The 2016 Rahlves’ Banzai Tour makes two stops this year, starting at Kirkwood Mountain (Feb. 27-28) and concluding one week later at Sugar Bowl ski resort on March 5-6.
Daron Rahlves, a USA Olympic ski racer and Winter X-Games Skier-X champion, is the event organizer and also a participant in the Super Finals at Sugar Bowl where $5,000 is awarded to the winner. The Banzai Tour is racing in its purest form – big mountain freeride meets ski/boarder-cross action.
Taking place at two Lake Tahoe resorts, the Rahlves’ Banzai Tour is head-to-head action with four racers at a time going top to bottom down a wide open course over natural terrain and snow conditions. It’s a true test of ski and riding skills. The event is open to anyone 18 or older.
A solo timed qualifying run Saturday ranks the Top 32 men ski/board and Top 16 women ski/board into brackets for Sunday’s finals. The finals match up four competitors at a time with the top two advancing until the remaining four battle it out for the Rahlves’ Banzai title held at Sugar Bowl.
The Rahlves’ Banzai Tour is now in its fifth season. Top skiers and snowboarders from North America will line up against Lake Tahoe area athletes, laying it on the line to defend home turf and a cash purse at each event. Points are earned at all events and added up to crown male and female ski and snowboard Overall Banzai Champions for an additional pay out.
The Rahlves’ Banzai Tour finals are annually held at Sugar Bowl, where it captures the spirit of a race that lasted for many years. The Silver Belt Race first took place in the 1940s at Sugar Bowl Resort and was re-born in 2009 with the first Banzai Tour event.
Visit http://www.rahlvesbanzai.com to register or for additional information.
Jeffrey Weidel can be reached at skiweidel@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeffweidel and visit his website at www.tahoeskiworld.com.
