Helly Hansen’s 2013 Big Mountain Battle Series Kicks Off

Helly Hansen’s fifth-annual Big Mountain Battle kicked off to gorgeous bluebird skies and enthusiastic crowds at Fernie Alpine Resort and Squaw Valley Ski Resort.

“The skies opened up at Squaw and Fernie for gorgeous bluebird days. The crowds’ enthusiasm was infectious, as they rallied to take on the challenging courses set by Squaw and Fernie’s ski patrollers,” said Marc Campbell, the organizer behind Helly Hansen’s Big Mountain Battle.

Team RNGT’s Ryan Nelson and Graham Tabor scored first place at Fernie Alpine Resort’s Big Mountain Battle. Nelson and Tabor took first place in the Advanced Open Class with a time of 1:58, winning free entry to the final Battle in the Bowls in Aspen/Snowmass on March 30. Team Franglais’ Jeremie Boiteau and Angie Krasnay placed second with a time of 2:03 while Team Pirate Stash and Hobo Beard’s Benji Bradford and Clarence Gangon took third place with a time of 2:08.

At Squaw Valley Ski Resort’s Big Mountain Battle, Team Power Hounds’ Kelsey Hyche and Zak Lance took first place in the Advanced Open Class with a time of 1:58. The duo also won free entry to the final Battle in the Bowls in Aspen/Snowmass on March 30. Team Ski Sync’s Jared Cummings and Joey Rzeplinski placed second with a time of 2:25 while Team Icy Weiner’s John McCormack and Brandon Craddock grabbed third place with a time of 2:39.

Helly Hansen’s technology partner, Flaik, for the fifth year in a row, provided race officials with real-time stats, including location, speed and altitude, on each team with its real-time GPS tracking device.

Helly Hansen is the number one apparel choice of premium ski resorts around the world. Its Big Mountain Battle challenges two-person teams to an intense, big-mountain racecourse that spans the entire mountain. Ski patrollers set the route, handpicking thigh-burning hikes, required lifts, and required advanced ski runs.

Skiers and snowboarders can opt to race one of three categories: advanced, intermediate, and 12 and under. Ski patrollers will design the courses so that each one consists of designated runs, lift rides, hidden checkpoints, and one to two hikes.

The final competition, Battle in the Bowls at Aspen/Snowmass, will take place March 30. But before that final showdown can occur, the Big Mountain Battle will make stops at Taos, NM on Feb. 16, Kicking Horse, BC, Feb. 23; Park City, UT, Mar. 2; Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC, Mar. 2; Killington, VT, Mar. 9; and Steven Pass, WA, Mar. 9. Cost for the event is $80 per team. For more info and to register online, please visit
www.bigmountainbattle.com

ABOUT HELLY HANSEN

Founded in Moss, Norway, in 1877, Helly Hansen continues to protect and enable professionals making their living on oceans and mountains around the world. Their apparel, developed through a blend of Scandinavian design and insights drawn from living in some of the harshest environments on earth, helps provide the confidence professionals need to step out into the elements and complete their jobs. The company invented the first supple, waterproof fabrics more than 130 years ago, created the first fleece fabrics in the 1960s and introduced the first technical base layers made with LIFA® Stay Dry Technology in the 1970s. Today, Helly Hansen is the official uniform partner for more than 60 ski resorts and mountain guiding operations and has outfitted more than 33,000 mountain professionals. The brand’s outerwear, base layers, sportswear and footwear for winter, outdoor and water sports are sold in more than 40 countries. To learn more about Helly Hansen’s latest collections, visit www.hellyhansen.com.