K2 BACK 9: DAY 2
After Sunday’s marathon-like feel with the completion of five holes, four more holes were slated for Monday, hence concluding the inaugural K2 Mini-Golf Back 9 Invitational.
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Monday’s holes were scattered throughout the Pemberton Icecap north of Whistler, BC. Once everyone arrived via helicopter and snowmobiles at the Red Bull tent, weather was the main issue of the day. Due to low clouds causing flat light, a few of the holes had to be relocated and skiers had difficulty finding their lines and landings.
The first hole of the day was Hole 6, a true step-down jump with a semi-flat takeoff to a big drop on a steep, untouched landing. Mike Douglas once again threw down with a huge 7 with a sketch on the landing. Poleless Andy Mahre threw down a Cab 3 and stuck it on the steep landing drawing hoots and hollers from the Red Bull tent below the hole.
Once every skier threw down on Hole 6, the entire posse of event organizers and filmers sledded down on the snowy glacier to the remaining three holes. Holes 7 and 8 were slightly marred due to the flat light conditions, but Hole 9 was another story.
The last hole of the event proved to be one of the most exciting capping off an awesome contest. Comprised of multiple pillow drops, big cliffs, and steep lines, Hole 9 characterized the contest and the terrain that had been skied the last two days. Mark Abma and Marc-Andre Bellevieu both skied technical pillow lines with a lot of speed, which was a navigational feat as well as skiing with all of the possible terrain traps. Eric Hjorleifson had a line that will make any viewer holy shit themselves once they check it out on the DVD that will be released to the public.
After the skiing was completed, skiers and filmers gathered later in the evening and watched film of each skier on all 9 holes and graded them on their respective performances. True to K2 and the Back 9 fashion, skiers were handed official Back 9 scorecards and little K2 pencils to log the scores of their fellow skiers as if they were in the clubhouse on a summer day at their local golf course tallying up the scores to see who had to buy the next round. Individual, not group judging went on through the night and handed to event organizer Mike Gutt of K2. Scores will be tallied and winners of each hole and the podium will be announced on April 20th during the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Invitational here in Whistler, BC. Since no one knows who won anything considering the skiing was all so damn great, check out the photos and enjoy the one month of suspense.