On February 6th and 7th top skiers and snowboarders traveled from far corners of Canada and the U.S.A., to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort for the ultimate showdown of big mountain riding in the second annual Wrangle the Chute.

Wrangle the Chute is a freeride competition with three components; technical big mountain riding, terrain park/big air, and cowboy thrills on a bucking bronco. Spectators watched athletes from Heaven’s Door Yurt Café where the grill was fired up and the Big Rock beer and Red Bull was chilled.

The event also marked the third anniversary of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort’s Big Mountain Centre. A celebration on Saturday afternoon was held at the Day Lodge with Big Rock Untapped band ‘Broken Down Suitcase’ rocking the house, followed by the annual BMC Texas Hold’em Poker Challenge.

The famously treacherous terrain was conquered by both male and female athletes, and proved little challenge for the pros who hucked massive cliffs, maneuvered through tight terrain, and stomped down some big tricks at the finish line jump; although E.J. Hector (pro. Ejector), Kicking Horse’s newly named bronc, gave them a run for their money.

“Wrangle the Chute was even bigger and better this year,” says Steve Paccagnan, President and General Manager of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. “We saw cliff drops, amazing aerials, and a competitor straight-line the entire chute; we even saw one athlete ski top to bottom and hit the jump, all the time riding switch! It was a great feeling to be part of such a big crowd, listening to the reactions and excitement this competition brings to our resort. The Heaven’s Door Yurt Café proved to be the grandstand for this event; giving the crowd the best views, great food and exceptional entertainment!”

New to the Wrangler weekend, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort hosted the first annual Wrangle the ‘Shoot’. The photo competition presented a unique twist for the event, and echoed the creativity and originality of Wrangle the Chute; being the first and only competition to incorporate on-course photographers, same-day turn around, and a nighttime photography show. Sixty-five amazing photos were on display and more than 100 people came out to place their votes based on Best Action, Best Landscape, Best Lifestyle, People’s Choice and Best Overall Photographer.