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FLATHEADBEACON.COM SPORTS JANUARY 29, 2014 | 65

SMOKIN’ ACES

Continued from back page

B

illy Marcial started competing in

freestyle skiing when he was 11-years-
old, winning halfpipe and slopestyle
events across the country.
A irst team All-American free-
style skier at the College of Idaho out-
side Boise, the Whiteish native has
fond memories of competing in the

circuit, but noticed that fewer events were taking place
at Montana ski resorts, forcing a clutch of local talent
to travel.
With the 2014 Smokin’ Aces Tour, Marcial hopes
to reintroduce competitive freestyle skiing and snow-
boarding to the Treasure State.
“Through my experience, Montana has some amaz-
ing skiers growing up and living here. Some have even

gone on to have very successful competitive freestyle
skiing careers, most recently Maggie Voisin,” he said,
referring the 15-year-old freeski phenom who was re-
cently tabbed to compete in the winter Olympics and
won a silver medal at the X Games. “But for them to
compete at a higher level in a tour format they had to
travel out of state. This tour is a starting point towards

bringing back the competitive following within the Hunter Lamoureux of Whiteish gets inverted of a rail during the 2013 New Year’s Eve Rail Jam at Whiteish Mountain Resort.
state, while bringing together the best riders from dif- CRAIG MOORE |GLACIERWORLD.COM
ferent resorts competing against themselves.”
The tour will make four stops across Montana and
will debut Feb. 1 on Big Mountain at Whiteish Moun- Snowboard
ibility from the diferent ski resorts we were able to se-
tain Resort before skipping around the state and, Competitors will also compete for bragging rights
lect dates that would minimize competitive overlap.”
on March 22, culminating in a championship on Big as the 2014 Smokin’ Aces Tour Championship.
To make each event stand as its own singular event,
Mountain.
Each competitor will acquire points based of of the organizers named each competition after a suit of

Preregistration is available online at www.smok- their inishes and the rider in each division who ac- cards, hence the 2014 Smokin’ Aces Tour.
ingacesclubs.eventbrite.com. The cost is $30 for all quires the most points after the culmination of the tour Follow the Smokin’ Aces tour on Facebook for event
amateur divisions and $35 for the Open Division. Day- championship event on March 22 will be crowned Tour
and tour updates www.facebook.com/smokingaces-
of registration is also available between 8:30 a.m. to 11 Champion.
freestyle.
a.m.
“These riders will be rewarded handsomely,” Mar-
Sponsors are: American Bank, Whiteish Therapy,
All amateurs will compete for prizes from the cial said, which he hopes will provide locals with incen- Glacier Restaurant Group, Eider Clothing, Local Life-
event’s sponsors, while the open division will vie for a tive to travel to competitions away from their home style Clothing, EZ Air Academy, The Craggy Range Bar
$300 cash purse. The divisions are: 12 and Under Ski/ resort.
and Grill, Whiteish Mountain Resort, Big Sky Resort,
Snowboard; 13-16 Ski/Snowboard; 17-20 Ski/Snow- “As a kid I remember traveling with my family to ski Great Divide Ski Area, Glacier World Photography,
board; 21 and Over Ski/ Snowboard; and Open Ski/
competitions, and these memories are ones that will Great Northern Brewery.
last for ever,” Marcial said.
[email protected]
“The whole crew behind the 2014 Smokin’ Aces
Tour is striving to make this tour a lasting and premier n’
event across Montana. Who knows we could very well 2014 Smoki
have the next Montana Olympians out there waiting to
Tour
compete in their irst tour,” he said.
Aces
Marcial came up with the idea for the event last
spring while kicking around ideas with friends Zak An-
derson and Will MacDonald, of Montana Ski Company,
which is presenting and organizing the event.
“After some collaboration we came to the idea that ACE OF CLUBS SLOPESTYLE
a tour would beneit a greater cause than we initially Feb. 1, Whiteish Mountain Resort
thought,” he said.

“We wanted to make it a tour that represented all JOKER’S WILD RAIL JAM
the diferent major locations across the state, while Feb. 21, Great Divide Ski Area
making the locations cover an appropriate regional
area,” he said.
Because Montana Ski Company is based out of ACE OF DIAMONDS SLOPESTYLE
Whiteish, the organizers wanted Whiteish Mountain
Resort to host the irst event as well as the tour cham- Feb. 22, Great Divide Ski Area

pionships.
ACE OF HEARTS SLOPESTYLE
They also wanted to hold a competition at a resort
with one of the best terrain parks in the state, Marys- March 8, Big Sky Resort
ville’s Great Divide, where Whiteish native Billy Biolo (on the Moonlight Basin Zero Gravity Park)
manages the terrain park, while also paying a visit to
Big Sky Resort.
“These locations bring together the best regional ACE OF SPADES CHAMPIONSHIP
selections for riders to come together to compete,” he
Billy Marcial at a terrain event. GREEN KAT PHOTOGRAPHY
March 22, Whiteish Mountain Resort
said. “With careful work and amazing amounts of lex-