An Intro to the Omnigames

Last week, Columbia Sportswear flew nearly forty social media influencers from around North America to Park City, Utah for an event called the Omnigames. Up until last week, all we knew about this event is that we were going to be competing with one another, but what was the competition, and prize? The big reveal came on Thursday January 9th. We found out that were being paired off into sixteen teams of two. The prize at stake? the top five teams will be heading to Jordan with Columbia Sportswear, and the challenges we had to excel in are the following:

• Dog Days of Winter – This one probably stoked me up the most. Two words: Dog Sledding. It’s not just that it has been on my life list for several years, it was also so very rad! We had to ride out with our musher and learn as much as we could about the experience before regurgitating the knowledge for a test at the end.
• Snowmobile Drive-by – This event required two skills: piloting a snowmobile several miles, then sticking up to three arrows into a target. I was pleasantly surprised that I can still shoot a bow with some accuracy, its been several years. 
• Hot Chocolate Run – This event proved to be the most challenging across the board. The goal was to start a fire, boil water, and make hot chocolate, but the catch was three fold. It had to be started with a magnesium block, it was snowing sideways, and we had a time limit. I definitely need to reassess my survival skills.
• Our House – This is where our skills shined. The goal was to build a shelter in under twenty minutes using the few supplies we were given, and our surroundings. Luckily for us, the accumulating wet powder made for a great starting point. All boys build forts when they’re kids, right?
• Needle in an Avalanche – This challenge had us racing through the snow, avalanche transponder in hand in search of the buried victim.
• Bridge The Gap – The first of two ropes course challenges, that had us traversing the lower ropes course at Utah Olympic Park.
• Lookout Below – This was part two of the high ropes adventure at Utah Olympic park. I had my doubts at first due to the cold and snow, but we shimmied through this challenge with flying colors.
• Leap of Faith – This event had competitors racing several hundred feet down a zipline then taking a 60 foot “leap of faith” rope jump style off a platform. Unfortunately due to weather this event was canceled.
• Downhill Derby How many vertical feet can you rack up at Canyons Resort in an hour and a half?
• Charles Dickens – The final piece of the games has us doing what we do best, creating content to share with the world about our experience at the OmniGames.

Before the games began, the entire OmniTen family was split into two groups, then called up one by one to pick a name from a hat. This name would determine who would be our partner for the Omnigames. I stuck my hand in that hat, swirled it around and pulled out a name… Jon Bausman, and thus Team 4 was created. Jon was a member of the OmniTen family that I had not interacted much with, but was about to get acquainted with quickly, after all, more travel was at stake, and isn’t that what this blog was about?

My Teammate and new found friend, Jon Bausman.

One of our furry friends waiting to do what they do best. PULL!!!

With our opponents laid out before us, we wasted no time at all in strategizing  for the games. We knew what the stakes were, we knew our strengths and weaknesses, and we were on the same page. Game on!

Stayed tuned this week for more content from the #OmniGames and all the Columbia Sportswear events that accompanied it.