GoPro Mountain Games 101: A guide to the 4-day festival in Vail

Athletes. Art. Mountains. Music.

Those words have long been descriptive terms and a tagline of the GoPro Mountain Games. The first big event to kick off the summer, the GoPro Mountain Games embodies what we love about this short but sweet season here in the Rockies. If you haven’t been going to the Mountain Games for the last 22 years, here’s a primer on what you need to know and how to navigate the weekend.

Athletes

The GoPro Mountain Games welcomes thousands of athletes to Vail and the surrounding communities for the four days (and many times the days leading up to the event) for competitions. More than $140,000 is on the line, spread across nearly a dozen different disciplines and more than 30 athletic competitions. Biking, fishing and running are the more mainstream events you may have heard of, but also look for fringe sports like trick lining — where tricks are performed over a slack line — and the 8-Ball Kayak Sprint. What’s really cool is that the race courses used for the pros are the same courses that the average Joes and Janes compete on.

At the GoPro Mountain Games, dogs are athletes, too. Lionshead plays host to the Dock Dogs competitions where canines test their skills in how fast they can retrieve and how high and how far they can jump.   

The venues range from kayaking and rafting events on Gore Creek, trail running events on Vail Mountain and a few sports happening beyond Vail like dual slalom bike racing at the Minturn Bike Park and disc golf in Minturn and EagleVail. But most of the competitions will be easy to find in Vail Village or Lionshead Village. A list of venues and competitions can be found on MountainGames.com.

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Art

At the GoPro Mountain Games, it isn’t just about athletic endeavors — the spirit of the event embraces the cultural and storytelling side of things with art, demonstrations, films and more to entertain and inspire. From photography and video tips with a GoPro expert to watching live painting, juggling, face painting and more, the GoPro Mountain Games has something for everyone.

Last year, local artist Amy Dose painted a colorful kayak scene along the east entrance of the Vail Village parking structure throughout the Mountain Games. This year’s artist is Timmy Ham of the brand Sloth. In between transforming the wall into his own colorful creation, Timmy, who is from Arizona, will be competing in the Oakley XC Mountain Bike Race and the Nature Valley Mountain Mud Run with his family.

The CoLab stage located in the Mountain House Gear Town, near Solaris, will be a great place to head to for daily discussions and demonstrations. From artists and outdoors experts to influencers and athletes (word has it that World Cup and Olympic alpine ski racing champion Mikaela Shiffrin will be up on stage), the public is invited to attend and listen in on a variety of topics.

On Friday and Saturday afternoons, wind down with films at Chasing Rabbits. On Friday, watch Teton Gravity Research’s “The Hypocrite” which follows a professional skier navigating between personal actions and climate advocacy. On Saturday, “Full Circle” follows the similar life paths of Trevor Kennison and Barry Corbet, two extreme athletes who suffered spinal cord injuries decades apart but didn’t let that define who they could become. Films start at 5:30 p.m. and are followed by Q-and-A sessions.

Mountains

The GoPro Mountain Games really does showcase the best the mountains have to offer in the summertime. From great ways to push yourself in a sport on the hill or river, to the wonderful ways to relax with a cold beverage and live music at the end of your fantastic day, if you were to travel to Vail for one weekend, this is really when you’d get a taste of what the mountain lifestyle is all about. Especially if you take time to go through all the vendor booths in Mountain House Gear Town and beyond.

Want to see what it would be like to travel in a tricked-out van? There will be plenty on display. Want to refuel after your ride? Some products aim to restore your body’s balance in healthy ways and sampling is encouraged. Need a dog to complete your Colorado lifestyle? Dog adoptions will be taking place in Lionshead.

The GoPro Mountain Games provide such a slice of the mountain lifestyle that it should almost be mandatory that all newcomers to the Vail Valley and anyone else who is thinking of moving here attend.

A few things to note in our mountain communities: the weather changes rapidly, so bring layers for dry, warm weather and rainy cold weather. Bring a reusable water bottle, as there will be hydration stations located throughout all venues.

Parking can be a challenge in our small mountain town of Vail. Come early, carpool, take public transportation or bike, skateboard or scooter in. Lastly, check out MountainGames.com/Schedule to get a game plan for how you want to spend your days most efficiently. Who knows, you may become inspired to get into the action and participate in one of the many competitions offered.

Music

Melodies are a big part of the GoPro Mountain Games and it is almost like a festival within a festival with Mountains of Music appealing to the spectators and athletes. As the competitions come to a close each day, all eyes and ears head to the stage at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater for three nights of music. Xavier Rudd, with opener Mike Love, play The Amp on Thursday. Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country will play the opening set on Friday, with Lotus closing down the stage that night. And on Saturday, get ready for Andy Thorn (of Leftover Salmon) & Friends to kick things off before roots rockers Dispatch takes the crowd into the final night of paid concerts. Tickets can be purchased at MountainGames.com/Music.

In addition to the paid shows at The Amp, Mountains of Music will continue throughout the four days of the event. Two stages will be set up with multiple acts playing. The Hangout Music Stage at Golden Peak will offer live tunes next to all the food trucks. The Turtlebox Music Stage will be located in Vail Village at Checkpoint Charlie, just a few steps away from Gore Creek.

There are so many ways to soak up the athletes, art, mountains and music of the GoPro Mountain Games, so sure to get out and experience as much as you can on this iconic weekend.