The event, arguably the biggest of the summer in Vail, can be a little daunting for the uninitiated, so here is Plum's Teva Mountain Games 101 for making the most of the mountain sports events during your Teva experience.

Mountain Sports

While the Teva Mountain Games has flourished with each passing year, expanding to include some fantastic social and cultural events that celebrate the mountain lifestyle, the core has always been mountain sports. The Games test skill and endurance in seven mountain sports: Cycling, Running, Kayaking, Rafting, Climbing, Fly Fishing and Paragliding. In addition to multiple events within these sports, Teva includes the multi-disciplinary GNC Ultimate Mountain Challenge and the crowd-favorite (honestly, how can it not be?) Dog Competition. All sports competitions are FREE. Yes, that's right, free. Tickets are not required (or even offered!) but just because the events are free does not mean you should not plan ahead. The most popular events (namely the DockDogs competition, Kayaking Rodeo & Freeride Dual) will draw big crowds, and quickly, so show up to event locations early if you want the best view.

(Click Event Links for Current Location & Times)

Cycling

The 2009 Teva Mountain Games features four cycling events testing separate cycling disciplines. The SoBe X-Country Mountain Bike Race* will pit bikers against against Vail Mountain and test their endurance as they race from the base of Golden Peak to the top of the mountain. The SoBe Freeride Dual Challenge, located next to Crossroads Plaza, will feature head-to-head competitions between riders, who, with little regard for personal safety, will attempt to out-jump, out-trick, out-live each other while landing on structures a mere two feet wide. SoBe Slopestyle Freeride Big Air will take to the dirt mounds and trick structures of Golden Peak as freeriders huck through the air and scoff at the laws of gravity. The Fetzer Vineyards Vail Pass Hill Climb* offers road cyclists an opportunity to challenge the original course ridden by cycling legends like Greg Lemond & Bernard Hinault.