Growing The Sport Of Snowboardcross In The North

By 250 Sports

Participants in the RBC Riders Northern BC Series wait to race at Tabor Ski Resort

Prince George, B.C. - Yesterday marked the fourth in a series of six snowboardcross races held in northern B.C. this winter, with the goal of building interest and support for the sport across the region...

A group of about 20 kids, ranging in age from 8 to 18, took part in the RBC Riders Northern B.C. Series event at Tabor Mountain Ski Resort, which started with a morning training session that focuses on the ABC fundamentals of snowboarding - agility, balance, and coordination of jumping and turning.  In the afternoon, the boarders raced, one at a time, down a timed run.  Organizer, Bill Laing, says that differs from a normal snowboardcross race where four competitors slingshot down the track at one time, but, he says, this series is meant to introduce youth to the sport in a less intense format.

The RBC Riders program was developed by Canada Snowboard and the provincial body, B.C. Snowboard, has helped to deliver the northern series by offering up the medals and other 'swag' for competitors.  Laing says the organizations have established a long-term athlete development model.  "So what this (the Northern Series) is, is the beginning stage, this is an introductory competition to generate interest in the region."

Laing is the head coach of the Northern Edge Snowboard Club in Mackenzie and is the Snowboarding Director at Powder King Ski Resort.  He's run the program there for the past three years, but this is the first winter for the Northern Series, which involves Powder King, Murray Ridge in Fort St. James, Troll Ski Resort near Quesnel, and Tabor Mountain.  The idea has been to generate local interest at those hills.  He says while there is a core group of racers who've been to all the races, local interest has been a little 'hesitant'. 

Laing points to Murray Ridge as an example, saying a lot of kids hadn't heard of snowboardcross before, so came out to watch the event, but were too intimidated and nervous to try it at first glance.  "So, I think it's a matter of going back and you've got to keep trying."

Laing is pumped to build the sport in the north.  He, himself, finished high school and went to college in Prince George, but it wasn't until he settled in Kamloops that he was able to attract sponsorship and make a 'go' of snowboardcross as a career.  At his peak, Laing was ranked 38th in the Canada.  "It's been my vision since I came back from Kamloops up north and I saw nothing going on here - that I want to give something back to the kids," says Laing.  "Because for me to go off and get sponsored and get recognized, I had to move south."

Not one of the snowboarders on Team BC at last month's Canada Winter Games in Halifax was from the north, and while Laing says the timeframe may be too short to change that for the 2015 Winter Games, he wants to lay the foundation for a northern development program, similar to what's already in place down south.

He says he's starting to make a 'ton of connections' with the various stakeholders across the region.  His goal is to develop a draft strategic plan by late spring that would plot a holistic approach to building the sport in the north.  Laing says it's going to take some funding to fully realize its potential.  "I don't think there's enough people right now that are in the sport to support it, if the hills don't work together," he says.  "It's going to take teamwork."  So he says his plan would look at where all the hills are at - what stage of developing the sport, what equipment/facilities they have, so that when funding comes this way it could be directed to 'serve the greater good'.  As an example, he says if one hill didn't have a starting gate and every other hill did, it would be a no-brainer to spend some of the funds in that way.

Laing says he's driven in his quest to make snowboardcross a viable sport in the region by the thrill he gets out of watching the kids experience what he used to when he raced, "It motivates and drives me." 

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Anyone wanting more information about the RBC Riders program, or looking to get involved locally to support Laing's efforts can contact him directly at bill.laing@telus.net.  For more information on the race schedule, you can go to the group's Facebook page at RBC Riders Northern BC Series.

Below, a group shot at the awards ceremony following yesterday's race  (Bill Laing is far right in back row)

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