Two dynamic ski races, one focused on speed and the other on endurance, are set for the first weekend in March at major ski resorts in Canada and Colorado. Imagine accelerating from zero to 109 mph on skis in only seven seconds. That’s what will happen March 4-6 in the annual Subaru Velocity Challenge on the slopes of Sun Peaks, B.C. Speed skiing is the world’s fastest nonmotorized event, and the Subaru Velocity is the only contest of its kind in North America.

Wearing Darth Vader helmets, rubberized speed suits and specialized, 8-foot-long skis, a combined 40 male and female athletes from 10 countries will vie for glory in the officially sanctioned FIS World Cup Challenge contest. Defending champion is Italy’s Simone Origone, who holds the world ski speeding record at a phenomenal 155 mph.

Dropping 650 vertical feet, the competitors will rocket down a Sun Peaks course nearly the length of four football fields. Sun Peaks is B.C.’s second-largest ski resort. It has three mountains with a peak elevation of 7,060 feet and a pedestrian village. It’s noted for its heli-skiing packages. Equally intriguing is the March 5 Power of Four Ski Mountaineering Race at Aspen/Snowmass, Colo. Teams of two will race up and down the peaks at all four Aspen resorts: Aspen, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass.

Starting at 7:15 a.m. in Snowmass, racers will challenge a course that covers 24 miles and more than 10,000 vertical feet. The finish line is at the base of Aspen Mountain. The four racing categories are vets, men, women and mixed teams. Team entry fee is $170 per team if registered before March 1.