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I have a confession to make. I don’t practice yoga. I appreciate how I feel after having done the occasional class but I’ve never felt challenged to fully pursue it.  Maybe it’s because I’m always the most inflexible, unknowledgeable and awkward one in the class, or maybe it’s because I get bored after 45 minutes and my mind starts to wander, or maybe it’s because my face doesn’t go purple and I can still walk the next day.

I started going to mom and baby yoga. I figured that it would be the best way to shock my post pregnancy body to exercise, a great way to meet moms and connect with my baby.  Every Monday morning I join Annie and about ten other moms at the Yoga Studio in Squamish (there is also a Wednesday afternoon class) for an hour of interaction, communication, physical activity and encouragement with my baby. It’s where chattarunga doesn’t mean phone a friend and shi-vassana isn’t my quiet bathroom time out.

During class we incorporate babies into our practice.  Our class begins with ‘checking – in’ time, where new moms meet and introduce their bambinos.  Once everyone is settled, we start with a gentle massage – valuable tool for reliving wind and other digestive problems and a great way of interacting with baby – followed by relaxing breathing exercises, slowly progressing to more dynamic practices such as flowing warrior and abdominal exercises.  Most of the babies are under seven months of age and there are some lucky gals whose babies easily weigh almost 20 pounds.  Imagine throwing an extra 20 pounds into the mix?!?  Your face will quickly turn purple! 
 After some yoga for moms (while babies relax on the mat in front of you), the fun postures for two begin. Typical postures include; spin rolls, with babies resting on knees or staff pose, with babies rolling along the outstretched legs.  Babies love postures for two, hearing them laugh and giggle makes my lack of flexibility and coordination trivial.  The practice is always concluded with plenty of time for relaxation and connection with baby – most new mums appreciate the chance for a little rest.

Karin and Rosie at the Yoga Studio. Photo credit: johnleeimages.com

The yoga is focused on post-natal strengthening exercises, particularly focusing on pelvic floor and lower back strengthening, as well as breastfeeding positions. Several postures can help to ease some of the discomfort common in the post-natal period, such as bridge pose or butterfly pose, both strengthen and tone the reproductive system, so even if you’ve never done yoga before, the post-natal period is an ideal time to start.

Whether it’s motivation you’re looking for, time with baby, or something to do in Squamish while you’re stocking your pantry with supplies, check out Annie’s class at the Yoga Studio (theyogastudiosquamish.com). She will whip you into shape, all while offering peace, love and encouragement.

Namaste.

It’s a tale as old as time… Two dapper young men, Adam Teolis and Brian Bower, from the streets of soggy Ontario, bound to their homeland through labour intensive restaurant management work, determined to make it big, no matter what. A fleeting taste of the good life, powder face shots, long and challenging runs, an après scene like no other, and the boys were hooked, line and sinker. They knew, they just knew that Whistler was the place for them. But instead of resting on their laurels, enjoying the fruits of Mother Nature, like many new ski and snowboard addicts will find themselves doing; these two intrepid boys from the East surged forward. A vision to bring style, comfort and steeze to the slopes had been clouding their minds for many years past and now was their opportunity to see their concept come to fruition. From the facial warming ‘flandana’ (flannel bandana) concept of 2011, to the present day Winter Season of 2012/2013, TBApparel started making its mark on the West coasts’, nay, North America’s premier ski resort, Whistler Blackcomb. Production for the debut catalogue came from all over the world and it was a huge success selling through Evolution in Whistler, online and person-to-person.

TBA is currently marketing aggressively, as to be expected from such vivacious and determined characters, through the upcoming World Ski and Snowboard Festival (WSSF) held annually in Whistler.  Involvement in several events including the Olympus 72 Hour Filmmaker Showdown, Spring Fling at Tommy Africa’s, Evolution’s skateboard competition, The Inflatable’s Party with Outfunya at The Longhorn Saloon, and Fashion EXPOSED Swagger. Read more

The World Ski and Snowboard Festival relies on about 300 amazing and tireless volunteers to pull off one of the largest and most exciting festivals in North America every year. Amongst the Operations, Music, Media, Alpine and Accreditation volunteers are the creative cats of the bunch; the volunteer Bloggers and Photographers. These are coveted positions, covering the festival from the inside out, and getting involved and up close at every twist and turn. And in a fortunate turn of events for 2013, there are still 2 or 3 blogging positions open and available to a select souple of amazing and dedicated writers!

This is a great chance to connect with the Festival attendees, staff and other volunteers, whilst honing your blogging skills and getting along to a number of parties, contests and events! Ideally you should be located in Whistler for the duration of the festival (April 12-21) and be available to cover a variety of events from arts to sports to music. Individuality and humour is much appreciated and we like, short, snappy and passionate blog posts, preferably once a day, but schedule and requests will be taken into consideration.

Interested parties should send a writing sample, and your contact details, along with any queries, to Laura at lgallant@whistlerblackcomb.com or Jess at jsmith@watermarkinc.ca to be considered for the position(s).

“So much to write and say/Yo, I don’t know where to start/So I’ll begin with the basics and flow from the heart” – Nas, “Loco-Motive”

For the last 18 years, the World Ski and Snowboard Festival (or, the festival formerly known as TELUS..), has been the ultimate season-ender party for skiers, snowboarders, photographers, filmers, artists and party animals alike. It marks the culmination of the last 6 months of shredding, hiking, shooting, drinking, sledding, creating, editing, and surviving. It pays homage to the tireless number of early mornings, late nights, first chairs and last calls. It brings the pros out to play on the Big Air and Slopestyle courses, provides a dancefloor at the base of the mountain, celebrates all that is awesome about mountain life and specifically about Whistler. At a time when most mountain resorts are shutting down, restaurants and bars are closing, people are being laid off and the skis are being hung up for the Summer, well, Whistler is still kicking it hard.

Michael Franti at WSSF 2012. Village going off!

The World Ski and Snowboard Festival returns April 12-21 and we don’t do things by halves. We also don’t do them quietly, so be prepared for a raucous 10 days of non-stop action; whatever your pleasure. For the first time in a long time, we hope not to hear the words “Can’t you bring the Black Eyed Peas back?”, NO; that was so 6 years ago! THIS year we’ve got NAS, K-OS, ARKELLS, QUESTLOVE, BEATS ANTIQUE, ANUHEA, SWOLLEN MEMBERS and more. Get stoked! Read more

Jack Crompton as Jeanie the Bear at last year's Icon Gone. What heights will this year's competitors go to?

Icon [AHY-kon] noun: A person, place or thing of great cultural significance.

Icon Gone [AHY-kon gon] event: A no-holds-barred critical-thinking cage match to determine Whistler‘s greatest icon.

Tailor-made for a town with as quirky and contested a history as Whistler, Icon Gone is a raucous community celebration that pits passionate, outspoken locals against each other in a rhetorical joust to determine Whistler’s greatest historical icons.

It’s all going down this Wednesday at Merlin’s, itself an iconic Whistler watering hole. An atmosphere (and the carpets too I guess) drenched in decades of epic apres sessions will provide the perfect setting for 8 impassioned Whistlerites to get on stage and debate on behalf of their chosen icon.

Just who are these Icon Goners?  Well, we’re pretty excited because we have a full  array of prominent, knowledgeable, and  charismatic long-time locals who are sure to out on a great show:

Michel Beaudry
Mandy Rousseau
Angie Nolan (defending champ)
Stephen Vogler (inaugural champ)
Steve Andrews
G.D. Maxwell
Emily Wood
Kevin “Big Kev” Mikkelsen

We’ve got actors, writers, and all sorts of other creative folk. Who or what their specific icons are we’ll leave as a surprise, but suffice to say there are some great choices, and a few tricks up their sleeves.

Once again, Mo Douglas will be keeping things rolling as our wonderful MC, and we’ve got Whistler Question editor Tanya Foubert, and Whistler Museum President John “Bushrat” Hetherington joining you, our audience, as the esteemed judging panel. It all adds up to one solid night of entertainment, and you;ll probably learn a thing or two as well!

Angie Nolan, assisted by Cathie Coyle, waxes nostalgic about the beloved Boot Pub.

Icons—our shared experiences, cherished landmarks, and beloved neighbours—are the essence of our shared identity, the difference between a collection of people and a real community. So what are Whistler’s greatest icons? Is it Black Tusk? Opening day gondola line-ups? Your favourite local visionary or eccentric? Or is it some under-appreciated yet essential element of our social fabric? Come with an opinion, and come prepared to laugh, cheer, maybe even cry at one of the few events that can truly claim to be “history in the making.”

We’ll leave you with a clip from last year’s event, as Jamie Bond (Gaper Day) and Angie Nolan (The Boot Pub) faced for the evening’s final showdown.

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Wednesday, March 6th, at MERLIN’S BAR & GRILL

Advanced tickets: $10 at Whistler Museum (4333 Main Street, or call 604.932.2019)
Tickets at door: $15

Facebook Event Page

The 18th annual World Ski and Snowboard Festival is rolling around quicker than ever this year! (either that, or time’s just flying faster with every year we age.). All of a sudden it will be April and the first signs of Spring will have sprung. We have just over one short month until the biggest party of the year arrives, and we can’t wait! The festival is the ultimate season-ender bash, with 10 days of free music concerts, arts shows, film and photo competitions, fashion show, skiing and snowboarding competitions and so much more. For anyone who hasn’t lived through WSSF before, you are in for a treat!

The festival will be held April 12-21, 2013 and organisers are urging everyone to get their tickets to popular events such as the Olympus 72hr Filmmaker Showdown (April 16th sold out, April 17th still available), Olympus Pro Photographer Showdown (sold out), Intersection, Bud Light Silent Disco, The END, and more! The schedule is online HERE and tickets can be purchased HERE.

If you’ve experienced a few WSSF’s, you’re new to town and want to meet more people, you’re interested in events, you love socialising or you simply want to get the ultimate festival experience, then you should really consider volunteering. The festival employs over 300 volunteers annually to assist with everything from logistics and operations, security, blogging and photography, media accreditation, on-hill action, music coordination, sponsor activation and more! The volunteers really are the cogs in this well-oiled machine, and truly make every thing happen at ground level. Without them, the organisers would be spluttering messes, fuelled only by Bud Light and Monster Energy. Not a pretty sight. So, please don’t let the hard-working team at WSSF lose momentum, or inspiration; come along and volunteer for the festival of a lifetime! There’s an awesome volunteer party and swag giveaways at the end of the festival, plus you’ll make a slew of new friends, learn about the event industry, connect with the right people and generally have a blast! At a time when things are slowing down in the village, the WSSF is here to inject a massive dose of fun, excitement and passion back into Whistler. We’d love it if you could join us!

There will be a volunteer recruitment evening in mid-March at the GLC (Beer!); date and time TBA. To learn more about volunteering, and to sign up, click HERE.

Plastic bags are back! The first blog I ever submitted to @wiawesome was all about the evils of single use plastic bags. The council of the day had just decided against a municipal ban on plastic and in response I decided I should personally ban them and so I announced the Crompton Ban… ineffectual as it was. Instead of me giving a review of a previous @wiawesome blog, read it if you like at Ban On Bags. The RMOW did implement an education effort but unfortunately we have only been able to deliver a 1% per yr reduction in single use plastic bag use.

Since then some things have changed. China, Bangladesh, Italy, Seattle, Hawaii, Aspen, Telluride and many others have banned single use plastic bags. Toronto tried to ban plastic bags but was prevented from doing so by a legal injunction based on a lack of public engagement. In British Columbia it has become evident that plastic bag bans are the jurisdiction of the provincial government. The jurisdiction issue has led Vancouver to take wait and see position waiting for the province to act. It is disappointing to me that Canada’s two biggest cities have tried to address the plastic bag issue to no avail.

Although much has changed, I did not expect the opportunity to reconsider plastic bag use again. But 3 months ago two grade six students from Spring Creek School approached our Mayor and asked for her to ban plastic bags. So if Toronto and Vancouver have failed what can Whistler do? I hope something. There is some thought the RMOW could “regulate” bags if we can’t ban them. I am looking forward to taking a crack… I just don’t see a downside to trying. Plastic bags still cost us lots of money, they pollute Whistler and the world. I hope we follow Aspen, CO and China’s lead. I’ll let you know how it goes.

This attitude can take its toll. It’s fun, exhilarating, spontaneous, usually alcohol soaked, but exhausting.

The Whistler lifestyle encourages constant activity. If you’re not skiing or snowboarding, you should be at yoga, at CrossFit, skate-skiing Lost Lake, running the valley trail, biking, at the gym, show-shoeing, or at the very least après-ing. Maintaining a social life in Whistler is a skill, and perhaps a job, of its own, and if you’re working a full-time or multiple jobs, as most of us are, then you’ve probably found that sleep is taking a backseat in favour of other more vigorous activities, and generally keeping your social life in tip top shape.

There are, however, a few tricks to get the most out of your day and essentially ‘re-set’ your body clock for the best performance possible.

According to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald, these are the most appropriate times for certain activities;

By the clock

7am Try for a baby. Hormone levels are highest and sperm counts peak. Blood pressure also rises, making it easier for you to get out of bed and walk around.

9am Schedule a surgical procedure. Medical staff are likely to be less fatigued.

10am Study for or sit an exam. You’re most alert from 10-11am; the brain is most rested. Get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked. Their levels can vary throughout the day but high-morning readings are more likely to indicate a health problem.

Noon Take medication. Joint pain, such as osteoarthritis, peaks in the afternoon and evening. Take medication about lunchtime to give it time to work. Negotiate a tricky deal. According to Kennedy, this is the best time for an argument because verbal reasoning skills peak about noon.

1-2pm Visit the dentist. Research shows that local anaesthetics last three times longer if given between 1pm and 3pm, and our pain threshold is at its highest.

2-3pm Take a nap. Your metabolism slows between 2pm and 3pm and this is when our bodies are programmed for a short sleep. ”Human beings are designed to have two sleeps: one nocturnal sleep and one short 20-40-minute nap in the middle of the day,” Kennedy says.

Mid-day snow nap - GoldenBikeShop.com

4-6pm Exercise. More Olympic records have been broken in the late afternoon than at other times. Lung capacity is at its maximum and core temperature is raised, speeding nerve impulses and improving co-ordination. Research shows that strength and endurance climb about 5 per cent between 4pm and 8pm, compared with morning hours, so you can push yourself harder. Your muscles are warmer, too, which will help you avoid injury. ”There is more risk of heart attack early in the morning, so older people, especially, should exercise towards the end of the day,” Kennedy says.

5-7pm Chow down on carbohydrates. Refuel energy stores up to two hours after exercising and your muscles will thank you. Your muscles can best take up energy consumed and your body is less likely to store kilojoules as fat. This is also the ideal time to enjoy a glass of wine because your liver is more able to metabolise the alcohol.

10pm Enjoy some horizontal dancing! Libidos hit their peak in the late evening.

Stay social: Crystal Hut apres - Whistler.com

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/reset-your-body-clock-20120206-1r0h6.html#ixzz1ldjDEn3X

The Whistler Museum, WinterPride, and Whistler is Awesome are excited to announce the latest installment in the Whistler Debates event series, The Pride Debate. In this, our third public debate to date, we will feature four prominent members of our region’s LGBTQ community debating the proposition “Whistler Believes… the Pride movement is no longer relevant.”

While no one is contesting the major advances won by Pride advocates over the last several decades, there is growing disagreement about how such strategies from the past to represent the contemporary LGBTQ community.

Coming to the table to voice their opinions will be Chris Morrissey, Rick Hurlbut, Adam Adams, and a fourth, mystery debater. These individuals bring a wide range of professional and personal backgrounds ensuring a well-rounded, informative, and entertaining discussion.

So what do you think? Have the major battles been won? Is it time for a re-think? Or do queer politics remain an essential component of contemporary civil rights discourse? This debate will get to the heart of the cultural and political identity of today’s LGBTQ community.

To purchase tickets call the Whistler Museum at 604.932.2019, visit us at 4333 Main Street, or visit the WinterPride ticket kiosk.

Complimentary coffee and tea will be served courtesy of the Whistler Roasting Company and Namasthé Tea Co. In addition, there will be a cash bar.

About Whistler Debates: Whistlerites self-identify as informed, opinionated, and outspoken. We’re going to put this assumption to the test. Inspired by the Doha Debates, our aim is to provide a forum for respectful, informed dialogue on wide-ranging topics of local or general interest. Debates will take place year-round and coincide with ongoing festivals and events. All debates will feature a strong audience participation component, so come armed with an opinion, an open mind, and a desire to engage with some of the most pressing topics of our times.

It’s that time of year again. The mild temperatures have melted some of the snow in the valley, the tree branches are tentatively poking their heads out from under their winter-long cover, and the smell of Spring is in the air. With Spring, comes sunshine, patio apres, and WSSF. The World Ski and Snowboard Festival is the flagship Whistler event, combining world-class skiing and snowboarding competitions with the largest free outdoor concert series in North America, cultural and lifestyle events to amaze and inspire, endless apres and nighttime events from sponsors Bud Light  and Monster Energy, and so much more. WSSF celebrates all that is incredible about this awesome town, and draws crowds from all over the continent, giving us a chance to show the world how lucky we are to live in such a rad environment.

Since many of us have experienced a number of WSSF festivals, most of us know which events we’re planning on going to, and which nights we need to schedule off work in advance. But since there’s also over 2.1 million yearly visitors and seasonal workers, there’s a whole slew of people who are unaware that the premiere events will sell out in a matter of days, and that you need to go in with a game plan in order to come out on top at the END.

To give you all a fair warning and a heads up, the E-STORE (online ticket store; imperitive to your whole WSSF experience) opens TODAY. Yes, today. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Every year the Olympus 72hr Filmmaker Showdown is the first event to sell out, because it’s a combination of local flavour, humour, intrigue, filmmaking prowess, disasters, and time-sensitive creativity. With only 3 days to film and edit a 3-5 minute short film that is good enough to win the huge $10,000 Best in Show prize, this is not a competition for the faint of heart and uneducated. Anyone can enter, you don’t even need to register in advance, but only one team will walk away victorious. Actually, that’s not quite true. As previously mentioned, tickets to the 72hr Filmmaker Showdown are the most highly coveted tickets available, so the organisers on the festival took some advice from the desperate, tearful crowds that missed out on tickets from years past, and have added a second night to the schedule. The orginal night, Tuesday April 16, will show all 10 finalists and the Best in Show award will be presented, and then all 10 films will be re-screened on Wednesday April 17 and a People’s Choice award of $5,000 will be handed out on that evening. This gives everyone a chance to attend one of the most highly anticipated filmmaking events of Whistler’s calendar year and see two teams leave the Whistler Conference Centre and head straight to the bar, $10K and $5K richer.

Another event that sells out exasperatingly quickly is the Olympus Pro Photographer Showdown. Showcasing action sports photographers bodies of work from their lifetime collection, Pro Photo is a visually inspiring evening of spectacular photographic creativity. Whistler breeds and nurtures action and extreme sports athletes, and accomplished videographers, creative souls and forward thinkers. To cater for this proliferation of talented individuals, Intersection was created. Armed with POV cameras and 7 days, action sports teams set out to create a 5-7 minute film that embodies the snow-sports culture in Whistler. Featuring on-snow footage, terrain-park footage, and all within 100km of Whistler, this is the ultimate showdown of skiing, shredding and filmmaking talent. The teams will sweat, they will yell, they will probably cry. But they will keep their eyes on the prize of $15,000 and the bragging rights of Best in Show at Intersection 2013! If you haven’t been to this event before, you are missing out on a true assault on the senses. Get your tickets, Now!

So, don’t just sit their thinking about what you’re going to do for lunch today, who’s going to win the Superbowl this weekend (the 49ers, by the way..), or whether March madness will happen again this year (yes, it will. It ain’t over yet), get your credit card out, dust off your trigger finger, and get purchasing at www.wssf.com/estore so that you’re not that sorry soul with hands splayed, peering through the misty glass into the bustling Grand Foyer of the Whistler Conference Centre before Filmmaker, Pro Photo, Intersection, The BEGINNING, The END, The Mountain Multiplicity Show, etc. Tell your friends, tell your family, tell your neighbours, or better yet, buy a whole bunch and become the most popular person on the block come April 12.. Just don’t miss out, and don’t say we didn’t tell you!