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Ski and snowboard festival well underway

Music, art exhibit and on-mountain events planned through to April 21
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MORE MUSIC The Swollen Member will play next week at the World Ski and Snowboard Festival. File photo

The world has arrived for the World Ski and Snowboard Festival (WSSF).

To start the athletic part of the festival the World Skiing Invitational is underway, featuring a big air competition tonight followed by a slopestyle competition Sunday and Monday in the Nintendo Terrain Park on Blackcomb.

The Association of Freeskiing Professionals is hosting the event with finals set for 6:30 this evening.

Nas will perform in Skier’s Plaza starting at 8 p.m. The Nas show is just one of many free outdoor concerts planned for the festival. A performance stage is also set up in Village Square. The acts scheduled to entertain through the festival include Keller Williams, Kim Churchill, Anuhea, Beats Antique, K-OS and Swollen Members.

The event director, Sue Eckersley, said she is happy with the line up of artists scheduled to play in Whistler over the next two weeks.

“We have a wide array of artists from all different genres performing throughout the 10 days of the Festival so there will definitely be something for everybody,” said Eckersley.

Shows are also planned for Black’s Pub, the Longhorn Saloon, Moe Joe’s, the GLC and Buffalo Bill’s.

“Securing a big name like Nas to headline the free Outdoor Concert Series would not have been possible without the investment from the RMOW. We are extremely grateful for all the support we have received from the community this year,” Eckersley said heading into the festival.

The art side of the festival launched last night with the State of the Art opening party at the Whistler Conference Centre. State of the Art is an exhibit that is set up in the Grand Foyer of the conference centre through to the end of the festival. There’s no cost to view the works in the exhibit. The art on display is available for purchase on site.

The Monster Shred Show features a boarderstyle event on Thu, April 18 in the terrain park on Blackcomb followed by a slopestyle event the next day and a big air competition next Saturday in Skiers Plaza from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The terrain park events are both scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“For 18 years WSSF has been one of Whistler’s signature events, attracting guests from all over the world to celebrate the end of the ski season in our resort,” Eckersley said.

Other festival highlights include a roller derby bout on April 15, the 72 Hour Filmmaker Challenge the following day, the Pro Photographer Showdown on April 18, Intersection on April 19, The final big party of the festival called The End and the Chairlift Revue at the conference centre on the final night of the festival.

A full festival listing is available at www.wssf.com