Full roster of freestylers on board for third annual contest
WHAT: World Freestyle Snowmobile Competition
WHERE: Pemberton Stock Car Association Track, south of Pemberton
WHEN: Friday, April 18, 10 a.m.
Things are shaping up for the third annual World Freestyle Snowmobile Competition, after weeks of hard work at the event site.
More than 26 truckloads of dirt and some 200 hay bales have been brought to the site to form the foundation for a tabletop jump, and two or three truckloads of snow from the pile in Whistler’s day lots will be used to build an in-ramp and pad the landing.
"It’s been a lot of work, a lot of messing around in the mud, but it’s finally ready," says Linda Stang, the event organizer and promoter.
She’s gotten a lot of help from an excavator donated by her sponsor at Saanichton Development Limited, and the makers of the SledNecks snowmobile movies are contributing a special ramp that they use for film shoots.
The list of participating snowmobilers has also grown in the last few weeks to 10, which should make for a competitive day. The list now includes BJ Murray, Jason Fentiman, Rob Alford, Chris Dimma, Scott Rattray, Grey Rodier, Cory Derpak, Dan Matt, Jason Poole, Trevor Peck and Lars Grant.
Four freestyle motocross riders will also be there to ride the ramp; Kris Gawasiuk and Mike Samson from Kamloops, and the Philipps brothers, Mark and Craig, of Calgary.
Filmmakers from the Slednecks and Roops of Hazard series, as well as a number of pro photographers from the industry, will be on hand to record the event.
The Pemberton Fire Department will be running a barbecue during the event, as well as providing safety and first aid. There will also be live music from local bands during the day, and a number of other attractions and events to take in. Part of the focus of the event is on backcountry motorsports awareness and safety, and there will be relevant displays and presentations.
Tickets are $15, and can be purchased in advance at Westbeach, Tapley’s Pub, Bestsellers and Showcase Snowboards, or at the gate.
The competitors will be judged on the size of their jumps, the difficulty level of their tricks, and the smoothness of their landings. As in other years, spectators can expect a selection of leg whips, one-handed superman’s, heel-clickers, no-hand-landings, and more.
The contest is on rain or shine.
As a warm-up and fundraiser for the event, Stang is also hosting a chocolate wrestling competition at Garfinkel’s on Monday night, April 14, featuring the girls of Girls of Whistler.com (www.girlsofwhistler.com). Dave Craig productions will also show excerpts from Roops of Hazard 4.
