FAR WEST NORDIC SKI EDUCATION ASSOCIATION presents the 11th annual Tahoe Rim Tour & Race, a Point-to-Point 26 kilometer race from Tahoe XC to Northstar California. This is a fundraiser for the Far West Nordic Ski Education Association’s Junior Ski Programs.
This is a fundraiser for the Far West Nordic Ski Education Association’s Junior Ski Programs.
We hope you can join us for this very special event that interconnects some of the most scenic parts of Tahoe XC and Northstar’s trails. We’ll have on-going festivities at Northstar as racers come in. Enjoy an end of race lunch followed by awards.
There is something special about skiing a point-to-point race. It often feels like more of an accomplishment to arrive somewhere different than where you started after skiing hard for 5, 10, or even 30 kilometers. Point to point races can make you feel like an explorer, an adventurer—someone who is really going places in this world!
Far West Nordic has teamed up with Northstar Resort and Tahoe XC to create “The Tahoe Rim Tour,” a 26 kilometer Race and Tour. This event is open for everyone from serious racers to tourers who want to take their time and enjoy the spectacular route across the Tahoe Rim. There is an aid station near the mid-way point providing water, energy drink, and snacks to help fuel the participants through to the finish.
The race begins at the North Tahoe High School in Tahoe City and cruises through parts of the Tahoe XC Nordic Center before climbing up the “Fiberboard Freeway” over 7,700 ft. Starratt Pass. After the top of the pass, the race veers off from the familiar course of the Great Ski Race and instead heads east along the Tahoe Rim before connecting into the trail system of Northstar Cross Country. The course finishes by following the rolling terrain of the Northstar trails to the finish line at the Cross Country Center at Northstar. It’s a challenging 26 kilometers of skiing with approximately 2000 feet of climbing, similar in difficulty to the Great Ski Race. After reaching the finish, participants celebrate their accomplishment at the post race party: hot food, drinks, raffle prizes and more take place right at the finish area and buses will be waiting to take finishers back to Tahoe City.
There are three great options for entrants in the Tahoe Rim Tour: you can choose between classic style skiing, skate skiing, or snowshoeing. The classic skiers start first at 9:00 AM to take advantage of the fresh groomed tracks and the (hopefully) good waxing conditions. The skate wave starts at 9:30 AM and the snowshoers start immediately after the skaters. The course is groomed with classic tracks on the right and a wide skating lane on the left. There is plenty of room for everyone. Prizes are awarded for age group winners in each of the three categories: Stride, Skate, and Shoe.
A special emphasis is placed on the classic portion of the race as these results will count for points in the Fischer Cup Race Series. Both classic and skate divisions qualify for the Sierra Ski Chase and the Masters Challenge. The Tahoe Rim Tour is the only long classic race in the Far West division. This is your chance to see how your striding skills hold up over 26 kilometers!
The Tahoe Rim Tour is a fundraiser for the Far West Nordic Junior programs. Northstar Resort and Tahoe Cross Country generously donate their services to make this tour an incredible winter experience and to help raise money for Tahoe’s young skiers. It is a win, win, win event giving people a chance to challenge themselves on a new course, with three different choices of style, and all of the proceeds going to junior skiers. Come join us for the third Annual Tahoe Rim Tour!