Press Release
Title: Sugar Bowl's 2010 Silver Belt Banzai Dates Announced
Location: Donner Summit, CA
Release Date: 01/24/2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 24, 2010
Contact:
John Monson
Director of Sales and Marketing
(530) 426-6720
SUGAR BOWL RESORT TO RUN LEGENDARY “SILVER BELT BANZAI” COMPETITION MARCH 13-14, 2010
(Donner Summit, CA) – Top freeride skiers and riders from around the world will descend upon Lake Tahoe’s Sugar Bowl Resort March 13th and 14th, 2010 for the running of the Silver Belt Banzai, a unique race blending the excitement of ski-cross/boarder-x action with the tradition of a downhill race. Starting atop Sugar Bowl’s famed Silver Belt Gully, skiers and riders will race out of the gate in four and six-person heats with the simple rules of staying on course and finishing fast enough to beat the other racers and advance to the next round. Up to 100 skiers and riders ages 16 and up, both men’s and women’s divisions, will compete in the race. Qualifying heats will be run on Saturday March 13th, with winners earning a spot in Sunday’s final races and a chance for cash prizes. Entry fees are set at $100 per racer, which includes a lift ticket valid for the first day of racing, and both days of racing should the competitor advance to Sunday’s finals. If a lift ticket is not needed, entry fees are set at $50 per racer for the event.
Celebrating its 70th season, Sugar Bowl is steeped in tradition and history, and the Silver Belt Downhill is an integral part of the resort’s storied past. Dating back to 1940, for many years the race was considered the preeminent North American race for skiing’s elite. Racers would travel from their home resorts to compete for top honors on the challenging course, always finishing the event with a legendary celebration. The 2010 race will keep the tradition alive, enticing today’s top skiers and riders by incorporating racing’s latest discipline of skicross and boarder-X action. Each afternoon will finish with festivities including live music and a post-race party in the Judah Lodge on Sunday.
To prepare for race day the perfect training grounds will be Sugar Bowl’s Silver Belt gully, essentially guaranteed to have a deep enough base for the event after recent storms dropped over 7 feet of snow, and Sugar Bowl’s new skicross/boarder-X run on the Tunnel 41 trail. The Olympic-caliber course under the Mt. Judah Express lift will be used as a pre-Olympics training ground for the U.S. Skier-Cross Team and Sugar Bowl’s own Daron Rahlves, greatly improving the USA’s chances for a podium finish in Vancouver.
Sugar Bowl opened in 1939 with the vision to provide an exceptional skiing experience for family and friends. With the additions of the Summit Chair and The Backcountry Adventure Center, and a staff dedicated to the guest's experience, Sugar Bowl continues to be a pioneer in skiing on Donner Summit. For more information on Sugar Bowl please visit www.sugarbowl.com or call (530) 426-9000.
January 24, 2010
Contact:
John Monson
Director of Sales and Marketing
(530) 426-6720
SUGAR BOWL RESORT TO RUN LEGENDARY “SILVER BELT BANZAI” COMPETITION MARCH 13-14, 2010
(Donner Summit, CA) – Top freeride skiers and riders from around the world will descend upon Lake Tahoe’s Sugar Bowl Resort March 13th and 14th, 2010 for the running of the Silver Belt Banzai, a unique race blending the excitement of ski-cross/boarder-x action with the tradition of a downhill race. Starting atop Sugar Bowl’s famed Silver Belt Gully, skiers and riders will race out of the gate in four and six-person heats with the simple rules of staying on course and finishing fast enough to beat the other racers and advance to the next round. Up to 100 skiers and riders ages 16 and up, both men’s and women’s divisions, will compete in the race. Qualifying heats will be run on Saturday March 13th, with winners earning a spot in Sunday’s final races and a chance for cash prizes. Entry fees are set at $100 per racer, which includes a lift ticket valid for the first day of racing, and both days of racing should the competitor advance to Sunday’s finals. If a lift ticket is not needed, entry fees are set at $50 per racer for the event.
Celebrating its 70th season, Sugar Bowl is steeped in tradition and history, and the Silver Belt Downhill is an integral part of the resort’s storied past. Dating back to 1940, for many years the race was considered the preeminent North American race for skiing’s elite. Racers would travel from their home resorts to compete for top honors on the challenging course, always finishing the event with a legendary celebration. The 2010 race will keep the tradition alive, enticing today’s top skiers and riders by incorporating racing’s latest discipline of skicross and boarder-X action. Each afternoon will finish with festivities including live music and a post-race party in the Judah Lodge on Sunday.
To prepare for race day the perfect training grounds will be Sugar Bowl’s Silver Belt gully, essentially guaranteed to have a deep enough base for the event after recent storms dropped over 7 feet of snow, and Sugar Bowl’s new skicross/boarder-X run on the Tunnel 41 trail. The Olympic-caliber course under the Mt. Judah Express lift will be used as a pre-Olympics training ground for the U.S. Skier-Cross Team and Sugar Bowl’s own Daron Rahlves, greatly improving the USA’s chances for a podium finish in Vancouver.
Sugar Bowl opened in 1939 with the vision to provide an exceptional skiing experience for family and friends. With the additions of the Summit Chair and The Backcountry Adventure Center, and a staff dedicated to the guest's experience, Sugar Bowl continues to be a pioneer in skiing on Donner Summit. For more information on Sugar Bowl please visit www.sugarbowl.com or call (530) 426-9000.