Organisers of the 2017 World Para-Snowboard Championships have begun dry course work and confirmed the schedule with 100 days until the event ©Getty Images

Organisers of the 2017 World Para-Snowboard Championships have begun dry course work and confirmed the schedule with 100 days until the event.

By consulting with athletes and coaches over the past four International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Para-Snowboard World Cups, Big White Ski Resort in Canadian city Kelowna is aiming to create one of the world’s very best Para-snowboard facilities.

Flynn Seddon, director of terrain park and outdoor events at Big White, says he is proud of the connection the resort has built with the athletes and coaches over the past four years, and is taking a similar path for the World Championships.

"For the World Championships the approach we will take will be similar to what we have done in past World Cup events," he added.

"A community focus and consultations with coaches and athletes to deliver what they want to see and what they want to ride.

"The dry land work will definitely add to our start section and will increase the ability for us to build a great section leading into the first turn.

"This alone will put the course at a level above the last four years."

Big White has previously hosted four IPC Snowboard World Cup events and has been deeply involved in developing the sport within Canada ©Getty Images
Big White has previously hosted four IPC Snowboard World Cup events and has been deeply involved in developing the sport within Canada ©Getty Images

The concept of building a dirt substructure for event venues is an old concept but one that has been revisited in the past few years. 

Dirt substructures help with the amount of man-made and natural snow a venue needs to build up to competition standards.

It is claimed this will be instrumental in developing the sport of Para-snowboarding and echoes Canada’s commitment to become a world leader in the sport.

In addition to the course work, the Local Organising Committee has released a general schedule of events that will include an Opening and Closing Ceremony showcasing local artists and celebrating the diverse field of international athletes.

The Opening Ceremony is due to take place on February 1 with snowboard-cross training scheduled for the following two days.

Snowboard-cross timed qualification runs and finals for men and women are set to be held on February 4, with banked slalom course build and refinement on February 5, banked slalom training on February 6, banked slalom timed runs for men and women on February 7 and the Closing Ceremony on February 8.

More than 100 Para-athletes from 25 countries across the globe are due to compete in snowboard-cross and banked slalom in men’s and women’s SB-LL1, SB-LL2 and SB-UL classifications.