It’s a beautiful day to be skiing at any of the resorts in Lake Tahoe. Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe is known for many things; it’s 400 inches of annual snowfall, 300 days of sunshine, and home to the largest alpine lake in the country. Add a new distinction to this list as the destination is now the largest flat-water stand-up paddleboard venue in the world hosting a series of five races starting May 29 and ending Sept. 26.

Stand-up paddle boarding is an emerging sport with a Hawaiian heritage, and gave early surfers a higher viewpoint, increasing visibility of what was going on around them, such as incoming swells. Today boards are anywhere from nine to 18 feet with features such as padded decks, one to three surfboard-style fins for stability and equipped with a long paddle.

In Lake Tahoe, stand-up paddle boarding is popular with crossover athletes, especially skiers and snowboarders, along with mountain bikers and runners, as it helps develop a strong core, essential for succeeding in just about any outdoor sport.

Recently the Lake Tahoe Paddleboard Association and Ta-Hoe Nalu, both nonprofit organizations, combined their stand-up and prone paddleboard events to create the 2010 Quiksilver Tahoe Stand-Up Paddleboard Race Series, with two of the five being elite races and offering a combined purse of $40,000 in cash and merchandise.

It all kicks off May 29 with the 2nd Annual Donner Lake Memorial at the West End of Donner Lake in Truckee at 9am. This is a five-mile race and free on-water stand-up paddleboard demos will be available to spectators after the contest.

Over on the East Shore is the Thunderbird Run Lake Tahoe June 5 with an eight-mile loop course that runs past Sand Harbor Beach State Recreation Area and turns around by the historic Thunderbird Lodge.

The 3rd Annual Jam to the Dam is July 10, 8am, when participants paddle the six miles from Patton Landing Beach in Carnelian Bay to the Tahoe City Dam located at the Gatekeeper’s Museum in Tahoe City. Spectators can also get in on the action as free on-water stand-up paddleboard demos will be available after the race.

The Ta-Hoe Nalu Stand-Up Festival runs the weekend of Aug. 21-22 in Kings Beach with five races, including a 14-foot elite race class and OC-1 Outrigger Race.

The five races conclude with the Tahoe Fall Classic Sept. 26, 8am. In its third year, there is also an additional 14-foot elite race class. This event has paddlers going 22 miles from Camp Richardson Marina in South Lake Tahoe, completely across Lake Tahoe, to Kings Beach on the North Shore. Visitors get wet with free on-water stand-up paddleboard demos.

Call 877-949-3296 or click here for information.

By Kathryn Reed

The ski pole as we know it today came to the market 50 years ago this winter after Ed Scott saw the need for a lighter pole with a smaller basket.

Steel was replaced with aluminum and the baskets used on kids’ poles became the standard size for adults.

In the 1960s, most racers were using Scott poles. But other manufacturers came along, using the same technology, and captured some of those athletes because the companies were willing to pay skiers to use their poles. Scott wanted nothing to do with that.

Before Scott’s invention, poles were said to be like using a golf club or steel croquet mallet. As skiers became faster, the steel poles were making it more cumbersome to plant in time before turning. It took great arm and upper body strength, and balance just to use poles.

Scott, who was from Sun Valley, Idaho, died in 1999 at 85.

Today, stores and slopes are filled with Scott poles — as well as others. For many recreational skiers not much thought is put into what pole they use.

“These were the ones on sale,” said Alan Asari of San Ramon of his DuraFlex poles while riding a chairlift at Heavenly Mountain Resort. “I hardly use them. They are a nuisance.”

Poles mostly range in price for $35-$120 for recreational use, and can be much more for racing poles.

“Poles are a personal preference. You can give me a rental pole and I don’t care,” said Adam Ruscitto, customer service rep for Porters Sports Lake Tahoe in Tahoe City. “The grip is probably one of the more important things people look for.”

Mark Martini of Menlo Park was using Scott poles at Heavenly, saying he likes the flexibility of the pole.

Sports Ltd. in South Lake Tahoe carries a slew of Scott poles.

“They have a pole for every condition,” salesman John Whisnant said of Scott. “The biggest advancement is the new material — carbon composites. It’s not as stiff and jarring on the wrist as an aluminum pole would be.”

By Kathryn Reed

Dining options at Lake Tahoe Community College are taking on an international flavor.

Taco Taqueria is the latest restaurant interested in providing food for students and staff, Alexandra Aguila, student board representative, reported at Tuesday’s meeting.

Some LTCC students are providing food for public consumption. Photo/Kathryn Reed

The Mexican eatery would join Orchid’s and Fasta Pasta. The former has been dishing up Thai food all winter quarter on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while the Italian restaurant has been on board for a few weeks on Mondays.

Instructor Steve Fernald’s culinary class provides food on Wednesdays.

With not many classes scheduled on Fridays, there is little necessity for items beyond the food cart that is run by Barnes and Noble. (They operate the bookstore.)

“We are getting a percentage of their profits. It’s pretty low. We are just happy students have options,” LTCC spokeswoman Christina Proctor said of the restaurants.

No food service existed in fall because the college had to cut the money-losing program.

The restaurants bring in the food already cooked. Vegetarian options are usually available. They bring in two or three entrees, and change it up each week.

Hollywood celebrities and U.S. Olympians will meet up with business leaders and Special Olympics athletes for Celebrity Winterfest in a day of alpine racing at Diamond Peak Ski Resort and a weekend of community activities at Incline Village, Marc 5-7

This is the 14th Special Olympics Celebrity Winterfest, the largest single Special Olympics fundraising event in Northern California and Nevada. Proceeds provide funding for more than 17,000 developmentally disabled athletes across Northern California and Nevada to receive free sports training and competition opportunities throughout the year.

For more information, click here.

The U.S. Forest Service expects to acquire several acres of sensitive land in the Lake Tahoe Basin this year.

Three parcels are in the Tahoe Mountain area on the South Shore that total 9.39 acres. Near Cave rock are 18 acres that will be purchased.

The price will be based on fair market value.

These acquisitions are part of the Santini-Burton Act.

A 40-acre site, also near Cave Rock, will be bought with Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act funds.

Bob Rodman, Forest Service land program manger, can answer questions about the purchases. He is at (530) 543.2613.

By Erin Kelly, Gannett Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is poised to sign a bill aimed at reviving the nation’s recession-battered travel industry.

The bipartisan Travel Promotion Act, given final approval by the Senate this week, funds increased efforts to market top U.S. travel destinations, including Nevada, to tourists from other nations.

The legislation, pushed by lawmakers from Nevada, Arizona, California and Florida, also would educate foreign travelers about U.S. security and entry regulations to make them seem

Promoting Lake Tahoe will be part of the tourism bill. Photo/Kathryn Reed

less daunting.

Read the whole story

By Kathryn Reed

WHISTLER, British Columbia — The International Olympic Committee might not think eating is an Olympic sport, but I tried to make it one while I was in Whistler.

With so many restaurants to choose from, it made me ski even harder. This way I could still fit into my ski pants. It was a good thing for my wallet and waistline we were there for less than a week.

Breakfast with a view at Fairmont Chateau Whistler. Photos/Kathryn Reed

I like breakfast, but I’m usually OK with a piece of fruit. Well, that routine went out the window while staying at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. I learned I have a potato problem.

I don’t usually like buffets — no matter the meal being served. Oh, but this one at the Wildflower let me go back for more of the yummy fingerling breakfast potatoes. I never did figure out the seasoning, but they were spectacular.

I first had them with the frittata I had delivered to the room the first morning. I knew from the get-go I had found a spud that was worth gushing over. Sue had the signature omelet. The problem is the in-room breakfast bill came to a little more than $90.

The buffet the next morning was $31 a person. For bigger eaters, they would get their money’s worth. So would non-skiers if it meant lingering there all day.

I have to admit, though, we didn’t eat lunch either of these days — we were that full.

The buffet had more items than I could ever try in one sitting. An omelet station allows you to pick what you want the chef to mix in, pancakes come with caramelized pecans and bananas, poached eggs are served in ramekins, breakfast meats are plentiful, sauteed mushrooms and cooked tomatoes are unique, cheeses, smoked salmon, cereal and tons of fruit fill the buffet.

Dinner one night was in this same restaurant — the Wildflower. We started things with a 2006 Cabernet from Sumac Ridge, one of many wineries in British Columbia.

“This region is like Napa. BC is a big wine area and it’s growing,” our waitress Cindy said.

We each had soup — I had the special of the night, broccoli spinach, and Sue had the seafood chowder. Sue loved the big chunks of seafood. She almost licked the bowl. Mine just got better with each spoonful.

When the entrees arrived Sue stopped talking. She was too busy enjoying the cedar roast salmon ($29). For someone from Vermont, she had to admit the local glazed maple syrup on her salmon was divine.

I had the risotto ($18) — Pemberton squash, King mushrooms, chickpea and edamame croquette. It was hearty, tasty and the perfect meal after a day on the mountain.

Also at the Fairmont is the Mallard. A wood fireplace, comfy couches and chairs call out to weary legs to sit for a while. The prices are about as large as the chairs — $15 for Sue’s burger, $18 for a Portobello burger. They were yummy, but they were Fairmont prices.

On the mountain we stopped at the Roundhouse Lodge. Our usual beer and French fry skier lunch was enhanced with roasted veggie chipotle chili. A nice touch was the hot cocoa being served in a ceramic mug. This is one way Whistler cuts down on waste.

We spent $26.90 for yam fires, regular fries, a beer, hot cocoa and chili.

Choices run the gamut — made to order sandwiches, Asian dishes, baked potatoes, whole pizzas, wraps, steak sandwiches and plenty more.

One of the publications we read said Merlin’s is the place for nachos. The full order ($19) feeds five adults. We opted for the half order and almost finished it. It came with plenty of napkins. Kokanee beer from BC made them taste even better.

Other restaurants in Whistler Village cater to the casual diner, like Merlin’s. Some are definitely upscale. Even in the cool weather lots of people chose to eat outside.

A kiosk not far from the edge of the mountain was doing a robust business of selling fries, hot dogs and cocoa.

At Elements, which is adjacent to the Summit Lodge where we spent a couple nights, tapas are the specialty. Our waiter Rob suggested two tapas per person. We went with stuffed mushrooms, lentils, lettuce tofu wraps and maple root vegetables.

Wow! — is what my notes say next to the lentils. Big pieces of avocado added an interesting texture and coolness to the otherwise tangy flavor of the lentils.

Sue was most boastful about the dessert tapas — sticky toffee pudding.

Most tapas are in the $10 range.

One of the things many of the restaurants in Whistler brag about is using fresh, local ingredients. Even the coffeehouse Moguls touted locally grown items for some of its unusual edibles. Maybe this is why everything seemed to taste so wonderful in this resort town.

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St. Pauli Inn along the American River on Highway 50.

• St. Pauli Inn’s owners are trying to sell the business after nearly nine years of ownership. The Highway 50 eatery opened in 1986. The restaurant has been closed since December when the pipes froze.

• Lake Tahoe Community College’s Geology Club has raised about $1,600 for Haiti relief.

• On June 10, American Eagle, an affiliate of American Airlines, will begin nonstop service between Los Angeles and Reno-Tahoe international airports.

• Lake Tahoe Community College students are planning to be part of the March to March event in Sacramento on March 22 to demand the state’s politicians fully fund higher education.

• Placerville’s City Council voted 4-1 on Feb. 23 to allow two buildings from the 1850s, including the former home of the Hangman’s Tree Bar, to be leveled.

• Assemblyman Ted Gaines, R—Roseville, introduced AB2704 on Feb. 25 to protect snow removal funding in the South Lake Tahoe and Truckee areas.

Freshies is the word for the day. Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.