Building on the popularity and feedback from the last three years, Whistler Outdoor Photography Workshops is pleased to announce the dates for a Fall Whistler Outdoor Photography Summit, September 26-29, 2013. This year’s summit is in conjunction with the Whistler Arts Council and Out of Bounds Backcountry Photo Contest, a premier photo exhibition with a $1,000 cash prize.

“Photography in Whistler and the outdoor activities that we love go hand and hand just like the athletes and the equipment they use on the mountain. Documenting and sharing our adventures with others inspires us to be out in the mountains even more.” – Director Blake Jorgenson

Now in its fourth year the Whistler Outdoor Photography Workshops is back with a new four day long summit. This year there will be two separate workshops for intermediate and advanced photographers. There will also be an evening lecture series open to the public to learn and be inspired by world class photographers and industry leaders. They will be sharing their best images and the stories of how they were created.

The Whistler Outdoor Photography Summit will focus on the entire process of documenting, exploring the outdoors and capturing amazing outdoor visuals. The day courses work on being out in the field learning how to manage, direct and communicate with subjects to bring the photo to life in all types of conditions. Each day includes in classroom editing, reviewing, image processing and hands-on software instruction. Following the success of last year, the nightly seminars can be attended in conjunction with the full course or on their own.  There will be two seminars each evening from Thursday to Saturday with a final presentation dinner on Sunday.

Details:

• Full Advanced Course: 3 days of shooting and instruction, 6 evening lectures/presentations over 3 evenings – $900 (includes breakfast)
• Full Intermediate Course: 3 days of shooting and instruction, 6 evening lectures/presentations over 3 evenings, – $750 (includes breakfast)
• Evening lectures x 2: $10 per lecture, $15 for both or $50 for all 3 nights.

Instructors:

• Blake Jorgenson
• Jordan Manley
• Scott Serfas
• Paul Morrison
• Eric Berger
• Guest industry speakers TBA

I was born in South Africa where I studied Fine Art at the Johannesburg Art Foundation.  I feel very fortunate to have had a childhood in Africa, surrounded by the colour and rhythm of the African people and though I no longer live there, the forms and textures of Africa still reflects very strongly in my work.  For the last 14 years I have been working primarily in clay, using primitive methods of firing like sawdust and Naked Raku.  Without using glaze I can maintain the tactile quality of the clay, something that is very important to me because I want my work to invite touch as much as I want it to be visually pleasing.  I fell in love with the technique of Naked Raku because the raw texture of the clay and spontaneous markings created by the smoke firing during this process, give my work a stone-like quality.

The Photos

01  Mugs waiting to be fired.
02  Work looking up at me from inside the kiln.
03  My kids.
04  Completed work.
05  My work studio.
06  Me at work.
07  My pin board in my studio with my old drawings.. something I would like to re-visit again some day soon.
08  Collection of my work in progress. 

The Questions

What neighbourhood do you live in?
I live in Alpine Meadows.

What do you do and where?
I work as a potter out of my home studio on Drifter way.

What are you working on & where can we find your work?
I am currently working on a series of clay bears and Naked raku vessels for the BC Gallery of Ceramics on Granville Island as well as preparing for the IDS interior design show this September at the Vancouver convention centre.  I am also working on building up stock as I am looking forward to another great season at the Whistler Farmers market this summer….that is where you can find me every Sunday from June till September.

Robin O'Neill photo - Africa Yoga Project

Have you ever let a friend have the first fresh powder turns in front of you, or give up the last slice of Fat Tony’s beef & blue cheese pizza to a stranger at 3.29 am?  While it may very well have pained you to be so generous at the time, it also made that other person’s day.

Let us put that concept into action on a passionate, empowering scale:  one would apply for a grant, receive funding to become a trained yoga/swim/mountain bike instructor, and instead of paying back the grant would travel to regions with underprivileged youth and teach them the benefits of these extracurricular activities.  The benefits of paying our passions forward is that we can empower youth in the process by engaging them in their local communities through sport and activity.  Help me get this concept up and off the ground by voting everyday for Passion Forward at thisisyourplanet.com by June 3. We can show the world Whistler is awesome in a whole other realm.

By, Mandy Rousseau

A poster from an early Loonie Race (late 1980s). These weekly summer rides still run to this day (although inflation forced them to be re-branded “Toonie Rides” a few years back) are now massive social events, often with hundreds of participants.

So the Whistler Mountain Bike Park opened for the season yesterday! Mountain biking has quickly grown to become Whistler’s most high-profile summer attraction, but even before our ski lifts began shuttling fat-tire types up Whistler Mountain Whistler already had a well-developed biking scene. It’s just that hardly anyone knew about it.

For a little perspective we dug into our archives and consulted a copy of the 1993 publication “The Whistler Handbook.” In an article titled  ”The Trails Are World Class But Few Know About It – Yet” local artist, sign-maker, and former editor of the Whistler Answer Charlie Doyle had this to say about the local mountain biking scene in 1993:

“Mountain biking in Whistler today is like skiing was twenty years ago. In those days the skiing was every bit as astounding as it is currently, but it hadn’t been dubbed “World Class” yet… All we had was the best skiing in the world and hardly anyone outside the Lower Mainland knew or cared anything about it.” Just to be clear, Charlie wasn’t complaining about this lack of recognition.

The article describes how Whistler decommissioned logging roads formed the backbone of the local trail network, frequently re-cleared by rogue bike enthusiasts to provide smooth climbs and trunk roads servicing an ever-expanding network of single track routes.

Newcomers to the sport will be surprised to learn how many of these trails had already been built in 1993. Some of Whistler’s bike trails might even  be older than most of the people riding today!

Among Charlie’s suggestions were now-classic trails such as Cut Yer Bars (“offers a truckload of technical drops, obstacles, climbs and slalom descents”), Northwest Passage (“runs like a roller coaster across creeks and big sweeping corners”), the Black Tusk climb (“not to be missed for those who love gut-wrenching climbs”) and a few Westside favourites like A River Runs Through It (“you may never want to leave”).

As an aside, Charlie noted that “the municipal government has yet to be convinced that the bike scene can provide sufficient retail kickback to jump on the bandwagon.” Since that assessment the RMOW has clearly seen the light, as it is widely considered a case study in the positive impacts that follow from local government support for mountain bike trail networks. Interestingly, the first place Charlie suggested for prospective riders was Lost Lake Park, which is now a municipally-operated bike park.

Fast forward 20 years and Whistler’s biking scene is firmly in the situated in the mainstream.  As the trail network expanded, all the accompanying markers of “world class” status Charlie referred to are here as well: overseas visitors, global media recognition, dozens of dedicated bike shops, and media blitzes that are as calculated and labour intensive as the trails themselves.

For more info on the history of local trail-building, check out WORCA’s trail history article, and “Quest for the Holy Trail” run in the Pique last summer.

And for fun, we’ll re-post this classic clip from our archives, showing some sweet mtb action from 1988:

For more photos & stories from Whistler’s past, check out the Whistler Museum’s blog.

Eric Beckstead grew up in Calgary, Alberta focused on skiing, skateboarding, surfing, photography, cinematography, art and lifestyle. After high school in Calgary, he studied cinematography in Vancouver, BC then moved to Whistler, BC where he currently resides. An injury sidelined him from any sports but helped him find the time to push his artistic passions. He currently shoots with professional athletes, models and artists of all levels.

The Photos

01  I have skied since I was 2 and most likely wouldn’t live in Whistler if this hadn’t been the case.  This is where I always want to be and despite a fractured tibia, multiple torn ligaments and tendons I had to get a turn in for this shot.
02  My personal studio and workshop in Alta.
03  Off The Wall Kids x Coldsmoke.
04  I came across this living fawn while filming in Merritt, at this young age they are still in the midst of learning how to walk and are taught to lay still and blend with their surroundings. While I snapped photos the mother was trying to bait us away from her young.
05  Surfing in Sombrio with the homies!  Thanks Sauterlee Surfboards for the custom design!
06  Gainer off the tree platform at loggers lake, definitely one of my favourite haunts in Whistler.  I am really against the municipality cutting down all the ropeswings that locals have spent so much time setting up just because people got hurt.  Everyone swings knowing a massive risk is involved, if someone is hurt on a cliff on the mountain are they going to remove that too?
07  Sample of my art.  Message me for custom orders or details.
08  Representing Whistler Alternative Lifestyle magazine Features/Webisodes- http://www.coldsmokeco.com/features/

The Questions

What neighbourhood do you live in?
Alta Vista.

What do you do and where?
I work for myself as a photographer, cinematographer and artist.

What are you working on?
I am currently putting my focus into a video magazine style project dropping as webisodes.  Along with Anna Lengstrand, we are featuring Whistlers Alternative Lifestyle and the people that make it up.  Each video mag will feature an artist, athlete and entrepreneur while portraying them in a unique light.  Our goal is to promote talented individuals and businesses while showing a side of Whistler a weekend warrior or seasonal traveler may never see.

Under the label, Off The Wall Kids, we want to give the people of Whistler a fresh voice.  Off The Wall Kids represent the youthful and young at heart. Anyone who aims to inspire, create and dream is OTWK.  Anyone pushing the limits, making changes in the right directions and never taking anything at face value is OTWK.  With Whistler Alternative Lifestyle video mags we will bring these Off The Wall Kids into the spotlight and share their stories.

Where can we find your work?
Off The Wall Kids trailer and future video mags can be found at http://www.coldsmokeco.com/otwk/

We chose to work with Coldsmoke since they represent everything we are about.  (If you’ve ever heard of Powder Mountain Heli/Cat Skiing you have already heard of them).  Coldsmoke Co. is a lifestyle company based out of Venice, CA with a really sick clothing line of military influenced fashion meets function approach that perfectly suits the environment we surround ourselves with in Whistler.
My personal work/blog- http://www.ericbeckstead.com

OTWK on vimeo: https- //vimeo.com/offthewallkids

Ideal Early-Summer Conditions Allow Bike Park To Open A-Line, Crank-it-Up, And Crabapple Hits As Part Of The Biggest Opening Day Ever

To say anticipation is running high for the opening day of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park would be an understatement and this week, the wait is finally over. On Friday, May 17 the Whistler Mountain Bike Park will open for summer operations with much of the lower park open and buffed.

In contrast with the past two spring seasons where cool spring temperatures and a deep mid-mountain snowpack made clearing trails a difficult task, this spring has been much more forgiving. The month of May has already seen a number of days with temperatures in the high 20C and even 30C range, meaning much of the snow on the lower slopes of the bike park has been melting on its own.

Whistler Mountain Bike Park Manager Brian Finestone says, “The ultimate goal is to have Dirt Merchant open for day one. The snow has been removed from the trail, allowing the dirt to settle and dry out nicely. If it continues to be warm, and mostly dry, we should be able to make Dirt Merchant accessible to riders, setting a record for its earliest opening ever.”

The official list of trails to open on May 17 will be confirmed the day before opening, but riders can expect to shred A-Line, B-Line, Crank-it-Up, Ninja Cougar, Karate Monkey, and even Crabapple Hits. Opening day terrain in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park is recommended for at least intermediate to advanced riders. The bike park crew will continue to work hard to open more beginner, intermediate, and advanced trails as this season gets off to a quick start.

Marck McKay photo. Athletes Tristan Merrick and Peter Matthews

Beginning May 17, the Whistler Mountain Bike Park will be open daily from 10am – 5pm. Access will be available via the Fitzsimmons Express Chairlift. Upload via the Whistler Village Gondola will begin Saturday, May 25 when summer sightseeing operations commence. Extended Play hours 10am – 8pm kick off June 15 and will run through August 18.

Get information on Early Bird Bike Park Season Passes (available until May 16 for $599 CAN), Twilight Passes and Triple Play Cards HERE. Guests can purchase all passes and cards online at whistlerblackcomb.com, in person at Village Guest Relations, or by calling 1-800-766-0449.

For guests looking to rent bikes and gear, Garbanzo Rentals in the Whistler Gondola building will be carrying a selection of GIANT full suspension downhill mountain bikes including the Glory and Reign, Kali full-face helmets and Alpinestars body armour. Garbanzo Bike and Bean will be open from 10am – 6pm for rental and repair services, and features a retail section filled with top-end mountain bikes, clothing, bike gear, and a cappuccino bar.

Riders can also practice indoors in the Air Dome starting May 18. The Air Dome is an 8,400 square foot covered indoor bike training facility with various jumps, wooden ramps and a foam pit.  Full details can be found online at www.whistlerbike.com/information.

There are many prominent figures from our valley’s history whose names recur often on this blog and elsewhere: Myrtle & Alex Philip, Franz Wilhelmsen, Stefan Ples, Eldon Beck, Hugh Smythe, Florence Petersen, Nancy Greene & Al Raine, just to name a few. But one name which has not received its due is Jack Bright.

Jack Bright was the first General Manager of Whistler Mountain, and was a pivotal figure in the nascent ski resort’s quick rise as Canada’s premier ski resort. Sadly, we recently received word that Jack Bright passed away last week in Vancouver.

Franz Wilhelmsen hired Jack to run Whistler Mountain at the ripe old age of 28, a decision that turned out to be a resounding success. Considering Jack’s previous work experience was 5 years managing the tiny (and now-defunct) Pigeon Mountain ski area near Canmore, Alberta, Jack must have given a pretty good interview!

In any case, Jack turned out to be a marketing and management savant. Recognizing the power of celebrity and the draw of larger-than-life personalities, he managed to snag skiing superstar “Diamond” Jim McConkey to run the resort’s ski school, rental & retail operations.

A few years later in March 1971, at the height of “Trudeaumania” then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and his bride Margaret honeymooned at Whistler. Clearly, such esteemed guests required “above-and-beyond” service, so Jack and Jim McConkey served as the newly-weds personal ski instructors during their stay. Trudeau, a strong skier, returned to Whistler often, and Jack or Jim were always prepared to accompany him.

The publicity from such high-profile associations is hard to overstate, and foreshadows the prolific use of celebrity and athlete “ambassadors” that is common practice throughout the ski industry today. For more recent local examples, think Dave Murray ski camps, Mike Douglas “Embedded,” and local Olympic champions Ashleigh McIvor & Maelle Ricker, to name just a few.

Jack was also instrumental in arranging countless ski races, spring skiing parties, and other events to attract skiers and raise the resort’s profile, another example of his forward-thinking marketing mind. During his tenure, Jack oversaw Whistler Mountain’s quick ascent to the biggest and most renowned ski resort in the province.

One look at the Creekside Gondola line-up from the early 1970s is testament to Jack’s success at growing the resort. It was also Jack’s decision to institute a boarding-pass system, lift tickets that included a pre-scheduled up-load time, to take some of the sting off what could easily be a two or three-hour wait for the lifts.

More than just a promotions guru, Jack  also built and managed the Whistler Inn, one of the valley’s first hotels, was the inaugural president of the Canada WEst Ski Areas Association, he helped found the Whistler Chamber of Commerce, the Canada Day Parade and was the chair of Whistler’s first bank, the North Shore Credit Union.

He stopped working for Whistler Mountain in the mid-1970s, but stayed in town for some time, continuing to manage his hotel and various other community interests. He eventually moved to Vancouver where he remained an active and respected businessman, though he remained connected to the Whistler community and came back to ski and visit frequently.

Franz Wilhelmsen, an unidentified man, and Jack Bright (from l to r), overlooking their kingdom. early 1980s (after Jack had stopped working for Whistler Mountain).

Whistler has many waterfalls located in the near vicinity that only require a short drive and maybe a small walk to get to. I try to make it to all of em at least once a year as they always amaze me. Recently a few friends and I made it to a few all in one day including one I’d never been to.

Alexander Falls is located a short drive south on Hwy 99 and a few km up Callaghan Valley Rd.

Brandywine Falls is a short 10-15min walk from the Brandywine Falls Provincial Park parking lot located off of Hwy 99 10min south of Whistler. Exposed columnar basalt lava flows give this waterfall a unique look.

Nairn Falls is just south of Pemberton and takes a 15min walk to get to and has a character all of its own with its canyon like walls funneling the water into the final falls.

Snapped this shot on the way to our next destination on Pemberton Creek.

Locals call it Pemberton Falls, requiring a bit of a scramble and we lost the trail a couple times but follow Pemberton Creek near town up and you will be rewarded.

Other waterfalls in the area include Rainbow Falls, just off the Rainbow Lake trail and one of my favourites Shannon Falls located in Squamish.

In light of the recent Canucks disappointment, and as the great man said; “You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take.” -Wayne Gretzky. Without the courage, and perhaps insanity, to try something without a guarantee that it will be a successful endeavor, we can never really know for sure what we can achieve.

We all know what we gave up and what we gained from moving to Whistler. At some point 90% of us relocated here, whether for 6 months, 6 years or eternity, and never looked back. Well, some of them did, but that’s another story. Whistler has so much to offer in terms of work/life balance, opportunities in many industries, amazing culture (après included), and a year round ‘fantasy land’ reputation. Those of us fortunate enough to call this place home are surely in the 1% in terms of life happiness.

Sometimes, things come into our lives that shake it up a bit; a job opportunity, a lover, the travel bug, to name a few. These things should not just be ignored because of complacent satisfaction in the current situation, for as the age old saying goes, You Live Only Once.

Ladies, showing the world how Spring skiing is done, Whistler style

There will be opportunities, there will be changes, and I advise you, even if it seems tough, to seize them. Try something different, travel somewhere new, love someone else, work in a different country, because I guarantee it will solidify your relationship with Whistler and help you to recognize what made you fall in love with this place in the first instance.

Not saying at everyone feels like that, there’s thousands of people that are 100% happy and satisfied all the time here, and that’s not only frickin’ amazing but a testament to the awesome surroundings. However, some people may be more inclined to want for change, and when it comes, don’t be scared to take it, to run with it, to try it, to succeed or to fail at it. It’s all part of life, and learning and perhaps eventually, that road and journey will lead right back to where you started form.. Here.

Absolute perfection

After almost 7 years in Whistler, from boot fitting at Can-Ski, Wine Directing at the Chophouse and 3 years at the best company in town, Watermark Communications, I am heading south to try something new. I’ve always been a bit of a travel fiend, having grown up moving around, and love a new adventure, so San Francisco seems to have my name all over it. Why not head to a country where getting a work visa is tougher than the Canucks getting into the Stanley Cup finals (ouch, too soon?), where the economy is crashing faster than a Aussie on a 4-day bender, and where yearly rent, food, and living expenses are more than the National Debt. Why not? Because its an adventure, because I want to see where Kerouac was inspired, discover the Napa Valley, trail run Marin Headlands, walk the Golden Gate Bridge in the fog, listen to amazing live music, attend dance classes, try a new job in a booming industry, surf in Santa Cruz on my weekends, foster a new relationship, and so much more. I want to try, because if I don’t try at all then I’ll never know if I can succeed.

New beginnings

I’ve had absolutely the Time of My Life here in Whistler and it will ALWAYS be home, and I know I’ll be back (multiple times.. You can’t get rid of me that easily) but I just want to thank the Whistler Is Awesome crew, especially Michelle Leroux and Jeremy Postal for giving me the opportunity to be Miss Whis and spew words all over your computer screen, and for believing in me despite my connection to Australia. Cheers mates!

I want to thank Mountain Life Mag, namely FEET BANKS and Todd Lawson for also giving me a chance and supporting my mediocre writing skills. You’ve been not only great editors and mentors but great friends. I hope to keep working with you guys in the future!

A big Froning sized bear hug to my family at Crossfit Whistler. I know I’m loud, I know I dance at inappropriate times, I know I’m not the best, the worst, or the favourite, but you guys have all made me feel very appreciated and pushed me to do my absolute best during my 2 years at Crossfit, and I hope to bring a bit of Whistler to the San Fran box. You know, show ‘em how it’s done..

Huge ups to coaches Jordan, Jayde and Rob; thanks for all your support and perseverance. I am amazed at my improvement and it’s all because of you guys.

Cheers to my amazing team at Watermark, to Sue and Jasmine, JJ and Amy, Rob and Jaime, Kevani and Mei, Esther and Lilli; you guys have been my family and my mentors for the past 3 years. Being in your presence and working on the World Ski and Snowboard Festival and Cornucopia has taught me more than I could imagine and you’ve become unquestionably the best team and the best job I will probably ever have. This isn’t the end..

Watermark crew on the closing day of WSSF 2013

Last but not least, all my FRIENDS. You know who you are, and you’ve made the reasons why I’ve stayed in Whistler so pertinent. You guys have been the rocks on which we’ve all built lives here and I promise I’ll be back, more often than you’d like probably.

If anyone’s in San Francisco, please look me up, I’ll probably still be unemployed and have a bunch of time on my hands so we can hang out!

Peace Whistler, it’s been an absolutely pleasure. Jess Xox

“20 years from now you will be disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the one’s you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain