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It is launch time for Sun Valley Freestyle Spectacular

1/26/2012

 

Way back in the 1960's, Paul Revere and the Raiders sang the immortal words, "Kicks just keep on getting harder to find," but freestyle skiing wasn't a sport in that decade and no one knew how groovy and gritty it would get, least of all Mr. Revere, a songwriter born - in all places - in Boise, Idaho.

 

Fast forward almost five decades and the freestyle skiing has evolved into a jaw-dropping spectacle of sport that pushes the boundaries of athleticism, imagination and physics. The slopestyle course on Dollar Mountain features jumps of 45 and 65 feet, the halfpipe has 18-foot walls and the mogul course is a knee-burning 235 meters long and 27 degrees.

 

In comparison, the Deer Valley, Utah, mogul course, which is the longest and steepest on the World Cup circuit, is 275 meters and 28 degrees.

 

"Ours is a big kids course, no doubt," SVSEF Freestyle Director Andy Ware said. "It going to be very challenging."

 

"It's a legitimate gangster," SVSEF coach Clint Lightner concurred.

 

Sun Valley Company rose to the challenge in helping create the mogul course, blowing 2.2 million gallons of snow and spending over 40 cat hours on it.

 

"Part of the reason the Sun Valley Spectacular has attracted so many people is the effort that Sun Valley Company has put in in a low snow year. Sun Valley Company has shown what they can do with their snowmaking abilities and the other part is that our community has put forth a big effort to get this together," Ware said.

 

As of Thursday, 157 athletes from all over the United States were registered to compete.

 

Action kicked off today with a halfpipe on Dollar Mountain, and continues tomorrow at the same venue with slopestyle. Course inspection and training is from 9-10 a.m. with rounds starting at 10:30 a.m.

 

The action moves to Race Arena on Bald Mountain Saturday and Sunday with mogul and dual mogul events starting at 10:30 a.m. Award ceremonies will be held post-competition at Apple's Bar & Grill on Saturday and Warm Springs Lodge on Sunday.

 

Boise television station KTVB Channel 7 was at Dollar today covering the action. Ware said he expects the report to air tonight or tomorrow.