The Mountain Times

Big Mountain Battle contendors enjoyed ideal spring conditions

The Helly Hansen Big Mountain Battle last Saturday, March 9, saw ideal conditions at Killington. Plenty of snowfall in the last month meant that 140 trails were open, the sun was shining bright and the weather was warm. It was spring skiing at it's best and everyone was smiling. Skiers and riders flocked to Killington, so much so that the start of the competition had to be delayed by a half an hour so that all competitors could get registered.

The race course, which had skiers and riders looking for checkpoints, riding designated lifts, checking off required runs and hikes, was designed by Killington Ski Patrol. They tried to challenge participants while showcasing the best of the resort. "It was a great way to explore the mountain in a new way, and it was a battle," said racer Corey Logsdon. Killington Resort President Mike Solimano echoed those sentiments when he told participants by email "I am all for events like this if we can do it safely with minimal impact on our retail guests. These types of creative events are really fun and keep the resort interesting."

A portion of the days proceeds will go to Vermont Adaptive Sports, Tom Alcorn, Program Coordinator, said. "We were very excited to have two teams participating with adaptive equipment this year, next year our goal is to have four teams enter. We are so appreciative to Helly Hansen, Killington, and of course, all the participants who made the event such a success," he said.

This is the second year that the battle has been staged in Killington and participation grew significantly with 60 teams competing compared with last year's 40 teams. Marc Campbell is Helly Hansen's event organizer and he was pleased with the turnout. "We've had a great response this year," he said. "Killington has the most snow out of all the resorts I've been to this year. Great turnout, beautiful weather and lots of snow makes for a great event."