Success can create a hidden problem for major events. Once a formula works, it becomes easy to repeat it. The same course, the same activities, and the same experience may feel safe, but over time, safe can start to feel expected. The strongest events face a harder job. They must protect what people already love while finding new ways to surprise them. The GoPro Mountain Games has built its place in Vail around that challenge. During the 2026 event, held from June 4 through June 7, the mountain town once again became a meeting place for athletes, families, music fans, outdoor lovers, and visitors seeking a different way to experience Vail.
That idea came into focus during a rapid-fire conversation between Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100, and Jeremy Gross, Special Events Manager for the Town of Vail. Gross has spent seven years working around special events in Vail, giving him a close view of how the Mountain Games have continued to change. He pointed to new sports, new ways to take part, changing trail options, strong partners, and the ability to respond when mountain conditions do not follow the original plan.
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. By speaking with the people responsible for creating the experience, Cummings helped capture a lesson that reaches beyond one weekend in Vail.
Great events stay relevant when leaders are willing to keep learning, adjusting, and improving. The Town of Vail currently lists Gross within its Economic Development team as its Events Program Manager.
Greg Cummings’ rapid-fire conversation with Jeremy Gross, Special Events Manager for the Town of Vail, moved past attendance numbers and event size. Jeremy gave a closer look at what keeps the GoPro Mountain Games fresh year after year. From changing courses and new ways to take part, to music, dogs, strong partners, and the energy that fills Vail, his answers showed that growth is not only about becoming larger. It is about giving people more reasons to return.
Spectators watch along the fun and games at the 2026 GoPro Mountain Games
For Jeremy, the growth of the Mountain Games is not measured only by how many people arrive in Vail. It is also measured by how many new ways those people can experience the event.
“The Vail Valley Foundation does an incredible job looking at new ways to integrate different sports and different ways to participate in the sports.” Jeremy Gross, Special Events Manager, Town of Vail
That focus on participation matters. One year may introduce a different course. Another may create a new way for people to join a sport. The goal is not to change everything people already love. It is to keep giving returning visitors something new to discover.
Jeremy summed it up in one short line.
“Every year is a little bit different.”
That difference helps protect the event from becoming too familiar. People may know they are coming back for sport, music, family time, and mountain culture, but they do not know every detail they will find when they arrive.
That is one reason the GoPro Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado, experience continues to stand out. The event retains its identity while allowing the experience around it to grow.
For event leaders, the lesson is simple. A strong tradition does not have to stay the same forever. The important part is knowing what people already love and then finding thoughtful ways to make the next experience feel fresh.
Explore the GoPro Mountain Games and learn how the event continues to evolve each year.
Outdoor events cannot control every condition around them. Weather, snow, water, and trail access can all change what is possible.
Jeremy spoke openly about that reality during the 2026 event. Vail had experienced a lower snow year, which meant lower water levels. He did not present that as a good thing.
“Not a great thing being low on water.” Jeremy Gross, Special Events Manager, Town of Vail
But the same conditions also opened up different trail options. That gave organizers another choice for the half marathon.
Jeremy explained that the course could extend farther toward Mid Vail and add more elevation gain. The challenge did not disappear, but the event team found a different way to create value from the conditions they had.
That is an important part of any outdoor sports festival in Vail. Plans must be strong, but also flexible enough to respond as the mountain changes.
The larger lesson extends beyond a single race. Good event leadership does not mean pretending that every challenge is positive. It means being clear about the problem, understanding what is still possible, and then making the best choice for the people taking part.
The new course became an example of that thinking. Instead of forcing the old plan, organizers used the available trails to make the race feel new.
See current competition details and event updates for the GoPro Mountain Games.
Jeremy’s most personal comments came when Greg asked what the event meant to him.
Jeremy Gross, Special Events Manager, Town of Vail
His answer began with Vail itself.
“Vail is a special place.” Jeremy Gross, Special Events Manager, Town of Vail
He described walking the streets on a quiet day as remarkable. Then he described those same streets when tens of thousands of people arrive, athlete activations begin, and the town fills with movement.
“It brings a new vibrancy to it.” Jeremy Gross, Special Events Manager, Town of Vail
That change is one of the strongest parts of the Vail Colorado outdoor event experience. The Mountain Games not only use Vail as a location. It changes how visitors experience the town.
Trails become places to compete. Village streets become gathering areas. Outdoor spaces become places where families stop and watch. Music reaches beyond the sports. Athletes and visitors move through the same streets that may feel quiet on another day.
The setting becomes part of the memory.
That matters because strong events are often tied closely to the places where they happen. Move the same schedule somewhere else, and part of the experience may disappear. In Vail, the mountains, trails, village, river areas, and gathering spaces all help tell the story.
Jeremy’s words show that the Games bring another side of Vail to life. Visitors are not only watching an event. They are seeing the town in a way they may not experience during a normal summer day.
Discover the GoPro Mountain Games and experience Vail through sport, music, and mountain culture.
One of the most important ideas in Greg and Jeremy’s conversation was how many kinds of people can find a place within the event.
Greg pointed out that the Mountain Games brings together professional athletes, children, and many other levels of participation.
That mix changes the feeling of the festival.
Elite athletes can show people what is possible at the highest level. A child can watch those athletes and then find a way to take part in another experience. Amateur competitors can test themselves on the same weekend. Families who never enter a race can still enjoy the music, dogs, outdoor activities, and energy around the village.
That creates many doors into the event.
For families where broader experience matters, the visitor need not be an elite athlete to feel connected to the weekend.
Jeremy talked about the joy he sees when people come into town.
“It’s awesome seeing people smile and just be a part of Vail doing the sports they love.” Jeremy Gross, Special Events Manager, Town of Vail
That line captures the deeper purpose. The event becomes more powerful when people do not feel like they are only watching something that belongs to someone else.
They feel like they are part of it.
The professionals may bring speed, skill, and excitement. But the mix of ages, ability levels, and experiences helps make the Mountain Games a community event rather than just a competition.
Find sports, activities, and ways to take part in the GoPro Mountain Games.
Jeremy also pointed to the partners brought into the Mountain Games as one reason the event continues to improve.
“The partners they bring in are incredible.” Jeremy Gross, Special Events Manager, Town of Vail
That comment gives an important look at how an event of this size comes together.
The Vail Valley Foundation may lead the event, but the full experience depends on many groups working around it. Athletes compete. Volunteers help move operations. The Town of Vail supports the setting. Music adds another layer. Sponsors and vendors create spaces where people can explore products, try new things, and learn.
The strongest partnerships fit into the event instead of pulling people away from it.
That is where companies such as Lifetime Home Remodeling can add value. A partner activation works best when it feels connected to the people already attending. In Lifetime’s case, the trailer gave visitors a hands-on home-improvement experience within a broader festival focused on product discovery, outdoor life, and community.
For people exploring Vail Valley summer activities, those partner experiences can become another part of the day rather than an interruption.
Jeremy’s comment also points to a larger business lesson. One organization does not have to create every part of a great experience alone. The right partners can bring skills, products, ideas, and energy that expand what the event can offer.
When those partnerships make sense, visitors may remember the experience without ever thinking about where one organization ended and another began.
Learn more about the partners, experiences, and activities that shape the GoPro Mountain Games.
When Greg asked Jeremy what he looks forward to most each year, the answer did not begin with one of the most serious athletic competitions.
Dog Jumping Into A Pool at the GoPro Mountain Games
It began with dogs.
“The DockDogs is a fan favorite. Just the athleticism of the dogs and the fact that everyone can cheer for a dog.” Jeremy Gross, Special Events Manager, Town of Vail
Then he added the line that explains why the activity works so well.
“You don’t have a favorite. They’re all your favorite.” Jeremy Gross, Special Events Manager, Town of Vail
It is a small moment, but it says a lot about the Mountain Games.
People do not need to understand scoring, know the competitors, or follow the sport all year. They can stand beside each other, watch a dog run down the dock, and cheer together.
That shared joy gives the event another kind of energy.
Jeremy also pointed to music as something he looks forward to. Free performances in the village give people another reason to stay and enjoy the day, while concerts at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater carry the experience into the evening.
He called the amphitheater “a gem of Vail.”
Together, the dogs and music show why Vail summer events can reach people far beyond serious sports fans. One person may come for a race. Another may come for a concert. A family may stop at Dog Town. Someone else may simply enjoy walking through Vail while all of it is happening around them.
Not every visitor needs to remember the same thing.
That may be one of the secrets behind the event’s staying power. The Mountain Games creates different kinds of emotion in the same weekend. Competition brings excitement. The mountains bring wonder. Music brings people together. Dogs bring simple joy.
Sport may start the story, but all of those moments give people a reason to stay.
Plan your Mountain Games experience and explore sports, music, family activities, and more.
After seven years of watching the GoPro Mountain Games grow, Jeremy Gross does not point to one race, one crowd, or one major change as the reason the event continues to matter.
He comes back to a simple idea.
“It keeps getting bigger and better.” Jeremy Gross, Special Events Manager, Town of Vail
Bigger can come from more people, more activity, and more attention. Better takes something different. It takes care.
It means paying attention to what people already love while still being willing to improve the experience. It means making space for new competitors, new routes, new partners, new family moments, and new reasons to stay in Vail after the final race of the day.
That is what gives Jeremy’s words value beyond one event.
For leaders, consistency does not have to mean doing the same thing again and again. It can mean staying true to the feeling you want people to leave with while remaining open to changing how you create that feeling.
Vail itself helps make that lesson clear. On a quiet day, its streets can feel calm and remarkable. During the Mountain Games, those same streets fill with athletes, families, music, activity, and shared excitement. One version does not replace the other. Together, they show how one place can keep giving people new reasons to return.
The 2026 GoPro Mountain Games now stands as another chapter in that longer story. The event will continue to face new conditions, new ideas, and new expectations. Its future will not depend on perfectly copying the past. It will depend on continuing to understand what people value and then finding fresh ways to bring that value to life.
That may be the strongest lesson from Jeremy Gross’ conversation with Greg Cummings. Great traditions do not stay strong because they never change. They stay strong because people care enough to keep improving them.
The GoPro Mountain Games keep getting bigger because more people come, but they keep getting better because Vail continues finding new ways to give those people something worth coming back for.
Power100’s work goes beyond company profiles. Its platform publishes original journalism, leadership interviews, rankings, and industry insights about the people, companies, and partners shaping the home improvement market. The GoPro Mountain Games also brought home improvement brands into a much larger community setting, including Lifetime Home Remodeling as an official event partner. Greg Cummings’ conversation with Jeremy Gross helps show how strong events create community trust, partnerships, and customer experiences that business leaders can learn from.
Power100 says its wider platform is built around impact rather than follower counts. Its national CEO rankings use a five-layer system that considers leadership, company culture, customer experience, operations, long-term business health, and community impact. Its editorial platform also includes more than 280 published articles focused on leadership and industry insight. That makes a conversation about event growth, community connection, and strong partnerships relevant even when the speaker is outside a traditional remodeling company.
No. In his conversation with Greg Cummings, Jeremy described growth through new sports, different ways to participate, changing course options, and new experiences each year. The official GoPro Mountain Games Vail Colorado program supports that wider view. Open competitions welcome both professional and amateur athletes, while the event also includes youth activities, music, dog events, art, and sponsor experiences. Growth at the Mountain Games is therefore about expanding how people can take part, not only increasing crowd size.
No. Jeremy was clear that low water was “not a great thing.” His point was about how organizers responded to conditions they could not simply ignore. He explained that the lower snow year opened different trail options, which allowed the half-marathon route to move higher toward Mid Vail. The lesson is not that difficult; environmental conditions are good. It is essential that a strong outdoor sports festival in Vail must be able to adjust responsibly when the mountain changes.
Many competitions are open to both amateur and professional athletes. The official Mountain Games FAQ states that open competitions welcome both groups, while some invitation only events remain closed to general entry. The event also offers youth activities such as kids bike races, youth climbing, kids climbing walls, kayak pools, and other ways for younger visitors to take part. This mix helps the event create a path for elite athletes, amateurs, children, families, and spectators to share the same larger experience.
Yes. Sport is at the center of the event, but it is only one part of the full Vail Colorado outdoor event experience. The 2026 program included live daytime music, evening concerts at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, art, Dog Town, sponsor experiences, product demonstrations, and activities spread across Vail Village, Lionshead, and other event areas. Spectating at the event was also free, giving visitors a way to explore without entering a competition.
Yes. Dog Town gives families and spectators an experience that does not require knowledge of a technical sport. The official program included DockDogs events, Dueling Dogs, the Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge, dog adoption activities, and opportunities for visitors to watch or participate with their dogs. Jeremy Gross explained the appeal simply by saying that “everyone can cheer for a dog.” That shared experience helps make the Mountain Games more welcoming to people who may not come mainly for climbing, kayaking, running, or biking.
The official event structure is designed to make partner experiences part of the wider festival rather than the festival’s sole purpose. Gear Town combines product demonstrations, sampling, live music, creator experiences, and sponsor activations alongside the sports and community program. Lifetime Home Remodeling was listed as an official sponsor and vendor there. Lifetime currently provides windows, doors, siding, baths, roofing, and other residential remodeling services, so its presence gave homeowners another type of hands-on experience within the event. The larger Mountain Games program still centered on sport, music, art, mountains, families, and community participation.
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. Led by CEO Greg Cummings, Power100 provides leading contractors and executives a place to share ideas, decisions, partnerships, and community work that are shaping the future of the industry. Through national rankings, executive conversations, event coverage, and original industry stories, the platform helps homeowners, contractors, and partners better understand the people and companies raising the standard across home improvement.
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Power100 is the nation's premier CEO ranking and media platform for the home improvement industry. Using a proprietary 5-layer evaluation system, Power100 identifies and celebrates the top CEOs, companies, and strategic partners driving innovation, customer satisfaction, and leadership excellence across the country.
