Speed skiing is underway at Sun Peaks.
Image Credit: Twitter
March 12, 2015 - 12:57 PM
SUN PEAKS - The annual pilgrimage of speed skiers to the hills of Sun Peaks is underway.
The 2015 Bear Country FIS Speed Skiing World Cup runs from March 11 to 14. The event features more than 50 racers from around the world to take on the Headwalls ski run where they will hit speeds of around 175 kilometres per hour.
“It’s crazy. It’s wild. It’s so fast. We’re probably all a little bit nuts,” event organizer and speed-skier Adam Earle says in a release. “Think about the last time you were travelling at speed on the highway. You’re probably doing 120 km/h. It feels pretty fast. Now increase your speed another 50 kilometres and take away the car. And instead of a highway you’re driving off the side of a 60-storey high building. That’s what speed-skiing is like. It’s the fastest non-motorized sport on the planet.”
The race, formerly known as the Velocity Challenge, has been running for 26 years at Sun Peaks and the current top speed for the course was set last year by Sun Peaks racer Kenny Dale, who hit 178.22 km/h.
Races will run Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday, March 14 will feature the Velocity Challenge, where racers will attempt to reach their highest speeds.
The event can be viewed from the Sunburst Lodge or in the designated area near the top of the Elevation Chairlift. Foot passenger tickets are available for $15.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infonews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015