The Yukon Welcomes “Lost in Paradise” Para Snowboard World Cup to Mount Sima
Yukon Territory, Canada – In a monumental celebration of snowboarding, the Yukon Territory is set to host its very first Para Snowboard World Cup, the "Lost in Paradise" Banked Slalom Event, on March 28th-29th, 2024, at the stunning Mount Sima in Whitehorse, YT. As the final race of the international season, the event will be the Para World Cup fInals and additionally Snowboard Yukon will host the 2024 Yukon Championships. The world of Para Snowboarding will truly come together as the event unites athletes, fans, and the local community in a remarkable showcase of athleticism, technical ability, and inclusivity.
The groundbreaking event is the result of visionary collaboration between Canada Snowboard, Mount. Sima, Snowboard Yukon and Sport Yukon, who share the dream of welcoming the world to the north, and the partnership between these organizations has enabled "Lost in Paradise" to come to life. The second ever World Cup in any snowsport to be hosted in the Yukon, the event will build off a successful decade of Para Snowboard Events at Big White. With the 2024 ‘Welcome to Paradise’ Para SBX event preceding ‘Lost in Paradise”, the double header offers an attractive proposition for national teams from all over the world to travel to Canada.
As the name implies, the banked slalom venue will feature wide, U-shaped turns, and various dips, rollers and bumps where athletes will be timed as they race around gates through the course for a spot on the podium.
“Lost in Paradise” is an integral component of the Shred the North 2023-2024 World Cup Series. At every destination on the tour, a specific snowboarding discipline is featured, including Slopestyle, Halfpipe, and Big Air in Alberta, Alpine in Ontario, SBX in Quebec, Para SBX at Big White, and now Para Banked Slalom in Whitehorse, Yukon.
“Mount Sima is the perfect host resort for the Lost in Paradise Banked Slalom. I’m delighted to see a Para Snowboard World Cup head north to the Yukon and offer a platform for the celebration of snowboarding within the local community. Once again Canada proudly stands alone as the sole nation to host the full spectrum of snowboarding World Cup disciplines. It’s through these competitions that we have established comprehensive pathways that enable young riders to progress from beginners to World Cup contenders, starting right at their local hill. In Para Snowboard, Canadians truly stand out, with our talented athletes showcasing exceptional determination and a fierce spirit to not only overcome the obstacles presented by disability, but go on to achieve remarkable success on the world stage. If you haven't yet had the opportunity to witness one of these remarkable events, I’d encourage you to head to Mount Sima, cheer on our team, and meet these talented inspiring riders.”
Dustin Heise - Executive Director/CEO Canada Snowboard
Tracey Bilsky, Executive Director of Sport Yukon, commends the vision of Canada Snowboard, Mt. Mount Sima and Snowboard Yukon for creating this unique opportunity to showcase the Yukon on the global stage:
"Sport Yukon is excited to help Mount Sima and Snowboard Yukon welcome the world to the Yukon. Their vision created the opportunity to bring Lost in Paradise to the real North. For years, Mount Sima's dedicated sport tourism initiatives have welcomed more and more high-level athletes to Whitehorse for training and competition, which has helped build our community's winter sport infrastructure, inspired our local athletes, and made a significant impact on the Yukon tourism ecosystem. The legacy impacts of events like this are enormous for Northern communities, and we couldn't be more thrilled."
Mount Sima and the Friends of Mount Sima Society share in this excitement; "We are very excited to be hosting this yearly event after years of hard work and planning with our partners at Canada Snowboard Snowboard Yukon and Sport Yukon."
"Snowboard Yukon is so excited to welcome athletes from around the world into our snowboard community during the Lost In Paradise FIS Para Snowboard World Cup. We can't wait to get a glimpse into the world of international competitive snowboarding and access unprecedented mentorship for local officials and coaches. We're looking forward to opening the 2024 Yukon Snowboarding Championships with a locals' Banked Slalom event directly following the World Cup race and sharing our sport with all Yukoners during the week-long snowboard festival."
Mary Binsted - Technical Director, Snowboard Yukon
Canada takes immense pride in its highly accomplished Para Snowboarding Team, which comprises numerous Paralympic and World Championship medalists. When competing at the World Cup level, it's a common sight to see Canadian athletes on the podium. Through many training camps at Mount Sima, our Para Team feels right at home in the Yukon and gives the Canadians the advantage of a home venue.
“Having the banked slalom world cup finals at Mount Sima, Yukon, is truly amazing. A hidden gem that teams will get the chance to discover and may just like us fall in love with. We've always had such a warm welcome from everyone at Sima & Whitehorse over the years, we cannot express how much this means to put the resort on the map and for us to train & now get to race on such a quality track. Not only is it great for us to race on home-soil, on a track developed with Arena Snowpark, Snowboard Yukon & Mount Sima, but it's also amazing to see this community welcoming the best of the best, in such a beautiful environment. We had the chance to try & train on the track last season and it's great. It's a challenging track with some change of pace and rhythms & it is so much fun! It's the perfect place to host finals.”
Greg Picard - Canadian Para Snowboard Coach
“I am super stoked to finish our World Cup season on home soil this season. To have World Cup finals hosted in the Yukon at Mount Sima is going to be such a cool experience at an amazing venue. I can’t wait for friends and family and Canadians to come watch us race and to show this awesome part of the country to all the other nations competing!”
Tyler Turner - Paralympic Gold Medalist
This groundbreaking event not only marks a historic moment for the Yukon but also sets the stage for the continued growth and development of winter sports in the region. Remarkably, the "Lost in Paradise" Para Snowboard World Cup is only the second World Cup ever hosted in the Yukon, with the first being a Cross Country World Cup held in the 1980s.
The "Lost in Paradise" Para Snowboard World Cup promises to be an extraordinary event that will leave a lasting impact on the Yukon community, its athletes, and the global snowboarding community. Join us on March 28th-29th, 2024, at Mount Sima for an unforgettable celebration of para snowboarding, camaraderie, and the magic of the Yukon.
