About 30 local and visiting racers came out to test their pedaling prowess at Jasper鈥檚 first Frosty鈥檚 Fat Bike Race Series, Jan. 12 to 14.
The three-day affair kicked off with a four-kilometre cross-country race around Lake Annette.
The athleticism continued Jan. 13 with a slalom race at Marmot Basin, forcing the race鈥檚 speediest competitors to limit using their brakes to make it to the bottom first.
On Jan. 14 advanced and intermediate riders tested their stamina with a 50-km endurance race past the lakes and hills on Pyramid Bench. Fat bike beginners also had the opportunity to do a similar 20-km course.
Coming in first place for the 20-km hustle was 12-year-old Ty Haugan from Fort St. John with a total time of two hours and 23 minutes. Joining him in first place for the 50-km challenge was Haugan鈥檚 older brother Tate Haugan, finishing the course in three hours and 44 minutes.
鈥淢y brother really likes fat biking so I wanted to try it,鈥� said Ty, adding that he just took up the hobby a few weeks ago. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think I would win, but that鈥檚 really cool. I鈥檓 going to try to keep fat biking and try to get better at it.鈥�
Randy Gibb, creator of Frosty鈥檚 Fat Bike Race Series and organizer of the event, said he was pleased with the race鈥檚 inaugural year in Jasper.
Frosty鈥檚 Fat Bike Race Series, a Utah-based company, has partnered with Tourism Jasper to bring the race back to Jasper again in 2018 and 2019.
鈥淥verall we feel like the events in Jasper were a great success. That being said, we learned a lot and have been putting together our wish list for next year as we make the journey home,鈥� Gibb said. 鈥淭he feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive and we expect a great jump in participation for 2018.鈥�
Gibb also added that his crew is happy about the partnerships they鈥檝e made in Jasper.
鈥淓veryone seems really excited about the future of these events.鈥�
Kayla Byrne
[email protected]
