Big White Ski Resort will host hundreds of international skiers and snowboarders for the WASC in 2020.
“We have a team of dedicated ski professionals that love hosting the world and when we were offered to bid on the 2020 World Airline Ski Championships, we were quite excited to put a comprehensive bid together,” says Michael J. Ballingall, Senior Vice President at Big White Ski Resort Ltd. “The fact that we won means there’ll be a celebration that will continue after the games!”
In its 61st year, the WASC is an international winter sports competition, with numerous airline ski teams competing in a variety of ski events.
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Big White beat out bids from resorts throughout North America and Europe – based on the resort’s true Canadian mountain feel, the Village ambience, slopeside accommodation and variety of terrain, which the International Airlines Ski Federation was happy to chose.
“The chance of having the amazing snow conditions was one of the key points that made teams vote for Big White over resorts like Beaver Creek or Telluride,” says Stephan Halbe, President of IASF. “We’ve been to Whistler and Banff, but a long time ago in 1977. So finally we’ll be back!”
Big White Ski Resort is the second most popular resort in all of British Columbia, and is no stranger to hosting large, global events. In 2018, it sent off the Canadian Olympic athletes headed to Pyeongchang where Canadian athletes walked away with 29 medals, including a Gold in Ski Cross from Big White athlete Kelsey Serwa. The resort has hosted some of the best para-athletes from around the globe for the Para World Snowboard World Cup for the past eight years.
“Big White is uniquely situated to hold race championships,” Ballingall says. “The fact that we are home to Gold and Silver Olympic medalist, X Games champion and world champion Kelsey Serwa has forced us to up our game. History shows these folks that are attending the 2020 World Airline Ski Championships they will have the time of their life.”
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