Before the best-in-snow sports ship off to Sochi, they have to try out. It’s sort of like middle school basketball try-outs, except with thousands of spectators, glitzy sponsors, live music, and films. This weekend’s Dew Tour iON Mountain Championships at Breckenridge is more than just a competition for the Dew Cup because it is the first of five opportunities for athletes to make the Unites States Ski and Snowboard Association Olympic team.

Top skiers and riders, including Shaun White (sans his flowing red locks), Scotty Lago, Louie Vito, Tom Wallisch, Kelly Clark, and Jamie Anderson, will compete in the superpipe and the brand-new Olympic slopestyle events from now through Sunday afternoon. Watch for top local talent like Colorado natives Eric Willett, Emilia Wint, Keri Herman, Gus Kenworthy, and Breck’s Bobby Brown. Brown—a 22-year-old known for his big air skills—is making his comeback after rehabbing two separate broken ankles.

As the snowcats start to groom the mountain each night, head out to events like the Dew Tour Recognize: Film, an event highlighting first-rate winter sports films, or the Fitz and the Tantrums concert at the Riverwalk Center on Saturday night.

—Image courtesy of Alli Sports