Jan. 11, 2012 - Issue #847: The great indoors

Descent into darkness

When the lights go out, skiing goes big

Floodlights illuminate the slope at Snow Valley Ski Club, lighting it up like a bright white beacon. It's visible at night from Whitemud Trail and the surrounding area. In fact, it's one of the only white patches on the Edmonton horizon in this strange winter. It's also one of the most popular spots on a weeknight for skiers and boarders.
While school groups keep the hill busy during the day, weeknights are key  times of operation for the club, says Shawn Symington, Snow Valley general manager. From the end of the school or work day until 9 pm every Monday through Friday, skiers and boarders of all ability levels head to the ski area to get in some practice turns, take a lesson or perfect a new trick.
In urban settings like Edmonton, a lot of downhill activity happens at night, while lighting up the slopes to allow people to ride after dark is becoming common at many resorts. At Snow Valley, ski racing teams schedule weekly night practices and a regular gang of freestyle kids can be found lapping the park. Yet despite a thriving night ski culture, this will be the first year ever that professional freestylers will compete by floodlights at the Winter X Games, from January 26 – 29.
Why it's taken so long for the X Games to snare a coveted primetime slot is anybody's guess, but it's probably much to do with TV marketing potential. As for the effect on athletes of competing at night versus day, it's hard to speculate, but with the rising trend of nighttime rail jams and freestyle comps in Canada, it shouldn't be unfamiliar territory.
Visibility isn't an issue provided the host area is well stocked with floodlighting; in fact, "it's almost  like daytime, perhaps even better," says Symington, especially when compared to an overcast day when light may be flat. At Snow Valley, the hill is lit after dark with a total of 65 000 watts.
Still, the change of setting does impact the experience in  a unique way, she acknowledges. "In the evenings it's a little different ambience, you can see the sky—especially on winter nights, it may be really starry out."
For two seasons, the ski area even ran its own night comp: Night Amp. Three years ago, though, it was switched to daytime—not due to any lack of success or safety concerns, but because the event had simply outgrown its evening slot, Symington explains.
With limited night hours, it was no longer possible to accommodate all the participants who wanted to compete. Extending night time hours wasn't an option, she explains, because of consideration for neighbours who may not appreciate the extra bright lighting, thumping music and crowds after 9 pm.
The Winter Light Festival is another Edmonton organization that has operated evening outdoor events with great success. In previous seasons, it hosted a freestyle competition and photo shoot called Flashpoint at Edmonton Ski Club (since discontinued for funding reasons). Other Winter Light events still capitalize on the dramatic visual potential of a winter night, but without the same high flying, high intensity action.
When the X Games hits the slopes at Aspen, that unique nighttime winter ambience will once again be on display for millions of viewers, blending competitive sport and physical art against a backdrop of stage lights and starry skies. But for now, it's the kind of spectacle Edmontonians may have to settle for watching on screen.

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