VAIL — It can be difficult, some days, not to wake up mildly depressed by the purported state of the American youth. Among reports of the ridiculous hours of screen time, obesity epidemics, increased urbanization and the overriding listlessness of adolescence, the malaise is almost contagious.
Then I remember the , and life is good again.
Beginning Friday, more than 750 kids ages 6-14 will descend on Vail for the sixth-annual gathering and expansion of the youth adventure tribe. More than an event, it is a phenomenon, a bona fide expression of energy and spirit that spills beyond the boundaries of youth and consumes entire families. It’s the convergence of action and creativity and the thin line between jealousy and longing to provide our own kids some of the coolest opportunities most parents never had.
It’s also sold out, or at least the actual adventure racing portion of it is. There’s still ample opportunity for folks to take part in the action.
The brainchild of Billy Mattison — Vail Ski Patrol manager, former professional adventure racer and father of two — and his wife, Hélène, the Vail Kids Adventure Games has grown since 2009 into a five-day extravaganza, including a family adventure expo, KEEN family mud run and the kids adventure races, with 375 teams of two competing in what is clearly one of the coolest kids races on the planet.
The adventure course, which spans Vail Village and Vail Mountain, includes a mud pit, rope obstacles, a zipline, a giant slope-n-slide and tubing.
Families interested in dipping a toe into the adventure can sign up for the mud run, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Saturday, at Mountain Plaza in Vail Village. It’s open to all ages ($10 for kids, $20 for adults or $50 for a family of four) and features a course just over a mile long strewn with mud pits.
The family adventure expo will kick off the event Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Solaris Plaza in Vail Village. The expo features a climbing wall, cave of confusion, meet and greet with Vail’s Ski Patrol rescue dogs, photo booth, fly-fishing demos, helmet safety checks with the Vail Valley Medical Center, a spirit station full of crafting supplies to create cheer cards, product sampling from Horizon Organic, and plenty more.
On race days, everyone is invited to join in with a variety of spectator-friendly challenges around Ford Park and Gore Creek, including a tubing challenge between the Covered Bridge and International Bridge in Vail Village. Those who want to play a bigger part can join in as volunteers and help with the various obstacles, course marshaling, transition areas, and the start and finish area during the event. Local school groups and nonprofits can earn financial contributions for working the event (contact volunteer coordinator Carey Anderson at canderson@vailrec.com or call 970-479-2280).
In an era so often spent lamenting the decline of youth participation in outdoor activities, it’s refreshing to see someone actually doing something to turn the tide. But it’s equally critical for parents to take advantage of such opportunities. Don’t worry. The overflow of enthusiasm will be even more contagious than any angst or iPad envy. And life will be good again.
