The Teva Mountain Games, billed as the nation’s largest celebration of mountain sports and culture, makes its annual return to Vail this weekend.
On the sports side, thousands of professional and amateur outdoor-adventure athletes will converge upon the mountains and rivers of Vail to compete in seven sports and 10 disciplines, including freestyle and extreme kayaking, raft paddlecross, bouldering, speed and dyno climbing, mountain bike freeride, big air, cross country and road racing, as well as trail running and the GNC Ultimate Mountain Challenge.
The social scene features an interactive exhibition and demo area, a free concert with Ozomatli and parties aplenty, including the annual Teva Mountain Ball at Samana on Bridge Street on Friday night. The weekend also features clinics ranging from climbing to cycling, and an adventure-film school will teach budding moviemakers how to best capture the moment.
Be sure to check out the World Cup bouldering competition and the debut of Vail’s state-of-the-art whitewater park on Gore Creek, which inflates to shape the ultimate surf wave. Still photographers can pocket $2,500 as the winner of the mountain photo competition.
Check it out: www.tevamountaingames.com
Teva Mountain Games
The Teva Mountain Games in and around Vail include competition in kayaking, rafting, climbing, mountain biking and cross country running. Participants range from professionals to beginners. For more information on the schedule and clinics for the public, go to .
THURSDAY
10 a.m.: Steep Creek Championship at Homestake Creek
1:30 p.m.: Difficulty and speed bouldering demo
3:30: Youth bouldering competition
6: Opening ceremony
FRIDAY
9 a.m.: IFSC bouldering World Cup qualifier
Noon and 2 p.m.: Fly-fishing clinic provided by Gore Creek Fly Fisherman
1: Kayak freestyle qualifier
4:30: Kayak freestyle clinic
SATURDAY
8 a.m.: Citizen bouldering competition
8:30: Downriver kayak sprint
9: Fly-fishing qualifier (first round)
10:30: Cross country, junior beginners
11: Kayak freestyle semifinals
11:30: Freeride qualifier
Noon: Cross country, expert and pro divisions
Noon and 3 p.m.: Fly-fishing clinic
1: IFSC bouldering World Cup semifinals
2: Fly-fishing qualifier (second round)
3: Freeride finals
4: Cross country, juniors sport and expert, sport, beginner and 35+ divisions
4:30: Kayak freestyle finals
5: Speed retrieve
5:15: Kayak freestyle clinic
5:30: Slopestyle qualifier
6: IFSC bouldering World Cup finals
7: Teva X-1 mud run at Golden Peak
8: Slopestyle finals
SUNDAY
8 a.m.: Fly-fishing finals
8:30: 10K spring runoff
10: Raftcross
11: Hill climb
11:30: Speed bouldering qualifiers, 8-ball kayak qualifier
Noon: Fly-fishing clinic
1 p.m.: Speed bouldering finals
1:30: Raftcross, big air amateur and semipro finals
2:30: 8-ball kayak finals, big air pro finals
3:30: Fly-fishing weigh-in, Ultimate Mountain Challenge coronation
4: Telluride Mountainfilm on Tour at the Lodge at Vail
