Kelowna Cup a ‘fun’ race
Big White Ski Resort will be hosting its third annual Telus Kelowna Cup fun ski and snowboard race today.
Festivities will kick off at 8 a.m. in the Village with registration and a pre-competition breakfast for all racers, followed at 10 a.m. by a dual slalom race down Lower Speculation. There will also be a barbecue and awards ceremony at Happy Valley Day Lodge starting at 3:30 p.m.
Registration is $20 per person and includes breakfast, two runs down the dual slalom course, a commemorative T-shirt, gift bag, the post-event BBQ and the chance to win a variety of prizes. There will be $10,000 worth of prizes up for grabs, including snowboards, skis and ski apparel such as goggles, jackets and pants.
Participants are encouraged to wear wild costumes: one-piece snowsuits, retro shades, headbands, zinc — you name it! Prizes will also be awarded for “best dressed.”
All proceeds from this year’s race will go towards supporting amateur children’s racing through the Big White Ski Club.
“Local athletes such as Kelsey Serwa, Ian Deans and Ned Ireland have all come out of the Big White Ski Club,” said Michael J. Ballingall, senior vice-president at Big White. “As a resort, we believe in giving back, and we want to support the next generation in reaching their goals while building leadership and teamwork.”
The Telus Kelowna Cup was resurrected in 2015 after a 20-year-hiatus from the resort.
With the psychic slalom race format and exciting après activities, it continues to be one of the most popular events for locals on the mountain each year.
The psychic slalom race format means that each racer is allowed one run before attempting to predict their time for the second run. The closest prediction wins.
This scoring system allows racers of all skill levels and all ages to compete against one another.
“We designed this race so everyone could be involved,” said Josh Foster, snow sports director at Big White. “It makes for such a fun day.”
Last year, this family-friendly race raised $27,714 for the KGH Giving Giggles campaign.
This year, the resort with its partner Telus chose to support Big White Ski Club, a ski-racing program that helps to develop young athletes into tomorrow’s community leaders.
Anyone wanting to take part in the Telus Kelowna Cup is encouraged to pre-register online at: https://www.bigwhite.com/teluskelowna-cup-big-white.