World Extreme Skiing Championship (WESC) - The WESC competition revolutionized the ski industry by promoting big mountain skiers. The first year had 37 contestants. Valdez hosted the World Extreme Skiing Champions (WESC) starting in 1991. In 1994, WESC champion Doug Coombs, along with his wife Emily, went on to found Valdez Heli-Ski Guides on Thompson Pass. This was the first guided heli skiing in Valdez and was home of the Valdez helicopter Snowboard and Ski Club. worldextremeskiingchampionships.com

worldextremeskiingchampionships.com was the idea of Michael Cozad, owner of the Tsaina Lodge. WESC was run by Valdez locals, who moved the competition to World Class status.

In 2011, the Tailgate Alaska event hosted the World Extreme Skiing Championships, only to cancel the event due to poor weather and conditions.

Past Winners

• Doug Coombs
  Doug Coombs
  Doug Coombs was an American alpine skier and mountaineer who helped to pioneer the sport of extreme skiing, both in North America and worldwide.- Biography :...
  
  , 1991
• Jon Hunt, 1992
• Doug Coombs
  Doug Coombs
  Doug Coombs was an American alpine skier and mountaineer who helped to pioneer the sport of extreme skiing, both in North America and worldwide.- Biography :...
  
  , 1993
• Dave Swanick, 1994
• Dean Cummings, 1995
• Chris Davenport
  Chris Davenport
  Chris Davenport, of Aspen, Colorado, is considered one of the world's most accomplished big mountain skiers. He has been called "one of North America's top 25 skiers by Skiing Magazine" and is a "two-time extreme skiing world champion" -Background:...
  
  , 1996
• Brant Moles, 1997
• Adam Arnaud, 1998
• Guerlain Chicherit
  Guerlain Chicherit
  Guerlain Chicherit is a French rally driver and a professional skier, four times world champion in freeriding .-Biography:...
  
  , 1999