Sport & Leisure
Beat the Heat Skateboard Competition in Medicine Hat
Take in Canada’s Largest Amateur Skateboard Competition at Beat the Heat.
Take in Canada’s Largest Amateur Skateboard Competition at Beat the Heat.
Since 2007, the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association (MHSA) hosts Beat the Heat on July 1. Generations of skateboarders from across Canada gather at the Inland Skateboard Park and Kinsmen Skate Plaza to compete at the Canada Skateboard sanctioned event.
From the early morning hours to the late evening minutes, skateboarders showcase their skills, tricks, and speed. The MHSA society creates thrilling and unexpected categories and stunts, like lining up kegs to see who can jump over the most, or having skaters race down a steep road that’s alongside a coulee.
“We’ve heard it’s the skateboarder's favourite competition to go to every year, because there are tons of people cheering for them. The atmosphere is unreal,” says Davie James, who’s been a part of MHSA since he was 13, and currently sits on the society for the non-profit.
MHSA has a partnership with Tampa Am, the largest amateur skateboard event in the world, and the grand prize for first place at Beat the Heat is entry into the exclusive event, with flights and accommodations paid for.
“We get some of the best skateboarders in the country coming to Medicine Hat on July 1 to do what they love to do. To see our team from Medicine Hat making an impact on the national skateboard stage is huge,” says Terence Kowalchuk, who joined alongside the MHSA leadership in 2005.
Tampa Am requires a sponsorship to attend. Winning Beat the Heat’s grand prize brings the opportunity for a skateboarder to enter into a new level of their skateboarding career.
Being hosted on Canada Day every year, Beat the Heat was hosted parallel with celebrations in Kin Coulee Park. And this year, the MHSA will host Kin Coulee Canada Day Festival with Beat the Heat.
Surrounding the Inland Skate Park and Kinsmen Skate Plaza will be live performances that celebrate the many cultures in Medicine Hat, food trucks, beer gardens, bouncy castles, a local market, and a huge product toss in between categories. To accommodate audience members, shaded bleachers are built for a clear, up-close view of the competitors.
“The whole festival is truly to give back to our community. The last couple of years we’ve done a family festival with Beat the Heat, and we’ve been encouraged to see that grow and expand. This year’s festival will be bigger and better, and an exciting event for our community,” says Kowalchuk.
Along with Beat the Heat, members of MHSA host many community-focused fundraising events, whether it's organizing litter pick ups, hosting bottle drives for charity, or planning a trip to Mexico to build homes. Their very first fundraising event as an association was to raise money for the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre.
“Seeing young people step up and doing more than they ever thought possible is so encouraging,” says Kowalchuk. “It’s that reality that when you give young people an opportunity to make a difference, and if you create an environment of trust, respect, and a place to dream and try things, people step up and do things that none of us could accomplish on our own.”
“One commonality is this piece of wood with wheels. But we’re also this group of skateboarders that do really great things. We’re a part of the original movement, which is the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association,” says James.
Kowalchuk says for a lot of the skateboarders who attend Beat the Heat year after year, some for over 10 years, they say it’s like a family reunion coming to Medicine Hat. A lot of the skateboarders who move from Medicine Hat or travel across the country say there's nowhere else that has a skateboard culture or community like in Medicine Hat.
Photography by @lens_of_ blizz
Watch the Beat the Heat reel here.
Stay updated with the Beat the Heat and Kin Coulee Canada Day Festival.
Medicine Hat is full of events that introduce new ways to dine.
Chef Rebecca Ross invites guests to dine inside her century-old home and experience a menu of culinary creations. The dishes change each event, so guests will try recipes exclusive to the night they’re dining.
Once a month, Chef Jordan Abbot serves a themed, three-course dinner inside Travois Ale Works. The dishes are paired with beer from the brewery room, with Brewer Brady hosting the evening.
Tour Grit City’s distillery with owner and master distiller Jen, then sip a cocktail flight and fill up on a personal pizza. Next stop is under the stars at Eagle Butte Observatory with Rod DeVries, to connect to the dark sky wonders that are above and the visible constellations in the sky.
Inside the Charles V. Drazen room at Medicine Hat Brewing Company. Guests are guided through a themed 5-course dinner, with beer pairings for each serving.
A five-course dinner prepared by local chefs and served inside the historic beehive kiln at Medalta in the Historic Clay District. The beehive kilns were used to fire clay for seven to eight days, and then cooled for one to two days.
From May to September, The Yard Patio & Eatery will host a dinner club for 30 people, prepared by a new local chef each evening. The menu will showcase the chef's specialties and skill. Each dinner is paired with live entertainment, exceptional wine, and a locally-sourced cocktail.
Dine a delicious curated menu inside the patio pods at The Whiskey District in the winter. Located on the third floor of the Badlands Building, overlooking the World’s Tallest Tepee, Saamis Tepee, this elevated experience serves a breathtaking winter dinner.
With Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park only a 45 minute drive from Medicine Hat, people can find cross-country skiing trails near the city in a forested area.
“It’s forest bathing. The trails are all different, and once you find your flow and a good rhythm, it becomes methodical." - Gregg Campbell.
And now there’s a club to introduce people to the sport.
Cypress Nordic Ski Club members Gregg Campbell, Linda Johnston, and Sandra Brown are a part of a group of people who are eager to familiarize people with this exciting activity during the winter season, in Medicine Hat and surrounding areas.
The trails in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park are completely immersed in nature, with snowy lodgepole pine and aspen trees surrounding the skiers, and the rolling hills bring a nice challenge.
“It’s forest bathing. The trails are all different, and once you find your flow and a good rhythm, it becomes methodical,” says Campbell, who’s been cross-country skiing since he joined the cross-country ski team in high school.
The Cypress Nordic Ski Club offers lessons to people of any age, as young as their bunny rabbits and jackrabbits program. Johnston has been a recreational cross-country skier for 53 years and was actively involved in her first bunny rabbits and jackrabbits program 35 years ago.
Johnston teaches the bunny rabbits program with the Cypress Nordic Ski Club, while two other ski club members, Kwan Lee and Marvin Genno, teach the jackrabbits.
“Listening to the kids having fun is just delightful,” says Johnston. “It’s a very affordable and fun way to help develop coordination, balance, and agility, and it helps set them up for success for the next level.”
Her lessons with the bunny rabbits teach foundational skill, while also having time to play familiar backyard games on their skis, like ‘what time is it mr.wolf’ and ‘red light green light’.
And cross-country skiing is an activity that can be taught at any age. Brown’s husband is a cross-country skier, and 15 years ago she decided to try the sport. She instantly fell in love.
“It’s a great way to spend time outdoors in the winter and enjoy the fresh air. It’s nice to see how cross-country skiing has grown in popularity,” says Brown.
The Cypress Nordic Ski Club has operated for just over a year in 2024, and the interest has been positive. There are close to 70 members who participate in lessons and go cross-country skiing as a group.
“If cross-country skiing hasn’t crossed your mind, it really is a welcoming community that is wanting for people to have positive experiences, love winter, and love the snow,” says Johnston.
Learn more about Cypress Nordic Ski Club online at cypressnordic.ca and stay updated on Facebook at Cypress Nordic Ski Club.
In January 2024, Grit City Distillery was featured in the Globe and Mail article, 'Lay of the land: Alberta’s unique distillery scene'
"Three hours down the TransCanada, Jen Shmunk has named her distillery in honour of the city where it’s from.
“The name Grit City is a play on Medicine Hat’s current [nickname], ‘Gas City.’ We are a hard-working city with a lot of grit,” Schmunk explains. “With a little ‘grit’ anything is possible. Dreams can come true with hard work and perseverance.”
She would know: After taking up distilling as a hobby, Schmunk translated her passion into Grit City Distillery, founded in 2018.
“It was that first drop of rum off the still that did it for me,” she says. “Love at first drop, might I say.”
Grit City Distillery is known for its creative, slightly irreverent sips: Its best-seller, according to Schmunk, is the Ultimate Caesar vodka (just add Clamato!), which pairs perfectly with the distillery tasting room’s famous Ultimate Pickle Pizza. Or there’s one of Schmunk’s proudest accomplishments as a distiller: the distillery’s Toasted Coconut Gin, inspired by a friend who loves the tropical fruit."
Read Lay of the land: Alberta’s unique distillery scene Here
It still snows in Canada's Sunniest City, so here's where you can find indoor golf.
With 4K projectors and Uneekor Eye XO launch monitors, there are hundreds of virtual options of world-class golf destinations. Play a round of indoor golf with beverages and appetizers at Cottonwood Coulee.
The Uneekor Eye XO launch monitor is capable of reading ball speed, spin, launch angle and azimuth (degrees left or right) to determine how far the ball would travel and display it immediately on one of the world class golf courses that you select. This allows you to play the golf courses from tee to green using every club in your bag from driver to putter. They can also give you club data including swing speed, club path, face angle, point of impact, angle of attack and more. This can help you improve your game and get ready for next season.
You can book up to one month in advance, with six players maximum. There is a clubhouse and lounge open for food and drinks, while you play a round at one of the 100 courses to choose from, including Pebble Beach Golf Links.
The Hawk Simulator has overhead mounting that allows for easy use for both left and right handed golfers. Driving range is available for practice, lessons, and/or club fittings.
Here you’ll find six golf simulator rooms that range in size to accommodate various events, group numbers, and privacy requests.One side has the golf simulator rooms, and the other is the lounge, with a full menu that features Korean style chicken.
Paradise Valley Golfuture Toptracer Range
An outdoor Toptracer with heating, shelter, and lounge seating and serving in every smart bay. The difference between this Toptracer and a simulator is that you hit the ball and watch your ball in real time. The camera pulls data by following the actual ball path, rather than gathering data based on your club path and launch angle.
The Golfuture Range at Paradise Valley is a technology-enhanced driving range with eight smart bays and a 1000 sq. ft. indoor putting green. The Toptracer Range phone app is where the magic happens. When guests create a profile, they instantly become part of a global golf community. The app stores data from practice sessions so players can monitor changes and fine tune their swing over time. You can also access skill-based games that will drive their range session.
An entertainment hub located in Downtown Medicine Hat, this family-friendly space has axe throwing, virtual reality, and a golf simulator room. A comfortable place where you can play golf in any season, where new and seasoned golfers practice their skill, and where friends and family members can compete against one another. This space is alcohol-free, and without a lounge. But there are plenty of places to grab a bite to eat and drink in the downtown core before or after your round.
A premiere indoor golf experience, with a crafted cocktail bar and inspired snack menu. The golf studio has four golf simulators and a putt simulator — the simulators have more entertainment options that aren’t golf courses, including carnival games that are played by kicking a soccer ball or hitting a golf ball.
The GCHawk™ is an overhead mounted launch monitor, delivering a whole new level of freedom and flexibility while maintaining its unmatched performance in state-of-the art object recognition and imaging technology. With its massive ball-capture range, the GCHawk™ allows players of both right and left handedness to hit shots with absolute confidence that performance was precisely measured. Thanks to its advanced object-tracking capabilities, the GCHawk not only delivers true-to-life golf simulation, it also opens the door to a range of multisport game experiences.
Continue your favourite summer activities into the fall.
Whether you’re using them to get somewhere, or just going for a leisure stroll, the trails in Medicine Hat are the best view during the shift from summer to fall. With the leaves changing colour, the air becoming cooler, and the sun going down earlier, those early morning, mid-day, or evening strolls are a wonderful way to enjoy the outdoors. Find all trails with the City's Heritage Trail Map!
watch the Fall Trails reel here.
Cooler mornings and evenings pair nicely with a warm fire and cup of coffee. Gas City Campground, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, Cavan Lake, or 40 Mile Park are all nearby campgrounds that are snug in nature.
Three mountain bike destinations live within 45 minutes of each other in Medicine Hat and region, and all offer a drastic change in landscape and scenery. From green forest, to Canadian Badlands, and adventurous coulees, you can experience each spot with must-ride mountain bike trails in one weekend.
Medicine Hat has surrounding areas that are full of beauty and experience, from hiking, to mountain biking, camping, and simple exploring. These day trips range from 20 minutes to hour and a half drives: Red Rock Coulee Natural Area, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, Writing-On-Stone/Aisina’pi, and Dinosaur Provincial Park.
watch the Autumn Road Trips reel here.
Downtown Coffee Tour or Bakery Tour
There are up to 10 cafés and bakeries in the heart of the city, all serving fall-spiced baking and beverages, from pumpkin spice to cinnamon.
Medicine Hat has a longer patio seasons being Canada’s sunniest city. Soak in the sun, drink chilled drinks, and breathe in the fresh air with natural coulees and historic scenery surrounding you.
The courses are green, sunny, and ready to be played. Bring family and friends, pack clubs and balls, and head out onto one (or more) of six golf courses in and around the city Medicine Hat. If you’re looking to book a season-end party, the golf course clubs accept private bookings.
Until the end of September, the South Saskatchewan River and Seven Persons Creek are usually still safe to kayak, canoe, float, or paddle board! If you’re looking for rentals, Outdoor Xcape Rentals is still booking spots!
20-year mountain biker, Katie Courty, has spent the last 10 years in Medicine Hat.
Local mountain biker of almost 20 years, Katie Courty has raced the Battle Creek Showdown trails since year one in 2015. Filled with locals in the early years, the mountain bike festival quickly grew with racers from across Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan.
Selling out every season, Courty says the welcoming and outgoing spirit has remained with a slightly more competitive edge, and the memorable moments keep piling on.
Families and friends join to cheer everyone on, and every racer seen along the way voices words of encouragement, bringing a motivating and inspiring drive. There’s live music and food trucks in the evening. And for those who camp, the Visitor Centre, Elkwater Lake, and playgrounds are all nearby to continue on the action.
The mother of two rode with herself and friends the first few years of Battle Creek Showdown, until her husband and oldest daughter joined a team.
While the family was sitting around the campfire with friends and fellow racers, her youngest daughter, not the most interested in mountain biking, overheard lively conversations about the race day. She asked Courty if there was room for her to race, in which Courty reached out to the organizers and was able to have her and a friend’s daughter race as a team.
She’s watched both her children push themselves and do things they didn’t think they could, with the whole mountain bike community’s support behind them. She says that’s the community during the festival. Everyone gets together and builds each other up.
The 670 Collective Mountain Bike Club had recently started when Courty and her family moved from Ontario to Medicine Hat in 2013. Courty was invited to join a ladies ride by Michelle LeBlanc, current Battle Creek Showdown event organizer. They started in Redcliff, and Courty remembers having to repeatedly stop to take pictures, “I hadn’t seen anything like it before.”
One of Courty’s favourite trails is in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, trail name being ‘Sorry’. She climbs it during early sunset to catch the sun setting over the lake, to see the sun shimmering off it.
Elkwater is truly a space for families to connect with each other and enjoy the activities around them.
"If you’re a nature nut, it’s a great place to be. It’s a great place to connect with family." - Aleasha Diduch
Aleasha Diduch and her family joined Reta Boychuck on the adventure to Medicine Hat, and then Elkwater in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park in August 2023. A familiar visit to the oasis, Diduch, her husband, and two sons are always excited to return to the Southeast Alberta getaway.
Throughout the camping trip, rods were packed to go fishing, while soaking in the early morning sunrise and late evening sunset. Many rounds of mini golf were played, a favourite activity of the boys. And, of course, with their campsite neighbouring the pump track, biking is always a major highlight.
The forested trails that can be hiked or biked are laid out where all the networks and signs make it easy to know where one’s going. A pocket of rolling hills and lush greenery, once you drive off the prairie lands, you reach a tree-filled place full of adventure.
A beach with a lake for swimming, and, the little nook, 12-34 Cafe for delicious small and large bites, there are endless ways to spend time together in Elkwater. The size offers a sense of safety for the mother of two, “you know the boys are in a space they can wander and explore, but they aren’t going to go too far or off the path.”
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