Sun Peaks hosted a stop on the Canada Cup circuit for the fourth year, bringing in elite athletes with NorAm potential at the Sun Peaks Freestyle Canada Cup.
Freestyle skiers competing in this event were in Sun Peaks for training on Wednesday, Feb. 5, until the event wrapped up on Sunday, Feb. 9.
The event was run by Freestyle Canada, Freestyle BC and Sun Peaks Freestyle Club on both the black terrain park and the big jumps just below, events and partnerships manager for Sun Peaks Resort LLP (SPR) Liz Wilkinson said.
Ten per cent of the 80 participants this year were women, Wilkinson added, with an age range mainly between 14 and 19.
Top athletes are invited to compete in the Canada Cup circuit, which can get them a spot at the senior nationals, president of the Sun Peaks Freestyle Club (SPFC) Amy Atkinson said.
Sun Peaks Freestyle Canada Cup results
Local athlete Ryder McKenzie-White was ranked first in slopestyle and third in big air.
Other local athletes reached impressive placements as well, including Marigold Campbell with fourth place in big air and fifth in slopestyle, Jackson Atkinson with 11th in both categories and Wren Grunling 18th in slopestyle and 10th in big air.
On the podium with White for the men’s big air category was Jude Oliver with first place and Drew Christensen with second place, both athletes from B.C.
Sharing the podium once again for the men’s slopestyle, Christensen followed McKenzie-White taking second place while Oliver took third.
Jillian Mullie from Alberta. got gold in the women’s big air category followed by Analise Perry, also from Alberta with silver and Maggie Sutherland, from B.C. with bronze.
Perry placed at the top in the women’s slopestyle category, with Mullie in second place followed by Makenna Griffiths from B.C. in third.
“Nancy [Greene Raine] came out and handed out the medals on Sunday afternoon,” Atkinson said. “So that’s always like a huge thing for the athletes, getting our Olympian to put a medal around their neck.”
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