The Velocity Challenge and FIS Speed Ski World Cup were successfully welcomed back to Sun Peaks from February 28 to March 3 and some fantastic stories came from it.
While the skiers were greeted each day with high winds and mainly cloudy skies, all races were completed and no injuries were sustained. High winds meant that racers didn’t make it to the top of the race track until the final run of the competition on the last day.
On the first day, a training day, racers had to put their game faces on to tackle the unique Headwalls race track.
“(The track’s) very interesting, because it’s challenging,” explained Austrian team captain Valentin Münzer, adding that there’s very little room for error on the track. “It might not be as fast paced or high speed but the two (near) rollers make it very, very technical.”
Swedish speed skier and current women’s world record holder Sanna Tidstrand said that the track was, “Really good, there’s a few almost (rollers) and that makes it more fun.” While high winds meant that day two of racing didn’t host a World Cup final as scheduled, the top three men held nothing back finishing within 0.05 km/h of each other, setting a tantalizing scene for the finals.
The first men’s World Cup speed ski final was won by Italian world record holder Simone Origone, with local hero Kenny Dale bringing the house down after finishing in third. The second men’s final was won by Origone’s brother Ivan. Both women’s finals were won by Tidstrand. In the second final Tidstrand edged out Norwegian Liss-Anne Pettersen by 0.13 km/h.
Just outside the top 10 in the first men’s final was 18-year-old high school student and Sun Peaks local Joss Advocaat. He was able to mix it with the fastest skiers in the world recording the 11th fastest speed in the first men’s final and ninth in the Velocity Challenge. Advocaat said that he hopes to continue speed skiing at the highest level.
“I’m going to Europe for the first time in April to compete at the FIS World Cup final in Verbier, Switzerland and I look forward to doing a personal best over there.”
Also racing was 58-year-old first timer Joe Nichols of Beverly, Massachusetts. Nichols’ entry in the Velocity Challenge was far from conventional — it was not only his first attempt at speed skiing but the first time he had stepped into 225 centimetre speed skis.
“I’ve never (ski) raced in my life . . . I’ve done no training whatsoever,” he said on the first day of racing.
While Nichols said that his first day was “really rough,” after the first World Cup final he was beaming.
“So far it’s been a really great experience. The organizers are the friendliest people, (the most) helpful people I’ve ever been associated with.” Making his entry even more remarkable, Nichols explained that he didn’t tell his family that he was doing the event, hoping to surprise them afterward.
Following the World Cup finals, racers were finally able to unleash from the top of the course for the traditional Velocity Challenge — where organizers shortened the speed trap from 100 metres to 25 m in an attempt to beat the course record of 177.21 km/h held by Kenny Dale. It was won by Austrian Klaus Schrottshammer, recording the fastest speed of the competition with 173.01 km/h.
The event was hailed a success by organizers and participants.
“Considering we had four days of nasty blowing winter weather, which isn’t the best when doing over 160 km/h on skis, our race team bent over backwards to make it happen,” said organizer Adam Earle.
“Next year will be bigger and better than ever before and we’re now looking at moving the event to the end of March to facilitate better weather.”
For more visit velocitychallenge.com.
What did you think of this story?
Sun Peaks Independent News is your essential source for community news in Sun Peaks. Your feedback after we publish a story helps ensure we're always improving our reporting to better serve you.
