Nevada County Sports Digest

Every year, hundreds gather at Kings Beach for the Ta-Hoe Nalu Paddle Festival. “We were the first and we are the oldest,” says founder Ernie Brassard. But after dealing with COVID-19 and wildfires, Brassard is looking to pass the event on to the next generation of organizers.

During a long career in lift construction and ski resort management, Hans Burkhart earned a reputation for completing the most difficult, demanding projects safely and on time. Now, he’s writing a book.

There are dozens of golf courses around the Lake Tahoe basin that offer breathtaking views and challenging play. Avid golfers and pros weigh in on their favorite holes, whether it be best views, unique features or fun game play.

Sierra College Women’s Basketball are California State Champions for the first time since 1999 after a March 13 win at West Hills College in Lemoore over conference rival San Joaquin Delta College.

Sierra-at-Tahoe has announced plans to open for one weekend only, April 9-10, to celebrate 75 years of “history, cherished memories, good times and … tough times too.”

Alterra Mountain Company has announced plans to invest $344 million in capital improvements. It will include replacing Mammoth Mountain lifts and installing a gondola at Palisades Tahoe.

Luis Medearis went from never having been on a snowboard to becoming a successful snowboard videographer living in Kings Beach. One of the few Black videographers in the industry, he’s hoping to use his success to inspire Black youth.

A new climate change analysis concludes that the Lake Tahoe area is already too warm to risk hosting the Winter Olympic Games. But others aren’t ready to give up. Jon Killoran, CEO of the Reno-Tahoe Winter Games Coalition, says the study is “another piece that would be taken into account. ... [I]t’s a matter of what people do about what those ramifications are, to either mitigate them or not.”

Thirteen athletes from the Tahoe-Truckee area went to Beijing to compete in the 2022 Winter Olympics. Here's how they fared.

This March, Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe will begin deconstruction of the Lakeview Triple, a fixed gripped chair that was constructed in 1980. The chair will be replaced with a high-speed quad.

A Timbersled is part dirt bike, part snowmobile, all adrenaline. Powersports company Polaris owns the brand, but the name has become the universal term for this hybrid machine, like Kleenex and Xerox.

RMU threw an apres ski style party to benefit the Shane McConkey Foundation. The event raised over $2,000, and there are future plans to hold fundraisers for nonprofits.

Purchasing a one-day ticket at ski resorts the day of use is the most expensive way to go. Resorts are encouraging visitors to purchase in advance online or to go with a season pass for the best deals.

In the 1930s, California got its first chairlift. Only the second in the country, it kicked off a nationwide boost of interest in alpine skiing.

“Buried: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche” is a new documentary that looks back at the historic Alpine Meadows avalanche. It will premiere in December but is already gaining traction at festivals.

Several Olympic hopefuls from the Tahoe-Truckee region have been named members of the U.S. Alpine team.

Tahoe Quarterly profiles freestyle skiing great Hermann Goellner. Still fit at age 78, the Austrian-born pioneer of the sport has lived in the Tahoe area for nearly 20 years.

The Tahoe Weekly compiled a list of opening dates for the 2021-22 ski season with Mt. Rose expected to be the first downhill resort to open for the season on Nov. 12. Auburn Ski Club will open its Nordic ski area on Nov. 13.

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe resort is taking on a $7.5 million capital improvement project that is expected to be complete for next year’s ski season.

Northstar California and Heavenly Mountain Resort will each receive new high-speed chairlifts as part of Vail Resorts’ $320 million capital investment plan for 2022. The company will install 19 new lifts across its 14 resorts.

Hundreds of bike enthusiasts will compete Sept. 25 in the first-ever Heart of Gold, a 55-mile gravel course race through the Gold Country aimed at raising awareness and funds for mental wellness programs for youth in Nevada County. The race, which begins in Nevada City, should draw as many as 400 racers from around the state.

In the male-dominated world of fly fishing, trekking out to the river can be intimidating for some women. This is why local fly fisher Amy McCormick and Alpine Fly Fishing have added classes specifically aimed at women.

The PGA Barracuda tournament is back for the second time at Truckee’s Old Greenwood golf course, but this year spectators will be able to attend. The Sierra Sun explores the backstory of the historic site.

After more than three years of diligent work, the Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, has completed the Stanford Rock Trail on the west shore of Lake Tahoe. The project increases trail access for mountain bikers, hikers and equestrians.

Paddling all the way around Lake Tahoe is a challenge not only physically but also because it takes at least four to six days for most people to make the trip. Tahoe Weekly’s Tim Hauserman shares his tips on the adventure, which still remains on his bucket list.

RMU Outdoors, an employee-owned company that builds recreational gear and apparel, plans to open a concept store this fall in downtown Truckee. “We’re honored to join and contribute to the progression of the outdoor industry in Truckee,” said RMU CEO Mike Waesche.

For nearly 50 summers, Craig Meacham has been swimming laps on Donner Lake. Last year, during the pandemic, he swam exactly a hundred days between June and October.

The High Fives Foundation, based in Truckee, is one of more than 100 nonprofits recently honored by state legislators. Assemblywoman Megan Dahle selected the group for its contributions in her district.

In 1983, writes Matthew Renda in the Tahoe Quarterly, Max Jones was testing out his new off-road bike on the Tunnel Creek Trail near Incline Village. He began the laborious process of clearing fallen trees and other debris from the scenic ridgeline route.

A pandemic-driven surge in fly-fishing has created an opportunity in the Tahoe area, but more fishermen put more pressure on local waters.

Alterra Mountain Company, Boyne Resorts, POWDR and Vail Resorts have announced the Climate Collaborative Charter, the ski industry’s first unified effort to address climate change.

As the snow-sports season comes to a close, resort officials reflect on how they fared during the pandemic.