FALLLINES New stair rail park at Whistler
Our local hills plant a number of rails and boxes, mountain resorts create vast projects including c-rails, gap jumps, big air, walls and logs just to name a few, but at Whistler, there is no end to their imagination and budget. Recently they installed a stair rail park, a feature that until now has only been seen in an urban setting, not a mountain resort snowboard park. Featuring a set of 15 double-wide stairs framed by two rails and a wider double rail in the centre, this is going to be one heck of a playground for local boarders and skiers. Fabrication took place at the Arena Snowparks fabrication shop in Pemberton BC. This company has been building snow park features for several years including a number of contracts for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Now they're taking snowboard park feature fabrication to another level, including these stairs and a modular box system that can be changed daily or weekly depending on the conditions and rider variability. If you want to see the stairs being put to good use, just Google "Telus Whistler Stair Rail Park" and enjoy.
12 // SNOW ZONE
VUEWEEKLY // JAN 6 – JAN 12, 2011
HART GOLBECK // HART@vueweekly.com
Mountaineer your way at Sunshine Village
The annual MEC Sunshine 5000 Mountaineering competition will be contested on the slopes of Sunshine Village on February 5 – 6. If you have never seen a competition like this it is definitely worth a look, and better yet, you can try it out yourself by taking on the "Citizens" course. Mountaineering is a combination of skiing downhill and climbing vertical sections so that you can ski downhill again. It's a gruelling event and only the fit survive. This year the main course features a minimum 1400-metre vertical climb, some of which can be performed with skins on your skis, but there is a bootpacking session or two as well—for example, I don't see anyone going up the back of Delirium Dive without taking off their skis and hiking a rock or two. If that isn't punishment enough, you must carry a pack stocked with mandatory supplies including a shovel, probe, clothes and much more. For the winners there is some cash, and cool prizes await all competitors. As mentioned above, there is a much less gruelling course for those of you just trying to get a feel for the event. In this case you would only be going uphill for 700 metres or so. If you're interested, check out the Alpine Club of Canada website for all of the maps, rules and regulations. (alpineclubofcanada.ca)
Deep Freeze Byzantine Winter Festival
This weekend Alberta Ave, one of Edmonton's most historic neighbourhoods, will be ringing in the Olde New Year in Byzantine style by celebrating winter's best outdoor activities: skating, curling, snow carving, street hockey and even an outdoor mummers' play. The centre for these activities will take place at 9920 - 118 Ave, but there are several venues nearby that will host much of the action. It may be a little late to come up with a troupe for a mummers' play, but you probably could put a hockey team together or just stroll the Artisan Market and listen to some good folk performances. Best bet is to check out the program on the web at artsontheave.org and plan your weekend to have some fun. V