The Smithers Ski and Snowboard Club knows how to party. And they know how to host great ski races. The second and final North Zone Teck Series race of the season took place at Hudson Bay Mountain Resort last weekend with 83 athletes ranging from age 10 to 67 taking part in a weekend showdown. See the race results at the bottom.
Athletes and volunteers were in awe of the new infrastructure SSSC had worked so hard to establish over the summer, thanks to the incredible Community Economic Resilience Infrastructure Program grant from the Government of BC. New start huts, hard wire timing, timing gear, safety netting, event centre amphitheatre, and more came out to save the day.
The volunteers, athletes, coaches, and race organizers faced adversity and unexpected events, and time and again found ways to overcome. Road closures, lift closures, a coastal snow storm, soft snow, as well as hurricane-force winds could not deter the passion and excitement of race weekend.
Saturday’s high winds forced all lifts to be closed, yet the local ski cabin community came out to the rescue en masse and snowmobiles shuttled hundreds of bodies to the top to get the race completed.
Sunday arrived with 20+ cm of fresh snow and relentless accumulation; the morning run had athletes wiping their goggles multiple times during their race run in full survival mode. The afternoon run turned into a hurricane wind event and a continued blizzard and everyone involved prayed for the lift to keep running long enough to finish the 2nd run.
“Saturday was surreal. We all assume that lifts will be turning on race day and it would be easy to cancel a GS in the absence of lifts. I watched the ROC strategize, communicate and implement a solution to save the race. It was a massive pivot and amazing to watch. Sunday’s weather was apocalyptic with howling wind, driving snow and hoar frost coating the b-net as fast it could be reset. Matt’s course crew worked tirelessly to ensure that athletes had a safe race environment, all the while under the threat of lift closure. Well done!”
Graham Cope, BC Alpine Chair and Race TD
Even the awards were harrowing, with spectators cowering under the new covered event center while athletes on the podium had to avoid the growing roof snow cornice from tumbling down on their heads. All in all, a most memorable weekend!
RACE RESULTS HERE
– Race Report submitted by Cormac Hikisch, Smithers Ski Club