Photo: Eric Rasmussen/Rahlves' Banzai Tour

Photo: Eric Rasmussen/Rahlves’ Banzai Tour

Rahlvesโ€™ Banzai Tour
Feb. 22-23 at Kirkwood Mountain Resort
March 1-2 at Squaw Valley
March 8-9 at Alpine Meadows
March 15-16 at Sugar Bowl Resort

www.RahlvesBanzai.com

The Rahlvesโ€™ Banzai Tour presented by Bank of the West is back, with ski and snowboard racing in its purest form. Tour stops in 2014 span four weekends at Lake Tahoe resorts culminating in the Finals and Super Finals at Sugar Bowl Resort. Fans of the tour will remember the thrilling head-to-head format that pits competitors against each other on natural terrain.

โ€œThere is no other race like this in the world,โ€ said four time Olympian Daron Rahlves. โ€œWhat’s unique about the Banzai is that everyday rippers line up against pro-level athletes to find out what theyโ€™re made of while battling for an $80,000 purse. When the gate drops, it’s on as four competitors go for it in a top to bottom race.โ€
For up-to-the-minute news, like The Rahlvesโ€™ Banzai Tour on facebook, follow @RahlvesBanzai on Twitter, and/or download the free smartphone app at http://banzai.genzplay.com.

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Banff Film Festival Tour
Feb. 21, 22 & 23, Santa Cruz

The adrenaline packed film festival with a cult following returns to the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz on February 21, 22, & 23. Brought to you by UCSC Recreation, last yearโ€™s selections were the talk of the town. If youโ€™ve never seen the Banff Mountain Film Festival before you are in for a palm sweating, hair raising ride you wonโ€™t soon forget. All shows start at 7pm.

Advanced Tickets are available at UCSC Recreation, Pacific Edge, Bicycle Trip or online at SantaCruzTickets.com. $15 Student/ $18 General

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Winter Alpenglow Mountain Festival
Feb. 14 – March 2, Tahoe City
www.AlpenglowSports.com
Photos courtesy of Alpenglow Mountain Festival sponsors:
Dynafit, Fischer, Josh Heji & Salomon

The much anticipated Winter Alpenglow Mountain Festival in North Lake Tahoe kicks off on Valentineโ€™s Day this year and lasts for two weeks. A celebration of human powered winter activities in the backcountry and Nordic tradition, the AMF will be an excellent way to share the winter stoke while accessing Tahoeโ€™s world-class alpine terrain.

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Natureโ€™s Bakery, known for their healthy fig bars and on-the-go snacks, will be the title sponsor for the event. Alpenglow Sports and Natureโ€™s Bakery have worked in unison to create one of the largest European style winter festivals in the United States. โ€œWeโ€™re honored to support the winter edition of the Alpenglow Mountain Festival,โ€ said Natureโ€™s Bakery Vice President of Marketing Andrew Strolin.

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With an emphasis on Nordic skiing, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, natural history and personal development in terms of backcountry skills and awareness, the festival promises to be perfect for enthusiasts looking to spread their wings in a safe environment while accessing North Tahoeโ€™s spectacular terrain and making new friends. The entire event is designed for the beginner to intermediate mountain recreationalist.

Participants are encouraged to register online in advance as guided snowshoe, Nordic, and backcountry ski tours will fill quickly and space is limited.

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Other events include the Alpenglow Winter Film Series with world-class alpinist Adrian Ballinger, and a Gran Fondo style Nordic ski race hosted by Olympian and Clif Bar athlete Katerina Nash.

โ€œTo say we are excited about this would be an understatement. Our Alpenglow Mountain Festival is a world-class mountain lifestyle event that appropriately celebrates North Tahoeโ€™s terrain and backcountry heritage,โ€ said Brendan Madigan, owner of Alpenglow Sports in Tahoe City.

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With a plethora of gravity style and X games inspired ski and snowboard events happening on Tahoeโ€™s South Shore, the WMF will provide a welcome contrast highlighting a lifestyle built around fitness, health, and accessing spectacular backcountry terrain that rivals legendary destinations like Norway, the Alps, and New Zealand.

Other highlights will include cross-country skills and waxing clinics, AIARE certified avalanche safety skills clinics, and the unique Dynafit Nachtspektakel, a German inspired night ski tour. Most events and clinics are free but space is sometimes limited so participants are encouraged to register early. Additional detail, a map, and a full events schedule can be found at www.alpenglowsports.com.

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Photo: Tony Corliss

Photo: Tony Corliss

The Great Ski Race
March 2, Tahoe City to Truckee
www.TheGreatSkiRace.com

The 38th annual The Great Ski Raceยฎ is set for Sunday, March 2, 2014. The historic 30K (18-mile) event begins at Tahoe Cross Country above Dollar Point in Tahoe City, winds through the forest and mountains of North Lake Tahoe, and ends at the Cottonwood Restaurant in Truckee. Every year, 800 to 1,100 ski racers, touring skiers, disabled athletes and snowshoers turn out for the race looking for achievement and adventure, or maybe just the famous finish-line party, which includes live music, a hot lunch, prizes, raffles, and more.

The race is the primary fundraiser for the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team, a group of volunteer skiers and snowmobilers who locate lost people in the Sierra Nevada. The team includes more than 100 members and equipment for launching and orchestrating searches, as well as an organized infrastructure designed to get searchers onsite quickly to locate victims and lost hikers.

Sign up for The Great Ski Raceยฎ at thegreatskirace.com/registration-form/

Follow The Great Ski Race on facebook at facebook.com/pages/The-Great-Ski-Race.

Read Mark Nadellโ€™s article he wrote for Adventure Sports Journal about The Great Ski Race online at adventuresportsjournal.com/backcountry-skiing/the-truly-great-ski-race.

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Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival
April 5-6, Aptos
www.SantaCruzMountainBikeFestival.com

Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBoSC) brings back their popular community event โ€“ the Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival (SCMBF) โ€“ for its fifth year on April 5-6, 2014, the weekend before the Sea Otter Classic in nearby Monterey. MBoSC thanks FOX for their continued support as title sponsor and is grateful to venue sponsor Barry Swenson Builder for a final run at their Aptos Village property, site of the renowned Aptos Post Office Jumps.

Photo: Katie Jo McNair

Photo: Katie Jo McNair

The SCMBF was created to celebrate the world class mountain bike facilities, riders, and cycling industry of Santa Cruz county. The event continues to grow with the generous support of our sponsors, volunteers, and community.

In just its fourth year, the 2013 eco-conscious festival drew over 9,000 attendees and 395 registered participants โ€“ a 50% increase in attendance and 220% increase in registered participation over 2012.

The family-friendly two day festival includes competitive events for pros and amateurs alike, a kidsโ€™ rodeo and fun lap, bike demos, skills clinics, an industry expo, food court, beer garden, live music and more for bike enthusiasts.

The event reflects what Santa Cruz is all about: loving the outdoors, meeting friendly people, and kicking back and immersing yourself in your favorite sport. Learn more at www.santacruzmountainbikefestival.com or www.mbosc.org.