Fernie (BC), Canada – No snow sports lover wants to say farewell to winter — but if the ski season has to end (and we hate to admit that it’s not as far off as we would like), why not go out with a bang? Here follows a few gatherings at ski resorts around British Columbia in Canada that are cause for celebration.
In Fernie, where 50th anniversary festivities have been in full swing all year long, you can usher in warmer temperatures throughout Ski Heritage Week, March 19–24. This blend of nostalgia and new-school events, both at the resort and in the Kootenay Rockies town, includes a classic ski film night, a Powder Pioneers Social, a new Telemark Ski Festival and an in-town Street Party, hosted by the resort, to wrap things up. If you’re eager to bust out the straight skis, one-piece suits and fluorescent apparel, head northwest to Sun Peaks Resort for Tod Mountain Days, April 7-9. Also celebrating the big 5–0 this season, this Thompson Okanagan resort says adieu to winter with its annual Slush Cup, a spectacle that pits costume-clad competitors against one another as they attempt to glide across an icy pool of water. www.skifernie.com; www.sunpeaksresort.com
Book-ending opposite ends of the Columbia Valley are rodeo-themed festivities at Panorama Mountain Village, near Invermere, and Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, further north in Golden. Panorama’s Western Canada-themed Stampede, March 16-18, features cowboy cook-outs, roping contests and wrangler ski races. For even more country-themed fun, Kicking Horse’s annual Wrangle the Chute, March 17-18, kicks freeskiing competition up a notch, as top riders rip up challenging terrain during this spectator-friendly sport. The twist: a “bronco” ride at the end of the run is calculated into a competitor’s overall score. In keeping with the western theme, Vernon’s Silver Star Mountain Resort in the Okanagan hosts its 7th annual slopestyle tournament for both skiers and snowboarders March 24–25. Held in the Large/X-Large lane of the terrain park, the free-spirited creativity on display during Showdown, Throwdown, Hoedown elicits a steady stream of shout-outs from spectators riding the adjacent Comet 6 Pack Express chairlift — the best seat in the house, next to rocking the park itself.
www.panoramaresort.com; www.kickinghorseresort.com; www.skisilverstar.com
Across the Monashee Mountains in Rossland, Red Mountain Resort hosts its 4th annual celebration of mountain culture, The Gathering, March 23–24. Here, local and far-flung members of the snow community gather for day trips into the resort’s renowned slackcountry zones, followed by evening screenings of action sport films and photography, hosted by guest speakers. New this year: a two-day interactive photo workshop with Mark Shapiro, the godfather of ski photography. www.redresort.com