World Backcountry Freeride Jam.mpg 44mgs

World Backcountry Freeride Jam.wmv 24mgs

Check out www.wbfj.ca for all of the details.

As I walked into the slide show I had the pleasure of meeting newly ACMG'd Scott Newsome, who raised the guiding bar by becoming the first split boarder to gain certification. Troy Jungen, Frank Desrosier and Peter Peru were all amongst the crowd as Chic blew minds with photos of his feats.

Jayson Faulkner inspired the idea for the freeride jam last spring and everything fell into place beautifully as the randonee races and the weekend demos and clinics were greeted with bluebird skies and a solid snow base.

We hooked up with Delena to get the lowdown on some of what was happening. The North Face threw down huge to make the event happen and provided recreationalists and experts with a sweet tent village at the top of the Whistler Gondola. Some of the activities involved with the freeride jam included:

Backcountry Village:
Set up by the North Face, this little village was full of product demos for backcountry equipment and product. This was the staging ground for the races and provided visitors with tonnes of info - alpine air food samples and product demos.

Prior Backcountry Snowboard Clinics:
The boys from prior setup clinics for BC split boarders to help improve on techniques for both getting up and changing over the boards.

Ortovox Clinics:
Got a tranceiver? Know how to use it? If not - your friends are counting on you to learn and this clinic provides beginners and intermediates with useful tips and techniques when conducting single and multiple burial searches.

Two Randonee Races:
Perfect weather gave way to record breaking times as the 26 km randonee was tight right to the finish. It was won decisesively by ...... whos main advantage was one less skin change along the course. Blowing away expectations, the course was completed in only 3hrs and 26 minutes.

Kite skiing clinics:
The Boys from Ozone had their kite clinics set up at the top of the mountain. What better way to cruise across the mountains and glaciers than by the wind - this is a must to check out for anyone who tours.

CAA Silent Auction:
Following Saturdays festivities the winners of the Randonee races were presented at the CAA silent auction held at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. Attendees had chances to win unreal prizes donated to help raise funds for the CAA.

All in all the event provides more than enough information and activity for all levels of backcountry enthusiasts. Be sure to check it out next year as the festival grows and the vibe keeps getting bigger and better.