What in the Wide World of Sports is Blade Running?

It's one of the newest, most extreme winter sports around, and it was invented by Montana resident, B.J. Worth. Although impossible to truly picture without being seen in person, blade running is best described as a cross between skydiving and slalom skiing.

Here's how it works: professional sky divers jump out of a helicopter 3000 feet above a downhill ski run. They then release their parachutes and negotiate a slalom course of "blades" (which are large banners about 10 feet tall) while staying as close to the ground as possible. Blade runners must pass a portion of their bodies below the top of each gate--without touching the ground. All blade runners are timed on their runs, and the fastest time wins.

Sound challenging? It is. And that's why this is strictly a spectator sport--unless you happen to be a professional sky diver with at least 500 jumps under your belt. B.J. Worth, the sport's inventor and organizer, has more than 28 years of skydiving to his credit, as well as numerous stunts for films (you can see him in the James Bond flick "Golden Eye" jumping out of a plane WITHOUT a parachute). But perhaps one of the competitors sums up the sport's thrill best: "You're not just landing, you're flying down a mountain and it's more challenging. We have all the adult toys: chairlifts, parachutes, a helicopter. What more could you ask for?"

The Big Mountain hosted "Blade Running 98" and has plans to host more Blade Running events in the future. And, Blade Running may soon play to a bigger audience; Worth is lobbying to get it featured as an event in ESPN's X Games.

Interested in other unique Montana Winter Sports Events? Be sure to check out Montana's winter event section!