Ski and snowboarders hit the slopes one last time for the year at Asessippi Ski Area and Resort Saturday before the 2024 season wrapped up.
While the mild winter impacted outdoor activities in the Manitoba capital, staff at the ski hill — 150 kilometres northwest of Brandon — say it was an amazing season.
“We have gotten so much snow, I know down in Winnipeg you guys don’t have any,” said assistant manager Shannon Johnston. “We had the right amount of cold weather to make our own snow, we’ve got a lot of snow recently … we have a ton, so the weather the last couple weeks is probably a little cooler than most people like, but it’s fantastic for skiing and snowboarding.”
Saturday’s end of season festivities including the annual Slush Cup, where ski and snowboarders go down a run and try to skim an icy pool of water. Dozens of participants dressed up in array of costumes for the event.
Johnston said there were 50 competitors and while some got close, nobody made it across. However, she said it was a good time for all.
One of those people was Madison Fuchs, 16, who came from Saskatchewan to get one last day in on the hill. Fuchs said she’s been skiing since she was about 10.
Fuchs also said it was her first time participating in the Slush Cup.
“I just wanted to try something new and me and my dad just thought it’d be a good experience because we’ve never done anything like that before,” she said.
Jordan Englot did the Slush Cup too, but on a snowboard. He said he dressed up as Spider-Man Miles Morales.
He’s originally from Regina and is wrapping up his first season working at Asessippi.
He said the water was incredibly cold when he fell in after an unsuccessful attempt across.
“It was pretty brisk, felt like a glacial bucket of frozenness,” he said.
Johnston said Asessippi usually closes around this time of year. And while it was a warmer winter, the industry varies year-by-year, she said.
They weren’t totally unaffected, but considered themselves lucky, she said.
“We lucked out in January with that super cold weather, no one liked that minus 40, but we loved it,” she said. “That allowed us to make all the snow needed and then the warmer temperatures this winter have been great, so it’s worked out for us this year.”