Contests abound for freeskiers, freeriders
SUNSHINE VILLAGE
Because Sunshine Village is so close to Calgary, most skiers and snowboarders from the city might not really consider the possibility of spending the night. That’s a mistake. The Sunshine Mountain Lodge is the perfect way to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life for a little while and just relax. The rustic mountain vibe and ski-in, ski-out accommodations make a night at Sunshine one of the most unique mini-vacations a Calgarian is going to find anywhere in the Rockies. With 37 centimetres of fresh powder falling on the mountain in the past week alone, the season total now sits at 625 cm. skibanff.com twitter.com/sunshinevillages
LAKE LOUISE
There’s a ton of snow these days at Lake Louise, and it seems Western Canada’s freeskiing and freeriding communities have taken notice. How do we know? Well, there’s a whole bunch of competitions set to go down at the Banff National Park resort. There’s a Freeride World Qualifier scheduled for Friday that will pit some of the region’s best skiers and snowboarders against one another, and then two days later there’s the Big Mountain Challenge. That’s not a sanctioned FWQ event, meaning there’s a slightly more laid-back vibe among the skiers and snowboarders ripping crazy lines down the resort’s steepest slopes. Lake Louise has seen 21 cm of new snow in the past week, bringing the season total to 553 cm. skilouise.com twitter.com/skilouise
NORQUAY
March is traditionally a heavy snowfall month, and we all know April can bring on some of the best times in the mountains. That’s all what makes it so exciting that Mount Norquay is offering a huge discount on its 2020 Spring Pass. For only $189, adults can grab a pass that will get them on the mountain for unlimited runs between now and the end of the season. Honestly, that’s ridiculously good value, and with 11 cm of new snow falling in the past week and the season total sitting at 314 cm, skiers and snowboarders are going to want to get out as much as possible. banffnorquay.com twitter.com/mtnorquay
COP
Right now, Winsport is offering absolutely insane discounts on its spring passes. For adults, passes that offer unlimited skiing and snowboarding are going for only $189.99, while it’s even cheaper for kids, with passes going for only $129.99. The deal only lasts 72 hours and ends Friday. winsport.ca
MARMOT BASIN
We’re only a couple weeks away from one of the biggest ski mountaineering races of the year. On March 7-8, Marmot Basin will host the Marmot’s Revenge Ski Mountaineering race, which will double as the 2020 Canadian National Ski Mountaineering Championships and will be relied on heavily to determine who will be competing for Canada next season. The Jasper National Park resort got hit with 3 cm of new snow in the past week and the season total now sits at 357 cm. skimarmot.com twitter.com/marmotbasin
CASTLE MOUNTAIN
It’s been an insane start to 2020 at Castle Mountain, where they’ve seen heavy snowfall after heavy snowfall to start the year. The past week alone saw 44 cm of the fluffy white stuff blanket the slopes, bringing the season total to a stunning 758 cm. We’re a couple weeks early here, but sometimes it’s worth giving people advanced warning for a great deal. On March 1, Castle Mountain will host its latest Never Ever Day, a special package for anyone who has ever wanted to try skiing or snowboarding but hasn’t quite managed to take the plunge. The deal includes an equipment rental, a beginner lift ticket and a lesson for just $25. Spaces are limited, though, and anyone who wants to participate has to register in advance. skicastle.ca twitter.com/skicastle
FERNIE
Since the calendar flipped to 2020 it’s sort of seemed like the snow has just refused to stop falling at Fernie. After getting blasted by a further 30 cm in the past seven days, the season total is now sitting pretty at 757 cm. With all that snow, the B.C. resort has been able to open the area above Lizard Bowl — commonly known as Face Lift — for the first time all season. skifernie.com twitter.com/skifernie
KICKING HORSE
Every year, it seems like more and more people are taking on the challenge of ski mountaineering. This year, Kicking Horse is embracing the growing sport by hosting the Steep Dreams Ski Mountaineering Festival from Feb. 28 to March 1. The mountaineering celebration will feature an individual race and one of the few team races in North America. The Golden, B.C., resort is in the midst of a great winter and the 20 cm of snow that fell in the past week brought the season total to 641 cm. kickinghorseresort.com twitter.com/kickinghorsemtn
PANORAMA
It’s been a magical season so far at Panorama, where the Invermere, B.C., resort has been enjoying the sort of snow that keeps everyone on the mountain happy. There was five cm of new snow in the past week and the season total now sits at 369 cm. There’s a busy schedule ahead as the Kootenay Freestyle Classic goes this weekend and the Kootenay Zone Race is set for next weekend. panoramaresort.com twitter.com/panoramaresort
REVELSTOKE
Surely, there’s an explanation for the winter Revelstoke is having. We’re not really in the mood for figuring it out, though, mostly because it’s more fun to just sit back and feel grateful for the idea it’s even possible for this much snow to fall on one mountain, where the 36 cm of fresh powder that fell in the past week brought the season total to 882 cm revelstokemountainresort.com twitter.com/revelstokemtn
WHITEFISH
There’s something going on just across the border. Something amazing. At Whitefish — voted the third best ski area in North America by readers of Ski Magazine this year — the snow gods have been incredibly kind recently. In fact, the Montana resort was blessed with 18 cm of powder in the past week, bringing the season total at the summit to 562 cm skiwhitefish.com twitter.com/skiwhitefish