Whitefish carnival crowns Rossi as Duchess, Smith as Prime Minister

The 60th annual Whitefish Winter Carnival officially got underway Saturday with the crowning of the first round of royalty — the Duchess of Lark and Prime Minister — at the Merry Maker roast of Whitefish current events.

Kanyon Smith was named Prime Minister, and Christine Rossi was crowned Duchess of Lark.

Smith opened Big Mountain Chiropractic in Whitefish in 2001. He is very active in the community, volunteering his time and expertise to help organizations such as the Rotary Club of Whitefish, Whitefish Christian Academy, his church and the Glacier Twins through their annual boxing smoker. In 2017, Smith joined the staff at the Shepherd’s Hand Clinic, where he offers chiropractic care. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Montana Chiropractic Association and is the immediate past president.

A native of Miles City, Smith began his graduate studies at Montana State University in Bozeman and then went on to receive his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Northwestern College of Chiropractic in Bloomington, Minnesota. He began his chiropractic career with a preceptorship in Miami, where he was able to strengthen his sports background by working on professional athletes such as members of the Miami Dolphins football team, the Florida Marlins baseball team, and professional golf, basketball, hockey, and tennis players. He also treated members of Broadway shows, as well as Ironman endurance athletes.

Smith and his wife Julie have three children.

Rossi is an active member of the Whitefish community, focusing her volunteer efforts on public education and the arts. She has dedicated countless hours supporting Whitefish teachers, students, administrators and families, initially as president of the Whitefish PTA, and now as vice-president of the Whitefish Education Foundation.

Rossi serves on the board of directors for the North Valley Music School and also volunteers for the Whitefish Band Boosters and Alpine Theatre Project. She is a former member of Soroptimist International of Whitefish.

A Texas native, Rossi grew up in Austin and graduated from the University of Texas. She spent most of her career working at large advertising agencies in Chicago and Dallas, and currently works for National Flood Services as a marketing manager.

Rossi and her husband of 20 years, Mike, and daughters Kathryn and Lauren moved to Whitefish from Dallas after a life-changing summer vacation.

“Our trip to Whitefish started out as a typical vacation to escape the 100-plus degree Texas heat,” she recalled. “But when we experienced the lake, the mountains and, most importantly, the people in this town, we knew Whitefish was our new home.”

The Whitefish Winter Carnival continues through Feb. 3, with events interspersed throughout the month. Up next is the coronation of King Ullr LX and Queen of the Snows in downtown Whitefish on Jan. 12, followed by the carnival disco party the same evening. For a full slate of events go to whitefishwintercarnival.com.