During the GoPro Mountain Games held last weekend in Vail, professional skier Lindsey Vonn tried her luck at a new sport when she entered the 2 Fly X-Stream fly fishing competition. Using a Redington Vapen Red five-weight rod, she showed off her skills in the accuracy casting part of the event.

Redington had a set-up of gear at the Games that was available for attendees to test out.

“During the games, the 2 Fly X-Stream happens on Saturday morning with a preliminary casting competition based on accuracy and distance. From there, the top casters for both men and women head to the semi-finals and cast off a bridge to targets set up there,” said Kara Armano from Backbone Media. Armano was a 2011 2 Fly X-Stream finalist. “Then six men and two women that score highest make it to the finals on Sunday. At that point, each angler gets to choose two fly patterns and a total of six flies to catch as many fish as possible. The angler who catches the most fish wins and there is also a prize for the biggest fish.”

While Vonn didn’t take home a prize, Armano said her presence helped to break down some of the gender barriers that still exist within the sport.

“Having such a high-profile athlete participate in the GoPro Games alone is very cool, but the fact that she chose to spend her time learning to cast and giving it a go at the accuracy targets, shows people in the action sports world and larger outdoor industry that fly fishing can be a part of anyone’s activities,” Armano said. “The fact that she’s a well-recognized female is also great for the sport of fly fishing because there is no competitive advantage for one gender over another. I think she showed that well in her ability to pick up the Redington Vapen Red and give it a go with minimal instruction.”

Although the official count has not yet been reported, she said the number of attendees from the four-day-long GoPro Mountain Games was estimated to be about 53,000. Check out the video of Vonn practicing her casting below:

Image by Rick Lohre