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Headline RSS FeedTwo-time Olympian Nyman to compete in Teva Games stand-up paddle event in Vail
June 1, 2010 —
Two-time Olympian Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT) plans to take his cross training to the competitive level this summer when the U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete enters the First Ascent Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Surf Sprint at the Teva Mountain Games hosted by the Vail Valley Foundation in June.
The meteoric rise of SUP struck Nyman when Vail TV8 host Ken Hoeve took him down a mellow stretch of the Colorado River last November. It will be the sport debut at the annual Mountain Games.
"Hoeve told me about it and said it was good for balance and core so we hit up a section of the Colorado last November," said Nyman, while training at Mammoth Mountain, CA. "When I saw him later at Aspen during the U.S. Downhill Championships he told me about the Teva Mountain Games. It sounded like a lot of fun, so I said I was in."
The June 5 event won't be the first time Nyman has competed in SUP. Last summer, he participated in the Utah Summer Games on the Deer Creek Reservoir along with fellow U.S. Ski Team alum Erik Schlopy.
"It was a fun race, but I was third behind Schlopes and the winner was one of the top guys in the world," said Nyman, who has stood on the World Cup downhill podium multiple times during the Birds of Prey races at nearby Beaver Creek. "All the best guys in the world will be in Vail, so I'm not out there to win. It will be a cool challenge and it's more about staying fit and having fun. I'm going to try and give Hoeve a run for his money - that's my goal."
Nyman also thanked the Vail Valley Foundation for helping him out with VIP passes to the outdoor celebration that also features kayaking, trail running and rock climbing, among other outdoor sports.
"We were all very excited when we heard that Steven was going to compete in the Teva Mountain Games," offered Ceil Folz, president of the Vail Valley Foundation. "Not only is he a great ski racer, as he has demonstrated at Birds of Prey, but he is a very accomplished all-around athlete. It's always fun to have him around and we are looking forward to his debut at the Mountain Games to help us introduce Stand Up Paddling to the event."
"The Vail Valley Foundation has always been good to me," added Nyman. "Birds of Prey is the best World Cup weekend we have all season. They're just really good at putting on big events. I'm sure the Mountain Games will be awesome."
Currently, Beaver Creek/Vail is bidding for the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships with a final decision to be announced by the FIS Council in Antalya, Turkey this Thursday at 12 p.m. ET.
Beaver Creek/Vail 2015 fans can follow the action from Turkey by checking out the daily blogs, photos and videos on the Vail Valley Foundation website, www.vvf.org. The website will also feature video of the announcement of the host site for the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships.
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