Start with low dose of THC for your first time. Edibles in 5mg (low), 10mg (med), and 15m (high).
    • Edibles can take between 30mins and 3 hours to take effect, so keep this in mind before dosing a second time. Inhaled cannabis through either smoke or vapor will usually have an effect within 5 minutes.
    • There is a “come-up” period during with the effects will increase in intensity. This will eventually plateau and then slowly decline over the next few hours.
    • Should cannabis in any form be available at FSW it will be clearly labeled as such, along with its THC content.
    • Duration of effects vary by dosage, but expect a least a few hours.
    • Cannabis has been known to have the following side effects:
      • Increased heart rate, Dry Mouth, Bloodshot eyes, Short-term memory impairment, Paranoia, Giggles/Euphoria/Calm, Visual distortions, Lethargy, Significantly increased or decreased libido, Decongestant like effects, Reduced pain and inflammation, Increased focus and depth of thought, Panic Attacks, Increased appetite, Heightened musical appreciation, Reduced reaction time and inhibited reflexes
    • The altitude can increase the effects of cannabis, so please keep this in mind when dosing.
    • You cannot overdose on cannabis, but you can have a bad time. If you have consumed/smoked cannabis and are having a problem just let someone know. We’re more than happy to offer comfort and help. The effects will end, and you will be fine.
    • We don’t recommend you consume alcohol with cannabis as the latter can increase the effects of the former, hasten dehydration, and can make alcohol poisoning more likely. However, one or two beers (or its equivalent) to calm your nerves is likely okay, depending on your tolerance.
    • Cannabis cannot be smoked inside any of the houses.
    • It is not legal to smoke or consume cannabis in public.
    • Cannabis can stay in your system for an extended period. Keep this in mind in case you might be required to take a drug test of any kind.
    • It is not legal to transport cannabis in or out of Colorado.

Fursuit Runs

  • Everyone is welcome to come.
  • We will have spotters as well as people taking pictures and videos the whole time.
  • Expect to get asked for lots of pictures.
  • We will do 2-3 official fursuit runs as a group on whichever day has better weather, but you’re welcome to do them yourself as often as you like.
  • All runs will be a mix of Green and Blues, with a focus on making it easier so more people can participate. We will coordinate rides to and from the lifts, as well as the runs themselves.
  • Difficulty will be largely based on your fursuit’s visibility and flexibility. In general, we consider fursuit skiing/snowboarding reasonably difficult, and shifts the difficulty of any given run up a level.

How room assignments are made:

  • Set your house/roommate preferences
  • Our housing situation is unique as the houses we rent offer various rooming options all the way from king beds to bunk beds.  Making sure that everyone’s room situation works for them is a difficult task and we do our best to accommodate all requests.
  • Rooms at the main Masters house with larger beds are assigned at our discretion.  These rooms typically go to folks who spend time helping out at FSW, or have been long time attendees.  The single beds are assigned to non-couples.  Since this house is the main congregation area if you would prefer to not stay there due to wanting to get to sleep early then please let us know.  If you really would like to stay in the main house the best chance you have of doing so is requesting a single.
  • The larger beds at all the other houses will fill up accommodating couples first and then with those who have requested roommates.  After all the larger beds are full the single beds will be filled doing our best to accommodate roommate requests.
  • After rooms are assigned you are free to switch with anyone you like provided that all involved are okay with it.

Payments:

  • We will begin accepting payments from approved individuals two weeks after registration closes.
  • Pay by selecting the appropriate items from the Shop.
  • Payments need to be made in full to reserve your spot.
  • Partial payments will not be accepted unless specifically coordinated with event organizers.
  • Payments will only be accepted through the website. All other payments will be rejected or refunded, any applicable charges will apply.
  • You will have two weeks after being accepted to pay in full. Failure will result in being moved  to the waitlist.

Refunds:

  • You can request a refund from the Registration and Status page.
  • After Jan 1st a full refund will only be issued if your spot is filled by someone on the waitlist. There are always people on the waitlist so this usually isn’t a problem, but your chances drastically decrease as the event nears as fewer people can make last minute plans or have made other plans.
  • If your spot cannot be filled you won’t be eligible for a refund, so please be aware of this when applying! If a partial refund is possible it will only be a small portion of the full cost minus transaction fees.
  • Should FSW be cancelled due to severe weather, catastrophe, or any other event or situation that would prevent us from running the event 20% of registration will be retained by FSW to cover non-refundable operation costs.

Rules of Conduct

  • At all times attendees are expected to act respectfully and responsibility towards all other attendees and organizers, the houses, and Copper Mountain.
  • No one who isn’t a paying and approved attendee of FSW is allowed on the premise of any of our houses without explicit prior approval from an organizer.
  • At all times attendees are expected to comply with the directions of the organizers. The health and safety of you or other attendees may depend on it.
  • No one who isn’t a paying and approved attendee of FSW is allowed to spend the night at any of our houses.
  • Weapons including, but not limited to, guns, stun guns, pepper spray/mace, batons, martial arts weapons, are not allowed on the premise of any of our houses.
    • Pocket knifes with blades under 4 inches are allowed.
  • Illegal drugs and other contraband are not allowed on the premise of any of our houses.
  • Excessive, irresponsible intoxication will not be tolerated.
  • No one under 21 years of age will be allowed on the premise of any of our houses.
  • Unwanted, persistent sexual advances; inappropriate physical contact; harassment; threats; and bullying are not allowed on the premise of any of our houses nor in any surrounding areas including all of Copper Mtn.
  • No pets are allowed in any of the houses.
  • No one who is a member of a hate-group is allowed to attend
  • No one who poses a health or safety risk to other attendees is allowed to attend
  • No symbols or expressions of hate or discrimination are allowed