Canada Snowboard – Organizers begin course preparations and reveal schedule for Big White 2017 World Para Snowboard Championships

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Vancouver, BC – With 100 days until athletes take to the snow at the Big White 2017 World Para Snowboard Championships on February 2nd, 2017, organizers have begun dry course work and confirmed the schedule for the biggest event on the 2016-17 Para-snowboard calendar.
 
By consulting with athletes and coaches over the past four IPC Para Snowboard World Cups,  Big White Ski Resort (Kelowna, BC) aims to create one of the world’s very best Para snowboard facilities.
 
Flynn Seddon, Director of Terrain Park & Outdoor Events at Big White, is proud of the connection the resort has built with the athletes and coaches over the past four years, and is taking a similar path for the World Championships:
 
“For the World Championships the approach we will take will be similar to what we have done in past World Cup events. A community focus and consultations with coaches and athletes to deliver what they want to see and what they want to ride.
 
The dry land work will definitely add to our start section and will increase the ability for us to build a great section leading into the first turn.  This alone will put the course at a level above the last four years.” Seddon added.
 
The concept of building a dirt substructure for event venues is an old concept but one that has been revisited in the past few years. Dirt substructures help with the amount of manmade and natural snow a venue needs to build up to competition standards. This attention to detail will be instrumental to developing the sport of Para snowboarding and echoes Canada’s commitment to become a world leader in the sport.

General Event Schedule Released
 
In addition to the course work, the Local Organizing Committee has released a general schedule of events that will include an Opening and Closing Ceremony showcasing local artists and celebrating the diverse field of international athletes.
 
Wednesday February 1, 2017
Opening ceremonies

Thursday February 2, 2017
Snowboardcross training

Friday February 3, 2017
Snowboardcross training

Saturday February 4, 2017
Snowboardcross Qualification runs and finals 
(mens and womens)

Sunday February 5, 2017
Banked Slalom course build and refinement

Monday February 6, 2017
Banked Slalom training

Tuesday February 7, 2017
Banked Slalom Timed runs 
(mens and womens) 

Wednesday February 8, 2017
Closing ceremonies

Over 100 Para athletes from 25 countries across the globe will compete in snowboard-cross and banked slalom in men’s and women’s SB-LL1, SB-LL2 and SB-UL classifications.
 
Media accreditation for Big White 2017 will open on Tuesday November 1st, 2016.

High resolution photos of the course work are available here.
 
More information about Big White 2017 can be found on Canada Snowboard’s website.
 
For more information on the Big White 2017 World Para Snowboard Championships or to schedule an interview with one of our athletes, please contact:

Eric Escaravage
Communications Coordinator
Canada Snowboard
eric.escaravage@canadasnowboard.ca 
613-862-6532

About the Big White 2017 World Para Snowboard Championships
Canada Snowboard & the Canadian Paralympic Committee are proud to announce Big White Resort (Kelowna, BC) as official host mountain for the Big White 2017 Para World Snowboard Championships. Over 100 Para athletes from 25 countries across the globe will compete in Snowboardcross and Banked Slalom from February 1-8, 2017. As the 2018 PyeongChang Paralympic Winter Games approach, Canada and the world’s top Para-Snowboarders will be eager to put down their best performance for one huge goal – the chance to be crowned World Champion.

About Canada Snowboard
Canada Snowboard is the national governing body for snowboarding in Canada. With the support of valued corporate partners like The Canadian Tire Corporation, Mackenzie Financial, FA Design, Burton Snowboards and Mazda Canada, along with the Government of Canada, Own the Podium,the Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Canadian Paralympic Committee; Canada Snowboard is committed to high performance excellence in FIS World Cup, World Championships, World Snowboard Tour and Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games competition. Canada Snowboard also provides a wide range of programs and support services based on established principles of long-term athlete development. For more information on the services and programs offered by CanadaSnowboard, visit: www.canadasnowboard.ca