Teva Mountain Games Going Strong
Games partners with Vail Resorts for Homestake water release
For the past several years, competitors at the Teva Mountain Games’ Homestake Creek Race could have taken a leak (ladies included) above the course near Redcliff, Colorado, and tripled the run’s flow. In 2005, racers bounced down a paltry 25 cfs, leading to Tao and Jay Kincaid getting pinned, and in 2006 they made do with 50 cfs, which still scraped hulls and egos. This year, however, things promise to be different. In a landmark deal with event organizers, Vail Resorts announced that it will donate water from its allotment upstream in the Homestake Reservoir to ensure a decent flow in Homestake for the Dagger Steep Creek Championships.
“Vail Resorts recognizes the tremendous value the Teva Mountain Games brings to town and we’re happy to support the kayak race by making certain there’s enough water in Homestake Creek to have a world-class competition,” says Vail’s Kara Heide.
Though it’s not much in the Grand Canyon scheme of things, Vail will call for the release of 50 acre feet from its allotment of 275 acre feet of water in Homestake Reservoir to be released at 100 cfs so it reaches the venue site between 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. May 31. In previous years, releases from the reservoir weren’t coordinated with the race.
“We’re incredibly gracious that Vail Resorts is coordinating its release to help us with the Dagger Steep Creek Championship,” says the Games’ Joe Blair. “The Teva Mountain Games generate over $2 million of annual economic impact for the for the Vail Valley and over the years Vail Resorts has been a terrific collaborative partner to help make the event happen.”
The only question now is, where will competitors piss?
This year’s sixth anniversary of the event will be held May 30-June 3, 2007, and include more than 20 competitions with a total purse of $100,000. It will also feature outdoor film and photography contests, the third annual Everest Awards, an interactive expo and demo area, live music and parties for both athletes and spectators alike. “Kayaking and whitewater are still at the heart of the event,” says organizer Joel Heath. “This year, we’re expecting at least 2,000 pro and amateur athletes and over 30,000 spectators.”
The 2007 Mountain Games will include the following competitions:
Kayaking
– Dagger® Extreme Creek Race
– Kayak Rodeo
– Kayak PaddleCross
– 8-Ball Sprint
– Big Trick Competition
– E. vs. W. Amateur Kayak Rodeo
Cycling
– Trek® Hill Climb (Road)
– Nature Valley® Mountain Bike Championships
– Freeride Challenge
– Big Air Competition
Multi-Sport
– GNC® Ultimate Mountain Challenge
Canines
– Purina® Diving Dog Challenge
Trail Running
– Cytomax® 10K Trail Running
Championship
– Teva® X1 5K Mud Run
Climbing
– Volkswagen® Citizen Bouldering
– Volkswagen® Pro Bouldering
– Volkswagen® Speed Bouldering
Rafting
-Dowd Chute Race PaddleCross
Fly Fishing
-One Fly Competition
Zest® For Adventure Photography Competition
DeLaVergne Filmmaker’s Shootout
The Everest Awards is a formal event recognizing of the year’s best adventure athletes in each of the sports represented at the Mountain Games. This year’s Everest Awards will take place on Friday, June 1 at the Ford Amphitheater. Proceeds from the event will go to the Waterkeeper Alliance.
Another highlight of this year’s competition will be the GNC® Ultimate Mountain Challenge, which will test pro and amateur athletes in four demanding competitions over two days. The Mountain Challenge will consist of the Nature Valley Mountain Bike Cross Country Championship race and a new downriver paddling race on Saturday, June 2. On Sunday, the Challenge will continue with the 10K Spring Runoff trail run and the Trek Road Bike Hill Climb.
Competitors in the Ultimate Mountain Challenge can choose to race as individuals or as a team of two to four people. The individuals and the teams with the lowest combined times after the four events will be crowned the ultimate mountain man, woman or team and receive a handsome cash prize. The race will also be a benefit for Athletes for a Cure, a prostate cancer foundation.
Info: www.tevamountaingames.com.
