2nd Annual GoPro GoShow Presented by Whistler Blackcomb Returns to Go Fest Whistler May 17

The GoPro GoShow presented by Whistler Blackcomb will return for its second year on May 17 during Whistler’s Great Outdoors Festival (GO Fest). This year, instead of inviting professional filmmakers to compete at the event, Whistler Blackcomb has invited six professional athletes to show off their artistic sides and take on the role of both filmmaker and producer.

“There are so many talented athletes in Whistler who are really skilled at using GoPro cameras to showcase their adventures,” says Chris McLeod, Industry, Film and Communications Supervisor at Whistler Blackcomb. “We have some exciting names confirmed to participate so far and we are looking forward to seeing their creativity shine during multisport season here in Whistler.”

The competing athletes will be required to produce and submit a three to five minute video shot entirely using GoPro cameras. The videos must capture the essence of May in Whistler and need to include action shot on snow, dirt and water. Each athlete will be given a GoPro Hero 4 Black Edition Camera on the evening of May 13 and will be able to start filming their videos immediately. Completed videos must be submitted by 7:45am on May 17. Additionally, 25 per cent of the film must be shot on Whistler Blackcomb terrain and the remainder must be shot within the boundaries of the northernmost point of Pemberton and the southernmost point of Squamish.

Each of the videos will be played in front of a panel of judges and a crowd at the Garibaldi Lift Co. (GLC) on May 17. The athlete whose video wins Best In Show will take home the $2000 grand prize and the title of GoPro GoShow Champion. Competing athletes will be announced through Whistler Blackcomb’s social media channels later this week.

The GoPro Go Show presented by Whistler Blackcomb is free to attend with doors opening at 7pm and the show beginning at 8pm. There will be an after party at the GLC following the event featuring music from DJ Kori K.

More information about the GoPro GoShow presented by Whistler Blackcomb is available at www.whistlerblackcomb.com/events-and-activities/events-calendar.

Guests looking to plan a trip to the consistently rated No. 1 Mountain Resort in North America can visit whistlerblackcomb.com/deals_packages  or call 1-888-403-4727.

About Whistler Blackcomb

Whistler Blackcomb, the official alpine skiing venue for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, is situated in the Resort Municipality of Whistler located in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia 125 kilometres (78 miles) from Vancouver, British Columbia. North America’s premier four season mountain resort, Whistler and Blackcomb are two side-by-side mountains which combined offer over 200 marked runs, 8,171 acres of terrain, 16 alpine bowls, three glaciers, receives on average over 1,164 centimetres (458 inches) of snow annually, and one of the longest ski seasons in North America. In the summer, Whistler Blackcomb offers a variety of activities, including hiking and biking trails, the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, and sightseeing on the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola.

Torin Yater-Wallace and Annalisa Drew Win Men's and Women's World Skiing Invitational Halfpipe Finals at the World Ski & Snowboard Festival in Whistler BC

On the final day of the World Skiing Invitational (WSI) at the World Ski & Snowboard Festival (WSSF) in Whistler, BC, it was Torin Yater-Wallace and Annalisa Drew who took the wins in the men’s and women’s Association of Freeskiing Professionals (AFP) World Tour Halfpipe Finals.

The stacked men’s field put on an impressive show on Blackcomb Mountain, but it was Yater-Wallace (USA) whose huge amplitude and smooth style earned him a score of 94.00 for first place and an $8,000 cheque.  In second place, earning $4,500, was Lyman Currier (USA) with a score of 88.67, and rounding out the podium in third place for $2,000 was Byron Wells (NZL) with a score of 87.67.

Annalisa Drew (USA) led the charge on the ladies side with a score of 90.33, landing her on top of the podium with a $5,000 cheque. In a close second with a score of 88.33 was Keltie Hansen (CAN), taking home $3,000 and in third place earning $1,500 was Devin Logan (USA) with a score of 80.33.

The crowd favorite and rider-judged Superhit event closed out the day of competition in the Halfpipe where Keltie Hansen (CAN) and Alex Ferreira (USA) took the crowns with their amplitude and technicality out of the pipe. To add to her successful day, Hansen grabbed the first place prize of a Giant XTC bike and Sennheiser Momentum headphones. Ferreira launched out of the halfpipe to take the win in the men’s division, earning him a Giant Anthem bike and Sennheiser Momentum headphones.

To connect with the World Ski & Snowboard Festival online, Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

The World Ski & Snowboard Festival has a brand new mobile app called WSSF Live. It is available for FREE in the App Store for Apple and Android phones.

The World Ski & Snowboard Festival (WSSF) is produced by Watermark Communications, a Whistler‐based event production & communications company, and presented in partnership with Tourism Whistler and Whistler Blackcomb. April 2015 will mark the 20^th annual World Ski & Snowboard Festival and will celebrate how the event has grown over the years into the largest annual winter sports and music festival in North America. WSSF is a 10 day and night showcase of the best of snow sports, music, arts and mountain culture. Featuring major professional ski and snowboarding competitions, the largest annual free outdoor concert series in Canada, photography and film showcases, and spring skiing at Whistler Blackcomb, the World Ski & Snowboard Festival is the poster child for the ultimate ski and snowboard festival experience. In blazing the way for the youth of tomorrow, the World Ski & Snowboard Festival embodies the mantra: ‘Party in April. Sleep in May.’

Bobby Brown & Yuki Tsubota Win Men's and Women's World Skiing Invitational Slopestyle and Vincent Gagnier & Giulia Tanno Win Gibbons Big Air at World Ski & Snowboard Festival in Whistler

The World Skiing Invitational (WSI) continued yesterday at the World Ski & Snowboard Festival in the Blackcomb Terrain Park at Whistler Blackcomb. Bobby Brown and Yuki Tsubota took the wins in the men’s and women’s Association of Freeskiing Professionals (AFP) World Tour Finals Slopestyle and Vincent Gagnier and Giulia Tanno came out on top at the AFP World Tour Finals Gibbons Big Air.

In the best-of two run Men’s Slopestyle Finals, Bobby Brown (USA) held on to the highest score of 88.67, landing him on top of the podium with an $8,000 cheque. Taking home $4,500 in second place was McRae Williams (USA) with a score of 87.92 and rounding out the podium in third place for $2,000 was Antoine Adelisse (FRA) with an 86.25.

Whistler local Yuki Tsubota (CAN) brought her top game to the Women’s Slopestyle Finals earning her a score of 80.50 and a well-deserved first place and $5,000. Finishing the slopestyle season strong in second and third places for $3,000 and $1,500 was Katie Summerhayes (GBR) with a 78.33 and Kim Lamarre (CAN) with a score of 74.00.

Although the location of the Gibbons Big Air jump may have changed this year, the game was the same as skiers wowed the crowd on Blackcomb Mountain Saturday afternoon. In the average score from the best two out of three jump format, Vincent Gagnier (CAN) showcased his signature smooth style with a perfect right 1620 with a genie grab and a right 1260 with an octo grab earning him the top score of 88.50 and the grand prize of a 2015 Arctic Cat M 800 153 sled, valued at approximately $16,000. James Woods (GBR) grabbed second place and $4,000 with a switch right 1080 with lead octo grab and a well-executed right 1260 tail grab for a score of 84.83. In third place winning $2,000 was Elias Ambuehl (SUI), stomping a left double 1260 tail grab and a switch left 1260 mute Japan grab for a score of 82.33.

The Women’s Big Air competition was run simultaneously with the Women’s Slopestyle and it was Giulia Tanno’s (SUI) switch 900 that earned her a score of 83.50 for first place and a new GIANT Reign bike. Katie Summerhayes (GBR) threw a 1080 with a japan grab for a score of 79.50 to earn second place and $1,000 and Sennheiser Momentum headphones. In third place, winning $500 and Sennheiser Momentum headphones was Yuki Tsubota (CAN) who threw a 720 tail grab for a score of 77.50.

Complete results from the World Skiing Invitational can be found at www.wssf.com.

Tickets to the evening gala events are now available for purchase at www.wssf.com.

To connect with the World Ski & Snowboard Festival online, Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

The World Ski & Snowboard Festival has a brand new mobile app called WSSF Live. It is available for FREE in the App Store for Apple and Android phones.

The World Ski & Snowboard Festival (WSSF) is produced by Watermark Communications, a Whistler‐based event production & communications company, and presented in partnership with Tourism Whistler and Whistler Blackcomb. April 2015 marks the 20^th annual World Ski & Snowboard Festival and will celebrate how the event has grown over the years into the largest annual winter sports and music festival in North America. WSSF is a 10 day and night showcase of the best of snow sports, music, arts and mountain culture. Featuring major professional ski and snowboarding competitions, the largest annual free outdoor concert series in Canada, photography and film showcases, and spring skiing at Whistler Blackcomb, the World Ski & Snowboard Festival is the poster child for the ultimate ski and snowboard festival experience. In blazing the way for the youth of tomorrow, the World Ski & Snowboard Festival embodies the mantra: ‘Party in April. Sleep in May.’

Skullcandy State of the Art Back at World Ski & Snowboard Festival

Skullcandy State Of The ART returns to the World Ski & Snowboard Festival (WSSF) this spring to showcase international talent and encourage local inspiration. Skullcandy State Of The ART is a creative mix of mountain culture and artistic minds, which perfectly embodies the ethos of WSSF.  The gallery, showcasing over 50 artists, is set up in the Grand Foyer of the Whistler Conference Centre for the entire 10 days of WSSF and is free admission for attendees.

The Skullcandy State Of The ART Opening Party will kick things off on April 10 from 8pm to midnight. Guests will be able to rub shoulders with the featured artists, soak in the interactive demonstrations and of course, get first crack at purchasing a unique piece of art. The party will feature DJ Vinyl Ritchie spinning 45s, live caricatures from filmmaker Murray Siple, models dressed in clothing art by Angela Cooney, and performance art presented by Pokosha, a clothing brand from Squamish, BC.

The Skullcandy State Of The ART gallery will be open to the public from 12pm to 6pm daily with no entry fee required until after 8pm when tickets are necessary to enter the Whistler Conference Centre for evening gala events. There will be a cash bar and a DJ spinning in the gallery before all of the evening events, including the OLYMPUS 72 Hour Filmmaker Showdown, the OLYMPUS Pro Photographer Showdown and Intersection, presented by Bromley Baseboards. The only exception is during the Silence of the Slams invitational roller derby bout on April 11 when the State Of The ART gallery will remain open with free access for the general public during the bout.

Skullcandy has partnered with Zero Ceiling once again this year to help raise funds for the Whistler-based charity. Twenty-five headphones will be painted by State Of The ART artists and will be on display in the gallery for the duration of the Festival. These one of a kind headphones will be available to bid on by silent auction with one hundred per cent of the proceeds going directly to Zero Ceiling’s life changing programs.

To encourage younger generations to be creative, Skullcandy State Of The ART will once again feature a Youth Gallery, which will host a collection of art and skateboards painted by young Whistler artists. There will also be a Creation Station where various experienced artists will be doing live art demonstrations between 3-6pm every day.

There will also be a photography wall and a topsheet art display from Prior Skis & Snowboards in the gallery.

WSSF will once again be hosting an online store to complement the Skullcandy State Of The ART gallery so the featured art can be browsed and purchased online. The online store will showcase all the same works featured in the State Of The ART gallery and can be viewed at www.artstore.wssf.com. The online store goes live at 11:11pm on April 3 and will remain open through to April 20.

For more information about Skullcandy State Of The ART at the World Ski & Snowboard Festival, visit www.wssf.com/event/state-art.

Don’t Miss…

The World Ski & Snowboard Festival keeps the party going well into the night with a full lineup of nightlife and official after parties, including:

April 12: Grown Up In The Mountain – A Comedy Show at Maxx Fish

April 15: The OLYMPUS 72 Hour Filmmaker Showdown official after party at the Longhorn Saloon

April 17: The Official Intersection presented by Bromley Baseboards after party with DJ Billy The Kidd at Garfinkles

April 17:  Hedspin with DJ Dakota and DJ Corner at the Longhorn Saloon

Additional information is available at wssf.com/Parties-and-Nightlife.

Tickets to the evening gala events are now available for purchase at www.wssf.com.

To connect with the World Ski & Snowboard Festival online, Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

The World Ski & Snowboard Festival has a brand new mobile app called WSSF Live. It is available for FREE in the App Store and Google Play Store for Apple and Android phones.