Another season is starting to wind down at Kimberley Alpine Resort, but before it ends the resort has scheduled a ton of events for the remaining weekends, including the annual favourites North Star Days and Spring Splash.
The El Niño winter has presented some difficulties to skiers and resort staff, with lower-than-normal snowfall, higher average temperatures, and a cold snap thrown in for good measure. Despite all that, Kimberley skiers and snowboarders made the best of things and were rewarded with a massive late-season dump of fresh snow.
“No doubt there were weather-related challenges this year, but so grateful to end the season with March powder and sunny spring skiing,” said general manager Christine Schultheis, who started working at KAR at the start of this season.
READ MORE: Kimberley Alpine Resort’s new manager is Christine Schultheis
KAR will participate in a global “Day for Jake” honouring the legacy of Burton founder and pioneer of snowboarding Jake Burton Carpenter. To honour Jake, snowboarders can spend March 16, starting at 10 a.m., riding in his memory. Snowboarders can meet at The Choice tent in the Plaza at 10 a.m. and be ready to load at 10:15 a.m. to do a lap together, before heading back to the tent for a toast. Particpants are encouraged to share their experience of the day on social media using the hashtag #RideOnJake.
On March 17 the resort will host the North Star SLO-Mo Race, a ski and snowboarding mountaineering race. Competitors will begin the race in the Plaza at 10 a.m., skin up to the top of the Boundary run, then take their skins off and ski down Dreadnaught to the finish line.
The entry fee is $10 ahead of time, or $15 on the day of the event. You can register and learn more here skircr.com/product/north-star-slo-mo-race-2024/
North Star Days, the yearly celebration of Kimberley’s glorious alpine history, this year falls on Saturday, Mar. 30. Dust off your favourite vintage ski apparel and head up to the resort for a fun-filled day.
To register for the mogul or banked slalom competitions, head to the Plaza for 10 a.m., which is also when the first history tour of the mountain begins.
At 11 a.m. the beer gardens, barbecue and the Kidz Zone will open for the day and DJ Ray will fire up to provide the soundtrack for the day. The banked slalom competition on the T-Bar also kicks off at 11 a.m.
One of the fan favourites of North Star Days is always the Best Dressed Dog and Dog Trick contest in the plaza, which kicks off at noon.
A second history tour of the mountain begins at one, as does the mogul competition on the T-Bar and a beer sampling with Corona in the Plaza.
Local band Mile High Club, a fixture at the resort over the years, will start to play in the Plaza at 3 p.m. and at 4 the awards will begin, with prizes dished out for the mogul and banked slalom competitions, as well as best dressed, biggest hair and best goggle tan.
The first-annual Spring Fling Vendors Market is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, March 23 and 24, at the Kimberley Conference Centre. Learn more here: https://fb.me/e/6gr4YayEZ
Spring Splash weekend, the main event of the season-finale this year falls on April 6 and 7. To register for the pond skim and your chance at glory in front of a crowd of hundreds, head to the Plaza at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
The beer gardens, Kidz Zone, barbecue and DJ Ray all launch at 11 a.m., with the epic pond skim challenge beginning at 1 p.m. At 3 p.m. Kootenay indie rockers Shred Kelly will make their return to the Plaza.
Sunday’s festivities also kick off at 11 a.m., with the return of the beer garden, barbecue, Kidz Zone and DJ Ray. Registration for the Dummy Downhill, and dummy drop off, is at 10 a.m.
Music will kick off at 12 p.m. with local bards Lennan and McQuaid. The always-hysterical Dummy Downhill kicks off at 2 p.m. To close down the year-end party, Kimberley’s own The Honeymans will start up at 3 p.m.