Music at Homewood, Vans at Northstar

By Sam Bauman

Races on tap, but there's also other events out there. At Homewood Mountain Resort on the West Shore, Montana Slim will be playing on the patio Saturday.

Homewood is now joined with Alpine Meadows up the road a piece, but it remains one of the friendliest areas around. And surprising good skiing there once you get off the front hill. Parking is close to the lifts as well. However, this is holiday weekend so the usual lift ticket price goes from $63 to $68. And at Alpine Sundays in the Park Jam means free entry for competitors. Lift tickets are $58 (no holiday hike apparently).

Last Friday Rusty Crook held his usual seniors clinic at Mt. Rose and we found that we were in the back seat on the hill. Easy to fix; just press the shins against the boot cuff, and it works. Rusty (awaiting his 50-year PSIA pin, they haven't designed it yet) welcomes seniors 50 and over (never saw him ask for ID) Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the Mt. Rose bar from 8 a.m. for a free breakfast before taking 'em all out on the hill for two hours of the best instruction this side of the U.S. Ski Team. And it's all free!

Heavenly received 167 inches of snow in January, marking the most snowfall in a single month since the resort began keeping snowfall data in the 1975-76 season.

"We're in one of those epic snow cycles that the Sierra mountain range is famous for," said Blaise Carrig, Heavenly's chief operating officer. "We beat the next closest month by 20 inches."

Anyone who has used the Stagecoach lift knows how good the snow is there.

In addition to the record snowfall, Heavenly's snow pack is 23 percent higher than average, its base depth ranges from 78 to 100 inches, and it has received more than 300 inches of snowfall to date this winter. Heavenly has announced that it is extending its season into May. The resort had planned to close for the season on Sunday April 20, but now has an expected closing date of Sunday, May 4.

These epic winter storms are building a solid base for excellent spring skiing. In celebration of the snow, Heavenly is offering a family spring break package. Get the fifth night lodging and fourth day of skiing for mom and dad for free, plus free skiing for kids 12 and younger for the entire trip. Prices start at just $244 per person for a family of four. That's less than $1,000 for the entire family. See www.skiheavenly.com and look for the "Family Spring Break" deal.

VANS CUP FOR RIDERS

Vans' Cup at Tahoe will bring some of the best snowboarders to Nothstar-at-Tahoe Feb. 29-March 2. Andreas Wiig, Danny Kass and Hana Beaman are among the stars to compete with $200,000 at stake.

While the weekend is considered the most important professional snowboarding competition on the West Coast, each year the snowboard world descends upon Northstar-at-Tahoe for the great snow and laid-back atmosphere that Vans serves up.

For those who can't be on mountain, Vans and Sportnet are teaming up to present live Web casts of the event at www.vans.com.

The Vans Cup kicks off Friday night under the lights with defending Rail Jam champs Lucas Magoon and Erin Comstock headlining a field of top jibbers in a jam session. Action continues Saturday with Wiig and Beaman leading the names in the Slopestyle comp and caps off on Sunday with the Superpipe finals in which Kass and Tahoe local Joanie Anderson are sure to be factors. In a new twist to the 'pipe, the highest soaring boarders will win big by claiming the Boosted High Air awards.

The event is open to the public with the purchase of a lift ticket and is sure to draw a huge crowd. Those who are not riding or skiing can stop by the event office for a complimentary gondola pass.

DIAMOND PEAK AND BURTON

In 2007, Diamond Peak became an official Burton Learn to Ride Center. This season, Diamond Peak is pleased to introduce Girls Learn to Snowboard clinics on March 1-2. There will be two types of clinics given that day; Girls Learn How to Snowboard lessons and an introduction to the Terrain Park. These clinics are open to girls ages 7 to 16 years old and include all-day lessons and lunch on Saturday, March 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Sunday, clinics will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a graduation event held afterwards. This two-day Girls Learn to Snowboard Clinics cost $229 for two days of lessons, supervised lunch, and a video. Beginner Burton snowboards will be available to use during the clinics.

Call 832-1177.

Also at the Peak is the delightful Last Trails program. From the mid-mountain Snowflake Lodge, guests enjoy fantastic views of Lake Tahoe while tasting fine wines and tasty appetizers. Afterwards, guests ski, telemark or snowboard down a freshly groomed blue corduroy run to the bottom. Participants must ski or snowboard down from the event, must be at least at the intermediate level, and must be 21 to attend wine tasting. Last Tracks is held on Saturdays through April 12. Events start approximately at 4 p.m. and go until twilight. See www.diamondpeak.com. Single event tickets are $29.

GREAT X-C SKIING

On Sunday, March 2 cross-country ski racers will gather to embark on the 32nd annual Great Ski Race. The Great Ski Race covers 30 km beginning at the Tahoe Cross Country Center in Tahoe City to the Cottonwood Restaurant in Truckee. Race registration is available on line at www.thegreatskirace.com

The Great Ski Race is the main fundraising event for the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team, a non-profit all volunteer organization. Race proceeds are used primarily to purchase equipment for the team and to support winter survival and avalanche education programs sponsored and conducted by the team. The Great Ski Race has gone from 60 racers being manually timed in 1977 to 1,109 registered racers, 1,029 finishers, and the fastest men's and women's times yet.

The cost of the race is $45, $65 if registering on race day; the entry fee buys a pre-race package, a five-color T-shirt, refreshments and a hot lunch at the finish, a chance to win one of numerous prizes plus live music and dancing at the finish.

Conceived in 1976, the Team has more than 100 members who fulfill many different functions in the organization such as rescuing lost alpine and cross-country skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers, locating downed aircraft, rescuing stranded hikers and climbers, educating the public about mountain safety, and many other support functions. See www.thegreatskirace.com.