Posts tagged with “skiing”

Well another World Ski and Snowboard Festival has come and gone and now is the time I catch up on some well earned sleep. Here are some of the things I witnessed this week.

Few friends and I (the shark on the left) got dressed up for a friends birthday on the first Saturday of the fest…

Giraffe spotting underneath Solar Coaster chair.

Took in an awesome concert by NAS

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Headed up the Duffy Lake Road this past weekend in search of some new zones to ski and soft snow. After a lengthy but fairly straightforward skin up we arrived at Keiths Hut which was built by friends of Keith Flavelle who passed away while climbing Mt Logan. Some more trips up into this area are definitely planned for the future as the skiing looks amazing.

Jeff inching his way across the Cayoosh Creek crossing near the trailhead.

The group skinning across one of the flats

Skinning up with Vantage Peak rising above

The skies opened up a bit and we could see the Anniversary Glacier

Keith’s Hut finally spotted!

We still had to cross this flat area to get to it…

And we made it after ~3 hours including a minor detour.

Although there hasn’t been much significant snowfall the past few weeks, the skies opened up mid week and we were blessed with some fresh snow. Erik Mauer and I decided conditions were prime for a walk out to Cowboy Ridge located outside the Whistler-Blackcomb ski area boundary.

The trek was quick going and the snow looked promising.

Onward and upward past Oboe…

Stunning vistas greeted us as we topped Cowboy Ridge.

Fresh lines down the ridge was our reward before our ski out down Singing Pass which is in great shape to anyone who was wondering.

“Gnarlia” is the type of girl that can only be found in the Sea2Sky. Born on the island and with a place in Whistler, she was pretty much born on skis and raised in the wild. There are helpless girls  – and then there is Nadia: Combine a DIY-and-get-it-done attitude with a broiling passion for skiing and snowmobiling, she is that friend that, when my truck broke down, didn’t hesitate to hustle my sled backwards as a third one onto her double deck so I wouldn’t miss a Pow Day. She just does what needs to be done – even if that involves dragging her dad up Whistler and getting him to shoot her hit Air Jordan. Yep, that’s right.

Only 24 years old, she has quite legendary reputation: known as the girl with the bleeding bottom (from getting avalanched over a cliff onto rocks on the Hurley and then pinning it home past some snowboard crews), or the one that ghost-rid her sled “almost” into a photographer (“There’s no way the sled would have gotten even close”), to the girl that gets VERY upset when people roop into an area that she is shooting on – there always seems to be some kind of story to accompany the encounter.

Fact is: Nadia works hard out there, on every end possible: Multitasking film and photo cameras, her  skis and snowmobile, being Operations Level 1 Avalanche Safety certified, … the list goes on…

Stoked to spend another season riding and shooting with Nadia – never a dull moment out there with this chick around!

-Vera Janssen

1.  How long have you been in Whistler full time and what do you love most about it? 

I moved to Whistler at 15 to pursue ski-racing, Whistler had the best training facilities and programs available. I’m Island born and raised, not sure too many people have ever heard of “Campbell River” haha. I guess I’ve never really looked back, Whistler has everything I want. Since then I have raced Ski Cross at the international level, competed in Big Mountain Extreme competitions, and dabbled in Snowmobiling.

2. What kinds of things are you writing about for WIA?  

I’ve tried to focus on unconventional stories and features for Whistler is awesome. Event coverage and top athlete standard profiles are done and by every outlet. I wanted to capture a more relate-able, real side of Whistler. The young families who are also professional athletes, the shop owners and employees. Patrollers and ski guides, the people who make Whistler what it is.

3. You’re a bit of an adrenaline junkie, what scares you? 

The thought of not being able to push my limits and do what I love scares me the most. I love scaring myself, the thought of being stuck in a wheelchair unable to move neck down or working a desk job the rest of my life is more terrifying than any cliff huck to me.

4. Where do you spend the most time? On your sled, on your skis, or behind the camera lens? 

It really depends on what’s going on at the time, I spent a lot of time sledding, and sled-skiing in the backcountry as the access here is unparalleled. I do however ski resort a lot too as I’ve been skiing on Blackcomb since I was 2. We’re pretty spoiled here. My camera almost always comes with me as you never really know what the day will bring.

5. Any big goals for the winter? 

This winter I’m filming with HighMark films for “Fourcast 3″, a snowmobile movie and also filming for “Pretty Faces”, an all female ski Movie produced by Lynsey Dyer. I’d like to put together two segments that I can be proud of by the end of the winter. It takes a lot for that to come together, you need ideal snow and weather conditions, your body & machine in top shape, and the filmer and the athlete have to both nail the line. It’s a lot of work, and there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that most people never see. Mostly hours of wrenching, physio and emails coordinating shoots… the not-so-glorious side of being an athlete.

6. When the snow’s gone, what keeps you busy? 

When the snow melts, I’m a student at Simon Fraser University May through December majoring in Health Science and Minoring in International Studies – conflict and crisis resolution. I keep taking 5+ courses and then regretting it by the time mid-terms come along, but hey… it keeps me extremely busy and I love a challenge. I also enjoy downhill biking, soccer, crossfit and fishing when there is no snow around.

7. Shout outs? 

I’d like to give a big shout out to my father for putting me on skis, and being extremely supportive of my goals through all the ups and downs. Thank you Jeff Schmuck for all your help and support over the years, along with all the photographers I’ve worked with who helped inspire me to pick up a camera myself. Thank you Jorli Ricker for supporting female snowmobiling and including two female athletes in his productions. I’d like to give a big shout out to Atomic for sticking with me through my ski racing, ski cross careers and continuing to support me with my big mountain skiing. I’d also like to thank all my other sponsors: Sessions Outerwear, Electric Visual, Reusch, WIDSIX, HMK USA, RSI Racing, Cheetah Factory Racing, LimeNine, C&A Pro Skis, and GoPro. Chris and everyone at Whistler Blackcomb have also been phenomenal to me over the years as well.

Put together this slideshow of my highlights of 2012, hope you enjoy it and 2013 is an even better year. Had a challenging summer this year being off my feet for the majority of it. All shots taken in the Whistler area… Watch in full screen and 720p resolution for full effect!

My highlights of 2011 slideshow can be found here.

Keep up with my latest photos from 2013 here.

Well its winter again here in Whistler and that means early mornings for those of us that subscribe to the morning ritual of waking up at 7am to check how much snow has fallen overnight. Feels great being back on skis after cutting my season slightly short last spring. Been getting in lots of days with my buddy and fellow photographer Jeff Boyce, who also happens to rip on skis. These images were all taken in my personal favourite storm day zone, the Crystal Chair area.

and a crash photo just for fun…

Meet born and raised Pemberton local, Denis Meilleur. Denis kills it on his skis and can be found most days lapping secret spots on Blackcomb or charging big lines in Pemby’s sled-accessed backcountry. Check out his interview below:

“The first thing you will notice about Denis when you meet him anywhere outside of the ski hill is his humble and quiet demeanor. He’s the kind of guy who you genuinely like being around and, what I like so much about Denis is that he honestly cares about the people around him. But when you meet Denis at the top of Crystal Trees on Blackcomb, watch out because he charges as hard as anyone.”

-Jeremy Postal

“Denis knows how to slide down a mountain with only one thing being important…going full throttle! Whether he’s hitting the black line of monster jumps in the park, or spinning laps in Spankies, he pins it.”

-Dave Treadway

Age: Twenty One

Birthplace: Pemberton, BC

Current hometown: Pemberton, BC

When did you start skiing? 

I started skiing when I was five, my mom put me into ski camps on Whistler.

Do you compete?

I used to compete in slopestyle contests but now I look to compete in big mountain contests.

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The Whistler Museum is home to many 16mm, 8mm films, and VHS tapes depicting Whistler, and life in Whistler from as early as 1933. Over the next few months we will be bringing you many of these wonderful films and videos from our archives.

                                               16mm film & VHS tapes. Searchin for nugs.

To enhance all the excitement that comes with winter and the opening of the Mountain,  we present to you “Images of Whistler”, a Whistler Mountain promotional film extravaganza.

One of the ways Garibaldi Lifts LTD  promoted Whistler Mountain to potential skiers/customers was to produce short films/advertisements highlighting Whistler skiing and culture.  “Images of Whistler” produced in [1975] was one such film. Depicting skiing, kids ski camps, ski races, ice hockey, ice sailing, log riding in a swimming pool, and all set to a very groovy Jazz-Funk soundtrack, Whistler has never looked or sounded so cool.

In case you haven’t noticed yet, September is whittling away with a last ditch at summer weather. Oh how glorious it has been! Of course we’ll all take another warm, sunny  month with open arms but it won’t be too long before rain arrives and the temperature drops. Winter never comes without Fall first rearing it’s head, and while everyone will be patiently walking through puddles in the Valley it will not be long before we are breaking trail in our own driveways.

To get us through these next weeks before hopefully ANOTHER early opening of the mountain, the ski movie makers are all debuting their latest works. IF3 wrapped up just two weeks ago and the premieres are now touring across North America. This weekend it’s TGR’s turn with Friday night kicking off with Jeremy Jones’ Further, the second installment in his snowboard trilogy Deeper, Further, Higher. Expect the Jones to do what he does best- shred the hell out of remote peaks that no one has ever ridden before and make it look easy.

Saturday night is TGR’s salute to Alaska. Not just filming sick footage up there mind you, The Dream Factory is also an ode to the frontiersmen that first settled in this remote and mystical land and paved the way for the 1991 arrival  modern ski and snowboard freeride movement. With segments of this generation of elite ski athlete “warming up” in Jackson Hole, WY and Pemberton, BC, we will no doubt be blown away by the new lines this crew gets to ski in Alaska.

Saturday night is also the celebration marking the 10th Anniversary of Doglotion.com The after party will be rocking at the Longhorn with prizes from Backcountry Snowcats, Mountain Hardwear and a limited edition G3/Doglotion Anniversary skis. In honour of Doglotion founder Jamie Bond, the theme of the party will be GAPER DAY with awards going to the best and worst dressed. Bring your best costumes!

Jeremy Jones’ Further – Friday 7 pm

The Dream Factory. A ski and Snowboard Film – Saturday 7 pm

Both 9pm shows are SOLD OUT.

Tickets at Millenium Place and artswhistler.tix.com $16.50 each or $25 for both films.

We’ve brought you dozens of blog posts about historical characters and events from our archives, crazy photos, and other Whistler stories. One thing that we feel we’ve brought you too little of is poetry composed by Museum staff. I’m sure you’ve been thinking the same thing. I can almost hear you thinking, “‘H – E – double hockey sticks’, when will Sarah, Jeff, Robyn, Allyn, and Myles write some goddamn poetry? A limerick maybe? A Haiku? Is that really too much to ask?”

Well, patient reader, the wait is over. Without further delay, here is a selection of poetry (mostly haiku) composed by the Museum staff (and friends).

Two mountains, strung with
cable- rise above this town,
this valley of dreams.

- Robyn

Seppo Makinen:
The mighty man among us.
His spirit rests here.

- Robyn

Stillness on Alta -
Alex Philip falls in drunk,
Myrtle shakes her head.

- Sarah

We love history.
We love Whistler’s Whistory!
Whistler is awesome.

-Myles

Extreme sports paired with
endless good times, paradise
is Whistler-Blackcomb.

- Robyn

Silently gliding
Through deep, endless white powder –
Another Whistler day.

- Robyn

Truth Hurts

Rainbow Lodge, Seppo,
Crazy Canucks, HISTORY!
Kids just want lego.

- Jeff

On hot afternoons
Molly and McGee nap on
While Freckles watches.

-Allyn

Outside is too hot?
Museum has two words for you:
Air conditioning.

-Allyn

There once was a Texan named Millar
Whose life was something of a thriller.
He first was a cook
But then two lives he took
So he fled here where life was much stiller.

-Allyn

There once was a pub called the Boot
Just next to the highway’s main route.
It had dancing girls
And drinkers who twirled
In a “ballet” of well known repute.

-Allyn

An ode to the archives

Last night I dreamt of a magical place,
Dreamers, doers and icons all shared one space.
Oh, to visit this land where our legends can thrive.
Why, it already exists, our almighty archives!

Our collections are vast, rich with ripe tales,
From diaries and drawings to bent, rusted nails.
All with the ineffable scent of the past,
A real-life time machine that’s built to last.

Archival documents in acid-free boxes,
Fight group amnesia from acid-induced memory losses.
Our fifty thousand pictures are worth fifty million words.
Fishing rods, ice axes, taxidermied birds!

We record more than elections, wheelings and dealings,
Our shelves carry facts, dates, but also a feeling.
Whistler’s free spirit – it’s impossible to fake it,
Live here long enough you’ll end up in here naked!

Cynics deride Whistler’s history as short,
But we prove that the truth is none of the sort,
Our peaks, trees, and tales are all very tall,
And we’ve done some big things for a town that’s so small.

Next time you’re curious of Whistler’s glorious past lives
Stop in (appointments only) at the Whistler Archives!
Thus concludes these haiku, limericks and jingles,
From the only folks in town still selling Boot Pub shingles!

-Jeff

Postscript:

All night long (all night)
All night (all night) All night long,
All night long (Ooh yeah)

- Lionel Ritchie