Big White Spends $450,000 Regrading Slopes for Earlier Openings

Big White is regrading two of its steepest connector runs before winter

Big White Ski Resort in Kelowna, BC is partway through a $450,000 regrading project on Ridge Connector and Middle Perfection - two key runs that link the Ridge base back to the Bullet Chair without skiers having to cut through the Village Centre or down Mogul Track. The work is expected to take about a month and is aimed at creating a smoother surface that opens earlier in the season and needs less snow to groom.

Less winching, more grooming

Middle Perfection's steep terrain has often forced grooming crews to use winch-assisted machines rather than a standard groomer. Once the regrading is finished, Big White expects conventional groomers to handle the run more often, which should make nightly grooming faster and produce more consistent conditions through the season. "We're investing $450,000 into smoothing Middle Perfection and re-grading Ridge Connector, making these key routes easier to groom, quicker to open with less snow, and even better to ski," the resort said.

Beginner terrain and brush clearing too

Crews are also flattening a sidehill section near the bottom of Lower Serwas and smoothing out several terrain transitions, aimed at making what's currently the run's toughest section for beginners more approachable, while also speeding up grooming. Beyond the earthworks, mountain staff are brush cutting to improve snow retention across several zones this season, including the Gem Lake runs off Moonlight Run, Lower Kalina's, Sapphire, and Black Jack, with more clearing planned later in summer through the Ridge Chair pod below Summer Road.