 Ski Jasper Alberta News
Whistler Blackcomb Hosted First Snowboard World Championships in North America
Whistler Blackcomb hosted the first-ever Snowboard World Championships
to be held in North America next January. The 2005 Snowboard World Championships
will attract 400 of the world’s best athletes from over 40 countries,
to compete in Halfpipe, Big Air, Snowboard Cross, Parallel Giant Slalom,
and Parallel Slalom events. The Snowboard World Championships are the
most important snowboard event next to the Olympics. The event occurs
every other year, and will take place in Whistler from January 15 –
23, 2005.
In preparation for the Snowboard World Championships, Whistler Blackcomb
is constructing a new Superpipe on Blackcomb Mountain, on Lower Cruiser
in the Base II area. The Superpipe features impressive World Cup sanctioned
specs: 150 meters(488 feet) of effective wall length, and a 5-meter (16-foot)
wall height. After the Championships, Whistler Blackcomb will continue
to use the Superpipe all winter long. During the evening the Superpipe
will be lit for after-dark action at Whistler Blackcomb’s Night
Moves.
“The Snowboard World Championships are huge for Whistler and for
North America,” said Rob McSkimming, Whistler Blackcomb Director
of Ski and Snowboard School. “They are an important qualifying event
for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games, and the event will be great practice
for 2010. The Championships are also an opportunity for us to showcase
our world-class facilities and hospitality. When it’s all said and
done, the Superpipe we’re building will become a legacy for competitive
skiers and riders to come.”
The Whistler Blackcomb Terrain Park team has an impressive resume: they’ve
won 24 Top Three Park and Pipe Awards since 1996, which is unmatched by
any resort park team in the world. Each year the team uses its collective
expertise to take the resort’s terrain parks and pipes to the next
level. This year, capital expenditures will aid the process. $40,000 will
be spent in the Blackcomb Terrain Park to upgrade rails and create new,
progressive rail shapes, including several Whistler Blackcomb signature
rails. A new Zaugg Pipe Shaper on Whistler will increase the introductory
pipe's wall height from 10-feet to 13-feet. Three new Piston Park Bullies
will also be purchased for use on both mountains.
“We are all about progression,” said Peter Young, Whistler
Blackcomb Events Manager. “Many of our guests, especially young
people want to ride the park so we ensure quality hits are built in every
level. Guests can learn on a small table-top and work their way up through
the sizes to become better riders. We know we have guests with varying
ability levels so we’ve constructed parks for every ability up to
the highest level.”
|
