Warmth meets big air as Team Canada Olympic hopefuls compete in Calgary
It was high stakes and high jumps at Canada Olympic Park
The warm, westerly winds responsible for a recent, 25-degree temperature swing were welcomed at Winsport in Calgary, Alta., this weekend.
The double-digit lows that began last week were a distant memory as snowboarders from across the globe met at Canada Olympic Park (COP) to finish a weeklong, high-stakes contest under single-digit highs.
“It does have a huge impact. The warmth can make the snow a little more moist,” said Canadian snowboarder Nic Razz, who competes in slopestyle and big air competitions.
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“This should allow riders to have a little more speed and get bigger and better tricks done.”
The weather shift didn’t come without challenges. Slopestyle semifinal competitions were cancelled Friday due to high winds that, at times, averaged nearly 50 km/h. (Connor O'Donovan/The Weather Network)
The Snow Rodeo FIS Snowboard Halfpipe and Slopestyle World Cup events, scheduled for February 17 to 22, are just one stop on the annual International Ski Federation (FIS) pipe and park tour.
On each tour stop, athletes compete in slopestyle and halfpipe for points towards the “Crystal Globe” crown.
But this year, with the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games just a year away, the stakes are higher, and “airs” are a little bigger.
“We’ve got the best athletes from across the globe. They’re all here because everyone wants to be part of the Olympic Games,” said Snowboard Canada CEO Dustin Heise, adding, the courses at COP are world-renowned and will continue to host international athletes up until the 2026 games.
“Each nation has their own selection criteria, but the athletes also have to be part of the (FIS) tour, and part of a certain amount of podium spots and points, ultimately.”
The Canadians on the tour are competing for four cherished places on the Olympic team, per discipline (halfpipe, slopestyle and big air).
An athlete competes in snowboard halfpipe qualifications. (Work Happy Productions/Submitted to The Weather Network)
Razz says those stakes have inspired a bit of competition among an otherwise friendly group.
“It’s a bit of a weird scenario where there’s eight of us on the national Canadian team, but we can only take four to the Olympics. So the eight of us are [going to] fight for those four spots,” he said.
“The Olympics have such a broad audience, and such a bigger reach, so it’s on another level and that’s why it’s such a big deal for us.”
Follow along as the Olympics inch closer at the Canada Snowboard website.
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Thumbnail courtesy of Work Happy Productions.