Sun Peaks Resort hosted BC Alpine’s spring Mega Camp and Mega Cup races, bringing hundreds of athletes to the mountain following the end of the ski season.
The BC Alpine Mega Camp ran from April 10 to 19, starting off with the Girls Fast Forward from April 13 to 15, the BC Boys Camp from April 16 to 18, the BC Ski Team Invitee Camp from April 10 to 19 and finishing with the Mega Cup and FIS races from April 16 to 19.
This event brought in about 250 athletes each day from across B.C., Canada, the US and other countries around the world to extend their training after ski season.
“We’re trying to start the athletes’ upcoming season right at the end of this season,” said Johnny Crichton, vice president of BC Alpine.
The camp aims to “provide a low cost opportunity for athletes from around BC and beyond,” Crichton said, costing $100 per day including lift access, lane space and grooming.
Why Sun Peaks?
Sun Peaks was chosen as the location for the 2026 BC Alpine Mega Camp for various reasons, one being how central it is. Sun Peaks is also known for having strong snowpack late into spring, Crichton said.
The mountain’s slopes, such as OSV and 5 Mile, are well-suited for race training.
“It still has incredible snow,” Crichton said. “It checked all the boxes.”
For skiers from the Sun Peaks Alpine Club, a big benefit of hosting the Mega Camp was allowing athletes to extend their season on home snow. The camp gave local racers two extra weeks on skis beyond the regular ski season, with access to high level training without the travel costs that often come with ski training camps.
Wade Rettie, program director of the Sun Peaks Alpine Club explained that extra time on the snow allows athletes to build mileage and continue work on their technique with their lessons from the regular race season still fresh.
He added that the camp environment created an opportunity for younger athletes to ski with friends from other clubs.
“They get to make new friends and they get to ski together with old friends, without the stress of competition,” Rettie said.
Athletic development
Both Rettie and Crichton mentioned that one of the most valuable aspects of the event is for younger racers to have a chance to train alongside FIS level athletes.
Having older and more experienced racers on the same hill allows younger skiers to understand and see the long-term development pathway for the sport. Helping them recognize that progress is a process, and improvement comes from continued work with their coaches, he said.
As for older racers, the Mega Cup FIS races provide a competitive opportunity late in the season, including the chance to improve FIS points in a low pressure environment.
“A lot of them have scored their best points of the year at this race,” Crichton said.
Community impact
With over 300 athletes, coaches and support staff on the mountain each day of the camp, the village remained active going into the shoulder season.
“It’s nice to have the village busy for an extra couple of weeks,” Rettie said.
Rettie and Crichton both credited the resort and community for embracing the event with open arms and for their help to make it successful. Whether it was a member of the race crew, a volunteer or resort staff, the collaborative environment was key to creating a high-quality spring training environment.
As interest in the Mega Camp continues to grow, both Crichton and Rettie said the event is helping cement Sun Peaks’ reputation as a premier spring ski racing destination.
“This is a place to target for ski racing,” Crichton said.
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