The third annual Nevada Passage, an XTERRA-type adventure competition, will take 10 two-person teams nearly 1,000 miles across the Silver State to compete in events ranging from desert trail runs to back country skiing. The four-day, four-stage, made-for-TV event starts Tuesday.

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OVERVIEW: Athletes from hometowns as far-reaching as Washington, D.C., Fairfax, Va., Birmingham, Ala., Brighton, Mich., and Reno, will spend six days together as they compete in a series of outdoor adventure sports for the third episode of “The Nevada Passage” adventure reality show. Events range from traditional sports like trail running and mountain biking to lesser-known competitions like back country skiing, Atlatl dart throwing and sand buggy racing. A new twist for the 2007 Nevada Passage will take the competitors on two “excursions” to see Nevada’s sometimes well-documented and sometimes hidden history and culture.

“The Nevada Passage has been a distinct and unique way to showcase the beauty, possibility and wide open spaces that are offered throughout Nevada and 2007 will be no different,” said Brian K. Krolicki, chair of the Nevada Commission on Tourism. “The rural communities of our state offer adventure and excitement that rival the thrills found in Las Vegas and Reno.”

The Nevada Passage, created by the Nevada Commission on Tourism as a dynamic and entertaining way to brand the state a premier outdoor adventure destination, will air in syndication in more than 80 markets from August 2007 to February 2008, along with regional and resort cable networks. The hour-long show will reach more than 2 million television viewers across the United States and already is confirmed in 50 markets, including San Francisco, Minneapolis, Denver, Cincinnati, Sacramento, Indianapolis, West Palm Beach, and San Antonio. The show will air primarily daytimes during weekends, when sports program viewership is typically at its highest.

“This event is more than a television show or an adventure competition,” Commission Director Tim Maland said. “This is an ode to Nevada’s great outdoors and colorful history; an opportunity for millions of people to see the unlimited experiences that await them in the Silver State.”

The program will take viewers from panoramic desert landscapes to snow capped mountains, as well as distinctive Nevada landmarks. This episode of “The Nevada Passage” will visit the Valley of Fire State Park, known for its spectacular colors and vivid scenery; Amargosa, home to one of Mother Nature’s most unusual wonders, the Amargosa Dunes; Rhyolite, one of the West’s most famous ghost towns; Tonopah, a historic silver mining town that has been proclaimed as the best place in the country to stargaze; Mt. Rose, one of the Sierra’s most popular ski resorts overlooking Reno and Lake Tahoe; and the state capital, Carson City, rich in history and tradition.

By selecting a diverse slate of male and female athletes that includes a 63-year-old real estate consultant, a 29-year-old commercial airline captain, a 45-year-old physical therapist, two adventure sports journalists and many others, commission officials hope to demonstrate that Nevada’s adventures can be experienced by people from all walks of life.

Team Name – Female (Hometown), Male (Hometown)
ACCOUNTANTS - Linda Lindsay (Petaluma, CA), Tim Menoher (Erlanger, KY)
PILOTS – Ildiko Lengyel (Park City, UT), Steve Cole (Olive Brach, MS)
REALTORS – Tina Burgos (Houston, TX), GL Brown (Ada, MI)
PROGRAMMERS – Jackie Ryan (Birmingham, AL), Frank Febbraro (Falls Church, VA)
PHYSICAL THERAPISTS – Heather McNamara (Brighton, MI), Dave Ruby (La Verne, CA)
JOURNALISTS – Lisa Jhung (Boulder, CO), Brian Metzler (Boulder, CO)
ATTORNEYS – Jennifer Huber (Woodbridge, VA), Adam Chase (Boulder, CO)
ENGINEERS – Lauren Kemp (San Diego, CA), John Madden (Mountain View, CA)
PHYSICIANS – Caroline Colonna (Taos, NM), Peter Hanson (Minneapolis, MN)
WILD CARD – Lisa Bommer (Chicago, IL), Phil Glenn (Reno, NV)

EVENT DESCRIPTIONS
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Stage 1 Valley of Fire State Park Desert Trail Run & Atlatl Toss
Spectacular visitor feature only 50 miles from Las Vegas. Competition will start at the Visitors Center with a scenic road run of about 5 miles to Duck Rock. Athletes will then scramble through the trails leading around the monster boulders at White Domes area finishing at the White Domes picnic area. During the run each competitor will have to “throw” an Atlatl (prehistoric weapon) dart at a target. The throw will be scored and a target hit is worth a one-minute deduction from the run time.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Stage 2 Amargosa Dunes Sand Buggy Challenge
Located just off Route 95, “Big Dune” is still a well-kept secret. These prehistoric dunes cover about 5 square miles with a main peak elevation of 500 feet above the base. Teams drive sand buggies on a challenging course marked by flags from the base up and down the dunes.

Wednesday, May 9,2007
Excursion 1 Rhyolite
Teams will visit the ghost town of Rhyolite, just west of Beatty, on classic cruiser bikes. This town had 10,000 residents in the early 1900’s and much remains of this town that closed up when the mines went dry.

Thursday, May 10, 2007
Stage 3 Tonopah/Goldfield Back Roads Cycling
Teams will face off in a bike relay competition using Electra Rally Sport Cruiser bikes. A million year old lake, shocking blue sky, and a 360-degree panorama provide a stunning backdrop for this race on the crusty surface of the Alkalai Dry Lake. Each team member will ride 3 one-mile loops twice and switch riders in between.

Friday, May 11, 2007
Stage 4 Mount Rose Back Country Ski
This will be the most difficult of all the stages. The Mt. Rose gondola will take competitors to a crest of the mountain at the Lakeview station nearly 8,000 ft above sea level. This cross country event will require uphill and downhill skiing along the spine of Mt. Rose with spectacular views of Lake Tahoe as the background.

Saturday, May 12, 2007
Excursion 2 Carson City/Carson Valley
Teams will experience the rich history of the state capital on roller blades as they explore te Kit Carson Trail.