Office of the Premier
Thirty of the world’s top slopestyle mountain bike riders will show off their finest airborne tricks at Big White Ski Resort, July 4-7, 2018.
The pro riders are competing in the first Big White Invitational Slopestyle competition, a sanctioned event that is the newest addition to the Freeride Mountain Bike Association (FMBA) World Tour. The B.C. government provided $35,000 to help organizers promote the event, which is expected to attract 5,000 out-of-town visitors, and add $1 million to the local economy.
“This will be a very exciting, international competition,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture. “It will help cement Big White’s reputation as a year-round destination for world-class sporting events, and provides a great boost to local tourism, bringing in thousands of visitors.”
Slopestyle riders compete on specially designed outdoor courses that feature dramatic drops, jumps and obstacles. They receive points for successfully landing airborne tricks, like tail whips, 720-degree cork rotations, somersaults and backflips.
“We have some of the best mountain bikers in the world here in British Columbia, and we wanted to create a place for them to show off their talents in the Interior,” said Michael J. Ballingall, senior vice-president at Big White Ski Resort Ltd. “Local mountain bikers have built this permanent slopestyle course so they can invite their friends from around the world to come and play in their backyard — and that, in turn, will create new tourism opportunities for our entire community.”
Besides the gold competition for professional riders, the event will include separate bronze competitions for amateur riders, with a chance to win wildcard entry into the gold competition.
The event also features live music, movie nights, demo areas and races for kids aged 2 to 12.
Government funding for the Big White Invitational Slopestyle is being provided through the Tourism Events Program. The program supports events that raise awareness of B.C.’s tourism experiences, and inspires people from around the world to visit the province. These events also generate tourism and economic activities in regions throughout British Columbia.
Quick Facts:
- Tourism is an important economic driver for B.C., generating more than $17 billion in revenues in 2016.
- Tourism is one of the province’s biggest employers. More than 133,000 people work in this industry.
- Tourism is growing in importance for B.C’s economy. In 2016, the industry contributed $7.9 billion in added value to the province’s gross domestic product (GDP). This is an increase of 5.6% over the previous year.
- The government of British Columbia invests over $123 million in the tourism sector annually.
- In 2017, 5.7 million international visitors came to B.C. — a 3.3% increase (181,700 more visitors) over 2016.
Learn More:
For more information about the Big White Invitational Slopestyle, visit: http://www.bigwhite.com/summer/events-activities/big-white-invitational-slopestyle#
