Sun Peaks (BC), Canada – There won’t be any speeding tickets handed out as 40 of the fastest skiers on the planet will reach speeds in excess of 175 km/h at the 2011 Subaru Velocity Challenge at Sun Peaks Resort. North America’s only speed skiing event rockets ahead March 3 to 6 at the ski and snowboard resort in the British Columbia interior.n“This event was started 22 years ago by six guys with shovels wanting to speed ski and now it’s one of the best events in the world,” said Event Organizer Adam Earle. “Having racers come from around the globe to compete at Sun Peaks is a true testament to the event and the support it receives from the locals, volunteers, businesses and beyond. It’s the highlight of the ski season for people from around the world.”
With Subaru Canada and Zimmer Autosport backing the event for the fourth year, and the race celebrating its 22nd anniversary, organizers expect to see more interest both locally and internationally.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to be involved with the Velocity Challenge for a fourth year,” said Rob Zimmer, president of Zimmer Autosport. “We’re fortunate to have such a fantastic facility to host this world-class event and are excited to showcase our athletes and to support our community and its events.”
An official FIS World Cup race for the ninth year, racers from nine countries will compete at the 2011 event.
“We start preparing the Headwalls course over a month before the race is held, building up the start and finish areas, using snow fence to collect extra snow on to the course, and finally using a Pisten Bulley winch-cat,” outlined Jamie Tattersfield, mountain operations manager for Sun Peaks Resort Corporation. “It’s a steep and challenging course with an average grade of 55 percent that requires special attention from the most experienced members of our grooming team.”
The steep and treacherous Headwalls Speed Track also includes several rolls that will likely cause racers to become airborne during their controlled free-fall descent, creating some exciting moments for those watching the race.
“The Headwalls Speed Ski Track is considered one of the most difficult speed ski tracks in the world and it’s always a wild ride at 175 km/h. Headwalls is convex, meaning you can’t see the bottom from the top which raises a lot of eyebrows, even with the world’s best racers,” said Earle. “Imagine a ski racer wearing a Darth Vader-like helmet, a bright red ski-tight rubber suit and 240 centimetre long skis flying past you. Combine that with the sound the racers make as they cut through the air like a fighter jet and it becomes a spectacle not to be missed.”
The race may be viewed from the Sunburst Restaurant at mid-mountain and accessed by the Sunburst Express Chairlift. Specially priced foot passenger tickets are available for this unique event at C$12.00 per person per day.
For more information, visit www.velocitychallenge.com or www.sunpeaksresort.com.