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.