The King of the Hill Terrain Park Series crown will be a hotly contested item at the final event of the season on Saturday, March 8th. The Helly Hansen Big Air will be the deciding event for Mount Washington’s top skier or boarder this season.
The Stomping Ground Terrain Park is in tip-top shape and riders from across the Island were throwing down some of the sickest tricks the mountain has ever seen. Nathanael Wood, Mount Washington’s Events Coordinator, is amazed at the pool of talent. “Our local riders were putting on a show at the Slopestyle last week,” he said. “It won’t be long before sponsors start knocking on some of their doors.”
Both VI Riders and the Mount Washington Freestyle Clubs have been integral in building a strong foundation of local skiers and boarders. The resort is a strong supporter of the Island’s clubs. “It won’t be long before some of our local riders become household names in the ski and snowboard industries,” explains Mount Washington spokesperson Brent Curtain. “It’s amazing to see the level that these riders have encouraged each other to achieve.”
The Helly Hansen Big Air is the third of three events in the KOTH series. Like the previous two events, the Big Air is wide open to all who want to participate. Registration for non-KOTH competitors begins at 8:30am in the Alpine Lodge on Saturday. For all registration information, check out the event online at www.mountwashington.ca.
Last week’s Full Throttle Slopestyle turned into a test of the event crew’s mettle! Poor visibility wreaked havoc with the event on Saturday, and as a result, the skier’s comp was moved to Sunday with the snowboarders. February 24th was an action-packed day at the Stomping Ground!
35 anxious skiers competed first thing on Sunday morning under some epic blue-sky conditions. Avery Rankin was first up and he set the bar high, ultimately taking first place in the 13 and unders. Whistler’s Ben Hodson stole the 14-17 Male category, and represented the mainland in fine fashion. The 18+ Male category received some extra attention from the crowd due to an impressive Lower Mainland contingent. In the end, Islander Ian Paone brought it home and edged out Bryan Anderson by less than half a point! The girls came out to the Slopestyle in full force this season! Natasha Pegg was the victor in the 13 and unders and Cassie Sharpe proved that she’s skiing her best this season with a win in the 14+ girl’s skiing category.
Snowboarders began their comp at high noon; with 55 riders getting two turns each at the course in a jam-style format. Comox’s Darcy Sharpe was unbeatable and impressive once again in the 13 and unders, taking his second title of the season. A thrilling contest between five different riders set the scene for the 14-17 Males but in the end, a super-stoked Andrew Ottosen threw down the best in front of the judges. The biggest field of the day belonged to the 18+ Males, where VI Riders coach Mischa Christiansen stomped huge back-to-back cab 5’s, earning him the top-dog spot. In the girl’s categories Kirsty Macdonald, Marisa Harder and Sallie Skinner all won in the 13 and under, 14-17 and 18+ respectively.
A terrain park-load of sponsors were on-hand with great shwag for all the competitors: Full Throttle, Head, Rossignol, The North Face, Dakine, Bula, RED, Scott, and 686. A big thanks has to go out to 106.9 The Wolf and 91.3 The Zone for media support and also to the Save-on-Foods crew for their helping hand at all the events.
The King of the Hill points race is tight and there’s a handful of skiers and boarders who can take the crown. Who’s going to be this year’s King of the Hill? We’ll find out after the Helly Hansen Big Air, see you there!
Mount Washington Alpine Resort brings the nightlife! Intermediates and experts can check out the expanded night skiing this season off the Whiskey Jack Chair. The resort is located 30 minutes above the beautiful Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. WestJet, Central Mountain Air and Pacific Coastal Airlines service the Comox Valley Airport (YQQ). To find out about accommodation and package information, call Mount Washington Alpine Resort at 1-888-231-1499 toll free or locally at 338-1386. Surf to www.mountwashington.ca for additional information including our live snow cam.