Big White ready to host World Cup races

It’s being called the biggest event ever held at Big White Resort.

The Kelowna-area resort hosts Barrels & Berms FIS Snowboardcross World Cup from January 24 to 26 which will include some of the world’s best snowboard cross athletes.

“This will be the biggest event at Big White Ski Resort to date – however, Big White hosted the Para World Snowboard World Cup for the past seven years in a row, as well as multiple SBX events throughout the year,” said a news release from the resort.

“Big White has been a very large supporter of SBX in the past for the level before the world cup and so we thought it was a perfect partner,” Richard Hegarty, a spokesperson for Canada Snowboard, told Kelowna Capital News.

Barrels & Berms will feature training, qualification races, an individual World Cup event and a team event. As part of the festivities, Big White is proud to host Sponsor Village, where you can find a Native Shoes Booth, a Clif Bar Sample Station, August Mazda Display Tent and a TELUS Photo Booth.

Vernon-based craft brewery Okanagan Spring will be taking over the beer gardens outside of The Woods from Friday to Sunday, and on Saturday from 8:00pm to 9:00pm, will be showing CBC’s broadcast of the Finals Event on the big screen, complete with fire pits and patio heaters.

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“When the world arrives on your door-step, and the best athletes in their sport, the whole community gets excited to turn out Canadian hospitality,” said Michael J. Ballingall, Senior Vice President at Big White Ski Resort. “This is going to be one event you won’t want to miss.”

The athletes will include Big White’s very-own Tess Critchlow who was the top-ranked Canadian in women’s snowboard cross in PyeongChang 2018, finishing ninth. She has competed in nearly every snowboardcross event Big White has held since 2001.

“I could not be more excited to race a World Cup at home!” the 24-year-old said. “Big White is where my career started so to bring it back and have the community behind me means a lot!”

Kevin Hill of Vernon, who has competed in the past two Winter Olympics for Canada, will also be racing.

Snowboardcross, an Olympic discipline event, features four riders racing simultaneously down a technically demanding course. Participants navigate around rollers, jumps, banked turns and tabletops at speeds in excess of 70km/h in a single-elimination format where the fastest two riders to cross the finish line in each heat then advance to the next round until the final heat determines the winner.

“It’s basically like motocross in a sense,” said Hegarty. “Four athletes drop out of the gate at the same time and go through the course over berms and big jumps. A lot of people fall. You end up with some pretty crazy crashes and the first one across the line wins. It’s a great sport to watch. In terms of any of the snow disciplines, it’s the most spectacular.”

Spectators will be able to get up-close and personal with the athletes from just alongside the TELUS Park SBX course. The viewing area can be accessed by ski or snowboard through TELUS Park, or by foot at Monashee Corner by the Fire Hall.