It sure was an exciting start to spring at Sun Peaks with the FIS Speed Skiing World Cup taking place over the past weekend. Speed skiers from all over the world converged on the notorious Headwalls in an attempt for glory at the only speed skiing event this side of the Atlantic.

The groomers were working hard last week to prepare the double black run and ensure that it was in top condition for this unique sport. Despite being a shorter track then those in Europe, it definitely didn’t disappoint with Austrian team captain Valentin Münzer describing the track with its couple of rollers as “challenging and technical.” With plenty of fresh snow the track was smooth and fast for the racers. Strong winds on the Saturday forced competitors to start from the three quarter mark however this didn’t interfere with the outcome of the event, which was hailed as huge success by both speed skiers and organisers alike.

For those of us that stopped to check out the action it was a case of blink and you miss them! I couldn’t believe that you could actually hear when the racers were approaching - the sound resembling jets on a runway. I looked on nervously but in awe, quietly thinking how crazy these speed demons were….. yet in reality it’s safer than driving a car!

The women’s final was won by Swedish world record holder Sanna Tidstrand, who clocked a speed of 137.81 km/h while the men’s title went to Simone Origone from Italy who recorded a time of 140.18 km/h.For the full list of results click here