Blue Mountain ski resort, just outside Collingwood, hosted an exciting fundraising event from February 22-23, 2025 – 24h BLUE MTN. Thirty-three teams of skiers and snowboarders had 24 hours to get as many laps as possible on the Smart Alec ski run. These teams competed for most laps and most money raised for Special Olympics Ontario and the Blue Mountain Village Foundation. For this seventh edition of the annual event, conditions couldn’t have been better, reaching daily high temperatures of -3C and featuring a snow base of 190 cm – the highest in over 30 years!
The festivities began just before noon as former Olympic skier Brad King led a team of Special Olympics skiers down Smart Alec, bringing the Special Olympics torch to the centre of Blue Mountain Village with a musical escort by the Beaver Valley Pipe Band. Event MC Bryan Hayes from TSN Radio invited the athletes to recite the Athlete’s Oath, then presented a King George III Coronation Medal to Matthew Fields, a local Special Olympics alpine skier. Fields is a member of Team Canada’s alpine skiing team heading to the upcoming Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy. “Every year, when we have teams that want to contribute and compete against each other, it’s really an opportunity for them to expand on […] their ways of giving back to a great organization that really has a presence to all the athletes,” Fields said.
With the opening ceremonies complete, the countdown was on. Skiers and snowboarders representing over 30 teams eagerly awaited the blast of an air horn to mark the competition's start. At 12 noon sharp, the competitors tore through the start line and made their way toward the Silver Bullet chair lift, taking them to the top of Blue Mountain for their first laps.
Throughout the day, with skiers and snowboarders battling to rack up laps faster than any other team, the transition area at the base of the hill was abuzz with excitement. Spectators viewed up-to-the-minute race standings on a giant video screen while sponsors supplied competitors and onlookers alike with food and fun. Gallagher kept skiers warm with hot chocolate and Beavertails; Levaero supplied ski goggle covers and mountable GoPros, enabling competitors to grab videos of themselves on the slopes; Alair Homes provided s’mores and fire pits; and Red Bull supplied energy drinks and a bangin’ soundtrack for the weekend.
Daylight faded. Night descended. But the racing continued. A group of local skiers discovered 24h BLUE MTN on social media and joined the race eight hours in, eager to take part and compete against each other. After a long night of true endurance, Sunday morning arrived. Temperatures continued to rise and and a light drizzle settled in as the race entered the final few hours.
With 12 noon approaching and the relay nearing its end, four teams vied for position at the top of the leaderboard for the greatest number of laps. When the air horn sounded again, Matty Nelms Bad Knees Boys Club was the ski team with the most laps once again, defending their longstanding title with an astounding 260 laps. Jax Shreds It Forward featuring the Snow It Alls’ snowboarding team took home the prize for most snowboarding laps with 211. Levaero Aviation and its president, Stan Kuliavas, retained their titles as the top team and individual fundraisers. Finally, the inaugural Squire John’s Escarpment Cup, awarded to the ski club that raised the most funds during the event, was presented to the Toronto Ski Club.
As the ceremonies concluded, the total funds raised were announced – over $136,000 for Special Olympics Ontario and the Blue Mountain Village Foundation. Even though the racing is over, the fundraising isn’t – you can donate here until the end of March. This year’s event set a high standard for fun and excitement – we can’t wait to do it all again next February!