Seismic Mountain Festival to be epic

By Medicine Hat News on March 16, 2019.

Supplied Image SilverStar Mountain Resort
The Clif Big Drop contest that's part of the Seismic Mountain Festival, March 22-31, at SilverStar Mountain Resort near Vernon, British Columbia, will see trick skiers and snowboarders huck themselves off a cliff into a pit.

Steve MacNaull

Special to the News

Huck yourself off a cliff.

Berm and bump yourself downhill in the snow on a bike.

Spin or flip, at least 360 degrees, off the steep down jump.

Or, choose an easy green ski run and glide in the sunshine, followed by a stop at an art gallery, some wine tasting in a LED-lit igloo and curling up in front of a fire at the hotel.

The Seismic Mountain Festival, March 22-31, at SilverStar Mountain Resort near Vernon, British Columbia truly is a bash with something for everyone.

“We’re throwing a 10-day party and inviting everybody,” said SilverStar marketing manager Doug Chimuk.

“It’s a festival that combines sport, music, art, culture, food and craft drinks.”

In fact, in keeping with the seismic name, the blowout is billed as an iconic volcanic shindig that will surely cause tremors.

This is all incredible buildup for an inaugural fest.

“We always knew we wanted to have a huge festival in 2020,” said Chimuk.

“But we thought we should have a dry run in 2019. Well, what started as a grassroots event this year just kept on getting bigger and bigger. And now we have this epic collision of sport, music, art, culture, food and drink that’s attracting people from all over the world.”

That’s quite a feat for a late-in-the-season festival that was initially planned to fill in the gap between other events, sell some lift tickets and help fill some restaurants and hotels.

SilverStar is already a major ski resort with 23 feet of fluffy snow annually on 2,300 acres of terrain on four mountain faces with 2,500 foot vertical drop and 132 runs serviced by 11 lifts.

So, any added activity falls into the bonus celebration category.

The seven signature sporting events of Seismic are:

1. Monster Energy Boarderstyle, March 22-23

This hybrid boardercross slopeside-obstacle course culminates with a steep down jump to the finish line in which racers have to do a minimum 360-degree spin for flip.

2. Seismic Slopeside, March 24

A jam-style pro and amateur course.

3. King of the Cross, March 27

This cross race pits skiers against snowboarders.

4. British Columbia Freestyle Championship, March 28-31

The final stop in the Freestyle B.C. Trick Tour Series

5. Smith Optics Rail Jam, March 29

The season finale of this freestyle skier and boarder slopeside event.

6. Clif Big Drop, March 30 with $5,000 in prizes

This first-ever trick-and-style contest sees skiers and boarders huck themselves off cliff and into the pit.

7. Frost Bike, March 31 with $5,000 in prizes

The berms and bumps of a snowy boarder track for DH bike racers.

While gnarly competition is an integral part of Seismic, there’s plenty of non-combat partying, culture, food and drink to partake.

The Monster After Party following Monster Energy Boarderstyle features DJs spinning tunes.

The daily Coors Light Live, Seismic Sessions and Molson After Dark outdoor and indoor music events keep the tunes and the socializing going from noon ’til late.

Winterland on March 30 is touted as the most ambitious drinks event ever hosted at SilverStar.

“We’ll have two huge LED-lit inflatable igloos for wine, cider, beer and spirits tastings with fire performers and DJ Froggy Stylz,” said Katherine Bramall of the B.C. Wine Cider & Spirits Festival.

Tickets are $79.

Get competition entry, festival schedule, ski and accommodation information at SkiSilverStar.com.