While it’s been anything but an ordinary, or easy year for the Kimberley Alpine Resort, the persistent theme has been one of overcoming adversity and making the best of a truly trying situation.
Since what has been deemed to be an act of arson destroyed the top control hut of the North Star Chairlift the night the resort opened, putting it out of commission until next season and severing the main artery to the mountain, resort staff has had to come up with countless solutions to keep guests and the residents of Kimberley skiing this winter.
With the end of the 2021/22 season fast approaching, it’s only fitting that the resort is pulling out all the stops to make the conclusion to the crazy year as fun-filled as possible.
Here’s a look at some of the events that mark the calendar for the remainder of the season.
On Friday, March 25 alternative folk rock band Shred Kelly will bring their Mountain Pop Up Concert to the KAR Plaza from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The always fun fan favourite from Fernie has been touring this show to resorts around the Kootenays for the past few weeks and will be bringing a massive stage along with them. Joining them on stage will be Juno-nominated artist Megan Nash and Kimberley-local super star Heather Gemmell.
READ MORE: Kimberley artist pens song condemning ski-hill arsonist
There is no charge for admission, but it’s recommended that you show up early as it is expected to get busy. There will be a barbecue and beer gardens on site, and proof of vaccination is required.
Saturday, April 2 marks the return of a classic KAR springtime party North Star Days, a chance to dig out your favourite retro ski gear and enjoy some sunny late season skiing plus a tonne of different contests and entertainment.
There will be a mogul competition and new this year, a banked slalom competition, registration for which is at 10 a.m. in the Plaza or you can register online. At 11 a.m. there will be a historical photo gallery plus the beer gardens and barbecue will open and DJ Ray plus some special guests will fire up the wheels of steel and start spinning some tunes.
The kids’ zone also opens at 11 which features a bouncy castle, helmet decorating, scavenger hunts and other family-friendly activities.
At 11:30 a.m. the Top Easter BBQ, which has been one of many saving graces throughout this season like no other, will open up and the Banked Slalom competition will begin.
Kimberley loves its outdoor recreation and it also loves its dogs, and so it only makes sense that there will also be a Best Dressed Dog and Dog Trick contest sponsored by Kimberley Kritters and Ciao Bella Pet Parlour at this year’s North Star Days, starting at noon in the Plaza.
Did we mention there will also be goats? There will be goats! Specifically, the Vahana goats, and at 1 p.m. mingle and snuggle these goats to your heart’s content. Goats not really your thing and you’d rather have a beer? Perfect! Also at 1 p.m. there is a beer sampling event sponsored by Banded Peak Brewery and Stanley Park Brewery.
The Mogul Competition also goes down at 1 p.m.
At 2:30 the awards will begin for the Mogul and Banked Slalom comps, the Best Dressed, the Biggest Hair and the best goggle tan. That’s not it, however, as at 3 p.m. the music will fire back up courtesy of New Soul Duo, who play top hit songs and classics from every era.
This year’s Spring Splash, “the wettest, wildest event in Kimberley” falls on Saturday, April 9 at 2p.m. and will go off as everyone knows and loves it, totally unaffected by the absence of the North Star Chairlift. Participants will launch their costumed selves off a ramp and, ideally, across the pool of water below to a crowd of bemused guests.
And finally, Sunday, April 10 marks the last day of the 2021/22 season and will feature the Dummy Downhill, music from Leather Apron Revival, scavenger hunts, beer gardens and more. The Dummy Downhill will start at 3 p.m. giving everyone the full day of skiing beforehand and the Leather Apron will start to play at 4 p.m. Keep your eye peeled for guest appearance from Gary the Cat all weekend long!
Until then, there are other challenges and events going on continually, including another Hike to Tammy Challenge 2.0, and a contest starting Friday, March 18 to see how many runs you can do in a day. There is also a social media challenge encouraging riders to share photos from your season on the hill, tagging @kimberleyalpineresort and using the hashtag #mykimberley
For information on all these events and more, follow Kimberley Alpine Resort on Instagram and Facebook.
paul.rodgers@kimberleybulletin
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter