I’m not sure if the sky could have been a more perfect shade of blue over the Velocity Challenge 2010 FIS World Cup Speed Skiing course on Saturday. Participants and spectators alike couldn’t have asked for a better to day with light winds and a bright sun. Racers from all over the world donned their space invaders helmets and polyurethane-coated suits to race down headwalls at warp speeds.

I caught up with Adam Earle, event organizer and owner of Peaks Media and Spin, after he had done his semi-finals morning run. I couldn’t help but ask, “How do you get into something like this?” I wondered if it was similar to luge or skeleton. Do these speed demons just get up one morning and decided today is the day to try hurling themselves down an icy track or off a mountain top?


Adam poses with the Canadian flag

In Adam’s case it was something like that. Already a racer, in 1984 he entered a contest called “So You Think You’re Fast?” Turns out he was and after that he was hooked. His friend Kenny Dale began the event at Sun Peaks in the 80’s then Adam took over 15 years ago.




The area in front of Sunburst was packed with spectators coming and going all day. This couple from Tasmania was cheering and ringing their Velocity cowbell

So the event has strong roots at this resort. What’s great about having the event here is Sun Peaks is the only North American venue to hold a World Cup speed skiing event. The main racing circuit is around venues in Europe so for the racers to be able to come here is unique opportunity. 

So why Sun Peaks? Adam attributes it to the fact we have the perfect hill for the race. Headwalls, normally an alpine mogul run, was smoothed to perfection by the grooming crew days in advance and then maintained carefully throughout the event. If you have ever been at the top of this run looking down you will have some sense of what these racers are doing.


A Racer guns it down Headwalls

Sun Peaks is also home to about ten speed skiers so the atmosphere here is healthy to support an event like this. Many of the volunteers are also very dedicated with many having up to a decade of experience with the race. Adam also said the community sponsors and support make it all possible for Sun Peaks to host this world class event.

On Saturday, Adam’s speed was 156 kilometers per hour, which according to him was not bad, but he could still go faster. The fastest speed reached at the contest was an amazing 174.11 km/h by Italy’s Ivan Origone. The fastest woman, Karine Dubouchet-Revol of France, hit just over 161 km/h. You can find complete results here.

 
The results board

While the premise is deceptively simple (top to bottom with speed measured at a certain point on the track) there are several things which set the racers apart. One is wax. If you took a walk over by the Sunburst Lodge it was easy to see how important this was to the racers. Many had their eight foot skis out and were applying wax with care and precision. A practiced hand would trace the bottom of the skis to feel if they were ready while their trained eyes would look at them sharply.

 







Another factor is equipment. Like many other sports the more money you sink into it the better your outcomes may be. Special skis are needed, along with customized suits with aerodynamic helmets and fairings on the calves which turn the racer into a human bullet when he takes the tuck position. Warped-looking ski poles have a bracing affect when they are wrapped around the torso. Amazingly, the only protection besides the helmet is provided by a thin back pad in case of a crash.
 

A racers profile shows how different their gear is from conventional racing suits

What about courage? According to Adam you need a healthy does of fear to compete successfully, but you also need be very confident in your skiing ability. Especially on the Sun Peaks course.

While most courses are concave, allowing the racer to see all the way to bottom, the Sun Peaks course is convex with two big rollers. This means the racers can only see about the first 50 meters and are then flying off into the unknown. So while it may not be the fastest course on the circuit, it is the most challenging one. Racers love it, as well as the community and the venue with Sunburst Lodge as their headquarters.


The two large rollers make an already interesting sport even more challenging

While all the precautions available are taken, the element of danger is certainly present at this event. We know how injured regular racers can get so imagine a bail at seemingly mach speeds. The consequences could be deadly. While I speaking with Adam the crowd gasped as I looked up to see one racer barely keep it together after a slip. Adam congratulated him on a great recovery at the bottom of the hill and the look in the racer’s eyes mirrored everyone’s relief.

On Sunday one racer wasn’t able to make such a recovery and went off the Headwalls course. The safety nets caught him and thankfully he was mostly uninjured save his hand. So after two successful races the course was shut down due to escalating winds. Because of the aerodynamic nature of the suits the racers are highly susceptible to winds gusts. Despite the early ending, racers and organizers were happy to take part in another sucessful Velocity Challenge.

While the world’s fastest racers were present, there were also many rookies and amateurs. Rick, of Kamloops, hadn’t raced in seven years and was just happy to be back out racing again. He was there to have a good time and beat his personal best. Local rookie racer Blade Cleaver walked away with $200 for being the fastest first timer with a speed of 151.82 km/h.

It goes to show anyone with an insatiable need for speed that this might be the sport for them.

While the weather was definitely spring-like this weekend, we received more snow last night and are expecting cooler tempertures and more systems throughout the week. Hopefully the March that came in like a lamb will go out like a lion.

Winter isn't over yet,

Brandi

How could I not start off talking about what was one of the greatest days in Canadian sport’s history? On Sunday the resort was basically at a complete standstill as everyone waited with pounding hearts for the outcome of the overtime period of the gold medal hockey game. Suddenly the tension was broken and the entire village erupted! The Canadian Men’s hockey team had won Olympic gold on home ice. What a way to end two weeks of outstanding achievements by our athletes. With a record setting gold metal tally we showed the world what Canadians are made of.

Here on the mountain other competitors were also out to prove their resilience last weekend. It was time for Helly Hansen’s Big Mountain Battle. I’d been looking forward to the event all year and was stoked when big, lovely snowflakes begin falling the previous day. But I was totally shocked in the next morning to learn 27cm had fallen and it still wasn’t letting up. My first instinct was to forget the competition and hit all my favourite powder spots until my legs gave out.

But in the end, I knew I had to try. Course maps were posted online the day before with checkpoints and hikes. I had a plan and I had a partner and I didn’t want to wait another year to give it a go. We signed in, received our Flaik GPS units which would track our every move on the mountain, and headed to the start gate.

One hundred and two people, the largest group Helly Hansen had this year, was ready to give it their all for a chance to win an all expenses paid trip to Aspen Snowmass. It was a Le Man’s start, and soon after plunging into the powder to race round the Mid Mountain Chapel it became apparent to me just how difficult the conditions were going to make this already challenging race.


Team Lombard was ready to go!


Teams discussing their action plans

The pros were out of there before I could even strap in, but even if you weren’t Mr. Hardcore it was a great race. Relying on how well you knew the trails and how hard you could push yourself was satisfying. Although it was a competition, everyone was friendly and just out there for the experience.  The best part for me was the waist deep powder turns after the Mid Burf hike.


Walking through the finish

After finding the finish, many soggy people gathered around pints and barbequed burgers in Memories restaurant to celebrate personal determination. Third place went to Team Jackson, with a time of 2 hours and 25 minutes and were rewarded with some gear. Second place winners, Captains of Compost walked away with two super cool GoPro HD digital headwear cameras for their time of 2 hours and 22 minutes. Two Sun Peaks’ locals, Brian and Ben (aka Team North and South) took first place, with a time of 2 hours and 17 minutes and can look forward to competing with all the other resort winners in Aspen at the end of the month. Good luck guys! Check out the top ten course and hike times here.

The winners with thier new Dakine luggage bags to haul their gear to Aspen Snowmass at the end of March

There were also mad giveaways with awesome prizes just for competing. There was Helly Hansen gear, roof racks, and t-shirts just to name a few items. A bonus was logging on to the flaik website to see all your race stats.  It was definitely a day I won’t forget for a long time and one that will inspire me to prepare harder for next year.

Here is video of last year’s race. If anyone has pics of footage of last weekend’s race let me know and I’ll post it here.

Also, just a heads up: If you see people walking around the resort this week dressed like they may be visiting from the future, don’t be alarmed. They are competitors in the Subaru Velocity Challenge FIS World Cup Speed Skiing and will be competing on Headwalls from March 4 to 7. If you think you rip, wait until you see theses guys!

Keep Riding,

Brandi 

My first two weeks here have been unbelievable. I’ve had so many great days on the mountain and it is only the first day of December. At this very moment, big, fat snowflakes are blowing around outside. It’s only the tip of the iceberg, and this season is fully on!

All over the mountain and the village, people are settling into their new jobs and working to prepare for the guests from all over the world who will visit us this season.   

The slight nervousness of the “new job, new people” feeling is being replaced by excited anticipation for the amazing experiences that lie ahead this season. Besides endless days of exploring the mountains, there is so much to do here that I’m actually feeling a little overwhelmed.

But among the array there are definitely some standouts.

The first is the holiday season, which is actually a bit of an anomaly for me.  It’s not that I’m a Scrooge or a Grinch, I’ve just never been a big Christmas person, but I think this year it might be a little different.

People from all over the world come to celebrate here during the Christmas season, and with a ton of Christmas events throughout the village, the holiday amp reaches such a high level that we may as well be at the North Pole itself. While I won’t be home for Christmas, a few members of my family are coming to visit and I’m stoked to spend time with them in a great atmosphere. And then comes New Year’s Eve, one of my favorite party nights of the year. And from what I’ve heard, New Year's Eve at the Peaks is the stuff legends are made of.

Come January, I’m looking forward to the resort’s famous Winter Wine Festival. Those three words alone guarantee a good time. I’m not a huge wine connoisseur, but I have started paying more attention to different wines over the last couple of years, so I’m excited to learn more at the festival. I’m hoping to come out with a couple favorites I can relax with on those après evenings when you really feel you’ve earned it.

February is a big month for all of BC, with the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver and Whistler beginning on the 12th and the Paralympics games beginning in March. I think Sun Peaks is going to be the perfect place to celebrate the games. We are close enough to catch the excitement and feel we are a part of it, but far enough away we will still maintain the laid back Sun Peaks attitude. People all over the resort are planning ways to maximize the Olympic experience, from events to more screens for viewing. You’ll be able to be out on the slopes without missing too much of the action.

Also in February is the Helly Hansen Big Mountain Battle. It’s a competition where teams of two make their way all over the mountain using a GPS device to track them. Points are earned for using as many different lifts as you can, highest elevation, quickest time etc. I missed out last year due to school commitments but this year it is on! My teammate and I have decided to give it our all this year and are preparing for the challenge already. The first place prize, a trip to Aspen Snowmass to compete against winners from other resorts, is great motivation.

Before we know it, spring riding will be upon us. It is hard to beat those sunny, bluebird days accompanied with the great Sun Peaks patio atmosphere. I love watching people huck off the massive table tops in the park as both the jumps and people’s bravery seem to grow in the spring. While my park skills leave quite a bit to be desired, there is no shortage of skilled park fanatics around here. March also brings the Velocity Challenge, the fastest non-motorized sport in the world, which is always exciting to watch. You will get over their outfits once you see these guys in action.

And in between the main events, I hope to take advantage of everything else offered here. I plan on getting out and skiing the Nordic trails and maybe even some snowshoeing. I know there are some great meals with great friends waiting to be had all around the village. And if I’m feeling a little indulgent, maybe even a visit to the spa with a couple girlfriends.

Throw in the annual Top to Bottoms Race and we will call it a season!

Wishing you a great winter,

Brandi