FORT McMURRAY, Alta. For both Owen Holmes and Katrina Couch, the decision to take up snowboarding was easy.

While Holmes started carving powder because most of his friends were in it, Couch said she started off skiing but wanted more of a challenge. On Monday, both Yukon athletes met that challenge head on, grabbing two ulus in the boardercross competition, which was held at Vista Ridge outside of Fort McMurray.

Holmes, who took home the silver ulu, said the race was a tough one he missed out on gold by less than a second.

'The day before I beat him (winner Colin Campbell from Alberta North) twice,' said Holmes, who jokingly tried to stand on the gold medal podium, much to the delight of the crowd.

'It all depended on how you got out of the gate today. It was a tight course.

'One little mess up and your done.'

Couch, who was awarded the bronze ulu, was happy she did her best.

'To be in the top three with all the teams from Northern Canada is great,' she said.

Holmes said the best part about boardercross is hitting the finish line, when all the competitors cross the line and everyone is covered in snow. It's especially nice when you finish in a medal position.

Couch is just content to learn new things, especially tricks, which is why both of them are looking forward to the slopestyle competition. Slopestyle includes all the tricks, such as rail slides and 360s, while riding down the hill.

'That's the one we're all really here for,' grinned Holmes. 'That's the biggest event.'

Couch thinks slopestyle should be pretty good, especially since she's planning a back flip.

'If she can pull it off,' smiled Holmes, 'I think she'll do great. She's the only one here I've even seen try it.'

Another big event is the half-pipe competition, which is something both athletes are a little more nervous about. Neither really expects to medal.

'It's the first time we've ever been on a pipe before,' said Holmes, explaining how there is no half-pipe in Whitehorse. 'We're training on it a bit, but we don't have that much time to train.'

'I was so scared when I first saw it,' laughed Couch. But both competitors are warming up to the event somewhat, although Holmes hurt his knee in the pipe while practicing.

'We're all really hurting,' he said. 'We keep hurting ourselves. We came into the competition pretty sore so we've been hitting the pool a lot.'

While their muscles are a little bit sore, both Holmes and Couch said they recognize they might be worse if not for the snowboard park that was built at Mount Sima this year.

'The park has made a huge difference,' stated Holmes. 'We wouldn't have had anything.'

'This hill (Vista Ridge) seems a lot smaller than Sima,' added Couch. 'So we're pretty good actually, we just need more snow. But we can go to the Summit for that anyway.'

The next event for the snowboarders, the favoured slopestyle competition, gets underway Wednesday morning.

Yukon team members Chris Putnam and Kaitlyn MacDonald will also be taking part. Putnam and MacDonald both finished seventh in the boardercross.