5th Annual “Snowshoe The Bear” Starts “Conquer The Bear” Series

Big Bear, Ca, February 20, 2012, 12:00pm – The recent 14 inches of snowfall the Big Bear Valley received will be perfect snowpack for the 5^th annual Snowshoe the Bear race that will take place this Saturday, February 25^th. Snowshoe the Bear is a great event for anyone who has ever wanted to give snowshoeing a try.  There is a challenge for everyone at every level with a 5 and 10k course.  You don’t need to own a pair of snowshoes to compete, as you can rent them from may shops around the Big Bear Valley including North Shore Trading Company, Goldsmith’s Boardhouse and Bear Valley Bikes.   If you are renting from a local shop, be sure to call ahead and reserve a pair, as they can run out.  Snowshoe the Bear is the first event in the Conquer the Bear and Conquer the Cub series, in which participants compete in the snowshoe race, Paddlefest in July, a road bike race in August, and a trail run in September.  Those that complete all of the races will Conquer the Cub or Conquer the Bear.  For more information on Snowshoe the Bear, or the Conquer the Bear series go online at www.OpenAirBigBear.com.

Open Air Big Bear Announces 2012 Conquer The Bear Schedule Of Events

Big Bear Lake, CA, November 11, 2011, noon – Open Air Big Bear is back with the 2012 Conquer the Bear, Conquer the Cub, and the all new Conquer the Grizzly multisport challenges in Big Bear Lake. The series will test athletes on four different disciplines throughout the year – snowshoeing, paddling, cycling, and trail running. The events include Snowshoe the Bear on February 25 – a snowshoe race of 5K for Conquer the Cub and 10K for Conquer the Bear and Conquer the Grizzly; Big Bear PaddleFest on July 8 – paddle races of 5K for Conquer the Cub and 20K for Conquer the Bear and Conquer the Grizzly; Tour de Big Bear on August 4 – NEW bike road races for Conquer the Cub, Conquer the Bear and Conquer the Grizzly; and Endure the Bear on September 9 – a trail run race of 5K for Conquer the Cub and 30K for Conquer the Bear and Conquer the Grizzly. The series offers athletes numerous chances at cash and prizes including $1000 grand prize split between the Conquer the Bear men’s and women’s overall winners, and the individual FRS King of the Mountain awards giving participants the opportunity to win $50 cash at each race. Individual events in the series offer cash prizes to the top finishers, age group awards and additional prizes from sponsors including FRS Healthy Energy, Big Bear Vacations, Cliff Bar, The North Face, and Smith Optics. The 2012 series will include the debut of the Tour de Big Bear Road Race as well as the introduction of Conquer the Grizzly, a master’s category for competitors 50 years and older.  Conquer the Grizzly participants will complete the same courses as the Conquer the Bear competitors but are eligible for different awards. For more information visit www.openairbigbear.com.

13 Competitors Conquer the Bear, 21 Conquer the Cub

Jessie Haynes wins King of the Mountain $50 competition presented by FRS Healthy Energy

Big Bear, Ca, September 12, 2011, 8:00am -

On Saturday, September 10th the Conquer the Bear series, part of Open Air Big Bear wrapped up with the Endure the Bear trail run.  The Conquer the Bear and Conquer the Cub series is a four event series that started this year in February with a snowshoe race, followed by a mountain bike race in June, Paddlefest in July, ending with the trail run in September.  Eighteen men and women competed in the Conquer the Cub series this year, which requires participants to take part in the shortest course of each challenge, with Janet Maxwell of Big Bear and Jimmy Johnson of Yucapia taking the top spots for the Conquer the Cub series.  The Conquer the Bear series required participants to compete in the long courses of each event, and Big Bear’s own athletic power couple Heather and Ted Devito took the top spots of the 13 competitors, with Heather taking the series win for the second time.  Heather and Ted both won $500 each for winning the entire series, and as Ted was on the podium accepting his check he yelled out to the crowd “Hey Mountain Fitness Members, this money is going to two new rowing machines at the gym,”  which was followed by the gym members cheers.  New this year was a king of the mountain competition, which gave $50 to the man and woman who made it to the top of the ridgeline first.  Heather Devito won for the ladies, and Jessie Haynes who took 2nd overall in the series took the king of the mountain win for the trail run.  Three juniors completed all four events with Big Bear’s own 9 year old Alec Burton winning the series.  Next year’s Conquer the Bear challenge will start in February, and more information can be found online at www.OpenAirBigBear.com

 Photos courtesy of Scott Hoffman Media & Graphics.  Click here to view more!

Athletes Must “Endure The Bear” To “Conquer” It

Big Bear, Ca, September 5, 2011, 12:00pm - The final event in the Conquer the Bear series will take place this Saturday, September 10^th.  The series which started in February this year with Snowshoe the Bear, has seen athletes through a technical mountain bike course, a lengthy around the lake paddle and now athletes must Endure the Bear with a 30k trail run.  The Conquer the Bear series has athletes competing in the longest or hardest course of each event.  Two years ago event organizers for Open Air Big Bear also added Conquer the Cub, which is for people who want to participate, but who may not be ready for Conquer the Bear.  Conquer the Cub participant’s race in the short course of each event.  This Saturday there will be four different options for participants, including a 5k, 15k, 30k and 50k trail run.  Participants will run through the hills of the south shore, along the ridgeline overlooking the Seven Oaks Valley, and down some exciting trails, starting and ending in the Village of Big Bear Lake.  According to race organizers Karen Lundgren and Paul Romero, registrations have nearly doubled so far from last year.  Romero told KBHR that he is “particularly excited about everything endurance in Big Bear.  I love seeing locals participate, and take up the sport of trail running.”  Romero went on to tell KBHR that he is very thankful to everyone in the Village for their support, and he finds the location to be a great headquarters for big events in Big Bear.  The event will kick off early Saturday morning at the Christmas Tree Lot in the Village.  To register or to get more information go to www.OpenAirBigBear.com.

Endure the Bear: Trail Run

Can you Endure the Bear?

WHEN: September 10, 2011

WHAT: 50k, 30k, 15k trail run & 5k Race and FAMILY FUN RUN/WALK

WHO: EVERYONE at EVERY LEVEL – Find the event that challenges you.

WHERE: South Shore Trails at Big Bear Lake, CA – Start line in the Village at Big Bear Lake

WHY:  Well, just because…everyone should enjoy the beautiful trails in Big Bear

A part of Open Air Big Bear…..
Join the challenge and Conquer the Bear – www.openairbigbear.com

 

This is the last event in the Conquer the Bear series for 2012.  The series starts over next year with Snow Shoe the Bear!!!!

Paddlefest This Weekend!

Big Bear, Ca, July 6, 2011, 12:00pm - Part three in the Conquer the Bear Series is this weekend.  Paddlers from all over the world will converge in Big Bear to compete in one of the three races at the 4^th Annual Big Bear Paddlefest.  Those interested in learning more about the different types of paddling, or want to try out different types of self propelled watercraft can do so on Saturday, July 9^th at Meadow Park at the Paddlefest Clinic.  There will also be an advanced kayak and stand up paddleboard clinic, as well as a beginning paddle clinic for kids. The races will take place on Sunday with the around the lake 20k course taking off at 7:00am, followed by the 10k race at 8:00am, the 5k course at 10:00am, and the free kids race at 11:00am.  Personal flotation devices are required for each person racing, and kayaks, canoes, and stand up paddleboards must go through a Quagga Mussell inspection.  For more information or to sign up for a clinic or one of the races go to bigbearpaddlefest.com.

Conquer The Bear & Kenda Cup Finals Bring Hundreds of People to Big Bear!

Racers climb up fire road 2N10 at the start of the race.

Big Bear, Ca, June 20, 2011, 3:00pm -

 This past Sunday cyclists came from across California, Oregon, South Africa, Mexico and beyond to compete in the Kenda Cup Team Big Bear Mountain Bike Race Finals in Big Bear.  This event was also part two in the Conquer the Cub and Conquer the Bear series, part of Open Air Big Bear.  The event had a special element to it this year, incorporating a 50-mile marathon race, along with the standard 18 mile and 24 mile course loops.  The Conquer the Cub participants did the 18 mile loop, and the Conquer the Bear participants did the 24 mile loop, while the marathoners did two laps of the 24 mile loop, plus a little extra.

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After a grueling day of racing Heather Devito of Big Bear Lake, and Jessie Haynes of Vista, Ca retained their top spots as the Conquer the Bear Leaders in the four event series, which started earlier this year with Snowshoe the Bear in February.  Cathleen Calkins took the third place spot overall for Conquer the Bear, with Angela Meyers taking the second place overall spot for the women.  Ted Devito held onto his second place spot for the series, followed by Casey Williams.  For the Conquer the Cub standings, Janet Maxwell leads for the women, followed by Michelle Russell and Brandi Johnson, and Jimmy Johnson leads for the men, followed by Travis Martinez and George Crezee.   For more information on the next Open Air Big Bear events go to www.OpenAirBigBear.com.

Part 2 of Conquer The Bear Series: Team Big Bear Mountain Bike Race

Big Bear, Ca, June 16, 2011, 1:00pm -The next event in the Conquer the Cub and Conquer the Bear series part of Open Air Big Bear is this Sunday with the Team Big Bear Mountain Bike Race.  The Conquer the Bear series started earlier this year with a snowshoe race in February, and will continue in July with Paddlefest on July 10^th, and Endure the Bear Trail Run on September 10^th.  Those participating in all four events will Conquer the Cub or Conquer the Bear and the top male and female in the Conquer the Bear series, which consists of competing in the longest race in each event, will win $500 along with various prizes.  The mountain bike race is open to all who wish to compete.  The beginner or category 3 race will be an 18-mile course which covers many fire roads and trails on the south shore of Big Bear Lake.  The longer course will be 26 miles, and for the real endurance athletes there will be a Marathon 50 mile race that will bring riders from all over the US to compete.  For more information go to www.OpenAirBigBear.com or www.TeamBigBear.com to register.

Snowshoe The Bear 2011: Photo Essay

 

 

 Big Bear, Ca, February 7, 2011, 11:00pm -Snowshoe the Bear 2011 was a great event enjoyed by all who participated.  Children young and old participated in 5k and 10k snowshoe courses.  77 women and 83 men participated in the 5k snowshoe course, with 31 men and 21 women competing in the 10k course.   The big winners of the day were Jesse Haynes of Vista, Ca, and Heather Devito of Big Bear Lake who won the 10k competitions, and Candace McMullen of Riverside, and Andrew Mayer of Granada Hills who won overall for the 5k course. 10 year old Elle Williams, of Big Bear City placed first for the 5k Junior Women, and 9 year old Trevor Wright of Hesperia placed first in the Junior Mens 5k.  14 year old Evan Williams of Big Bear City placed first in the Junior Men’s 10k and 13 year old Megan McElfish of Big Bear Lake placed 1st for the Junior Women’s 10k.  Heather and Ted Devito, owners of Mountain Fitness Center,  were crowned as the “Fastest Bear’s on the Bear,” which means they were the fastest locals in the race.  George Crezee, Big Bear Local, and big promoter of getting everyone at every age to “Get Off The Couch and Go,” gave two No Excuses awards to locals Martin Lipp and JoAnn Mark for competing in the 5k at the age of 80, and for doing so with big smiles on their faces.  Snowshoe the Bear is the first in the Conquer the Bear series which will continue in May with a Team Big Bear Moutain Bike Race, followed by Paddlefest in July, and Endure the Bear in September.  For more information on Conquer the Bear, go to OpenAirBigBear.com.

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 Photos courtesy of Scott Hoffman Media and Graphics. 

 More Snowshoe the Bear 2011 pictures can be found here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are You Up For The Challenge? Can You Conquer The Bear?

Big Bear, Ca, January 11, 2011, 12:00pm – Are you willing to take the challenge this year and Conquer the Bear?  Open Air Big Bear has announced their 2011 Conquer the Bear series, with the first event Snowshoe the Bear occurring on February 5^th.  This series of athletic events is designed to challenge and motivate people to get outside, try something new and enjoy the year round activities in the Big Bear Valley.  In 2011 Conquer the Bear will include “Conquer the Cub” and “Conquer the Bear” categories to make sure that every challenger has a category to match their level of fitness and skills. Conquer the Cub requires participants to complete the short course for each event including the 5k race for Snowshoe the Bear.  Conquer the bear requires participants to do the long course in each event including the 10k Snowshoe on February 5^th.   The male and female with the lowest cumulative time for all events will be the series winner and will share a prize purse of $1,000.  Competitors of all levels and experience are encouraged to participate in both categories. “Conquer the Bear provides a great challenge and even better motivation to stay active and enjoy the four seasons of Big Bear,” said Rick Bates of the Big Bear Events Resource Office. Four seasons – Four events, Big Bear invites you to join the challenge – snowshoe, mountain bike, paddle and trail run. Conquer the Bear is hosted by the Big Bear Events Resource Office together with Open Air Big Bear. Additional information, online registration, and specific event details can all be found at  www.openairbigbear.com

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