A record number of participants took part in the Neil Edgeworth Banked Slalom at Big White over the weekend.
The 20th annual event saw 320 racers take part in the slalom. The youngest was six years old, and the oldest 63.
The event started in 1997 as a memorial for Big White local Neil Edgeworth, who died in an avalanche in France.
“This year saw many snowboarders make the pilgrimage to the Banked Slalom for the first time, coming from across North America,” said resort spokesperson Flynn Seddon. “Their efforts truly echoed what the event is about – remembering lost friends, making new friends and reminiscing and catching up with old friends.”
The fastest time from the weekend went to 36-year-old Tom Velisek from Whistler, with a time of 1:24:09. Stephanie Haines, 29, took the fastest time for the ladies, clocking in at 1:29:65 and making history as the first to win the Female Pro category four years in a row.
The grand prize of $5,000 was equally distributed between the top three pro winners from the men's and women’s categories, with another $10,000 across the other categories.
The Spirit Award, a trophy guitar built by Art Abrahams of Artavox Guitars, was awarded to Dustin Ferris. “Dustin exuberates the true meaning of snowboarding – always positive, always helping and always there to support in every which way that could be asked of him,” said Seddon.