Naish International supports Lake Tahoe Fundraiser

On Monday, August 11, 2008, a group of 20 world-class skiers, surfers, mountain climbers, and disabled athletes will cross Lake Tahoe on stand-up paddle boards provided by Naish International to raise awareness and funding for service members suffering from traumatic brain injury, combat stress, and other war-related injuries. Participants include big-wave surf and tow surf pioneer Dave Kalama, Olympic gold medalist and world-champion skier Jonny Moseley, Olympic and top-tier U.S. downhill skier Daron Rahlves, Olympic snowboarder and X Games gold medalist Nate Holland, big-mountain snowboarder Jeremy Jones, and Mark Wellman, the first paraplegic to climb El Capitan and Half Dome, and a recipient of a U.S. Senate Resolution Award. Most participants are novice paddlers, and the 22-mile paddle across Lake Tahoe will not be easy. These athletes recognize, however, that their effort pales in comparison to the challenges the victims of traumatic brain injury and other serious war-related injuries face every day.

Crossing leader Dave Kalama noted “What these veterans have to deal with makes surfing Jaws seem pretty tame. They’ve put their lives on the line for all of us and sacrificed so much. It’s time to step up and do whatever we can to help. This is not some publicity stunt or contrived event – it is the real deal, a rare opportunity to see action sports athletes humbled by what they’re having to do and for whom they are doing it. For me, it’s a great opportunity to give something back, and demonstrate that our commitment to the people and causes we are involved with is as intense as our commitment to our core sports.”

The Lake Tahoe Crossing will start at 7 a.m. on 11 August 2008 from a location to be determined on Lake Tahoe’s West shore area. The lead group is expected to complete the 22 mile trek roughly five hours later and end up at Lake Tahoe’s East or South Shore areas, depending on wind direction and water conditions. To learn more about the Tahoe Stand-Up Paddle Board Crossing 2008 and how you or your firm can support this worthy cause, please contact Dr. Robb Gaffney, 530-412-1325, robbgaffney@hotmail.com, or Rob Howard, 510-773-4701, rhoward@bikeskills.com.