Category Archives: Events

Take A Flying Leap On Bridge Day

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If your best friend tells you to jump off a bridge there is definitely one time where it would be okay to do it… with a few hundred of your best friends. Ever heard of Bridge Day? No? Then you’ve never been in Fayette County, West Virginia.


The annual Bridge Day Festival started in 1980. It takes place on the third Saturday in October to commemorate the 1977 completion of the New River Gorge Bridge. This year, on October 19, BASE jumpers from around the world will wow nearly 80,000 spectators as they soar off the Bridge- all day long. Last year, they added the Human Catapult to the list of extreme activities.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-FY3aHO6Cw&w=420&h=315]

But if you’re not quite ready to go that big, that’s okay. You can still be part of one of the largest extreme sports events in the world. The town shuts out traffic one day a year to allow pedestrians to legally strut the 876-foot tall steel arch bridge- the world’s third longest and the U.S.’ third highest. There are hundreds of vendor booths and a zipline and rappel line for the general public. No experience necessary for the 700-foot ride over the gorge that stretches from the beams of the bridge. Those experienced in rappelling entered a lottery back in June to be one of the privileged teams to drop up to 850-feet into the Gorge.

There’s still time to win your own tandem BASE jump on Bridge Day. Create a three-minute video showing why you deserve the jump.  Submit your video through Facebook beginning next Friday, August 30 through September 6. Bridge Day fans will then vote. If you’re picked, a charity of your choice will also receive a $1,000 donation, courtesy of Subaru. You do need to be over 18 and weigh less than 200 pounds.


Wasatch Pass Wars

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One thing is for sure. Vail Resorts and their move on Canyons Resort this summer has shaken up the way the Wasatch does business.

Not only is the new Epic Pass one of the cheapest season passes in the state (Powder Mountain’s is $640) but it’s causing a backlash of resort-gangup warfare.

Step aside Mountain Collective, the “Best Benefit In The Wasatch” is a boon for Utah locals. Buy a full-tier pass at Alta Ski Area, Deer Valley Resort, Park City Mountain Resort, or Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort (basically any resort but Canyons, Solitude and Brighton) and receive three free days at each of the other three resorts. Even better, if you purchase a pass at Alta or Snowbird you get the benefits of the Mountain Collective as well (minus the free tickets)!!!

In other words, if you buy an Alta pass for $999, you’ll get three extra days at Deer Valley ($324), PCMR ($300), Snowbird ($267). That’s an $800+ value! Plus you get most of the Mountain Collective which would be 50 percent off lift tickets at Aspen, Jackson Hole, Mammoth, Whistler, Squaw/Alpine, Durango, Red Lodge Mountain, Homewood, and Wachusett throughout the season. 

“As another step in adding value and variety for our Alta skiers, we think it is great to be able to add days of skiing at three of our fine neighboring resorts – Snowbird, Deer Valley and Park City Mountain Resort,” commented Alta Ski Area’s President and General Manager, Onno Wieringa.

Here’s the condensed rundown of pre-season pass prices for comparision:

Alta:
Adult Season Pass = $999 until 10/1

Alta/Snowbird:
AltaSnowbird Adult = $1499 till Aug. 24 ($1699 after)

The Mountain Collective:
With the purchase of the Mountain Collective Pass each passholder receives 2 days at each of the following areas: AltaSnowbird, Aspen/Snowmass, Jackson Hole, Mammoth, Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows, and Whistler Blackcomb. Additional benefits include half off ski days at The Collective destinations, no blackout dates and up to 25% discount on lodging at The Collective destinations.


Beaver Mountain:
Adult Season Pass (12 & Over) = $465 until 8/15


Brian Head:
Adult Season Pass (26-61) = $539 until 11/7

Brighton:

Adult Season Pass NA yet

Solitude:

Adult Season Pass (26-61) = $999 until 11/1

For the first time ever, Solitude and Brighton have teamed up to offer a joint BCC pass for $999 (the price of a Solitude pass alone); on sale Aug. 8. “We recognize that the paying customer has a plethora of ski pass choices this year. We think you will find that our pass offerings this year are competitive and hope that you choose to keep Solitude as your mountain choice this year,” announced Solitude on Facebook.

Canyons:
Adult Epic Pass = $689
Epic Pass: Unlimited skiing or riding at Canyons, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, Arapahoe Basin and Eldora. – NO BLACKOUTS.  Also includes 5 free days at Verbier, Switzerland and 5 free consecutive days at Arlberg, Austria.

Deer Valley:
Adult Season Pass (24-64) = $1,910 until 10/31
Senior Season Pass (65-71) = $980 until 10/31


Park City Mountain Resort:
College Season Pass (18-24) = $490 until 9/15
Adult Season Pass (25-64) = $780 until 9/15

Powder Mountain:  
Adult Season Pass = $640
First Time Season Pass = $395


Snowbasin:
Adult Premier Season Pass (27-64) = $689 until 9/2

** NEW  Powder Alliance:
Three free days any Sunday-Friday (excludes holidays) at Angle Fire Resort, Arizona Snowbowl, Bridger Bowl, China Peak Crested Butte, Mountain High, Mt. Hood Skibowl, Schweitzer, Sierra-At-Tahoe, Snowbasin, Stevens Pass and Timberline with the purchase of a top-tier, anytime season pass at one of the 12 Powder Alliance Member resorts.

Wolf Mountain Family Passes:
Family (2 Adults & 2 Children living in the same household) = $638
Individual = $255
Student (Full-time student, K thru Graduate Level, 12+ credit hours) = $195


OR Demo Day; Let The Games Begin!

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It did not start off well. The organizers of the Outdoor Retailer Show– the largest industry expo of outdoors products in the country- posted the wrong address for today. So not only did I rise late for the 8 a.m. kick off but I wound up on the wrong side of Pineview Reservoir near Ogden. The nice lady at the kiosk shook her head and said I wasn’t alone.

The outdoor demo is the official kick-off for the Show and a unique opportunity to test the latest paddle, camping, GPS, fishing, GPS/geocaching, hiking, and trail running gear from more than 100 manufacturers.

I got to the Demo Day site by noon and for the first time I can remember I did NOT do the Magellan GPS Scavenger Hunt. The geocaching event has long been a favorite and pretty much the only time in a year where I play with a GPS. Instead, I took in the sights, the gear and the waves on the lake.

My first stop was Skechers to try out a pair of their new GOwalk 2. The lightweight, mesh slip on not only uses their VStride technology to promote a walking step and multi-direction traction on the sole for stability but the breathable upper and midsole cush made it a killer transitional shoe to take from the sand to the water.

Aquapac shared info on their new waterproof duffle and backpack. I especially liked that the backpack looked more like a pack than a drybag.


This handy tool was an emergency cutter. But if you were going to carry it around, why not just take your Buck knife?

PowerBar is introducing a new line of performance energy blend gels like strawberry, apple, mango. They looked tasty but Sage would rather suck on a ginormous snowcone from the Olukai Sandals booth to promote their Shaved Ice collection.

Did you know you can use the insect repellent wipes on your dog to keep fleas and flies away?

Now here was my favorite gadget of the day. The Waka Waka is a pocket-sized, solar powered light that will also charge your phone or Mp3. It has a built-in stand with a center hole so you can hang it from your tent ceiling, set it on a desk or sit it on a water bottle. Waka Waka’s Victor Brandstetter told me that for every sale of the unit the company gives another to an impoverished child or family so students can study at night and have a better chance in school.

Last year, I didn’t get on the water. This year, I SUPed my buns off.


Yes, that’s Laird Hamilton on his signature SUP.


And this is my 6 year old on LuckyBum‘s kids SUP.


Stand-Up Paddleboards are to the summer outdoor industry what snowboards were to the ski industry back in the 90s. Everybody and their frat brothers are making them. One day the little guy will drop off or get swallowed up by the bigger companies but not today; not this year.

OR Demo Moves Back To Pineview

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Let’s hope it’s only temporary but the super fun Outdoor Retailer Demo day scheduled for July 30 is bailing on Jordanelle Reservoir and heading back to Pineview Reservoir near Snowbasin. Can I just say that I hate that drive. It was nice having the kickoff event for the biggest summer gear geekshow in the country in my backyard. Sigh.

“Due to poor/unusable water levels, the location of the 2013 Open Air Demo has changed,” the press release reads. Apparently, the Jordanelle is at less than 68 percent capacity and dropping an average of one percent per week due to evaporation. For those other than OR attendees, there is still plenty of water for boating, swimming, SUPing and jetskiing.

The biggest concern is drought. Again. Park City’s reservoirs are wasting away after the second straight year of weak snowfall.

Storage levels last fall (2012) at East Canyon, Echo and Rockport reservoirs saw their lowest levels in a decade and even with last week’s rain there’s little chance for recovery this summer.

The Jordanelle is east of Park City and collects water from the Provo River. Last winter it hit its lowest mark since it was filled in the mid 1990s. Pretty sure we’ll break that record this year.


Celebrity Ski Race At Canyons Resort Buys Smiles

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There were quite a few more kids (instead of adults) going neck and neck and significantly less recognizable faces at the 2013 Operation Smile Celebrity Ski Challenge at Canyons Resort this weekend. Lea Michele, Cory Monteith and Lucy Hale- Operation Smiles’ headliners and biggest draw were no shows. Last year, you had Billy Bush announcing with the same glib, jovial finesse he has on Access Hollywood but this year, Utah native and host of Spike TV’s Flip Men filled in for Bush and the spirit of this fun spring event waned.

Still, Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz (Arte and Tina from Glee), Jason Ritter (Parenthood), Kate Walsh (Private Practice) and Mark Eaton took turns arcing in the slush near the bottom of Doc’s.


Smile’s Ambassador Zachery Levi (the voice of Flynn Rider in Tangled) also stepped in but without popular stars like Modern Family’s Ty Burrell and Jessie Tyer Ferguson (Phil and Mitchell) and Monteith combing the Plaza there was a definite lack of star power. Which is too bad considering the attention this charity deserves.

Operation Smile has provided more than 200,000 free surgeries for children and young adults throughout the world born with facial deformities. One in every 10 children born with a cleft will die before their first birthday. The children who survive might be unable to eat, speak, socialize or smile. They’re teased and, worse, rejected.

Vampire Diaries’ Michael Trevino showed his support this weekend. (Apologies for the background noise).

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cuifp-TSKQ&w=560&h=315]

This year’s event raised enough money to help more than 900 kids. But it could be more. My fingers are crossed that more Hollywood TV stars hear how much fun it is to come to Canyons, make turns and support a worthy cause that they sign up for next year’s event. Just the same, the crowd enjoyed themselves, raised money for a charity that literally puts smiles on the faces of kids throughout the world and, with any luck, next year’s event will lure back Rachel and Finn, Phil and Mitchell.

 


P.S. How cool would it be to see Alec Baldwin take on Donald Trump and John Krasinski hand it to Mariska Hargitay. It’s completely plausible seeing as how NBC President Jennifer Salke and her teenage son Henry created this event. And while you’re at it, Guys, can you please talk Finn and Rachel into doing a duet on the stage after the race?

 

 


 

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