RENO, Nev. — Nevada's effort to promote the state as the ultimate adventure place is going international in a new partnership with Land Rover SUVs that will turn the made-for-TV Nevada Passage event into North America's qualifying round for a global outdoor competition, tourism officials said last week.

Part of a campaign to show tourists Nevada is more than bright lights and slot machines, the state tourism commission created the syndicated television program three years ago featuring two-person teams competing in bicycle races, kayaking, jet skis, rock climbing and other outdoor events across the state.

In May, the fourth version of the adventure reality series will serve as one of the 18 qualifying events around the world for the 2008-09 Land Rover G4 Challenge, a combination of off-road races, navigation challenges, trail running, mountain biking and kayaking.

"Land Rover and Nevada are a perfect fit because we're both so closely associated with outdoor adventure," said Tim Maland, director of the Nevada Commission on Tourism.

"The Nevada Passage is the branding tool we have used to establish the states reputation for adventure, and the fact that Land Rover has taken notice is pretty solid proof that the tool has worked," he said Wednesday.

Chris Marchand, executive vice president of marketing and sales for Land Rover North America, said the 60-year-old motor vehicle manufacturer's brand is "synonymous with history and adventure, so it's truly fitting for us to participate in the challenge."

"We saw the Nevada Passage and Nevada's array of adventure sports activities and driving terrains as the most desirable location for this exciting landmark competition," he said.

The terms of the deal were not released.

Past Nevada Passage competitions included backcountry skiing in the Sierra Nevada, sand-boarding at the Sand Mountain Recreation Area near Fallon, kayaking on the Truckee River in downtown Reno and rock climbing at Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas.

"When we launched the Nevada Passage in 2005, our goal was to further establish Nevada as an outdoor hot spot," Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki said. He said the new deal further establishes "this premier destination for adventurers, explorers and outdoor enthusiasts."

Tourism officials said the partnership with Land Rover this year will make it necessary to keep secret the exact location of the five-days worth of events to prevent competitors from getting an unfair advantage by practicing at the sites ahead of time.

The top two two-person teams from the competition will advance to the international selection event in early 2009, where one team will be selected to represent the United States in the final challenge in Asia.

"It's huge for Nevada to be the U.S. competition venue," Maland said.

"To date, the Nevada Passage has showcased 18 different locations and adventures to 25 million potential television viewers nationwide and $5.6 million in free publicity. ... Now, Land Rover is enabling us to extend that reach globally through the G4 Challenge."