Alpenglow Sports’ Lineup of Winter Events Continues with Winter Speaker Series #2 and Lake Tahoe Backcountry Demo Event

 Kimmy Fasani, Canada, Photo Credit: Dean Blotto Gray

Alpenglow Sports’ Lineup of Winter Events Continues with

Winter Speaker Series #2 and Lake Tahoe Backcountry Demo Event

Join Kimmy Fasani’s “Outside Ourselves” and the Largest Demo Event in North America

Tahoe City, CA — Alpenglow Sports is thrilled to announce their early January 2025 events calendar! On Thursday, January 2nd, the 19th annual Alpenglow Sports Winter Speaker Series , presented by the North Tahoe Chamber , continues with pioneering snowboarder, and stage three breast cancer survivor, Kimmy Fasani . Join the audience at the Palisades Tahoe Olympic Village Events Center or livestream the event from the comfort of your home via Alpenglow Sports’ YouTube channel . Both shows are FREE to the public and all ages are encouraged to attend! Doors, drinks, and food open at 6pm and the show starts promptly at 7pm. The nonprofit beneficiary of the evening is the Tahoe Waterman Foundation .

Following Kimmy’s show, on Saturday, January 4th Alpenglow Sports will host their 19th-annual  Lake Tahoe Backcountry Demo Event at Palisades Tahoe (Alpine Meadows), where participants will have the opportunity to test over thirty different brands of backcountry ski, splitboard, and telemark equipment. These types of events are the standard for the 45-year old mountain shop that’s made bringing free events to the North Lake Tahoe and Truckee communities central to their business model.

The Alpenglow Sports Winter Speaker Series is an eagerly anticipated winter tradition for North Tahoe’s adventure community. With over 3,000 attendees annually, as well as a dynamic and global live stream component, the 19-year-old Alpenglow Sports Winter Speaker Series has become one of the premier North American forums for adventure storytelling and community gathering.

Five times per winter, a premier outdoor athlete presents an inspirational tale of adventure, creating a forum for motivation, inspiration and education. Past speakers of the Winter Speaker Series include Lynn Hill , Hilaree Nelson , Jeremy Jones , Emily Harrington , Cody Townsend , Alex Honnold , Adrian Ballinger , and more. The series runs from December through February at the Olympic Village Events Center at Palisades Tahoe.

Each show is dedicated to a different nonprofit and to date, the Winter Speaker Series has raised nearly $2,000,000 for local organizations. Giveaway and bar proceeds, in conjunction with anonymous donations by the Donor Party, traditionally raise up to $75,000  per show for a hand-picked, local nonprofit organization.

For the second 24-25 Winter Speaker Series show, Kimmy Fasani will present “Outside Ourselves” , through which she will share her profound connection to the outdoors and the ways it has shaped her resilience. A Truckee, CA native, who resides in Mammoth Lakes with her husband Chris Benchetler, Kimmy will discuss how through her personal life’s peaks and valleys—losing both parents to cancer, enduring childhood abuse, facing her own health battle, while balancing motherhood and her career— she has found the mountains to be both a sanctuary and a teacher.

From braving snow-covered peaks to navigating emotional valleys, Kimmy explains how the lessons learned outdoors—patience, determination, and trust in the process—have helped her find strength in adversity. “Outside Ourselves” is a testament to how the wilderness can condition us not only physically but emotionally, offering tools to grow beyond our limits and live with greater purpose and gratitude.

“The beauty in these shows lies in the pieces that everyone from the audience connects with and takes away with them”, says events manager, Stef Pyatt. “As each speaker generously shares vulnerable stories mixing life’s challenges and celebrations with adventure and the outdoors, we can all see ourselves in their story. Whether you aspire to match the pursuits of these athletes, or enjoy going on a walk outside, these shows speak to all of us and create opportunities for growth, connection, and inspiration.”

Food will be available for purchase from MOGROG Rotisserie  at the event, and the bar will be stocked with a variety of drinks including beer from Alibi Ale Works , nonalcoholic beer from Best Day Brewing , wine, and other nonalcoholic options. All bar proceeds will benefit the local nonprofit, the Tahoe Waterman Foundation.

There will be two giveaways at the event, also to directly support the nonprofit beneficiary of the evening. One in-person raffle for all attendees who purchase tickets at the event, and one online giveaway for anyone tuning in from afar, or who decided to purchase tickets online. The prizes for each are different and you can enter both! Register  for the livestream and you will receive one free entry into the online giveaway.

After being inspired to pursue your own adventures at the Winter Speaker Series, you will have the opportunity to test out the best gear for the job at The Lake Tahoe Backcountry Demo event. This event is for anyone interested in backcountry equipment, whether they are seeking to add to an existing quiver or taking the plunge on a first setup. In their search for new equipment, participants will also have the opportunity to interact with Alpenglow staff, as well as brand representatives from industry leaders such as DPS Skis, Black Crows, Dynafit, ATK and more. It’s a major bonus that there will be aggressive discounts on the latest and greatest backcountry equipment for participants who register for the event.

Demo opportunities begin at 9am on 1/4/25 and run until 2:30pm, with participants encouraged to return equipment after 2-3 runs in fairness to the large turnout the event experiences each year. Participants can save themselves time on the morning of the event by registering ahead of time , although morning-of registration is also provided. Pre-registered or not, the shop asks that all participants come prepared with their desired DIN setting, but this too can be calculated onsite. Alpine touring boots, bindings, and skis, as well as splitboards, will be available, as will telemark equipment, although the latter will primarily consist of NTN (new telemark norm) versus traditional 75-mm gear. Please note that poles are NOT provided at the event.

The event itself is FREE to all participants who possess a valid lift ticket or season pass purchased from Palisades Tahoe . As there are no “uphill” opportunities currently available at Palisades Tahoe, equipment will only be available for “downhill” testing. Additionally, all participants will be required to have a valid driver’s license and credit card, which will be left at the Alpenglow Sports registration tent as an acting deposit. These are returned as each participant has had their fill of demo opportunities, and equipment has been returned in an undamaged fashion.

Please note that should there be an adverse weather event on 1/4/25 that prevents the demo from occurring, a weather backup date is scheduled for the following day, Sunday 1/5/25.

Head over to Alpenglow Sports’ website  to learn more about these events, and check out the rest of their winter events lineup including Winter Speaker Series #3 with Greg Hill  on January 24th!

About Alpenglow Sports:

Alpenglow Sports is an original California Mountain Shop that has been providing locals and visitors with inspiration, local knowledge and the best gear to enjoy the great outdoors since 1973. Based in Tahoe City, we take pride in being community, socially and environmentally responsible to ensure Lake Tahoe stays one of the best places to play, visit, and live in California.

About the Tahoe Waterman Foundation:

The Tahoe Waterman Foundation  provides the opportunity for people of all ages with life-changing injuries and challenges to access the healing power of water through paddle sports. In collaboration with Tahoe Waterman's Landing in Carnelian Bay, the foundation provides resources and educational programs with the objective to create a positive changes for those facing life-changing challenges.

As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization since 2014, Waterman Foundation Tahoe has helped countless kids, first responders, and veterans to find joy and love in paddle sports. Our goal is to change the life of many - one stroke at the time.

About the Winter Speaker Series:

The Alpenglow Sports Winter Speaker Series , presented by the North Tahoe Chamber, is an eagerly anticipated winter tradition for North Tahoe’s adventure community. With over 3,000 attendees annually, as well as a dynamic and global live stream component, the 19-year-old Alpenglow Winter Speaker Series has become one of the premier North American forums for adventure storytelling and community gathering.

The Alpenglow Winter Speaker Series blends two goals: 1) to inspire and motivate mountain athletes to pursue their own outdoor dreams and 2) to educate about, and raise funds for, non-profit organizations making a tangible difference in the North Lake Tahoe and Truckee community.

Five times per winter, a premier outdoor athlete presents an inspirational tale of adventure, creating a forum for motivation, inspiration and education. Past speakers of the Winter Speaker Series include Lynn Hill, Hilaree Nelson, Jeremy Jones, Emily Harrington, Cody Townsend, Alex Honnold, Adrian Ballinger, and more. The series runs from December through March at the Olympic Village Events Center at Palisades Tahoe. Every show is FREE to the public and all ages are encouraged to attend.

Each show is dedicated to a different non-profit that has been selected through a rigorous application process, and to date, the Winter Speaker Series has raised over $1,775,000 for local organizations. Giveaway and bar proceeds, in conjunction with anonymous donations by the Donor Party, raise up to $75,000 per show for a local non-profit organization.

About the Donor Party:

The Donor Party arose in 2017 when Winter Speaker Series founder, Brendan Madigan, was approached by a community member who wanted to show his support by anonymously donating $2,500 to each of the five non-profits represented that season. Since then, The Donor Party has grown to over 75 engaged locals responsible for a massive community philanthropic effort. The result is a collective, game-changing impact that has made a difference in the fabric of the North Lake Tahoe and Truckee communities. To date, the Donor Party, in combination with the Winter Speaker Series, has raised over $1,775,000 for local organizations.

About the Lake Tahoe Backcountry Demo Event:

The Annual Lake Tahoe Backcountry Demo Event is on January 4th, 2025 . Join us for North America’s largest demo event for all things alpine touring, telemark and splitboarding. The event is held annually at the Alpine side of Palisades Tahoe, a destination known for great out-of-bounds terrain and easy to access side-country. The event provides a forum to perpetuate the enthusiasm for all aspects of in-area and backcountry skiing. If weather impacts the resort on 1/4, we will reschedule for 1/5/25.