Participants set unofficial world records for vertical descent in 12 hours
By Carli Johnson SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
On March 29, the Yellowstone Club hosted its first-ever vertical ski challenge, raising over $300,000 to benefit the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation. The event reserved a single lift and four ski runs exclusively for the 40 participants of the vertical challenge, many of whom skied continuously without stops for a 12-hour day.
The participants collectively skied a total of 3,534,647 vertical feet in just 12 hours, according to a press release by the Yellowstone Club. Seven participants skied over 120,000 vertical feet, while 22 participants surpassed the 100,000 vertical feet mark, including four youth participants.
Two participants unofficially broke the ski and snowboard 12-hour world records for vertical feet descended—Doug McCabe descended 137,529 feet on skis and Nick Jobe descended 126,384 feet on a snowboard. Four other snowboarders also unofficially broke the world snowboard record, but Jobe’s total descent was the longest.
In addition to the athletic achievements, the event served as a fundraiser to raise over $300,000 for YCCF. Participants paid an entry fee, with most raising “a significant amount” above and beyond the initial fee, according to Ciara Wolfe, YCCF’s vice president of philanthropy.
“The funds are going into our community grants,” Wolfe said in an interview with EBS. “Currently, our board of directors is reviewing between 30 and 40 different grant applications, and we’ll be making the award and distributing funds this June.”
Last June, YCCF awarded $1,668,500 in grants to 33 nonprofit organizations and qualifying government entities, such as schools and libraries, in Big Sky and surrounding communities.
Wolfe noted that the total amount of grants distributed this summer will be a larger amount than just the proceeds from this fundraiser. “This event was just one piece of funding that our members give to us in order for us to invest in the communities of greater Big Sky region,” Wolfe said.
The event was inspired by a club member who suggested a competition to see how many vertical feet people could ski in a day, and in doing so, raise money for the community of Big Sky. Wolfe said they plan to do it again next year after receiving such positive feedback from participants.
One participant, Carrie Morgridge, spent much of the winter training her legs for the event.
“Sports have a way of bringing people together and building community, and this event was hands down the most fun I’ve ever been a part of,” Morgridge stated in an email to EBS. “The course was awesome—it kept us connected and cheering each other on from 7:30 in the morning all the way until 7:30 at night. The energy was nonstop.”
Although her team did not win the challenge, she had never skied more than 40,000 vertical feet in one single day—she ripped 87,000 feet during the 12-hour challenge.
“I think this event exemplifies to our community how often our members are thinking about ways they can support this community,” Wolfe said. “It was really a win-win across the board.”
