Snowboard-cross occasion pulled from Ontario Winter Video games following hearth at Calabogie Peaks

Only one week earlier than the Ontario Winter Video games start in Renfrew County, a predominant attraction at Calabogie Peaks has been cancelled.

The Provincial Sport Group for Snowboard has pulled the snowboard-cross occasion from the video games as a consequence of an absence of snow on the ski hill in Calabogie, Ont.

A fireplace initially of January destroyed the pump home at Calabogie Peaks, halting snowmaking operations.

“And so they’re nonetheless to my data not operational, in all probability, till this weekend or subsequent,” Video games Supervisor Cindy Burwell stated.

“Which would not go away sufficient time to make sufficient snow after which construct a course and groom it for the snowboard competitors.”

Burwell says the ski-cross occasion set to happen at Calabogie Peaks has additionally been referred to as off.

The choice now leaves roughly 100 to 120 athletes at dwelling and unable to compete.

For 17-year-old snowboarder Oscar Dick from Ancaster, Ont., it is a chance he is been coaching years for.

“Throughout COVID, I actually began to lock down and practice more durable to attain this,” Dick tells CTV Information.

“I am clearly positively bummed about it. I actually needed to compete and see how I stacked up in opposition to the opposite racers in Ontario.”

Snowboard cross is a downhill race that takes place on a terrain course. The occasion was set to be held Feb. 6-8.

“Along with [the fire] there was an enormous thaw after Christmas so something that was constructed earlier than Christmas was misplaced,” Burwell stated.

“Ontario Winter Video games has at all times been a purpose of mine,” stated Dick, who was set to compete on the video games for the primary time.

“Because of my age and COVID, I have not been capable of go to the Ontario Winter Video games.”

The biathlon will nonetheless happen on the Calabogie Highlands throughout from the Calabogie Peaks ski hill.

Twenty-two occasions are nonetheless set to happen throughout Renfrew County starting Feb. 2.