MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Back for its second year in Mississauga, APIK took over Celebration Square for three action-packed days for the annual skiing and snowboarding competition.
APIK is a competition for professional international and local winter-sport talent, offering the opportunity to showcase their skills while competing for a cash prize of up to $10,000 for the first-place winner.
The Feb. 1 snowboarding competition, held on a slope exceeding 13 metres in length over an 88-metre track at the City Centre Drive facility, featured two sections with three unique rails each, providing competitors with ample space to showcase their skills.
APIK, inspired by the French word apique, meaning steep slope. invited professional athletes based on past competition performance and through public voting from fans on the APIK Fest Instagram account.
The event had begun as a golden ticket contest held on Instagram, where professional athletes submitted videos showcasing their skills, and two men and two women were chosen by Canadian Olympic gold medal-winning snowboarder Sébastien Toutant.
The competition opened with 31 male and 14 female athletes.
Following the first round, half of the competitors advanced based on the score from three judges, with 12 male and eight female competitors moving to the second round.
The competition featured four one-hour sessions for athletes to showcase their best runs and impress the judges.
Finals consisted of five competitors in each category, all guaranteed to win a cash prize.
Finalists were given two runs to show off their skills, and judges would take their best score.
Ahead of the finals, a super final round gave competitors an additional 15 minutes to free style and earn extra points, which were added to their final scores to boost their rankings.
International competitors, including American Nick Fox and Mia Langridge from the U.K., were both selected through the golden ticket contest and finished first overall in the APIK snowboarding competition, each taking home the $10,000 top prize.
After the super finals, all competitors were invited back to return for the best trick competition, giving athletes another opportunity to compete for cash prizes.
The best trick competition quickly became a fan favourite, as athletes pulled out their biggest and most creative tricks to impress avid fans of the sport.
“A backboard slide to a front flip out with the way he did was almost like you intentionally caught your edge on the rail, and that makes you flip forward … 50/50 double front flip like this stuff that you really wouldn't think is possible," Andrew Ferrero said.
Fans from abroad attended the event, including visitors from the United States.
“My fiancé sent a link [on Instagram] and said, ‘Let’s go check it out,'” Keisha Nonkoosingh said,
The three-day festival allowed snow sports fans and passersby to experience the winter sports competition alongside free activities, free skating and food trucks.
A local fan, Johnny Xo, said he appreciated the chance to watch the competition in person.
“I like going to events within the city and as a snowboarder myself, it's pretty cool not having to drive two hours to Blue Mountain,” he said.
After an exciting weekend of competition and entertainment, the APIK festival wrapped up another successful event in Ontario.
The festival is set to return to Mississauga for a third time between Feb. 5 and 7, 2027.
