FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 16, 2009
Contact:
John Monson, (530) 426-6720
Director of Sales and Marketing, Sugar Bowl Resort
RAHLVES WINS 2009 SUGAR BOWL SILVER BELT BANZAI, SISTER SHANNON TOPS WOMEN’S DIVISION
(Donner Summit, CA) – Daron Rahlves (Truckee, CA) was the fastest skier down the mountain at this weekend’s Silver Belt Banzai, taking the top podium spot amongst a field of 40 local and regional athletes. 64 total racers turned out to compete in the event, racing for a $10,000 total prize purse in Youth (age 14 – 19), Snowboard, Men’s and Women’s divisions. Athletes were timed in single-skier trials on Saturday, with qualifying times setting the heats for Sunday’s skicross-meets-downhill namesake “banzai” format, where six skiers/riders race at once down the famed Silver Belt gully with minimal rules but to stay on course and finish in the top three to advance. “It’s such a fun event” said Rahlves, “and with the growing popularity and inclusion of ski-cross in the 2010 Olympics, mixed with the downhill speed and excitement of the Silver Belt gully itself, the Banzai should only grow bigger and better in the years to come”. Rahlves, who will be competing in ski-cross for the United States in the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, is a decorated downhiller, an X-Games competitor and former World Champion.
Making it a family affair, Rahlves’ sister Shannon, a former CU-Boulder All-American Ski-teamer, took top honors for the women’s division, narrowly beating out Sugar Bowl sponsored athlete Jaclyn Paaso.
While Saturday’s weather served up soft race conditions and a festive finish line BBQ, Sunday’s storm made for limited visibility and deep powder conditions, with 20 inches falling in 24 hours and well over 4 feet of new snow since last week. “Although we bill the Banzai as an all-natural event with course conditions remaining untouched, racer safety is paramount” explained Sugar Bowl’s director of sales and marketing John Monson. “The storm dropped an impressive amount of snow and it made for some interesting racing, but we persevered, pulled off an incredible event, no one got hurt, and everyone had fun. We’re already looking forward to next year’s event.”
Official 2009 Sugar Bowl Silver Belt Banzai Race Results:
Men’s Ski 20 and Over
1st Place Daron Rahlves
2nd Place Shawn McGee
3rd Place Nicholas Barton
4th Place Trevor Tanhoff
5th Place Cliff Bennett
6th Place Gunnar Newquist
Women’s Division
1st Place Shannon Rahlves
2nd Place Jaclyn Paaso
Boys 14 – 19
1st Place Corey Talbot
2nd Place Brett Hammann
3rd Place Tyler Hunter
Snowboard Division
1st Place Jake Somervell
2nd Place Brian Bozack
3rd Place Pat Hall
Sponsors of the 2009 Sugar Bowl Silver Belt Banzai included title-sponsor Red Bull, Clif Bar, TahoeTV, Snowbomb, Jeep, and Fifty Fifty Brewing Co.
Sugar Bowl Resort, atop Tahoe’s majestic Donner Summit, offers some of the region’s best skiing and riding on 1,500 acres, 1,500 vertical feet and 500 annual inches of snowfall. The closest major resort on the western front of the Sierra’s, Sugar Bowl is just three hours from San Francisco and 45 minutes from Reno. For more information on Sugar Bowl please visit www.sugarbowl.com or call (530) 426-9000.
(PRE-RACE SILVER BELT BANZAI PRESS RELEASE)
Start List For Mens Finals.
The Silver Belt Downhill, dating back to 1940, was for many years considered the preeminent North American race for skiing's elite. Racers would travel from home resorts to compete for top honors on the challenging and formidable course, always followed with a legendary celebration. The 2009 Silver Belt Banzai will keep this tradition alive, honoring past racers with the event itself while enticing today's top skiers with the latest racing discipline, all in a festive atmosphere with live music and parties.
Starting atop Sugar Bowl's famed Silver Belt run, skiers will test their skills on this spectator-friendly course, racing out of the gate in six-man heats with rules being to simply stay on-course and finish in the top two to advance. Up to 100 qualifying and invited skiers of all ages – both men and women – will race for upwards of $10,000 in cash and prizes, with qualifying skiers competing in heats on Saturday to earn a spot in Sunday's finals race. Entry fees are set at $100 per qualifying racer, and free for invited racers.
This event is open to anyone wishing to participate ages 14 and up.
Registration:
Ages 14-18: $50
Ages 19 and up: $100
Registration fee does include your ticket for the day.
Silver Belt Article from 1/30/09
Check out the latest article from the Sierra Sun.
Click here to read the latest press release on the 2009 Silver Belt Banzai.
