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In 1963, Breckenridge was looking for a way to stand out among the boom of new ski resorts in Colorado. Historians say Breckenridge did not exactly have the best reputation and was known as a “dirty mining town” before the ski resort opened.
The addition of the ski resort in 1961 served as a new beginning for the town. It brought a Norwegian influence to the community thanks to the immigrants who helped kickstart the resort. Pulling from Norse mythology, the town decided to host a carnival honoring Ullr, the Norse god of winter and the patron of skiers.
The first event, which was known at the time as UllrDag, brought a new livelihood to Breckenridge. But some argued that the party-centric spirit went too far. Historians say as the years progressed, so did the debauchery.
One of the earliest incidents featured Gov. John Love and his family. His daughter Rebecca was given the honors of lighting the bonfire at the event. Leigh Girvin of the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance noted that this story has been passed down by word of mouth from people who were in attendance, so the exact year of that event is not known. Girvin described the bonfire that year as “a metal saucer sled up on some posts, like (the) Olympic cauldron.”
“It was filled with fuel so that it would burn,” Girvin said. “As this child went to light the flame of Ullr, the tippy saucer sled tipped, and her hair caught on fire.”
Girvin said she recently was able to confirm, with the help of Breckenridge Police Department, a wild Ullr Fest tale that she initially thought was just a rumor.
“The story goes that somebody passed out by the fire and fell with his face into the slush. The fire died, people went away and he froze his face to the ground,” Girvin said.
