By Shannon Lukens for Steamboat Radio/Blizzard Broadcasting.
The winner of this year’s design for the Winter Carnival button is 15-year-old Soren Shepherd, who is an alpine skier with Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. The theme of Winter Carnival this year is, “Dream Like a Champion.”
The artwork features some of the flags in Olympian Hall at Howelsen Hill. There were over 40 entries.
A $15 Winter Carnival button is required for entry to all events during Winter Carnival, which is Feb. 3-8. A list of where they can be purchased is below. They go on sale Friday, Jan. 23.
More on Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival
Press Release from Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Jan. 22, 2026.
113th Winter Carnival Button Contest Winner Revealed
SSWSC U16 Alpine Athlete Soren Shepherd Wins the 2026 Contest
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. – Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC) has announced that 15-year-old Soren Shepherd, SSWSC U16 alpine ski athlete, is the button contest winner for the 113th Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival. The 113th Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival will take place February 3-8, 2024. In October, young artists aged 18 and under were invited to submit button art for this year’s Winter Carnival theme, Dream Like a Champion. Shepherd’s artwork was inspired by Howelsen Hill and the flags in Olympian Hall at Howelsen Hill Lodge which features Steamboat’s 100 Olympians and 179 Olympic appearances. Shepherd’s artwork was selected from over 40 artwork entries.
A 2026 $15 Winter Carnival button is required for entry/spectating at all events. A 2026 Winter Carnival Button also offers access to free skiing and riding from February 4-8 at Howelsen Hill. Skiing is always FREE at Howelsen Hill on Sundays. The button must be presented to the ticket office to receive a ticket. Some Winter Carnival events require additional tickets and registration. All Winter Carnival events are FREE with a button unless otherwise indicated as a ticketed event. Find a full list of events and registration information at www.wintercarnivalsteamboat.com.
113th Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival buttons go on sale Friday, January 23, at the following locations. Most locations accept cash or check; noted locations accept credit cards. Buttons will also be available at all Winter Carnival events, just look for the “Buy Your Button Here” signs.
- Ace at the Curve
- Alpine Bank
- Allen’s Clothing
- Arctic Liquors
- Christy Sports
- City Market
- City of Steamboat Springs
- Embellishments
- FM Light and Sons
- Howelsen Hill Ticket Office (credit card)
- Info Center at Steamboat Resort Corp
- Johnny B Goods
- Lyons Drug
- Off the Beaten Path
- Old Town Hot Springs
- Ohana
- One Steamboat Place
- Paws N Claws
- Safeway
- Ski Haus (credit card)
- Slifer Smith And Frampton
- Steamboat Art Museum
- Steamboat Chamber of Commerce
- SBNY
- The Steamboat Store (credit card)
- Steamboat Apparel and Gifts
- Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club Office (credit card)
- UCHealth-Yampa Valley Medical Center
- Wild Plum
- Yampa Valley Bank
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ABOUT SSWSC
SSWSC provides sports and youth development programming for over 1,300 athletes in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, creating champions on and off the mountain. SSWSC’s goal is to be the best in the country at developing the complete athlete—coaching every individual to achieve the highest level of human potential and athletic performance—resulting in healthy, contributing members of our community and skilled, passionate athletes. SSWSC alumni have become Olympians, NCAA champions, collegiate scholars, CEOs, and leaders. Our programs include alpine, cross country, freestyle, freeskiing, nordic combined, jumping, snowboarding, backcountry education, strength and conditioning, cycling, and skateboarding. SSWSC is one of North America’s oldest and most successful winter sports clubs, serving tens of thousands of athletes for over a century, including 100 Olympians with 179 Olympic appearances and 19 Olympic medals. In 2023, U.S. Ski & Snowboard honored SSWSC with U.S. Ski & Snowboard Club of the Year for the fifth time, more than any other club in North America.