RoanokeOutsideGetOutsideNewsletterphoto 
In this issue
Weekend Update
Pete's Pick
Your First Mountain Bike Race
Wakeboard Competition at Smith Mountain Lake
Coventry Commonwealth Games
Treasure Hunt a Huge Success
Upcoming Events to Keep Your Eye On
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WEEKEND UPDATE      
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PETE's PICKS                             
What's my recommendation?
PeteEshelmanphoto

The Gear Junkie Treasure Hunt last weekend wore me out. So this weekend I plan on taking my family to a park for a picnic and a little exploration.

I highly recommend the Community Arboretum. It is a two-acre educational garden located on the campus of Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke, Virginia. Ten separate gardens and plant collections surround a centrally located amphitheater and are home to approximately 700 labeled plant taxa.

There are more than 100 parks in the Roanoke Region to choose from.  Visit your favorite or find a new one to explore.

Get OUTSIDE!
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Pete Eshelman
Director of Outdoor Branding
Roanoke Regional Partnership
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Your First Mountain Bike Race Could be this weekend      
Roanoke Mountain Bike Challenge Carvins Cove Race
The Roanoke Mountain Bike Challenge (RMBC) is this weekend. The RMBC is a two-day timed mountain bike event brought to you by the Roanoke Cycling Organization, East Coasters and is a Coventry Commonwealth Games of Virginia qualifier.

Although it takes place over two days, you do not have to participate in both events.  You can pick and choose.

Saturday, July 17, is a time trial race up Mill Mountain. If you're a seasoned rider, or just like pain, then this race may interest you. Riders ascend 900+ feet over the course of three miles.

Sunday is the event that will interest you if you've been wanting to try a mountain bike race but didn't want to get in over your head. Sunday is a cross-country race at Carvins Cove that offers a beginner, intermediate, and expert course. The beginner course is an 8-mile course with only one significant climb. It's a forgiving course and thus perfect for beginners.

For more information, course maps and to register, visit www.rmbcraces.com.

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Wakeboard Competition at Smith Mountain Lake        

WakeNSkateWakeboardcompetitionSmithMountainLakeIn conjunction with the World Wakeboarding Association, INT League and the Virginia Commonwealth Games, Wake N' Skate Wakeboard Shop is proud to bring Smith Mountain Lake the most epic Wakeboarding Tournament to date.

This year promises the last undeveloped piece of land on Smith Mountain Lake will host our 8th annual wakeboard tournament. Glassy water, a 2-mile run, great spectator views and ideal rider conditions is what Bull Run is all about. This is a serious wakeboard competition that promises fun for everyone.

If you've been thinking about spending a day on Smith Mountain Lake, July 17 (9am-9pm) is the day to do it.  Rent a boat if you don't have one and spend the day watching the world's best wake boarders rip it up.Please note that the only way to watch this event is by water. You cannot reach the location via land.

More information:

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Coventry Commonwealth Games Begin July 16       

Going into its 21st year, the Coventry Commonwealth Games of Virginia is known throughout CoventryCommonWealthGamesRoanokeVirginiaVirginia as Virginia's Olympics. This annual event is held the third week of July (for most sports). This multi-sport festival is supported by a grassroots volunteer network, businesses and governments of the Roanoke Valley. The Games feature more than 60 individual & team sports including basketball, softball, chess, karate, swimming, autocross and more. 

Events with an "outdoor" focus include:  biathlon, canoe and kayak race, mountain bike race, a 5K, skateboarding, ultimate Frisbee, and wakeboarding. 

The Games kick off with an opening ceremony (July 16) that includes 2010 Olympic speed skater JR Celski and music by American Idol finalist Bucky Covington. 

Visit www.commonwealthgames.orgfor details on the opening ceremony and information on how to register for a specific event.
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Treasure Hunt a Huge Success     

On Sunday, July 11, at Explore Park in Roanoke, Va., the Gear Junkie's inaugural "Treasure Hunt: Roanoke" drew more than 300 racers from 15 states. Gear and prizes were piled in a tent. A Sylvan GO camper trailer - the event's $6,995 grand prize! - was parked nearby. Music pumped from an amplifier. Race directors shouted from a bullhorn. And the Treasure Hunt participants - a group of all ages and skill levels - ran and hiked off from the start at the shout of "Go!"

treasure hunt photo 1.jpg

What followed was a two-hour backwoods race in search of flags hidden in the ravines and twisting trails of Explore Park. A map and a compass (or a GPS) were the racers' sole guides. They climbed steep trails and paced steps through thick woods to locate checkpoints scattered along a river and into the hills. Some racers found all the flags. Some found just three or four.

Treasure Hunt - Photos (4).jpg

Thanks to the Roanoke community (including our 15+ volunteers!), the staff of Odyssey Adventure Racing, to SylvanSport for its amazing grand prize GO camper, and to all the additional sponsoring gear companies who helped make this crazy and improbable "gear treasure hunt" event come to life! -Stephen Regenold (the Gear Junkie)

CLICK HERE for more photos fo the event!

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Upcoming events to keep your eye oN                               

Visit The RoanokeOutside.com Calendar of Events for details on these upcoming events!
  • Weekly bike rides throughout Roanoke & NRV Valleys
  • Kazane Roanoke Civic Center Criterium Series - 7/28 & 8/4
  • Starbomb - 7/22
  • FloydFest - 7/23-25
  • Odyssey Adventure Race - 7/24
  • Six Hours of Dirty Dawg - 7/24
  • Kayak Demo Day at Mountain Lake - 7/24
  • Blacksburg Cycling Classic - 7/24
  • Odyssey Adventure Race - 7/24
  • Tree Top Canopy Tour - 7/28
  • Touch a Truck - 7/31
  • Mountain Momma Bike Challenge - 8/7
  • Microfestivus - 8/14
  • Fab 5K - 8/21
  • Smith River Fest - 8/27-28
Roanoke Regional Partnership

Roanoke Regional Partnership · 111 Franklin Plaza, Suite 333 · Roanoke, VA 24011
540.343.1550 X 104 · www.roanoke.org