2017 Red Bull 400 in Whistler, B.C. cancelled

The Red Bull 400‘s Whistler, B.C. circuit stop has been cancelled because of wildfires in the province’s interior region. The announcement was made Friday, ahead of the Saturday morning event, dubbed the “world’s steepest 400m race.”

“Delivering a premium race that is safe and provides a positive experience for athletes is our ultimate goal for Red Bull 400,” said race director Geoff Langford. “Unfortunately our event team in consultations with experts felt under the current conditions, this is not possible.”

Global News today reported that the 2017 wildfire season has been the worst the province has seen in almost 60 years.

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Paid entrants can get a full refund for registration or defer their entry to 2018. Next year’s Red Bull 400 in Whistler, hosted at the Olympic Park, specifically the ski jump, is scheduled for July 14.

#BCWildfire has burned 498k ha.
Same size as…
– 1,230 Stanley Parks
– 35,593 Granville Islands
– 4.5 Hong Kongs#bcpoli #cdnpoli @CKNW

— John O'Dowd (@JohnODowdIRL) August 4, 2017

As of Friday evening, the Government of Canada’s index of air quality for the Whistler area is “9 – high risk” for Friday night and “8 – high risk” for Saturday morning. The Government of Canada made a special air quality statement for Aug. 5 stating, in part, that “the current weather pattern over the BC coast is causing outflow winds to carry smoke from wildfires burning in the BC Interior towards the coast. Smoke concentrations will vary widely as winds, fire behaviour and temperatures change.”

The statement adds that locals should consider avoiding “strenuous outdoor activities.”