VAIL — Some call them the hippie Olympics. Others more graciously refer to them as the unofficial Olympics of mountain sports.
But however folks may feel about the annual Teva Mountain Games that wound up their ninth edition in Vail on Sunday, there is an undeniable — if almost indefinable — element that clearly separates the increasingly popular four-day adventure sports festival from every other in the nation.
In a word, it’s known as “lifestyle.”
For many, the niche sports that comprise the Mountain Games can be considered among the most challenging on the planet. Ranging from World Cup rock climbing to freestyle whitewater kayaking, paddle surfing on rushing rivers to slopestyle mountain biking off daunting man-made jumps, the Mountain Games reach far beyond the traditions of trail running and bike rides through the woods.
Yet, like the kindred cousins that originally inspired the modern Mountain Games, none of these outdoor pastimes are necessarily competitive by nature. They’re the sorts of sports that ultimately offer reward in the doing more than in defeating any rival.
“It’s one of my favorite events. The diversity of events here is something we don’t get week in week out, and I think it’s a real asset,” said U.S. national mountain bike champion Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski of Boulder, who rides for Subaru-Gary Fisher. “These are sports you carry with you your whole life. I’m one of the fortunate few that’s able to make a career out of something that I love, but I would be doing this even if I wasn’t making a career out of it. And I think the same is true for everyone else here. Everyone here really shares a passion for the outdoors.”
When the Teva Mountain Games first arrived in 2002, there was more than a little uncertainty surrounding their reach in a sporting nation undeniably enthralled with sticks and balls. But after an estimated crowd of 40,000 strolled through the Vail venues last weekend, it seems evident the foreign adventure sports formula has hit its stride among the lifestyle disciples.
“Accessibility is a big part of the formula,” said TMG creator Joel Heath, now the global marketing director for Teva shoes. “We might sacrifice a little bit of the challenge by putting the venue in a downtown location like Vail, but it gives exposure to little Johnny by introducing him to rock climbing. And Johnny sees climbing for the first time and says, ‘Maybe I won’t play football. Maybe I’ll try climbing instead.’ I think that’s a really important part.”
Just as only a small percentage of those entering youth leagues will go on to the professional sporting world in football, baseball or basketball, an even smaller percentage can expect to make a career as an adventure sports athlete. Nine times out of 10, little Johnny isn’t going to make a living out of climbing rocks.
“But you’re going to live a life climbing rocks,” Heath said. “And at the Mountain Games, for that standard Joe, for a weekend he gets to live the life of (pro kayaker) Brad Ludden or (climber) Daniel Woods. . . . Who gives a darn about who finished in what place? You want to live an aspirational life, and events like the Mountain Games give you a chance to break out of that a little bit.”
It was a combination of the competitive climbing scene and the prevailing sense of community that brought Brent Cain of Moab and his 13-year- old son, Canyon, to their first Teva Mountain Games. Already receiving product sponsorship from Five Ten as a traditional climber, Canyon had never entered a bouldering contest before or even climbed an artificial wall.
After Cain finished off the podium in the citizens competition Sunday, the father and son spent the remainder of the afternoon bouncing on a slackline set up by vendors at the event.
“I got into climbing because of him,” said Brent Cain, 41. “We both started at the same time. As long as he has interest in it, we’ll just see where the journey takes us.”
For others, like C4 Waterman team surfer Archie Kalepa of Maui, Hawaii, the competitive years have already passed. Yet Kalepa remains an integral part of the C4 Waterman team as a sponsored “lifestyle athlete,” a sort of ambassador to the burgeoning sport of stand-up paddle surfing that made its debut at the Mountain Games last weekend.
“Coming here and seeing what we saw on the river and getting a chance to absorb the atmosphere here, it’s been eye-opening and very enriching. It’s its own culture here, and it’s funny to see how much the cultures have in common,” Kalepa said. “The thing I really notice is the spirit. The spirit of the sports is so intertwined between the mountain and island cultures.”
Heath agrees, albeit phrased with a decidedly more mainland interpretation.
“People are really looking for better stories to tell, a better answer to the question, ‘What did you do this weekend?’ ” he said. “Having a good story is really what lifestyle sports are all about. The reward is living a bigger life. You’re surrounded by it here.”
Scott Willoughby: 303-954-1993 or swilloughby@denverpost.com
