First-ever Lake Tahoe Nordic festival set for Feb. 8-10

Alpenglow Sports has teamed up with Tahoe Cross Country to present the first-ever Lake Tahoe Nordic Festival Friday, February 8 through Sunday, February 10. All events are free, open to the public and take place at Tahoe Cross Country Ski Area in Tahoe City, California. A full schedule of events is available at www.tahoenordicfestival.com.

The Lake Tahoe Nordic Festival is a three-day event that will cater to one of the fastest growing cross-country regions in the United States – Lake Tahoe. While it is no secret that Lake Tahoe is a famous alpine skiing destination, the region also offers world-class Nordic skiing and even played host to the Nordic events on the scenic West Shore during the 1960 Winter Olympics.

Friday evening kicks off the festival with a community-oriented party and film presentation by local athletes. An on-snow demo with all the latest and greatest in Nordic equipment from all industry brands will take place on Saturday from 8 a.m.- 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday are filled with technical and health clinics, group skis, historical snowshoe tours and race series.

The festival has gathered the local Nordic ski and snowshoe community to lead its clinics, groups skis and races, including Olympians Marcus Nash and Glenn Jobe, Far West Nordic Head Coach Ben Grassechi, Tahoe Peak Endurance’s Colleen Connors-Pace, Andy Pasternak and Julie Young of Silver Sage Sports Performance, Tim Hauserman of Tahoe Cross Country, Kara LaPoint of North Tahoe High School Nordic, and Peter Fain of Atlas Snowshoes. Local organizations Tahoe Institute for Natural Science and the Tahoe Rim Trail Association will also lead a Natural History Snowshoe Tour and Snowshoe Hike, respectively.

"We are excited to be hosting this first event at Tahoe Cross Country with Brendan and Alpenglow Sports,” said Kevin Murnane of Tahoe Cross Country Ski Area. “We have had a long standing partnership in Tahoe City promoting Nordic skiing together. The Lake Tahoe Nordic Festival will bring out the entire Nordic community to celebrate this great sport. Our goal is to offer something for everyone: from the complete beginner looking for a first lesson, to the veteran racer looking for the best equipment available, to the trail runner looking for a great snowshoe to help them stay fit in winter. When Brendan approached us with the idea of modeling this event after his successful Alpenglow Backcountry Festival and Demo Day, we jumped right in.”

The Lake Tahoe Nordic Festival has been made possible through a grant from the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, as well as partnerships with Atlas Snowshoes, Fischer, Leki, Madshus, Rossignol, Salomon, Swix, Toko, Silver Sage Sports Performance, Tahoe Peak Endurance, the Tahoe Rim Trail Association, Far West Nordic, Sugar Pine Cakery, Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships, Tahoe Institute for Natural Science and Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue.

About Alpenglow Sports:
Established in 1979, Alpenglow Sports is Tahoe City’s original mountain shop and specializes in backcountry and Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, trail running, backpacking, hiking, camping and mountain lifestyle apparel.

About Tahoe Cross Country Ski Area:
The Tahoe Cross Country Ski Education Association (TCCSEA) is a nonprofit 501©(3) corporation whose mission is to promote the sport of cross-country skiing through educational activities for children and adults.

About North Lake Tahoe:
North Lake Tahoe, at an elevation of 6,200 feet, is home to majestic mountains and the largest alpine lake in the country, boasting a visibility of 70 feet down. It also has the largest concentration of ski resorts in the U.S., meaning more lifts and more terrain than anywhere else. Plus, the region typically averages 400 inches of snowfall each year, making for fantastic ski and boarding conditions.

North Lake Tahoe has been recognized by national media outlets, including Good Morning America, Travelocity, Orbitz, The New York Times, The Weather Channel, ESPN The Magazine, among others for its scenic splendor and reputation as a leader in outdoor recreation, entertainment and dining. Recently, Lake Tahoe was ranked the “Best Lake in America” in a survey by USA Today readers.

North Lake Tahoe is a 45-minute drive from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, two hours from Sacramento International Airport and just over three hours from San Francisco International Airport. The North Lake Tahoe Visitors Bureaus, the North Lake Tahoe Chamber/CVB/Resort Association and the Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau, work together to promote North Lake Tahoe as a premier destination.

For more information about the Lake Tahoe Nordic Festival, ski resorts, events, activities, dining and other winter offerings, click to www.GoTahoeNorth.com. And, for the best bargains, including lodging, check out the website’s Cool Deals page, which is updated daily.