With it’s unique buildings and first class skiing, Aspen is known to attract celebrities ranging from Oscar winners to Super Bowl champions. If four ski mountains aren’t enough, then the extravagant shopping at stores like Prada and the amazing food must be the real attraction for Hollywood’s elite. Although some stars come to ski, many come to get away from the busy city life, free of paparazzi and reporters while staying in their second homes or the luxurious Hotel Jerome. Little do they know that the Aspen locals are on the lookout for A-listers wherever they go in hopes of getting an up close and personal glimpse into their lives. From singers like Justin Beiber to athletes like Mikaela Shiffrin, Aspen High School students have seen first-hand what these celebrities are really like.

Sophomores Jane Marolt, Alex Hazen, Ashley Soderberg, and Caroline Moriarty were thrilled when they saw Justin Beiber while skiing on Snowmass two years ago.

“He was riding the lift the behind us when we saw him. We were looking for him because we saw a video of him on Instagram, but we didn’t think we would see him just skiing,” Marolt said. “At first he didn’t want to take a picture with us and one of his friends asked us to leave, but then I said, ‘ we are not leaving until we get a picture’. We finally got the picture and we talked to him for a while. He seemed pretty nice, but also a little but full of himself. He was smoking when we saw him so he asked us not to tell anyone and not to tell people we saw him.”

Reported family friends of the notorious Bieber is the Kardashian clan. Various family members have come to Aspen over the years, but they have rarely been spotted by the locals. Last year, however, Kris Jenner was all around town with her boyfriend Cory Gamble, and sophomores Marley Melahn and Maddie Bergdahl were lucky enough to get a quick picture with her.  

“I saw her right near the information booth across from Paradise and she was a little bit friendly. I actually passed her and she smiled and waved. I didn’t notice it was her until I looked back,” Melahn said. “She sort of stood out because she was wearing diamonds and looked very fancy.”

Another very influential figure who people know and actually has a talent is Kate Hudson. She and her mother, Goldie Hawn, are second homeowners and are no strangers to Aspen, but catching a glimpse of them is still very exciting. Senior Tess Schaftel saw both of them while on the job at Pitkin County Dry Goods last winter.

“There was a bunch of hype and chatter as soon as she entered Pitkin,” Shaftel said. “She tried to blend in as best as possible wearing a big hood, but she’s so famous that it was pretty easy to recognize her. I was honestly too afraid to say a word to her, but from what I hear she was pretty down to earth and genuine.”

From a completely different side of fame, Mikaela Shiffrin, a World Cup ski racer, was in town for the World Cup on Aspen Mountain. She had a very successful weekend winning back to back slalom. She beat Veronika Velez Zuzulova by 2.65 seconds, which is very impressive. Senior Hanna Mass was lucky enough to be able to meet her after one of her runs.

“After dominating her run she kindly signed everyone’s autographs in the stand with a huge smile on her face,” Mass said. “I was so excited to meet her because she has been one of my idols in ski racing.”

Make sure to be on the lookout for your favorite actor or pop singer this holiday season. They could be having a quiet lunch at Peaches or even shopping in your favorite store. If you’re lucky enough to see Kim Kardashian or Mariah Carey, make sure to get a picture, so you can have proof while bragging about your sighting to your friends and family.