The largest ski and golf tournament in North America has selected Tamarack Resort in Donnelly, Idaho, to host its annual ski and golf biathlon. The single-day competition tests two-sport athletes as they ski or snowboard a giant slalom course in the morning and golf 18 holes in the afternoon. The event will include three divisions: elite individual, two-person teams, and four-person teams.
The Subaru Race and Ace has been popular since it debuted at Mt. Bachelor and Sunriver Resort in Central Oregon. "We reached capacity the last two years in Central Oregon and decided it was time to expand to new markets," said owner and founder Doug Fish. "This year, we plan on hosting three events: Central Oregon on May 6 and Tamarack on May 20 [the first, in Washington state, was held at Summit At Snoqualmie and Golf Club at Newcastle on April 1]."
The competition is the subject of a half-hour TV show. Last year, the program aired on over 100 stations, including RSN networks across the country. The show will also air three times this month on Fox Sports Northwest on Saturday, February 11th at 12:30 p.m., Thursday, February 16th at noon, or Friday, February 17th at 12:30 p.m.
The event starts Friday evening with a kick-off registration with a free Texas Hold 'Em Tournament courtesy of PartyPoker.com. Participants will enjoy complimentary Michelob Ultra, register their teams and pick up gift bags with lift tickets, race bibs, golf times, and FIDRA Race and Ace-branded mock turtle neck, then size up the competition at the poker tournament.
At Tamarack Mountain, skiers and snowboarders will make two runs on alternating giant slalom courses. In the individual division, the two runs will be averaged, while in team divisions the top four times in the group will be averaged. At the end of the ski competition, entrants in each division will be ranked from first to last.
At Tamarack's new Robert Trent Jones Jr. course, Osprey Meadows, golfers will compete based on their gross score in a scramble competition. At the end of 18 holes, a golf ranking will be developed for each division and the ski and golf rankings will be combined to determine an overall winner in each division.
The elite individual division is comprised of skilled dual-sport athletes like former U.S. Ski Team member and scratch golfer Bryan Paligo. Paligo took first in 2003 and 2004, before catching a gate last year at Mt. Bachelor and dropping to third. "Next year," said Paligo as he left. "I'll be back next year." Making good on his promise, Paligo will compete in all three events in 2006 with his eyes set on the Race and Ace triple crown.
The team divisions, while still competitive, are a little less serious. Golf Magazine writer Scott Gummer, who competed on a four-person team in 2004, had this to say about the event in his January 2005 article, "Now this was my idea of a triathlon. Skiing, playing golf and drinking microbrews." In the past, the division has pitted colorful teams like "Novacaine," a group of dentists from Bend, Ore., against "The Crazy Docs," a team of doctors from Nevada. Last year, Dallas Cowboys' quarterback Drew Bledsoe took part and won the long-drive competition.
The deadline for entry in the Idaho Subaru Race and Ace is Sunday May 7th. The early registration fee of $229 per person includes skiing and golf as well as a Friday evening pre-event registration reception and PartyPoker.com Texas Hold 'Em Tournament, awards reception and gift bag. After April 21st, registration fees increase to $249. For online registration or additional information, visit www.raceandace.com.
In addition to the Jones-designed golf course, Tamarack Resort boasts a ski mountain and Lake Cascade, for swimming, sailing, fishing, sea kayaking, and boating. For more information about Tamarack Resort, call 877-TAM-RESORT or visit www.tamarackidaho.com.
