Apex Mountain has long been a beloved spot for ski enthusiasts. Recently, the resort began taking steps to cement its place as the most preferred freestyle skiing capital in Western Canada. The new head coach of freestyle skiing tasked with training young athletes is none other than former Olympian Kristi Richards herself.
The Freestyle Ski Sports Goddess — Kristi Richards Returns to Apex
Kristi was born and raised at Apex as she herself says, and her job there will be to incorporate new technology that will help young athletes to train and advance faster and safer into the sport. She’s currently looking into the facilities at Apex Mountain to identify what needs to be changed and added so ski talents can progress with as few injuries as possible. One of the new additions she’s bringing to the resort is a giant landing bag that will cushion the landings on those beginning to learn the intricate jumps and dangerous tricks of the sport.
A Costly But Totally Worth It Investment
While the landing bag will surely be an improvement in the right direction that will attract a pool of young talent, it does come with a hefty price tag. The investment costs over $100,000. The good news, however, is that there is plenty of space for brand partnerships and advertising on the landing bag, which makes Kristi and her team hopeful for the future of Apex Mountain becoming the go-to freestyle skiing destination in Western Canada.
The best part about adding the bag, says Kristi, is that it can also be used in summer under safe conditions, and kids won’t have to deal with a two-month ski training gap that’s tough to compensate for. Richards says resort officials have been nothing but supportive and proactive, so we’ll soon see the fruit of their labor!