Apex Mountain Resort makes final three in competition to win $100K prize and distinction of "Canada's most invested ski community"

Photo: James Shalman

"It was incredible. It was really cool."

Apex Mountain Resort has made it to the final three in a nation-wide competition to crown the "most invested" ski hill in Canada, with a $100,000 grand prize.

The Mackenzie TopPeak annual competition is run by Mackenzie Investments, allowing ski communities around the country to nominate their hill and explain what they would use the cash for.

After voting daily for weeks, and submitting social media challenge videos, Apex residents and fans of the mountain managed to get Apex into the top 10 in early March.

Then, voting continued, but unlike the first round, voters were unable to track how their mountain was doing.

"I think everyone was really on edge last week," said Kat Bohlken, Apex sales and marketing manager, who spent weeks posting daily reminders to vote and rousing up support from Apex and beyond.

"We all kind of obviously hoped we would get in the top three, but we're such a small community and there was some steep competition with the other peaks."

The final three were announced on CBC March 25, and Apex had made it.

"I think when we saw our name up there, it was almost surreal," Bohlken said.

"We've got our little coffee shop up here in The Edge, and there was a group of people just crowded around watching it. It was incredible."

Now, voting is closed, as the panel of judges take into consideration everything throughout the competition — like number of votes, amount of community participation and the mission statement Apex provided about what the investment money would be used for on the hill.

"They take all of this into consideration, and then their own opinions, and look at the mountain itself and the community, and that all pulls everything together for the final decision," Bohlken said.

Just being in the final three guarantees $10,000 for Apex. Second place gets $20,000, and coming out on top means $100,000.

Apex will earmark whatever money comes home for use towards three key dream projects for local freestyle athletes: A handle tow to get athletes up the mountain faster, lights to increase the hours athletes can practice, and a summer dry-land practice apparatus to allow athletes better practice off-season.

Regardless of what place they come in, Bohlken said the experience has been immeasurably beneficial for the community.

"Seeing how much more bonded it brought everyone together was really something special. I was getting stopped in Penticton by people I don't even know telling me they were voting and that they were on our team ... that was really, really surreal," Bohlken said.

"We are a small community. But I think people were sharing with people with people with their family, friends, it just really all came together really well."

Now comes another tense week of waiting, while the judges deliberate. The first, second and third place announcements will take place on CBC this coming Saturday, April 1 at 2:45 p.m. local time.

Apex is facing White Hills Resort in Newfoundland and Mount Jamieson Resort in Ontario.

"I think we're all just gonna be crowded around the TV," Bohlken said.

"We're just really grateful for all the community support. It's been absolutely incredible to watch."