Hella Hectic Brings Good Fun to Copper Closing Weekend

Katie Prendergast

Copper Mountain celebrated the end of ski season this past weekend with Sunsation presented by 10 Barrel. It was “Hella Hectic” good fun to watch locals and pros compete head to head in a new ski and boardercross event on Saturday afternoon.

 

Grady Skelton, Senior Brand Manager for 10 Barrel, and Ben Morse, Trade Marketing Manager, dreamt up the Hella Hectic race together. Touring the course with them on Friday afternoon, you could feel their energy and excitement for the race the next day.

 

“Seeing the course in person after we sketched it on a napkin and asked Copper if they could build it is unreal,” said Skelton.

 

The course featured banked turns, step-downs, and rollers – all familiar boardercross obstacles. Its most unique feature was the pond skim the racers would have to conquer before crossing the finish line.

 

Skelton and Morse hoped that the event would attract a diverse mix of skiers and snowboarders, men and women, and pros to locals. Most importantly, they wanted the event to be hella inclusive with an adaptive division.

 

“You don’t really get that with boardercross. Adaptive is usually a separate event.” Morse explained.

 

Naturally, the pair wanted to create an event that would excite the crowd on closing weekend, too.

 

All those boxes were checked with a unique racecourse, individual, team, and adaptive divisions, and prizes for best costumes to keep things fun.

 

One thing no one counted on: Mother Nature dumping several inches of snow overnight and freezing the pond! Luckily, Copper’s snow removal crew was able to defrost the pond so the show could go on.

 

The stoke was high among both the athletes and spectators on Saturday as the qualifying athletes took to the course. 

 

Athletes competed in heats of four racers, with the top two racers in each heat advancing to the finals round. Each heat was met with cheers from the crowd and the jangle of cowbells, which 10 Barrel provided as swag for spectators.

 

Watching from Duke’s patio in Center Village with a 10 Barrel Pub Beer in hand was just the right way to end the 2021-22 ski season.

 

Keep your eyes peeled for next year’s Hella Hectic race at Copper, and other potential locations. Skelton and Morse hope to build on this year’s success and possibly bring Hella Hectic to more mountain resorts in the future.

 

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Katie Prendergast

Katie is a writer, strength and nutrition coach, and avid fan of all things outdoors. She climbs, snowboards, hikes, mountain bikes, and spends time in the mountains whenever she can.

When Katie is not outside, she helps skiers/riders and climbers build strength in the gym to more confidently tackle their next adventure.

Some of her favorite things are lifting heavy things, drinking craft beer, and hanging out with her pup, Gunner.