The Rahlves' Banzai Tour, a premier big-mountain freeskiing-meets-skier/boarder-cross event, concluded this past weekend at Sugar Bowl Resort. This year's tour took place at four Lake Tahoe, California resorts, including Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Kirkwood Mountain Resort and Sugar Bowl Resort. The event featured head-to-head action with four competitors racing at the same time on a natural-terrain course.
The weekend's qualifying round was held on Saturday and ranked the top 32 men skiers and snowboarders and the top 16 women skiers and snowboarders, advancing them into Sunday's finals and a shot at winning the tour title in their respective categories. The top two in each round advanced through the brackets until the final four battled it out for the podium and title of Banzai Champ.
Following the final tour stop at Sugar Bowl on Sunday, a Super Final ensued, pitting the top four men's skiers against Sugar Bowl Ski Ambassador and U.S. World Cup and Olympic ski racer, Daron Rahlves. The Banzai tour winners gave it their best shot, but in the end it was Rahlves who finished first.
This unique event has roots dating back to 1940, when the Silver Belt Race was considered one of the top ski races in the country. After a hiatus from the late ‘70s to the early 2000s, Rahlves revived the race in 2009 with a new twist.
Overall 2012 Rahlves' Banzai Tour Winners
Men's Ski: John Bochenek
Women's Ski: Shelly Robertson
Men's Snowboard: Sylvain DuClos
Women's Snowboard: Casey Lucas
Super Final Results
1. Daron Rahlves
2. Casey Riva
3. Kyle Smaine
4. Todd Disbrow
5. John Bochenek
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RELATED CONTENT:
- More photos from the Sugar Bowl event
- Daron Rahlves inducted into the Ski Hall of Fame
- Video from the 2011 Rahlves Banzai Tour
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