For the fastest skiers in the world there are no turns. Their sport is called speed skiing and it's an all out dash for the finish at speeds approaching 250 kilometres per hour. This year, North America's only stop on the Speed Skiing World Tour is here in B.C.

The sport uses well-waxed, 240-centimetre-long skis that coax out every bit of speed and make an ordinary pair look like children's toys.

The skiers tuck and schuss Sun Peaks Resort's steepest slope without a single turn.

And Rudi Eiter has just tried it for the first time. He entered the production class category, which uses the same equipment that is widely available to downhill skiers.

"It's an insane rush. At the top you ask yourself, should I go?" he said.

The next group -- the competitive category speed skiers -- take it a step further, donning the most aerodynamic gear to help them zoom down the mountain that much faster.

"It creates a spoiler affect. Formula 1 stuff, man, right out of wind tunnels," said speed skier Don Gagnon.

The helmets are like the airplane's nose. Put it all together and these guys have enough speed to fly.

Sweden's Sanna Tidstrand was once clocked at over 242 kilometres an hour. She describes going at that jaw-dropping speed as "awesome" and "fun".

Speed skiing was a demonstration sport at the Olympics in Albertville, France, in 1992, but it's never returned.

Italian Simone Origone, the current men's world record holder, explained why it went no further down the road to becoming an Olympic sport.

"It was really good. But the problem was first time and we had a big accident. So after that... [they] decided speed skiing is [an] extreme sport," he said.

Overall interest in the sport has gone downhill since the 1980s. But not at Sun Peaks, where the event they call the Velocity Challenge is in its 20th year. There, they are hosting the best from Europe, the U.S. and Canada.

"Speed skiers are adult adrenaline junkies. Most of them are professionals from 25 to 40 years old," said Adam Earle, the event's organizer.

There may never again be Olympic medals awaiting the best in this sport, but anyone who's ever attended one knows, this kind of speed is its own reward.

With a report by CTV British Columbia's Kent Molgat.