Beaver Creek opened on December 15, 1980 with new 6 Doppelmayr chairlifts and a temporary base lodge. Costs for development ranged in the neighborhood of about 300 million dollars.
The following ski season the Larkspur Bowl opened, providing skiers with expert mogul runs as well as wide open intermediate terrain. Beaver Creek invested in the new high-speed lift technology the same year as Vail. In 1986, they purchased a new Doppelmayr lift and named it the Centennial Express. This vastly improved access from the village to mid mountain. During 1989, the World Ski Championship came to Beaver Creek. This was the first time the resort attracted a major racing event since its loss of the Olympic bid in the 1970's.
During the 1990's Beaver Creek continued to upgrade lifts and expand new terrain. Grouse Mountain opened in 1991 with the addition of a CTEC high-speed quad chair. The Bachelor Gulch development, which included another quad chair, new ski-in houses, and a hotel greeted skiers and riders in 1997. During this year, Beaver Creek connected with the Arrowhead Ski Area. It was originally purchased during the 1993 season. In 1999, Vail and Beaver Creek hosted the World Alpine Ski
Championships. They were held on the newly completed Birds of Prey downhill course and on the Giant Steps course at Vail.