Organizers of the new 蜜桃视频appLegacy Sports Park held a soft opening Saturday for people to get a look at the Raven Road site.
Not far from the 蜜桃视频appValley Rod and Gun Club, the park will offer locals the chance to get involved in Nordic sports such as ski jumping and biathlon.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been the best kept secret in town,鈥� said Rick Smith of Sea to Sky Nordics, which has spearheaded the drive to build the site.
An eight-metre ski jump has just been installed, and a couple of a young ski competitors took the opportunity to inaugurate it with a few jumps on Saturday afternoon.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a community asset, but it鈥檚 also a Nordic park,鈥� said jumping instructor John Heilig.
The idea behind the 蜜桃视频appsite is to offer users a space for Nordic sports all year, even when there鈥檚 no snow, although it will work in conjunction with Whistler鈥檚 Legacy Park facilities through the winter months. Whistler currently has 20- and 40-metre jumps used for national and club-level training.
鈥淭his will work hand in glove with the jumps at Whistler,鈥� Smith said.
The ski jump allows people to use regular jumping skis on a stainless steel track. As to where they land, there is a special turf that came with the track 鈥� the equipment cost more than $12,000 in total.
The jump not only extends the season for those in the sport but also allows competitors to do far more jumps during practice time.
The official opening will not occur until spring, and some work remains to be done, including adding a paved roller ski trail and erecting signs for sponsors. Smith said there have also been many in-kind donations.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been a ton of people in the community who have contributed,鈥� he said.
Work began in the spring. At present, the gravel road into the site has been built, space has been cleared for the facilities and sites for the sports set up.
Some of the work, such as underground wiring, is not obvious, Smith said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 stuff you can鈥檛 see, but we鈥檙e talking $40,000 worth of electrical.鈥澛�
The project has also required many applications for permits. As the park sits on Crown land, the organizers needed government approval and had to go through forestry and fisheries departments, as well as First Nations.
In addition, they worked with the District of 蜜桃视频appfor bylaw and official community plan amendments.
鈥淥nce we got all that in place, the actual physical work began earlier this year.鈥�
Next spring, the organizers expect to continue fundraising to cover costs of paving the road to the site and providing lighting. As well, they hope they can hold their first sports camps at the site next summer.
Smith said they already are eying a third phase, which would see the construction of a 30-metre jump on a knoll adjacent to the current jump site, and are also planning more amenities for the site related to Nordic sports.
