Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Kids Adventure Games coming to Sun Valley

Event provides fun and challenges for youngsters 6-14

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By TERRY SMITH
Express Staff Writer

This map shows the challenges youngsters will face in the Kids Adventure Games this weekend at the River Run base of Bald Mountain.. Courtesy photo

    Youngsters 6-14 can test their abilities at hiking, biking and tubing when the Kids Adventure Games tour comes to Sun Valley this weekend.
    But there’s more than just hiking, biking and tubing, as participants are confronted with numerous obstacles on the race course, including a zip line, various nets to cross, a belay/rappel challenge, a rope bridge, a slick wall and a mud pit.
    It’s a competition of sorts, but the main emphasis is having fun and building confidence, character and teamwork skills, said Tony Parkhill, an organizer for the Sun Valley event.
    “It’s there for a good time, but the kids that do well are recognized,” Parkhill said.
    The Kids Adventure Games was founded in Vail, Colo., in 2009 by Helene and Billy Mattison. The Adventure Games have now expanded into a tour and each year have been held at various resort locations. This year’s locations have included Vail, Snowbird in Utah, Mammoth Mountain and Squaw Valley in California, Big Sky in Montana, and the Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont. This is the first year the tour has come to Sun Valley.
    “The idea behind the race is to create an event that has all the fun things we dreamed about as kids,” Race Director Billy Mattison states in a news release. “With zip lines, slip and slides, rope bridges, tubing, mud crawls and anything else we can dream up, the kids will have a true adventure and an incredible time. We want the kids to cross the finish line pumped up with smiles on their faces and a feeling of accomplishment.”
    The Kids Adventure Games is a team event, with two kids working together to negotiate the course.
    The Sun Valley event will be held at the River Run base of Bald Mountain. It starts with a bike challenge, moves into a hiking obstacle course in the Trail Creek area, skips back into a bike race, followed by another short hike that leads to the tubing challenge in the Big Wood River. Once out of the water, teams enter a final hiking phase that runs up Bald Mountain and features even more challenges and obstacles.
    According to the news release, the event will be held rain or shine, but may be delayed if lightning is striking nearby.
    The event starts on Saturday, Aug. 30, with check in and optional skills clinics so that kids can get a feel of what they’ll be up against the following day.
    On Sunday, the games begin at 9 a.m., when a first wave of kids begin the race, with intervals to keep teams somewhat separated. A second wave starts at 10:30 a.m. and a third wave at noon.
    The race will be followed by a 2 p.m. party and awards ceremony.
    The event is sponsored by Sun Valley Resort, the city of Ketchum, Horizon Organic, GoPro and Clif Kid.
Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com

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