 Outdoor News and Events 3 State 3 Mountain Challenge Webster Wildwater River Festival April 2-3; Webster Springs, West Virginia Experienced paddlers will appreciate the downhill and slalom events on the Elk River, which is calm enough in places to invite novices too. Fun floats, music and food round out the festival. 304-847-2145; www.websterwv.com. Ozark Challenge April 8-10; Ozark, Arkansas Move through Arkansas’s rugged terrain in a series of stages that include: trekking, mountain biking, whitewater canoeing and rock climbing. The “sprint” category covers up to 50 miles over a non-continuous two-day period, while the “advanced” category involves traveling up to 100 miles in 36 hours. 479-667-4066; www.ozarkchallenge.com. Croom Trail 50-Mile Fools Run April 9; Brooksville, Florida They say only fools run this 50-mile race, but its popularity is growing. Or, opt to take part in the I’m Not A Fool 50K or Sofa King Lazy 15-mile races, held the same day. 727-504-3110; www.active.com. World Sailfish Championship April 12-16; Key West, Florida Honorary Chairman General Norman Schwarzkopf presides over this “Super Bowl” of fishing tournaments. The crew that brings in the biggest fish lands $100,000 in prize money. 866-482-7529; www.worldsailfish.com. Pain in the Pines Adventure Challenge April 16; Tyler, Texas This 8- to 12-hour adventure course in Tyler State Park features special tests, orienteering, a 20-mile mountain bike, 2-mile kayak/canoe paddle and 12-mile run. 903-871-8466; www.steelsports.net. Athens Twilight Criterium April 29-May 1; Athens, Georgia Racers travel from around the globe for this high-octane evening race that whips around the streets of historic downtown Athens. After watching the experts, amateurs participate in “The Gambler,” a considerably slower race dedicated to local country great, Kenny Rogers. 706-549-6800; www.athenstwilight.com. Citgo Bassmaster Open Fall TBD; across southeast If flipping and pitching a jig is your thing, try your hand at one of Bassmaster’s dozens of open tournaments across the country, including several in Alabama, Tennessee and Florida. 334-272-9530; www.bassmaster.com. Endorphin FIX Adventure Race June 24-46; New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia Known as the toughest 30-hour race in the US, the Endorphin FIX covers 95 miles of stellar New River Gorge scenery. Soloists and teams of two and four, hike, bike, climb and river swim. 540-444-4422; www.oarevents.com. The Cranky Monkey Mountain Bike Series June-August; Annandale, Virginia A local favorite, this three-race singletrack series is open to beginners and experts, and also includes masters, juniors and singlespeed classes. 571-251-6034; www.ex2adventures.com. Tigerville Bike Trek and BBQ July 30; Tigerville, South Carolina Four bike races in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains (10 miles, 28 miles, 66 miles and 100 miles) are topped off by one large, Southern-style barbecue. 864-292-6315; www.freewheelers.info/bbq. East Coast Surfing Championships August 24-28; Virginia Beach, Virginia More than 100 professional surfers and 300 amateur surfers hit Virginia Beach annually to ride the curl and compete for their share of a $35,000 purse. Other competitions include skimboarding, volleyball and an oceanfront 8K run. 800-861-7873; www.surfecsc.com. NOC Tsali Challenge Triathlon September 10-11; Bryson City, North Carolina Racers compete at western North Carolina’s Tsali Recreation Area. The course includes a 3-mile lake paddle on Fontana Lake, a 4.5-mile trail run and 12 miles of single- and doubletrack mountain biking. Race solo on Saturday or with a team on Sunday. 800-232-7238; www.noc.com. American Whitewater Gauley River Festival September 23-25; Summersville, West Virginia Few rivers in the East measure up to the Gauley’s world-class whitewater. This can’t-miss festival combines killer paddling with Southern-style merrymaking. 828-252-0728; www.americanwhitewater.org. Hound Ears Bouldering Competition October 1-2; Boone, North Carolina Located inside a gated country-club community, this rock is opened to climbers once a year for the Hound Ears Competition. 336-838-1948; www.triplecrownbouldering.org. Rocktoberfest October 8-9; Torrent, Kentucky This weekend-long climbing event in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge attracts beginners and experts with multiple climbs, food, music and clinics. 859-269-8796; www.rrgcc.org. Bridge Day October 15;Fayetteville, West Virginia You may not be ready to take a flying leap off the 876-foot bridge above the New River, but 200,000 people gather each year to watch BASE jumpers do just that. 800-927-0263; www.officialbridgeday.com. 24 Hours of Adrenaline October 15-16; Conyers, Georgia Solo riders or teams of up to 10 people ride as many laps as possible in a 24-hour period. 416-640-0824; www.24hoursofadrenaline.com. ACE’s New River Gorge-ous Trail Run & Walk October 29; Oak Hill, West Virginia This run through the mountains of West Virginia coincides with one of the most amazing fall color displays in the country. Options include 15- and 7-mile runs or a 5-mile hike. 888-223-7238; www.aceraft.com. BEST CHARITY EVENTS Potomac Whitewater Festival July 15-16; Great Falls Park, Virginia Often listed as one of the most endangered rivers, the Potomac benefits each year from paddlers who come out to play and raise money for conservation. 828-252-0728; www.potomacfest.com. Mississippi Gulf Coast Fishing Tournament June 8-12; Biloxi, Mississippi Participants can win big money in this tournament (up to $1,500), but a bigger winner is the Coastal Conservation Alliance of Mississippi. 228-432-7387; www.fishinmississippi.com. Tour de Goodwill August tbd; Shreveport, Louisiana Four bike routes to choose from, starting at 26 miles and going up to 100 miles. Proceeds benefit the North Louisiana Goodwill Industries. 800-259-4483; www.active.com. BEST BEGINNER EVENTS Run for the River TBd; Duluth, Georgia The Chattahoochee is the perfect backdrop for your first 5K trail run, and proceeds benefit the upper Chattahoochee River Keepers. 678-287-4010; www.runfortheriver.org. Asheville Mountain Sports Festival April 29-May 1; Asheville, North Carolina Amateurs compete in paddling, adventure racing, cycling, disc golf, running and climbing. Live music and seminars round out the weekend’s activities. 828-259-5804; www.mountainsportsfestival.com. Tyler Adventure Sprint Race September 3; Tyler, Texas Designed for novice teams, this 3- to 6-hour sprint race has an easier navigating element than more advanced adventure races. Solo racers are discouraged. 903-871-8466; www.steelsports.net. © Copyright 1999-2006 by Hooked on the Outdoors www.ruhooked.com |