If the economy is improving, why does everything still feel so expensive?
Your grocery bill is higher. Buying a home feels out of reach for more Americans. Saving for retirement is harder. And for millions of seniors, the annual Social Security increase is supposed to help them keep pace.
All of those things are connected to a number we hear about constantly: the cost of living.
But here’s the bigger question: Does the number everyone quotes actually reflect what you’re paying?
In this week’s Flyover Focus, Amy digs into how the cost of living is really calculated—and why the official figure doesn’t always match what you see at the grocery store, in your mortgage payment, or in your bank account.
We look at who’s feeling the squeeze the most, whether Social Security increases are actually keeping up, and one number buried in the data that helps explain why rising costs hit some Americans much harder than others.
➤ Your groceries. Your mortgage. Your savings. Your retirement check. They’re all part of the equation. But the number may not tell the whole story. (Watch Flyover Focus)
Salomon is getting huge. The company is chasing $3 billion in annual revenue, and winter sports now account for only a relatively small part of the overall business. There are plenty of interesting corporate stories buried in that number, but most snowboarders probably don’t care how many shoes Salomon sells in New York, Paris or Tokyo. We care about something much simpler: is Salomon still going to make good snowboard stuff?
For snowboarders, that’s really the only part of this story that matters. Salomon has been around snowboarding long enough that it’s easy to take the brand for granted. Its boards, boots and bindings have been sitting on shop walls for decades. The Assassin has become one of those models almost everybody recognizes. The HPS line has given the company room to play with more directional shapes and specific riding ideas, and Salomon has managed to keep a complete snowboard program alive while plenty of larger sporting-goods companies have treated snowboarding like a seasonal category they can turn up or down depending on the year.
So the fact that snowboarding is now a smaller piece of the larger Salomon machine isn’t automatically a problem. It only becomes a problem if the snowboard side starts feeling like one.
The current Salomon Assassin is probably the easiest place to see why Salomon still matters. It’s technically an all-mountain freestyle board, but that label barely explains how people actually use boards like this anymore. The point is that you can leave the lift, hit a side hit, carve a groomer, duck into the trees, take a couple park laps, find some soft snow and not spend the entire day wishing you had brought something else. That’s increasingly what good snowboard design looks like. Not a board that supposedly does everything equally well, because those claims are usually bullshit, but a board with an actual personality that still gives you enough range to follow whatever looks fun.
Photo: Courtesy of Salomon Snowboards
Salomon has understood that for a long time. The Assassin isn’t interesting because it occupies a clever segment on a merchandising chart. It’s interesting because it fits the way snowboarders actually move around a resort. The snowboard industry spent years slicing riders into park riders, freeriders, all-mountain riders, powder riders and whatever other category helped organize a shop wall. Experienced snowboarders have always been messier than that. You ride snowboarding. The terrain decides the rest.
Where Salomon gets more interesting is when it stops trying to make something for everybody. The HPS program has historically given the brand room to explore more specific shapes, rider ideas and terrain preferences. Boards like the Sickstick helped normalize the idea that a directional snowboard could still be playful instead of becoming some stiff missile reserved for AK footage and perfect heelside turns.
That’s exactly the kind of product program a huge company could easily decide isn’t worth the trouble, and that’s why it matters. Snowboarding needs brands with enough scale to make weird things. Not fake-weird graphics wrapped around the same generic shape, but actual weird things: different tapers, different lengths, different sidecuts, boards designed because somebody wanted a particular feeling rather than because a product manager found a hole in a spreadsheet. Big brands can afford to do that. The question is whether they still want to.
If Salomon’s snowboard business eventually becomes a couple high-volume models designed to offend nobody, then nobody in snowboarding is going to care how successful the rest of Salomon becomes. If the company keeps using some of that size to make HPS boards, experiment with materials, support riders and occasionally put something on a shop wall that makes you stop and ask what the hell it is, that’s different. That’s useful.
Snowboarding also doesn’t need Salomon to pretend it’s small. There’s a predictable reaction whenever a snowboard brand gets big where people start wishing it were still some tiny operation running out of a garage. That’s mostly nostalgia. Salomon has resources smaller brands don’t have. It can develop boards, boots and bindings together. It can invest in tooling, materials and testing. It can distribute product around the world and support riders at a level most snowboard companies could never afford.
Good. Use it.
The problem isn’t being big. The problem is when size starts smoothing off everything that made the product interesting in the first place. Snowboarders don’t need Salomon to look underground. We need it to keep listening to snowboarders. There is a huge difference between the two.
The boots and bindings matter here too. Salomon remains one of the companies capable of building the entire snowboard interface instead of just the plank. Boards get the graphics and most of the attention, but boots and bindings determine a huge amount of how a snowboard actually feels. A company that develops across all three categories has the ability to think about the ride as a system rather than three unrelated products sitting beside one another on a website.
That becomes more important as snowboarding gets increasingly distracted by convenience. Fast-entry bindings keep expanding. BOA continues replacing traditional lacing combinations. Every brand wants equipment to be easier, lighter and more accessible. None of that is inherently bad, but ease can’t become the whole objective. Experienced snowboarders will tolerate inconvenience if the product rides better. What they won’t tolerate for long is equipment designed by people who appear to have forgotten that. Salomon has enough history in snowboarding to know the difference. It needs to keep showing it.
There’s another danger when a company becomes much larger than the sport that helped build its credibility: the original culture can slowly turn into marketing material. Old photos, old riders, old graphics, archive drops, heritage language. Then you look at the current product and wonder where any of that attitude went.
Snowboarding already has enough brands selling nostalgia. Salomon’s history only matters if the current snowboard program still feels alive. That means putting good riders on boards, making snowboard films and edits worth watching, building products that reflect what those riders actually want, and supporting the people and places where snowboarding happens instead of simply using mountain imagery to make a larger company feel authentic.
Nobody needs another corporate campaign telling us how important snowboarding is. Make something good and we’ll figure it out ourselves.
That’s ultimately why the $3 billion number isn’t really the story, at least not for snowboarders. The story is what Salomon does with the snowboard side while the company around it becomes dramatically larger. Does the Assassin continue evolving because riders keep pushing it? Does HPS remain a legitimate playground for strange ideas? Do Salomon boots and bindings continue competing with the best snowboard-specific products in the market? Does the team still matter? Do the people running the snowboard program have enough freedom to occasionally make something that a broader corporate organization might not immediately understand?
Those are the questions worth asking.
Snowboarding doesn’t need Salomon to stay small. It needs Salomon to stay interested. Salomon can sell all the shoes it wants. Just keep making snowboards we’d actually want to ride.
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Someone intentionally disrupted the primary oxygen supply at UCHealth University of Colorado (CU) Hospital in Aurora on Sept. 3. The person first gained access to oxygen storage outside the building.
Good Morning! On this day in 1913, miners in Colorado’s coalfields went on strike, marking the onset of the Colorado Coalfield War.
Fifteen lions and tigers landed at Denver International Airport recently. Find out more in Et Cetera.
What's your go-to headache cure? We ran the 10 most popular home remedies for headaches past neurologists, and the verdicts are all over the map. One popular trick can actually make the pain worse, and the remedy with the strongest scientific evidence might not be in your medicine cabinet at all. See if your remedy made the list, and what the experts had to say about it. Ayla has the details on today's episode of The Flyover Podcast.Tune in here!
Today’s sponsor, Doroni, is developing the H1-X personal flying vehicle with safety-focused technology and intuitive, AI-assisted controls, and is offering investors the opportunity to get in at $3.30 per share.
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Broadband Office Rescinds $100M in Awards
The Colorado Broadband Office has canceled more than $100 million in fiber contracts awarded to Maverix Broadband of Parker. Officials cited misuse of taxpayer funds and referred the case to the CBI.
The state pulled a $103 million provisional federal award, though none of that money was ever paid. The review found about $3.2 million tied to canceled invoices or unfinished work on older grants.
The office froze payments after two whistleblower complaints in May questioned Maverix's use of grant funds. The company entered receivership earlier this year and filed for bankruptcy Aug. 31.
The move came days after director Brandy Reitter resigned with two days' notice. The state plans to rebid the affected locations so others can serve towns like Kiowa, Livermore, and Walsenburg.
UCHealth Oxygen ‘Intentionally Disrupted’
Someone intentionally disrupted the primary oxygen supply at UCHealth University of Colorado (CU) Hospital in Aurora on Sept. 3. The person first gained access to oxygen storage outside the building.
Low-pressure alarms warned staff as levels fell, and teams moved patients to backup supplies before switching the hospital to a secondary source. UCHealth said no patients were affected.
The hospital is tightening security around its oxygen but has not detailed the changes or how the person got in. A spokesperson warned that penalties for such a crime can be very serious.
CU police have identified a suspect and are working with other agencies to make an arrest. Authorities have not released the person's name or a possible motive.
Colorado to Celebrate Dolly Parton
Colorado is throwing Dolly Parton a party this weekend, honoring the late country icon and her childhood literacy legacy. Parton died Aug. 25 at age 80.
The celebration kicks off Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. with a free gathering at Governors Park in Denver. Fans can expect live music, food trucks, kids' activities, and a look-alike contest.
Organizers are encouraging rhinestones, western wear, and big hair, with a special prize for the 925th Dolly look-alike to enter. Local events around the state continue through Sept. 27.
Parton's Imagination Library has sent over 3.4 million books to Colorado children, according to Gov. Jared Polis. More than 93,000 kids in the state currently receive a free book each month.
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How Safe Are Flying Cars, Really?
As the flying car industry soars, geese won’t be the only ones honking loudly above the clouds. With Morgan Stanley’s prediction that the flying car industry will hit $9T by 2050, the companies that become category leaders can answer the question everyone’s asking: Are they safe?
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➤ Loveland: Two people found shot inside a crashed car near I-25 and Eisenhower Boulevard early Monday are in critical condition. Police believe it may have been a targeted attack. (More)
➤ Larimer County: A jury awarded $65 million to the family of Megan Arneson, killed in 2022 when a semi's excavator struck an I-25 overpass near Mead. It's the county's largest jury verdict. (More)
➤ Mesa County: The Colorado Supreme Court declined to hear former county clerk Tina Peters' appeal of her election tampering convictions. Gov. Jared Polis commuted her sentence earlier this year. (More)
➤ Colorado Springs: A 62-year-old woman faces murder and tampering charges after police found her husband's remains in totes inside their home. She allegedly said he died in March. (More)
➤ Clear Creek County: Witnesses helped deputies stop two alleged kidnappings within 24 hours in Georgetown and Empire, the sheriff's office said. One witness followed the suspect's car onto I-70. (More)
➤ Westminster: Police searched Westminster High School Tuesday morning after a reported threat but found it unfounded and said all were safe. Investigators are now looking for whoever made the report. (More)
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➤ Deion Sanders dismissed several Colorado players after the Buffs' 41-7 loss at Northwestern, citing a pattern of behavior. He didn't name them, and the Buffs (2-1) visit Baylor on Saturday. (More)
➤ Colorado's Oct. 3 game against Texas Tech will kick off at 5:30 p.m. on FOX, the Big 12 announced Monday. The Buffs landed another national slot despite Saturday's lopsided loss. (More)
➤ Broncos linebacker Que Robinson said he planned his Mile High Salute before Sunday's game, then delivered it after sharing a sack of Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. (More)
➤ Why Everyone Is Suddenly “Fibermaxxing” For Weight Loss. There’s a new health trend called “fibermaxxing”—and it’s exactly what it sounds like: finding smarter ways to get more fiber into your daily diet. But simply eating more fiber may not be enough. One unique form of fiber works differently than the rest—and may be especially helpful for weight loss, bloating, and staying regular. Discover the 6 reasons people looking to lose weight are turning to this unique type of fiber.
➤ Georgetown is getting leaf peepers to linger this fall with new marketing, added parking, and a traffic change routing drivers past shops. Business owners report plenty of new faces. (More)
➤ Greeley-Weld Habitat for Humanity bought a former TBK Bank building in Evans to serve as its first permanent headquarters. The nonprofit expects to move in by the end of March 2027. (More)
➤ Walmart's Neighborhood Market on the Aurora-Centennial border reopened Friday after a four-week rapid remodel. The store adds brighter lighting, a new layout, cake decorating, and pre-sliced meat. (More)
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The Pentagon’s Got Its Eye on This Tech
One of the biggest indicators for forward-thinking investors is where the U.S. government puts its money.
First, they bet big on jet engines. Then drones. Now? Flying cars. The U.S. Air Force just signed a $142M deal for a company building five-seater air taxis. But our nation’s most covert operations need smaller, personal aircraft. And Doroni, the company positioned to lead the $100B personal eVTOL category, aims to capture this opportunity.
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➤ A roughly 700-pound bull elk nicknamed Smash has been charging golf carts, maintenance vehicles, and even a pickup during this fall's rut in Estes Park. Officials advise staying 75 feet away. (More)
➤ This roundup of 12 favorite breakfast burritos in Denver and beyond has everything from Santiago's grab-and-go classics to Smōk's brisket behemoth. Blackbelly, Onefold, and La Fuente also made the cut. (More)
➤ Fifteen lions and tigers rescued from a shuttered zoo in Argentina landed at Denver International Airport before heading to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg. Animal welfare group Four Paws oversaw the transfer. (More)
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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes.
➤ What are the 10 most popular at-home headache remedies, and do they actually work? (Hear Remedies)
➤ Tesla has reopened reservations for its long-delayed Roadster, nearly nine years after the car was promised. (Listen Now)
➤ Demand for wine is falling, forcing California grape growers to tear out vineyards their families tended for generations. (Hear Story)
In case you missed it, this week on Flyover Focus, we dug into the cost of living and how it affects you. Why does your paycheck buy less, and do Social Security raises keep retirees afloat? Tune in here for all of those answers and more.
Will you be celebrating Dolly Parton Day on Sept. 25?
