See them fly: Tahoe skiers, riders featured in return of Red Bull Raid after hiatus
Red Bull Raid, a freestyle ski and splitboard contest, returns this year to Squaw Valley after skipping 2020 due to the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On April 2-3, 60 athletes—such as JT Holmes, Johnny Collinson and Michelle Parker—will hit the ski resort’s Silverado area to compete for all-mountain bragging rights, gear packages and cash prizes for podium finishers, where half the money will be awarded to local businesses of the winner’s choice from Red Bull, according to a news release.
“We hosted the inaugural Red Bull Raid in April of 2019 and, after a hiatus last season, we are excited to welcome the event back again,” Squaw Alpine public relations director Liesl Hepburn told the Sacramento Bee. “So many incredible athletes call the Tahoe area home and with its focus on local talent, this year’s event will bring out the very best in the region.”
The contest will follow the same structure as 2019 with two separate heats for the competitors. Each heat consists of two portions: A timed uphill race and a technically judged big-mountain freeriding contest. Each heat can be awarded a maximum of 200 points, with 100 available for the timed uphill race and 100 for the invigorating downhill part.
The uphill section will be awarded based on who is able to most quickly navigate a Le Mans-style mass sprint start, then transition into their touring gear, skin up the face of the mountain and get ready for the downhill. The fastest finisher will be awarded 100 points, with each subsequent finisher given one point less. The 100 points for the downhill section of each heat will be awarded by a panel of three judges who will take into consideration the difficulty of the line each participant rides, and the control and style with which they ride it.
(See the video above to get a good look at the event)
After the first heat, there will be a cut and the remaining contestants will repeat the same process until first- through third-place winners are announced in four categories: men’s and women’s ski and men’s and women’s splitboard.
Red Bull Raid is free to enter and open to participants within 120 miles of the Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows Ski Area. Squaw Valley, located in the Lake Tahoe area, hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics.
There will be no spectators this year.
