At the end of the month, the thrill of international ski jumping competition returns to the Whistler Olympic Park (WOP) for the very first time since the 2010 Winter Games.
Whistler Sport Legacies, Ski Jumping Canada, and Own The Podium bring the National Large Hill Ski Jumping/Nordic Combined Championships to the former Olympic venue in the Callaghan Valley on March 31.
With the 2014 Winter Games fast approaching - and the strong structural similarities between the WOP ski jumps and the jumps constructed in Sochi for those Games - spectators can expect a line-up of top athletes competing at the Championships.
The women's competitions are set to be particularly exciting as they include The Canadian Women's Team - who played a pivotal role in establishing women's ski jumping as an Olympic sport for the 2014 Winter Games.
In addition to the high-flying and spectacular ski jumping events, the National Large Hill Ski Jumping/Nordic Combined Championships also features the best Nordic athletes racing on the Park's surrounding cross-country ski trails.
But if you want to check out the most thrilling action, you'll need to get to the Callaghan Valley - located just before Whistler Resort - early, because the Large Hill competition gets underway at 9 a.m., followed by Normal Hill at 11 a.m. and the Nordic Combined Ski Event at 1: 30 p.m.
However, there is a sweet reward for making the morning trek to see the first events of the Championships. A free pancake breakfast - with a suggested donation of a $2 - is being hosted right at the bottom of the ski jumps, to benefit the event host Callaghan Winter Sports Club. So you can check out all the skiers soaring while enjoying delicious pancakes with syrup and a hot cup of coffee.
Could it get any better? Well, yes, apparently.
Admission to the event is also absolutely free for spectators. For more information, go to whistler.com/events/march.
