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Archive for the ‘ski’ Category
Thursday, February 28th, 2013
 North Lake Tahoe celebrates its long winter season with SnowFest, a 10-day carnival and one of the region’s most popular annual family celebrations. SnowFest is scheduled for March 1-10 and is held at a variety of venues throughout North Lake Tahoe.
Here’s a list a just a few of festivities taking place:
- Opening Ceremonies at Squaw
- Tahoe City SnowFest! Parade
- The 23rd Annual Gar Woods Polar Bear Swim
- The 37th Annual Great Ski Race
- Wacky Winter Bowling
- Jake’s Mardi Gras on the Lake Party
- Rahlves’ Banzai Tour Squaw Valley
- Hacienda Unofficial Thursdays Grand Prize Night
- Kings Beach SnowFest! Parade
- River Ranch Annual Snow Sculpting Contest
For more information about SnowFest and a complete list of events, visit the online
Tags: Lake Tahoe, north lake tahoe, snowfest, tahoe
Posted in entertainment, Events, Family, ski, Ski resorts, snowboard, winter | No Comments »
Thursday, February 28th, 2013
 The largest cross-country ski race west of the Mississippi is slated for this Sunday, March 3. Starting near the shores of Lake Tahoe, The Great Ski Race® covers 30km with 1,200 feet of uphill and 1,800 of downhill between Tahoe City and Truckee, Calif. The current record time is one hour and seven minutes, and the final contestant typically crosses the finish line in seven hours.
“The event draws skiers from around the country and around the world, including Olympic Nordic skiers and serious competitors, as well as skiers who are racing to beat their buddy or to beat last year’s time,” said Doug Read, race director for The Great Ski Race. “There are also skiers are out there to enjoy a ski in the woods with a bunch of friends, great soup stations and a heck of a party at the end.”
 Registration for the 2013 Great Ski Race is now open online. Registration fees are $65 until March 2, $100 on race day and $25 for juniors 18 and under. The entry fee includes a pre-race package, a commemorative T-shirt, refreshments and a hot lunch at the finish, and a chance to win one of many great prizes. The party at the finish will consist of live music and lots of laughs at Truckee’s historic Cottonwood Restaurant and Bar.
The Great Ski Race is the main fundraising event for the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team, a non-profit, all-volunteer organization. Currently consisting of more than 100 volunteers, The Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team was conceived in 1976 as a response to the death of a boy lost off the back side of one of the Lake Tahoe ski resorts during a blizzard. There was, at the time, no organized backcountry ski team to help search for the boy. Desperate phone calls to some local Nordic skiers produced a search party that eventually located the youth, but only after it was too late. This group of skiers, along with the boy’s father (who today still remains one of the Nordic Team’s active members), learned there was an important void to be filled. Thus, the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team was born.
 The Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team has matured considerably over the years, but the goals remain the same: conduct fast, safe rescues and educate the public about winter safety. Collectively, the team has an extremely high level of medical, mountain, and skiing skills, with members including EMTs, emergency room nurses, firefighters, professional ski patrollers, paramedics, and MDs. The Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team has located over 300 individuals to date, ultimately saving lives and bringing lost loved ones home whenever possible. Proceeds from The Great Ski Race and donations are the only source of funding for the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team. All funds raised are used to support the operations of the all-volunteer team throughout the year, as well as for winter survival and avalanche education programs sponsored and conducted by the team.
About Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue
Conceived in 1976, the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team has more than 100 members who fulfill many different functions in the organization such as rescuing lost alpine and cross-country skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers, locating downed aircraft, rescuing stranded hikers and climbers, educating the public about mountain safety, and many other support functions. More information can be found at www.tahoenordicsar.com or www.thegreatskirace.com.
Tags: competition, Great Ski Race, Lake Tahoe, north lake tahoe, truckee
Posted in Apres Ski, Events, Family, ski, Ski resorts, winter | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 27th, 2013
 The first weekend in March marks the beginning of SnowFest, North Lake Tahoe’s most anticipated celebration, as well as the return of the Rahlves’ Banzai to Squaw Valley. The 32nd annual SnowFest will kick off March 1 with a torchlight parade and fireworks at the base of Squaw Valley. Then, March 2-3, guests can join amazing athletes and great company while participating in or watching the third leg of Rahlves’ Banzai Tour: the KT-22 Banzai.
Banzai Tour showcases racing in its purest form, with four racers at a time going head-to-head over natural terrain in ski and border-cross style action. The winners of each respective tour stop will have the opportunity to compete in the “Super Final” on March 9-10 against former World Champion, 12-time World Cup winner, X-Games Gold Medalist and four-time Olympic skier and Sugar Bowl Resort Ambassador Daron Rahlves. The Sugar Bowl Silver Belt Banzai and Super Final race takes place during closing weekend of SnowFest!, so don’t miss the festive Banzai and SnowFest culminating events hosted by Sugar Bowl.
“The KT-22 Banzai is always one of the most exciting parts of the tour because of the great view of the course from the base of the mountain,” said Daron Rahlves. “Spectators get to watch athletes give it their all down the face of KT-22, which embodies everything the Banzai Tour is really about; the competition, athleticism, and most importantly, the enjoyment and camaraderie of the ski and snowboard community.”
Friday night before the tour stop, competing athletes, sponsors, media and special guests are invited to the event kick-off, “Rahlves’ Banzai Welcome Party” from 4-6 p.m. at Sandy’s Pub at the Resort at Squaw Creek. The welcome party ends right in time for athletes to participate in the annual opening ceremony torchlight parade. On Saturday after the solo qualifying timed runs to seed Sunday’s Finals and heats of four, all competing athletes, sponsors, media and fans are invited to celebrate all things Banzai from 3-6 p.m. at Le Chamois for the “Rahlves’ Banzai Après Party” thrown by High Fives Foundation. One dollar from each Sierra Nevada beer and Red Bull drink purchased throughout the après party will be donated to High Fives.
For those who are curious about the tour’s name, Banzai is a Japanese term expressed as an exuberant cheer meaning, “Long Life!” or “Hurray!” An apt name for a high-spirited downhill ski and snowboard competition, the Silver Belt Race first took place in the 1940s at Sugar Bowl Ski Resort and was re-introduced with the head-to-head action by Daron Rahlves and Sugar Bowl in 2009. The race continued with one event for another year, and then Rahlves decided to take the show on the road, officially launching Rahlves’ Banzai Tour and expanding to stops at four of Lake Tahoe’s premier resorts.
The Rahlves Banzai tour is presented by Bank of The West. The Rahlves Banzai Tour is also supported by sponsors such as Red Bull, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Contour, CEP “intelligent sportswear”, North Lake Tahoe Chamber/VCB/Resort Association, Spyder, Atomic, Start Haus Ski Shop, Wend Wax, COAL, SVE/BOSE, The Bar Effect, World Cup Supply, Jagermeister, Snow Fest, Sports Insurance, Technical Equipment Cleaners, Resort at Squaw Creek, ZINKA, 101.5 Truckee Tahoe Radio, Tahoe TV, POWDER Mag, High Fives Foundation, World Cup Supply, and CRUX Events, thereby creating an alluring $80,000 prize purse.
For more information, to check out previous race results, videos and to register, visit online. For up-to-the-minute news, “Like” The Rahlves’ Banzai Tour on Facebook and follow @RahlvesBanzai on Twitter.
Tags: Rahlves Banzai Tour, snowfest, squaw valley
Posted in Culture, entertainment, Events, ski, Ski resorts, snowboard, winter | No Comments »
Monday, February 4th, 2013
 Steve with PhotoFly Travel Club recently visited us in North Lake Tahoe and shared his take on the adventure with us. Check out the post below or the original post here.
 “I’m not a huge skier. In fact, I never understood why so many people wait eagerly for the frigid winter to spend thousands of dollars only to drive 5 hours back and forth every weekend. On top of that, they have to deal with the whole process of skiing or snowboarding (it’s really a lot of work: getting rentals or stuffing the equipment in and out of the car, putting it on (not as easy as you think), walking a ton in uncomfortable ski boots, getting muscle cramps and inevitable minor injuries). I should also say I’m from New England which has some good mountains but nothing like the type of snow and quality trails out west. THEN I was invited by the North Lake Tahoe Tourism Board to spend a weekend exploring the area and skiing at their top resorts. To sum the weekend up I have to say they proved me wrong; Skiing at North Lake Tahoe is awesome and now I totally get why millions of people go through all the effort and money to ski or snowboard as much as possible each winter.
The weekend started off typical for Tahoe enthusiasts by leaving early on Friday and driving 5.5 hours in traffic for a drive that should only take 3. But once we arrived we were graciously welcomed at the Ritz-Carleton with food and drinks to go over the adventure. This place is brand new and it does the Ritz brand justice with an awesome restaurant and huge lounge area full of warm fires and comfortable couches and chairs. The view of North Star Resort is pretty stunning too. We had the pleasure of staying at the Resort at Squaw Creek. This place was perfect for a ski weekend with an awesome lobby view of Squaw Valley and very comfortable rooms with huge flat screen TVs. The view from our room was absolutely beautiful with a huge mountain and the steaming outdoor swimming pool below it.
The fun began on Saturday morning with my first ride to the top of the mountain at Squaw Valley. Staying at the resort is perfect because they have a designated chair lift right in front of the hotel. No need to lug everything to the crowded ski entrance 2 miles away. From the first run down to the bottom I realized what I’d been missing the past 2 years since I had last skied. These mountains and the quality of snow and skiing are awesome. We skied two full days and were pretty sore but it was so fun I didn’t care. Squaw has some excellent trails for average and expert skiers with some of the most vertical runs in all of North Lake Tahoe. On Saturday night we ate at Rocker Bar and Restaurant which had some amazing mac n cheese & beef brisket skillets. Excellent comfort food that really hit the spot after a good workout skiing all day.
Overall, we can’t thank Lake Tahoe North enough for having our travel club up for the weekend. They have rejuvenated our love and interest in skiing and we’ll be looking at planning a group trip to Lake Tahoe for next year! ”
CHECK OUT MORE FROM STEVE’S TRAVELS HERE.
Posted in Culture, entertainment, News, ski, Ski resorts, snowboard, winter | No Comments »
Monday, February 4th, 2013
 Alpenglow Sports has teamed up with Tahoe Cross Country to present the first-ever Lake Tahoe Nordic Festival Friday, February 8 through Sunday, February 10. All events are free, open to the public and take place at Tahoe Cross Country Ski Area in Tahoe City, California. A full schedule of events is found online.
The Lake Tahoe Nordic Festival is a three-day event that will cater to one of the fastest growing cross-country regions in the United States – Lake Tahoe. While it is no secret that Lake Tahoe is a famous alpine skiing destination, the region also offers world-class Nordic skiing and even played host to the Nordic events on the scenic West Shore during the 1960 Winter Olympics.
Friday evening kicks off the festival with a community-oriented party and film presentation by local athletes. An on-snow demo with all the latest and greatest in Nordic equipment from all industry brands will take place on Saturday from 8 a.m.- 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday are filled with technical and health clinics, group skis, historical snowshoe tours and race series.
 The festival has gathered the local Nordic ski and snowshoe community to lead its clinics, groups skis and races, including Olympians Marcus Nash and Glenn Jobe, Far West Nordic Head Coach Ben Grassechi, Tahoe Peak Endurance’s Colleen Connors-Pace, Andy Pasternak and Julie Young of Silver Sage Sports Performance, Tim Hauserman of Tahoe Cross Country, Kara LaPoint of North Tahoe High School Nordic, and Peter Fain of Atlas Snowshoes. Local organizations Tahoe Institute for Natural Science and the Tahoe Rim Trail Association will also lead a Natural History Snowshoe Tour and Snowshoe Hike, respectively.
“We are excited to be hosting this first event at Tahoe Cross Country with Brendan and Alpenglow Sports,” said Kevin Murnane of Tahoe Cross Country Ski Area. “We have had a long standing partnership in Tahoe City promoting Nordic skiing together. The Lake Tahoe Nordic Festival will bring out the entire Nordic community to celebrate this great sport. Our goal is to offer something for everyone: from the complete beginner looking for a first lesson, to the veteran racer looking for the best equipment available, to the trail runner looking for a great snowshoe to help them stay fit in winter. When Brendan approached us with the idea of modeling this event after his successful Alpenglow Backcountry Festival and Demo Day, we jumped right in.”
The Lake Tahoe Nordic Festival has been made possible through a grant from the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, as well as partnerships with Atlas Snowshoes, Fischer, Leki, Madshus, Rossignol, Salomon, Swix, Toko, Silver Sage Sports Performance, Tahoe Peak Endurance, the Tahoe Rim Trail Association, Far West Nordic, Sugar Pine Cakery, Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships, Tahoe Institute for Natural Science and Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue.
 Be sure to enter their contest on Facebook. They’ll be giving away $1,300 skate ski package from Fischer and Salomon! Enter here.
About Alpenglow Sports:
Established in 1979, Alpenglow Sports is Tahoe City’s original mountain shop and specializes in backcountry and Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, trail running, backpacking, hiking, camping and mountain lifestyle apparel.
About Tahoe Cross Country Ski Area:
The Tahoe Cross Country Ski Education Association (TCCSEA) is a nonprofit 501©(3) corporation whose mission is to promote the sport of cross-country skiing through educational activities for children and adults.
Posted in Cool Deals, cross country, Deals, Events, Family, ski, Ski resorts, snowboard, winter | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013
This winter is the time to score free swag from North Lake Tahoe. With 3 giveaways running on their Facebook page, there’s sure to be something for everyone. Are you going to be a winner?
 1. Escape to North Lake Tahoe Lift Ticket Giveaway - Win a pair of lift tickets in the Escape to North Lake Tahoe Lift Ticket Giveaway. A winner will be selected each weekday based on their creativity and unique photos showing what they are “escaping from.” Winners score a pair of lift tickets that can redeemed at 6 North Lake Tahoe ski resorts. The contest runs now through Thursday, January 31. Fans and followers can also enter by tweeting/instagramming a photo with the hashtag #escapecontest and an @TahoeNorth mention in your messaging. For contest details, click here.
2. Video Finalists in IRONMAN Lake Tahoe Giveaway – after a round of photo entries showing what “drives your personal IRONMAN,” 5 finalists were asked to submit a short video to tell their story. Winners will be receive an entry in the SOLD OUT IRONMAN Lake Tahoe 2013. Talk about a priceless prize! Vote for your favorite here.
3. The Rahlves’ Banzai Tour Sweepstakes -Enter to win one of 4 Rahlves’ Banzai Tour prize packages! Kirkwood Contour Prize Package: February 2-3, Alpine Meadows CEP Prize Package: February 9-10, Squaw Valley Bank of the West Prize Package: March2-3, and Sugar Bowl Super Final Prize Package March 2-3. Click here to enter.
Tags: giveaway, lift ticket; free lift ticket
Posted in Apres Ski, Cool Deals, Deals, Family, ski, Ski resorts, snowboard, winter | No Comments »
Monday, December 3rd, 2012
It might have been raining across much of Northern California, but last week’s storm brought snow to North Lake Tahoe ski resorts – more than 3.5 feet of the white stuff, making for a great ski weekend.
You just never know how these storms are going to play out. But Mother Nature cooperated and we’ve got new snow on the mountains!
With a base elevation of 8,260 feet, Mt. Rose – Ski Tahoe welcomed 45 inches of snow throughout the series of storms and has received a total of 100 inches of snowfall to date. On Donner Summit, Sugar Bowl Ski Resort at an elevation of 6,883 feet is reporting storm totals of 44 inches. Squaw Valley’s upper mountain at 8,200 feet got 42 inches of snow.
 The timing is perfect as the region will host the 13th Annual Learn to Ski and Board Weekend – Learn More on the North Shore – December 8-9. The event is geared for beginners, costs only $30 and includes an all-day beginner lift ticket, group lesson and gear rental.
First-timers have their choice of six resorts to learn at including Alpine Meadows, Boreal Mountain Resort, Homewood Mountain Resort, Squaw Valley and Sugar Bowl Ski Resort. Several resorts will also offer guests a bounce back offer with savings good on a return visit.
Reservations are not required, but participants should arrive early. Lesson packages can be purchased at each individual resort the day of lessons. Students should contact resorts directly for resort-specific information. Some restrictions apply. Resorts not open December 8-9 may offer a Learn to Ski Weekend later in the season.
Click here for more information about the Learn to Ski and Board Weekend, North Lake Tahoe ski resorts, events, activities and other winter offerings.
Tags: Alpine Meadows, boreal, Homewood, Lake Tahoe, learntoski, mt. rose, Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe, north lake tahoe, squaw valley, Sugar Bowl
Posted in Cool Deals, Events, ski, Ski resorts, snowboard, winter | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 27th, 2012
 Rahlves’ Banzai Tour is back, showcasing racing in its purest form of ski and boarder-cross style action over Tahoe’s best natural terrain. Mark your calendars for the 2013 lineup and get ready to compete in (or just watch) the ultimate test on the mountain.
Spanning four weekends, the tour hits:
Kirkwood Mountain Resort - Feb. 2-3
Alpine Meadows - Feb. 9-10
Squaw Valley - Mar. 2-3
Sugar Bowl Resort - Mar. 9-10.
 Take it from Daron himself, “There is no other race like this in the world. Every day “rippers” line up against pro level athletes and have a shot at the title of Rahlves’ Banzai Champ. It’s a competition among competitors, but ultimately it’s against the mountain.”
Here’s how it works. When the gate drops, four competitors battle it out. Tactics, skill, strength and calculated risk are put to the test attacking terrain and skied-out snow conditions off the groomed runs. Watching the battle is simply awe-inspiring and commands respect. Each winner continues to the “Super Finale” at Sugar Bowl Resort, where the race originated.
 World Champion, 12-time World Cup winner, X-Games Gold Medalist and four-time Olympic skier Daron Rahlves races against the men’s skiing division winners from each stop of the tour at the “Super Finale.” Winner takes title of “Banzai Master” and a cash prize of $10,000.
Event Registration begins January 2013.
For information, 2012 race results, videos and registration, visit Rahlves’ Banzai Tour online.
Posted in Events, ski, Ski resorts, snowboard | No Comments »
Friday, November 16th, 2012
North Lake Tahoe ski resorts shorten the learning curve with those new to skiing and snowboarding by offering a special savings weekend to get you cruising down the slopes in no time.
The 13th Annual Learn to Ski and Board Weekend – Learn More on the North Shore – is scheduled for December 8-9. The event is geared for beginners, costs only $30 and includes an all-day beginner lift ticket, group lesson and gear rental.
First-timers have their choice of six resorts to learn at including Alpine Meadows, Boreal Mountain Resort, Homewood Mountain Resort, Squaw Valley and Sugar Bowl Ski Resort. Several resorts will also offer guests a bounce back offer with savings good on a return visit.
Reservations are not required, but participants should arrive early. Lesson packages can be purchased at each individual resort the day of lessons. Students should contact resorts directly for resort-specific information.
Some restrictions apply. Resorts not open December 8-9 may offer a Learn to Ski Weekend later in the season.
Posted in Apres Ski, Deals, ski, Ski resorts, snowboard, winter | No Comments »
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North Lake Tahoe celebrates its long winter season with SnowFest, a 10-day carnival and one of the region’s most popular annual family celebrations. SnowFest is scheduled for March 1-10 and is held at a variety of venues throughout North Lake Tahoe.
