Skiers got a chance to experience some real speed March 3, as the first annual Kermode Tuck speed race took place on the slopes of Shames Mountain ski hill.
Eleven skiers from as far as Revelstoke and Alaska came to take part in the event, which was the first of its kind on Shames Mountain since the mid-nineties.
“It was a great day,” said organizer Gary Maltin. “They (the skiers) really loved it, half had never done this before and they all loved it and will do it again.”
The top speed and the race win went to Eric Stroble, who achieved a speed of 124 km per hour. Twelve-year-old Shivohn Peters also wowed organizers with her top speed of 97 km per hour.
Maltin, who is an experienced speed skier, provided a lesson and demonstration for the five skiers who were new to the sport.
Starting from one of four positions, each successively higher up the run, racers crouched into a tuck position and skied straight down the run, gaining as much speed as possible.
Racers speed down the carefully groomed Kermode Cut run, which was flattened by volunteers to be as smooth as possible. The run was also fenced off with bee netting to keep other users from crossing anyone’s path.
Every racer and volunteer was awarded a prize, and Maltin expressed his thanks to the many people who came together and pitched in to make the event happen.
