20th ANNIVERSARY of the LINDA PUTNAM INVITATIONAL
Panorama, BC – Nearly 200 athletes gathered at Panorama Mountain Resort this weekend for the 20th Annual Linda Putnam Invitational. Linda was a dedicated volunteer and mother of two children in the Team Pano program, and her husband Todd was in position as Starter as he has been since the inaugural event.
“What I love about this race every year,” said Race Co-chair Joanne Gray, “is the overwhelming sense of community. It just fills my heart. This weekend it was even more powerful – you could look to your left, or look to your right, and literally see and feel the strength of our ski community all around you.”
The event itself is an amazing feat of timing…that’s where 20 years of practice certainly shows! Athletes get eight timed runs each, which means 1600 timed runs are tracked, in less than four hours! Then everyone takes off to ski the mountain before returning for awards at 4:00 pm sharp. A notable keepsake for participants is the ‘Ski for Life’ hat in honour of Linda. Results from all the action can be found here Putnam 2026 >>
Drone coverage was shot for this year’s anniversary race after two years of planning and approvals to do so. How many of the 1600 run can you see!?
Day Two features a different kind of event, with all the kids participating in more of a scavenger hunt. Armed with a bingo card to complete, the activities are varied, one being to have a conversation with somebody on the hill ‘not from Canada.’ Imagine the stories going home with visitors from around the world about the especially friendly youngsters from Panorama, BC!
Club Spotlight: The Team Panorama philosophy is that the cornerstone of a great sporting program is a seamless progression of knowledge and coaching from the grass root to the elite levels. Our programs are based on the AIM 2 WIN Long Term Athlete Development System, teaching the right things at the right time; solid foundations established at each level are necessary to move to the next stage.
The Entry Level program is the beginning of the journey as a skier and ski racer and it is our goal to ignite the flame in each and every child by developing a culture of learning and fun. Our programs are all about introducing the sport of skiing and ski racing as a fun sport to the children and their families.
Our U8-U10 program is introduces the world of skiing on the mountain and the game of ski racing. The goal at this level is to introduce the initial critical basic skiing skills at an early age in a fun relaxed environment.
Click for more info about Team Panorama programs >>