VIRTUAL WORLD SKI & SNOWBOARD FESTIVAL RECAP

The virtual edition of The World Ski & Snowboard Festival (WSSF) has wrapped with over $9,000 awarded in cash prizing. Following the announcement of this year’s winners for Rough Cuts and Whip Sheet Competition, WSSF released that it plans to expand to include a skateboarding element for 2022.

“Covid forced us to think about WSSF in a brand new way, and the most exciting part was all the local talent we were able to work with to put this festival together. This year we showcased skiers and snowboarders and moving forward we want to invite skateboarding crews to join,” says Joey Gibbons, President of Gibbons Whistler. “We are looking forward to expanding the festival and inviting people from around the world to join us in Whistler in April 2022.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3Fin20ow6w

The 25th annual World Ski & Snowboard Festival went virtual this year and captured global attention. After a live fan vote, Whistler Freeride Club Edit by Connor Warnock has been crowned the winner of the local category of this year’s Rough Cuts competition and is the recipient of the $5,000 cash prize. The skiers featured in this edit are all below the age of 17 and are members of the Whistler Freeride Club (WFC). WFC has been dedicated to developing ski athletes in the big mountains and terrain parks of Whistler since 2000. Tao featuring Marie Thomsen by Eric Beckstead was crowned the winner in the global category of Rough Cuts and has won $1,000 cash and the Key to WSSF 2022, which includes accommodations at Blackcomb Springs Suite, bar tabs, dining gift certificates, a Gibbons Après Lager prize pack, Scandinave Spa bath access, and a private snowmobile tour with Canadian Wilderness Adventures. This edit follows pro Danish snowboarder and mother of Tao, Marie Thomsen, as she shares, in Danish, what it takes to have the mindset to keep pushing the limits of professional snowboarding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSW3b8hoT44

The winning photo for the Rough Cuts Best Photo Competition was Spread Em by Connor Warnock from the Whistler Freeride Club. The Whistler Freeride club is a program for kids age 9-19 who love to ski and has been developing ski athletes in the big mountains and terrain parks of Whistler since 2000.

Over 209 unique designs were submitted for the Whip Sheet competition, and over 7,000 people voted. Annie Ryan, a UK-based digital illustrator was crowned the Whip Sheet Hightide Snowboards winner with her design Miss.  The winning artist for the Whip Sheet Foon Skis top sheet competition was Michelle Spragg, with First Light. As the sun creeps up to the horizon to greet you, the moon and stars linger for one last moment. Powder awaits and you are filled with awe and anticipation—may you go forward, with all the blessings of the sun, the moon, and the stars! This design is now available for a limited quantity of custom orders at foonskis.com.

The music portion of the festival, Sky Stream, featured a variety of local artists including SkiiTour, Case of the Monday, The Hairfarmers, DJ Foxy Moron, The Prophet, tyMetal, and Bangers & Mash. These sets were featured in iconic locations around Whistler, including The Whistler Sliding Centre, Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, and a remote Ice Cave accessed by Headline Mountain Holidays and Blackcomb Aviation.

The World Ski & Snowboard Festival is an annual celebration of snowports, music, arts, and mountain culture. This year’s event was proudly supported by the Resort Municipality of Whistler through the Resort Municipality Initiative, Tourism Whistler, Gibbons Whistler, Red Bull Canada, White Claw, Headline Mountain Holidays, Hightide Snowboards, Foon Skis, Dropping in with Mercedes Nicoll, The Circle, and Whistler Blackcomb.

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