Contact: Margaret Skillicorn
Weidinger Public Relations
775-588-2412

EXTREME SPORTS AT TAHOE – OFF AND OVER THE EDGE

(South Shore, Lake Tahoe, Calif./Nev.) – Picture jumping 40-feet into the air off the water or surfing across a frozen lake harnessed to a kite and carried by the wind. Children-at-heart play hard and fast all year long in America’s biggest Alpine playground, South Shore Lake Tahoe.

Daredevil athletes who seek an adrenaline rush and an experience unlike anything else visit Tahoe all year long to test their confidence and skill at performing outrageous jumps and tricks in extreme sports. Designed by a new generation of outdoor athletes in search of alternative recreational options, extreme sports were born and are intended to challenge competitors to compete with the laws of nature and themselves. South Shore Lake Tahoe’s rugged cliffs, steep mountains, and backcountry provide athletes an natural environment to dare what was once considered dangerously impossible.

For the best equipment, information and preparation from area experts, visit these outfitters:

Wakeboarding

Think of it as snowboarding on water; makes sense in Lake Tahoe! Skimming across sapphire water, wakeboarding provides extreme thrills and spills and is a common sight in Lake Tahoe during the warmer months. Visitors can get outfitted at Zephyr Cove Resort, Camp Richardson Resort and Ski Run Marina.

Kite Surfing

What do you get when you cross wakeboarding with windsurfing? Kite surfing! One of the hottest new adventure sports on the scene, kite surfing, combines the acrobatics and agility of wakeboarding with the natural power of windsurfing. Kite surfers are harnessed to a giant kite, strapped into a wakeboard-type board and free to go where the wind takes them. Employing aerial acrobatics, wake jumping, and cruising at high speeds, some kite surfers fly across the surface then jump 40 feet into the air – all by harnessing the power of the wind.

Kite Boarding

Kite boarding: Just like kite surfing - only the lake is frozen! Kite boarding is becoming more and more popular on the many frozen lakes and snow-covered meadows around Lake Tahoe’s South Shore. Great on windy days when the ski lifts aren't running.

Glider Rides

The area is known for its mountain ridges, and the ultimate view of Lake Tahoe is from 15,000 feet. Soar on the airwaves and thermals high above Lake Tahoe and the Carson Valley in a glider plane. High Country Soaring operates out of the Minden-Tahoe Airport and provides narrated, one-passenger rides, and upon request, pilots will perform “Top Gun” aerobatics. Soar Minden operates out of the Minden-Tahoe Airport and provides tours above Tahoe with twin and three passenger flights available.

Hang Gliding and Paragliding

The truly intrepid visitors slide into a hang glider, hop into a glider plane or strap into a para-glider for a birds-eye view of the Tahoe basin and surrounding Sierra Nevada. Adventure Sports in the Reno/Carson Valley provides tandem flights for beginners or lessons for parties of three or more.

Parasailing

Sitting comfortably in a swing seat and harnessed to a parachute, parasailers are tethered to a powerboat and slowly winched up and out from the stern of the boat until they reach soaring heights above Lake Tahoe with epic views around the Tahoe basin and down into the depths of Lake Tahoe. Zephyr Cove Resort, Camp Richardson Resort and Ski Run Marina all offer parasailing on a daily basis in the summertime.

Hiking and Rock Climbing

In summer, the best hikers in the area head for Mt. Tallac, the 9,736-foot peak that dominates views throughout South Shore. The trail climbs 3,275 feet over a distance of just 5.3 miles. A rocky scramble to the summit is the last hurdle for those who make it to the top.

For rock climbers, Tahoe is nirvana thanks to massive spires of granite prevalent around the region. Sierra Mountain Guides will show climbers Tahoe’s more impressive peaks and climbing routes or teach them the basics. Equipment is provided and group rates are offered. For those not quite ready for Mother Nature, head to Kirkwood’s 30-foot climbing wall complete with a straight surface, an incline, and an overhang. The wall is open weekends and holidays.

Mountain Biking, All Year Long Intense and exhilarating mountain bike riders can be found throughout the basin, with the famous Flume Trail on Tahoe’s East Shore and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride on the South Shore being among the most popular. Five high mountain passes within 100 miles offer road cyclists an ultimate challenge of endurance.

Although mountain biking is an exhilarating way to experience Tahoe’s mountain terrain once the snow melts, some epic winter enthusiasts head into Tahoe’s world famous backcountry terrain. Sierra-at-Tahoe, Kirkwood Mountain Resort and Heavenly Mountain Resort offer a variety of alternatives to skiing and snowboarding down the mountain. Rent a ski-bike or snow-scoot at Sierra-at-Tahoe for a change from traditional transportation down the mountain. At Kirkwood, rent a snowskate and hit the customized snowskate park to experience something new for a day. At the top of the Heavenly gondola, pick up a tube and cruise the tubing park for the afternoon. Or, Sierra Ski & Cycle Works rents just about everything, including full-suspension mountain bikes, avalanche beacons, and probes. The shop encourages adventurers to speak with a guide for advice on routes prior to heading out.

Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding

In winter, visitors with the appropriate knowledge and experience can head into Tahoe’s endless backcountry for some of the world’s best skiing and snowboarding terrain. Extreme filmmakers often come to Tahoe to create their most radical movie segments thanks to the plentiful snow pack and boundless array of cliff drops, chutes, cornices, and natural jibs. Snowboarders rip down the sides of snow-packed mountains, and some even fly off the snow-covered walls of a U-shaped ramp, called a halfpipe. The bravest boarders rocket back and forth on the halfpipe walls doing tricks, flips, and spins.

For the very hardy mountain visitors, multi-day winter excursions into the backcountry can test strength and endurance as well as skill and mental veracity. The three world-class ski resorts at South Shore, Heavenly Mountain Resort, Sierra-at-Tahoe, and Kirkwood Mountain Resort, continue to offer untouched backcountry and steeps for adrenaline seekers as well.

Avalanche Preparedness Training

In partnership with Backcountry Access (BCA), Kirkwood offers Beacon Basin, the only avalanche beacon training facility of its kind in California. Beacon Basin allows avalanche educators to efficiently teach beacon users of all levels how to properly use an avalanche beacon to find a buried skier or rider. Multiple avalanche transmitters are permanently buried in a safe, non-threatening snowfield enabling beacon users to comfortably practice complex multiple, deep and individual burials. Beacon Basin training will be offered as a part of the backcountry awareness courses, and will be open daily in the winter free of charge for all Kirkwood guests.

Hummer/Jeep Backcountry 4-Wheeling

Staying close to the ground is more the style for some backcountry seekers. Try an Off Highway backcountry adventure and explore the famous Rubicon Trail with Lake Tahoe Adventures. LTA offers guided tours on ATVs, in Jeeps, or in Hummers. Three hour, full day and overnight tours available.

About the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority
Set high in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, South Shore Lake Tahoe offers one of the World’s most unique destinations, combining spectacular natural beauty and a plethora of outdoor activities along with 24-hour nightclubs, fine dining, gaming and superstar entertainment. The region’s naturally beautiful white-capped granite peaks reaching nearly 10,000 feet, emerald green forests, and indigo blue waters draw vacationers year-round from around the world to experience the best in outdoor recreation, including world-class skiing and riding, boating, fishing, golfing, hiking, and mountain biking as well as to enjoy the dynamic nightlife. For information about lodging, recreation and family packages at South Shore Lake Tahoe, call the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, 1-800-AT-TAHOE (1-800-288-2463) or log onto www.bluelaketahoe.com.

Access to Blue Lake Tahoe
The Reno/Tahoe International Airport provides 180 daily flights with nonstop service to 20 destinations, including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, Phoenix, San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, and Salt Lake City. An additional 24 destinations are serviced via direct, one-stop flights from RTIA. The airport is just 55 miles from South Lake Tahoe and is accessible via the South Tahoe Express, a luxury shuttle service. The Lake Tahoe Airport is a year-round all-weather facility with professional services located in South Lake Tahoe, CA for the general aviation and corporate executive traveler.