The annual Afterdark Invitational this past Saturday at Mount Washington was the perfect place for Darcy Sharpe to fine-tune his skills as he prepares for the world junior snowboard championships later this month in Spain.
Competing on his home mountain, Sharpe won first place for the snowboarding portion of the event with a front side double cork 1080. “For me it was just great to be back at Mount Wash and to ride with friends,” he said.
There were 26 skiers and snowboarders competing for $3,000 in prizes. The contest ran in two heats consisting of two runs with the best run being used as the final score. Everyone was throwing down huge tricks with about 2,000 people cheering the competitors on.
Sharpe had just competed at the LG FIS World Cup World Cup in Stoneham, Quebec where he had an amazing sixth-place finish. At the same event, Sharpe was chosen to narrate an in-depth course review for the LG FIS World Cup Slopestyle in Stoneham. It can be seen and heard at push.ca/blogs.
While in Quebec, and competing in the WC Slopestyle, he participated in the WC Big Air site that was built on a huge jump between highways close to Old Quebec City. According to estimates, upwards of 10,000 people were in attendance to watch this event.
With a respectable placing at the Canadian Open in Calgary and a second-place and best trick win at the Seymour Canadian Shield, Sharpe has been on the road a lot this season. There are two more big road events; one in Calgary to take part in the Canadian Championships from March 15 to 18 and then on to the World Junior Championships in Granada, Spain at the end of March. The season will finish up for Sharpe in Whistler Blackcomb at the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival.
Sharpe thanks his sponsors for all of their assistance: Burton, Monster Energy, Electric, Airhole, POW gloves and Showcase in Whistler have all helped him out this winter.
The 16-year-old Sharpe attends Isfeld Secondary in Courtenay. He has snowboarded since he was five years old and learned to ride at Mount Washington.
He was a member of the local VI Riders snowboard club for a few years and has received funding in the past from the Vancouver Island Mountain Sports Society to assist with his travel costs.
He is now based out of Whistler riding with the Whistler Academy Snowboard Club under the guidance of coach Joe McAdoo.
