(Reno, NV) - The Nevada Commission on Tourism (NCOT) will inject a new twist in the 2007 Nevada Passage made-for-television adventure competition, Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt announced Tuesday. The unique outdoor competition will feature an open audition for those who want to test their grit in Nevada's wide-open terrain. The Nevada Passage will bring 20 hand-picked athletes to Nevada May 7-12, 2007, to compete in a series of adventure sports and excursions in six outdoor destinations including Valley of Fire State Park, Amargosa Dunes, Rhyolite, Tonopah, Mount Rose and Carson City. Paired into 10 coed teams of two by profession, the athletes' experiences will be filmed and edited into a one-hour television program to be syndicated in more than 80 U.S. markets between August 2007 and February 2008. It will be the third year NCOT has staged this competition.
"The past two years of The Nevada Passage series has been a tremendous success and helped highlight many of Nevada's most cherished locations," Hunt, NCOT chair, said. "With the addition of a team from the public, this year's competition will provide our audience the opportunity to participate and experience Nevada for themselves."
This year's Nevada Passage will include a 10K run, bike trek, ATV dune race and back-country ski event as well as visits to the ghost town of Rhyolite and Carson City, Nevada's state capital for a new "destination highlights" feature of the program that does not include a competition.
"An open audition for The Nevada Passage creates an additional buzz for the event and will allow the general public the opportunity to explore and compete in some of the most scenic and inspirational destinations in the world," NCOT Interim Director Larry Friedman said.
Online auditions, information and rules for The Nevada Passage can be found at www.nevadapassage.com, where viewers can watch the 2005 show. Required audition materials include a short video of the applicant stating why he or she should be selected as a competitor and a completed application. Audition materials will not be accepted past Jan. 31, 2007.
The stages of The Nevada Passage, which are subject to change because of weather and other conditions, are planned as follows:
Stage 1: Desert 10K run Location: Valley of Fire State Park near Las Vegas
Stage 2: ATV competition Location: Amargosa Dunes (approximately 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas)
Destination Highlight 1: Rhyolite (a ghost town northwest of Las Vegas)
Stage 3: Back-roads cycling Location: Tonopah and Goldfield (between two historic mining towns U.S. Highway 95)
Stage 4: Back-country ski Location: Mount Rose near Reno
Destination Highlight 2: Carson City/Carson Valley
About 5.4 million viewers have seen The Nevada Passage since it began nationwide syndication in August 2005 in more than 100 markets. TEAM Unlimited, a Honolulu-based television events and marketing company, developed and produces it.
For more, visit www.nevadapassage.com and www.travelnevada.com.
