Watch out for the high-speed rippers this holiday weekend

This promises to be a busy weekend on the snow slopes with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on tap.

Thanks to the recent snow there should be plenty of room on the hills with all the resorts open at nearly100 percent. Most offer all kinds of special deals, check 'em out and save some bucks. But remember to have eyes in the back of the head as the holiday sporters tend to get a little wild. Check uphill before pointing the boards downhill. Other things happening.

At Squaw Valley, for instance, there are guided snowshoe hikes starting Sunday under the full moon. Call (530) 583-6985 for info.

Then there's Avalanche Center Discount Days. While supplies last, skiers and riders can get more than 50 percent off by purchasing tickets to support the Sierra Avalanche Center, a local organization dedicated to promoting safe backcountry travel.

Ride at Heavenly Jan. 22, 23 or 24 for only $45. Then ride Mt. Rose on Wednesday, Feb. 13 for only $35. There is no membership required and tickets are open to anyone while supplies last. Check at ticket counters.

MORE SNOWSHOEING

The Tahoe Rim Trail Association will be leading a full moon guided snowshoe trek under a full moon on the Tahoe Rim Trail Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Mt. Rose. This will be an intermediate to advanced hike. Warm refreshments will be provided. Reservations are required at (775) 298-0231 or alexiso@taoherimtrail.org.

Go on a guided snowshoe hike with the Tahoe Rim Trail Association Saturday, Jan. 26 from 10 a.m. till 3 p.m. at Martis Peak. The hike will be approximately eight miles round-trip and is an intermediate to advanced snowshoe trek. Reservations are required, same address.

Visitors can take part in a Full Moon Snowshoe Tour at Sugar Pine Point State Park Saturday. The tour begins at 7 p.m. and is led by state park rangers. The fee is $10 and includes snowshoe rental. For reservations, call (530) 525-9920.

Northstar-at-Tahoe will host a Full Moon Snowshoe Tour Sunday. Call (530) 562-2475.

MUSIC IN THE AIR

Heavenly will host the 130-piece Cal Band for two on-mountain performances and one Heavenly Village performance to take place today. The Cal Band will appear at Adventure Peak at 9:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The Heavenly Village performance will begin at 3:30 p.m. Call (775) 586-4451.

SAFETY ON THE HILLS

Learn slope safety at the Squaw Valley Steep N Deep Avalanche Awareness Clinic today at 7 p.m. This free event for all ages takes place at the Plaza Bar and includes multi-media presentations by local guides, extreme skiers, weather forecasters and terrain analysts. To learn more, visit www.squaw.com.

NORTHSTAR SUPERPIPE

Northstar Resort's 420-foot Superpipe opened this week. This, in combination with the resort's eight terrain parks featuring a variety of jumps and jibs, offers a plethora of options for skiers and riders interested in riding freestyle terrain.

Northstar Resort's eight terrain parks contain small, medium and large terrain features, all designed to help skiers and riders hone their skills.

For those who want to compete in the Superpipe, Northstar Resort's freestyle amateur event series, Pinball Rally, will feature a Superpipe competition on Jan. 27. Participating skiers and riders will have a chance to win prizes from DC, Burton, Matix, Butterbox, Nikita, and more.

X GAMES COMING UP

Four of Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort's sponsored athletes have qualified to compete in Winter X Games 12, Jan. 24-27 in Aspen. Joanie and Jaime Anderson along with Hannah and Elijah Teter will be competing in the Women's Snowboarder X, Women's Slopestyle and Women's and Men's Superpipe contests.

Both Joanie and Jaime are coming off Gold Medal podium finishes in Winter X Games 11 in 2007. Hannah Teter, famed for landing the first 900 in a women's halfpipe competition, took the Gold Medal in Torino, Italy in 2006, and Elijah Teter qualified for the coming competition by placing third in the U.S. Chevy Grand Prix halfpipe.

BE A STAR

Saturday Tahoe.com will be filming skiers and snowboarders on Diamond Peak. It will have a booth giving out swag and Hart Skis will have a booth with demos available all day. Naomi & the Courteous Rudeboys will be playing on the Diamond Peak base lodge deck from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Then Jan. 26 is Australia Day and to celebrate there will be a special Australian barbecue on the Diamond Peak base lodge deck (weather permitting) with authentic Down Under food. Jeff Jones will be playing in the Diamond Peak Loft Bar from 4 to 6 p.m. Call 832-1177.

MAMMOTH EVENT

Some 56 male and female skiers and snowboarders are soon to challenge the first-ever contest of the Freeride World Tour on the grueling McGee Mountain near Mammoth Mountain Wednesday.

This is the first time a freeride contest is held on the McGee, south of the resort. The site, known for the first fixed lift in the area back in the 1930s, moved 40 years to its present location. The average steepness of the McGee Mountain is around 35 degrees.

There is a little known area within the Mammoth that is always closed to recreational skiers and boarders. It is a cliff area known as "OH S---" and is adjacent to Rogers Ridge. The athletes in the Nissan Mammoth Quest showed the spectators and media why this area is normally closed as they had to jump cliffs as large as 40 feet during qualifying sessions.

The top three finishers in each division of the Quest were awarded "tickets to ride" or invitations to the Inaugural Nissan Mammoth Challenge Tuesday.

Three podium winners to advance were all American. Cody Townsend from Squaw Valley had a one-turn run as he straight-lined down the steep mountain and won. Griffin Post had an impressive line down Rogers Ridge that earned him second place. Mammoth local Cory Zila took the final ticket to McGee by placing third.

The women's skiing title for the Quest was awarded to Stina Jakobsson from Norway. Elyse Saugstad from Squaw Valley took second. Ane Enderud from Sweden placed third.

Squaw Valley local Ralph Backstrom won the Quest in the men's snowboarding division. Jonas Emery from Switzerland took time away from his free-riding to come in second. Max Zipser from Austria was third.

The women's snowboarding division saw Berangere Moroc from France first, Mammoth local Tiffany Noel was second and Kaisa Harkonen from Finland rode to third place.



• Contact Sam Bauman at 881-1236 or Sbauman@nevadaappeal.com