Tahoe Truckee Region Sports Digest

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.

Despite fire damage, Sierra-at-Tahoe perseveres with a targeted reopening date of early 2022.

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.

When the Truckee Donner Land Trust purchased Frog Lake on Donner Summit, a rare opportunity arose: to design a modern version of the classic ski hut. Tahoe Quarterly reports on the results.

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.

James Savage, a 14-year-old from Los Banos, has became the youngest person to earn Lake Tahoe’s Triple Crown by swimming the length of Lake Tahoe—a 12-hour swim from Camp Richardson in South Lake Tahoe to the Hyatt Regency in Incline Village.

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 several years of hard work by local disc golf enthusiasts, a new course has opened at Tahoe Paradise Park in Meyers. The project got a lot of local support, including help from the Meyers Community Foundation, Tahoe Wellness Center, Meek’s Lumber, and Tahoe Sand and Gravel.

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.

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.

The Thunderbird yacht arrived July 12, 1940 at Mayfield’s Boatyard in Tahoe City—now home to Tahoe Yacht Club and Tahoe City Marina. Today, the Thunderbird Lodge Preservation Society cares for the vessel at the Thunderbird Lodge estate on Lake Tahoe’s East Shore.

Closed last summer due to the pandemic, Bijou Golf Course in South Lake Tahoe will not open this summer either. Now city officials are discussing its future, and they’re looking for input from residents.

Forward Leah Marino, 20, has been drafted by the National Women’s Hockey League, making her the youngest hockey player in the history of the league.

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.

Once built, the 2.3-mile multi-use Tunnel Creek Singletrack will provide users with an alternative when descending from the Marlette Flume Trail, the Incline Flume Trail and the Tahoe Rim Trail.

Every evening a siren rings out in Minden, a remnant of a time when members of the Washoe tribe were forced to leave town by sundown. Riders Against Racism says it’s time to silence this reminder of a painful past, and they’re raising awareness with a protest ride on May 29.

The turf field at North Tahoe Regional Park, well-used since 2007, will receive a $2.1 million makeover beginning next month.

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

The Incline Village athlete has stood on the U.S. Alpine Championships podium seven times before, but never as champion until this week.

Beginning in May, road warriors can rent motorcycles, mopeds and more from Rolling Freedom in Stateline.

“The reality is two-thirds of American women are a size 14 and up,” says Raquel Vélez of Alpine Parrot, who is Kickstarting a campaign for plus-size outdoor wear.

The hill where it all started didn’t provide what most people today recognize as skiing.

Ross Tester, 22, is a rookie on the tour. Another local, Sammy Luebke, 31, had a solid day in the men’s snowboard division, finishing in fifth place.