Whistler Blackcomb's blog

WB Summer Podcast

Whistler Blackcomb — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:52:40 -0400

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The summer podcast coming at ya, a teaser for Kokanee Crankworx coming next week!

Glacier Skiing on Blackcomb June 9

Whistler Blackcomb — Wed, 4 Jun 2008 00:10:04 -0400

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Glacier skiing and riding on Blackcomb’s Horstman Glacier begins on June 9 and this summer, Whistler Blackcomb is doubling its terrain park features and upgrading to a Superpipe.

“We’re really ramping up the public offering this year,” says Adam Francis, Whistler Blackcomb’s assistant grooming manager. “We’re doubling the offering of terrain features we’ve had over previous years and are thrilled to be offering a Superpipe this year.”

Grooming and parks crews have been building the summer Superpipe under the Glacier Express chair. The pipe wall will feature three to four medium jibs and will be groomed nightly. As the build-out continues, the bottom of Showcase T-Bar will become jib central with six rails and boxes, varying in difficulty from small to large, and four medium-sized booters. Regular skiing and riding lanes will also be open to the public.

Meanwhile, each year, summer glacier camps hit Blackcomb Mountain, bringing in the hottest professional athletes to coach aspiring skiers and riders, and attracting ski and snowboard magazines and professional film crews.

Access to the Horstman Glacier will start at the base of Blackcomb Mountain via the Wizard Express and Solar Coaster to the Rendezvous. Guests will then take a shuttle bus to the 7^th Heaven Express Chair, which will bring them to the top of the glacier. Lift access to the glacier is via Horstman and Showcase T-bars. Meanwhile, Horstman Hut will be open to the public, offering patio BBQs and light refreshments with a sunny outdoor patio overlooking stunning views of neighbouring Whistler Mountain and the surrounding Coast Mountain range.

Upload from the valley runs 10am-2pm for sightseers and 11am-1:30pm for skiers and riders. Glacier skiing is available from 12pm-3pm. Glacier skiing runs until July 27 and terrain park features will be available as long as snow pack and weather allows. For more information on the Whistler Blackcomb’s summer activities, visit whistlerblackcomb.com.

Whistler Blackcomb Snowcast 12

Whistler Blackcomb — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:39:12 -0400

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Here's the final podcast for the season, episode 12... goggle tans. It's been an epic winter, hard to believe Whistler is now closed for the season. But fear not, Blackcomb is still open, alive and kicking until June 8.

Snowcast Episode 11

Whistler Blackcomb — Sun, 6 Apr 2008 13:47:24 -0400

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Check out episode 11 of the Whistler Blackcomb Snowcast, presented by TELUS. In this podcast, meet Sandy Ward, a member of the First Nations Snowboard Team. Learn how to tune your skis and snowboards and 4 year old watch Finn Finestone rip it up on the slopes.

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WB Snowcast Episode 10

Whistler Blackcomb — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:42:09 -0400

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Whistler Blackcomb Snowcast #10 is out, featuring Adaptive Alpine & Apres.

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Brian Finestone's Park Report - Mar 13, 2008

Whistler Blackcomb — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:33:13 -0400

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The Stoke Is Ageless

Surfers coined the term stoke to represent to exhilaration felt by anyone feeling the flow of riding waves. The feeling of being stoked has transcended beyond surfing and can be achieved by anyone who feels the flow of sliding effortlessly on snow or through thin mountain air. The ultimate sensation of being stoked comes from the feeling you get when you stomp that elusive trick you have been trying and slide away clean for the first time. You can get stoked for someone else when they nail a new trick too. I have seen the look in the eyes of a person who gets stoked on riding for the first time; it is obvious regardless of whether they are four or forty. It is this feeling that keeps us coming back for more, it is the search for the stoke that gets us trying new tricks each day in the park, with the knowledge that the feeling is moments away.

Part of what makes the Park Crew stoked is the feedback we get from skiers and riders every day. We work hard designing installing and grooming the park to keep it fresh for the regulars and to create new opportunities to try new trick variations on new set-ups. It doesn’t matter how young or old you are, there is something in the Parks that you can learn on. Trust me, it’s worth it, you’ll be stoked!

Saturday March 15th is the final installment of King of The Rail for the season, so don’t miss this last chance to wear the crown and go home with some swag. The following day on March 16th we are holding the last Telus Park Rider Sessions Slopestyle of the year on Whistler Mountain. This course is going to be rad with one of the best set-ups to date on the Green Acres Jump Line (including the wall ride). March 22-23 will be the final Snowcross race of the season, so sign up, wax up and get training because if the turn out from the last race is any indication, this one will be packed.

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- Brian

Brian Finestone's Park Report - February 29, 2008

Whistler Blackcomb — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:28:53 -0500

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The level of skill being displayed in all of the Whistler Blackcomb Parks is astonishing these days. The progression we are seeing in athletes is at light speed and tricks formerly reserved for the rare mutants are now being thrown with ease by local kids skipping school to ski and ride. (Don’t skip school!) This week I witnessed 16-year-olds throwing double back flips, 19-year-olds spinning corked 10s and a 4-year-old slide a four foot round bar. This progression has pushed the Park crew to step up and create the best possible playground for these athletes and then work backwards to ensure we have a smooth progression. The bar is being set high for the next generation and we are doing our best to evolve at the same rate.

The Parks all got new set-ups this week, some even seeing changes daily. On Whistler Mountain we changed up the top section to include a new barrel bonk in addition to the stump jibs as well as freshening up Bobcat with a never-been-tired-before combo box with a quad kink. There are also new jump styles on Chipmunk and two “Skate Style” spines with log and metal coping for every transfer trick imaginable.

The Choker Park saw the addition of the Quicksilver and Nintendo boxes set up in series as mellow up-boxes as well as the addition of a mini shack booter style step over jump. The Superpipe rebuild has resulted in the best pipe I have ridden in a long time and special props go out to Andy Morrison for his epic 17 hour shift grooming the pipe se we can all rip it this week!

The Terrain Garden continues to be one of the busiest parks with hordes of newbie riders getting their legs on the small jumps, mini spine, boxes and rails offered up in this line. We are hoping to add a few more basic flat boxes to the mix so trick development can progress here too.

The HL Park has basically been split into Lucas Land’s rail line for metal grinders and the main park for jumpers. The left line continues to be the BIG XL line while the right side offers up the L / XL multi-takeoff options.

If you have not been up in the parks yet this year, you are missing out! Don’t wait to see it in next year’s vids, come on up today.

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Charge of the Goddes - March 1-9 - Whistler

Whistler Blackcomb — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:59:54 -0500

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A goddess is an icon of strength, intelligence, wisdom and beauty. Every woman has an inner goddess who is, too often, lost in the hustle and bustle of daily life. Whistler Blackcomb calls upon all ladies to celebrate and indulge their feminine spirit at Charge of the Goddess: A Week for Women in Whistler running March 1-9.

In celebration of women’s week, Whistler Blackcomb challenges the community to help raise $5,000 for the BC Cancer Foundation. Donations will be given to the BC Cancer Agency to help make much-needed improvements to the mammography waiting room and breast cancer patient education rooms in Vancouver. The BC Cancer Agency has the province’s only digital mammography machine, making faster more accurate breast cancer diagnosis available.

"Patients undergoing breast biopsies spend a lot time in the Digital Mammography waiting area," explains Dr. Gwen Harrison, Diagnostic Imaging, at the BC Cancer Agency. "It would be great to be able to provide patients and their families with a comfortable and uplifting environment while undergoing these stressful procedures."

To donate, visit whistlerblackcomb.com/women and click on the BC Cancer Foundation logo or watch for the donation boxes at various locations in Whistler Village.

“Whether it’s donating to a great cause, shredding the slopes with the girls, splurging on a sassy new outfit, savouring delicious wines or dancing the night away, there is a well-rounded calendar of events for every lady to indulge in,” says Michelle Leroux, Public Relations and Communications Manager for Whistler Blackcomb.

The Glacier Shop Goddess Night, presented by Naked Grape, runs March 3 from 5 to 8pm. The evening features a personal shopper & stylist from Fashion Magazine, music, a special visit from Oakley and wine tasting with Naked Grape Vineyard. Free makeup application and professional consultation will also be provided courtesy of Lily Cosmetic Boutique.

The Showcase Goddess Night, presented by Diet Coke, runs March 5 from 7 to 10pm. Shoppers can browse through a selection of designer labels fit for a goddess, groove to an in-house DJ, enjoy appetizers and drinks and pamper themselves with free beauty treatments provided by Farfalla Salon.

Donations in support of the BC Cancer Foundation will be collected at both shopping nights.

Charge of the Goddess revs up on the final weekend (March 8-9) with 40 per cent off all-ladies camps. Roxy Women's All Star Ski and Snowboard Camp, Roxy Women's Learn to Ski Camp and Burton Learn to Ride Camp provide two-day camps featuring a positive environment in which to bring out the Athena in all of us.

For the ultimate test of a goddess’ strength and ability, there’s Queen of the Rail on March 8. Winners of this rail jam will receive a percentage of the cash entry fees as a prize and all participants are entered in to win fantastic draw prizes from Showcase, Glacier Shop, Atomic, Nintendo, TELUS, DNA and more. Registration is $15 and runs from 5 to 6pm at Whistler Kids at the base of Blackcomb Mountain.

Everyone knows girls “just wanna have fun.” SKKY Vodka and Grand Marnier Present A Night With Venus at the Garibaldi Lift Co. (GLC) on March 8. This all-girls party will have the boys knocking down the doors. Ladies are invited to dress in their best Greek-inspired attire for an enchanted evening done up in true Grecian style. Groove to electro rock and booty shaking tunes provided by DJ Dani, Lon and Vadim. All partygoers will receive a free Growers Cider and Cosmo martini. To help raise money for the BC Cancer Foundation, delicious Greek Gods will be available for rent. Have them carry your bag for the night or fetch your drinks. Tickets are $15 at the door and the event begins at 9pm. Doors will be open to guys at midnight – if there’s room.

WB Snowcast Episode 7 - World Cup

Whistler Blackcomb — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:35:29 -0500

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TELUS presents the FIS World Cup Feb 21-24 on Whistler. Snowcast featuring Whistler's own Rob Boyd.

Snowcast Episode 6 - Terrain Park

Whistler Blackcomb — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

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Take a tour of the Nintendo Higher Level Terrain Park at Whistler Blackcomb with terrain park manager Brian Finestone...

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February Snowcast - White Gold

Whistler Blackcomb — Fri, 1 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

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Here is some snowy goodness for February. Enjoy.

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Whistler Blackcomb Snowcast Episode 5

Whistler Blackcomb — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

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Whistler Blackcomb Snowcast episode 5 with new skis at the Glacier Shop, and learn to ski & ride week.

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Whistler Blackcomb Snowcast Episode 4

Whistler Blackcomb — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0500

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Episode 4 features local freeski legend Mike Douglas.

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Whistler Blackcomb Video - Nov 29

Whistler Blackcomb — Sat, 1 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0500

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Here's an early season video to check out... Oh, and it's starring Alex the all-star voice of the Snowphone.

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Snowcast Episode 2

Whistler Blackcomb — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

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Whistler Blackcomb Snowcast #2 comin' at ya...

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Whistler Blackcomb Podcasts Comin' at ya

Whistler Blackcomb — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 23:25:06 -0500

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Just in time for the season, here's the first Whistler Blackcomb Snowcast presented by TELUS. Expect more throughout the season, subscribe to the feed on iTunes or just get'em here as they come out. The first episode goes behind the scenes of what it takes to get the mountain ready for official opening...

More Snow in Whistler

Whistler Blackcomb — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 12:45:44 -0400

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We're only a week or so into fall, and it's getting pretty obvious. Yesterday's cold temps and precip came down wet in the valley but white on the mountain. More signs that winter is creeping in, bring it on we say.

Early Bird Season Passes are still on sale until Oct 8, get yours and we'll see ya'll up here soon.

And if you're in Whistler come out to the TGR premiere tonight. Local shredders will be out for it. Whistler Blackcomb rider Ian McIntosh will be in the house, and pretty much owns the opening part of the film.

Here's what Red Chair on Whistler Mountain looked like this morning from the webcam.

And here's a pretty good view of the Peak to Peak construction.

Snow in Whistler

Whistler Blackcomb — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

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Snow in Whistler... on Sep 19... the countdown has begun. Bring it on, we're ready for it. Well, the Mountain Bike Park is still open and going strong for a couple weeks, but it's pretty exciting to see snow on the mountains. And we know there's plenty more where that came from, coming in October & November. Opening day is just over 8 weeks away - November 22. Where will you be?

Season Passes are now on sale. Get yours before the Early Bird deadline October 8, 2007 for mad savings. See y'all November 22.

MSP Booter at 7th Heaven

Whistler Blackcomb — Sat, 5 May 2007 00:45:13 -0400

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This past weekend, the Matchstick Production crew and Standard Films were in Whistler (when aren’t they!), and hit an enormous booter out on 7th Heaven that we built for’em. It was a few days in waiting, as our seemingly endless winter wasn’t yielding clear skies until the weekend. Lots of people were checking out the jump, thought you'd want to see it being put to good use...

The bluebird poked it’s head out Saturday & Sunday, and at sunset they totally sessioned the jump with the usual Heli buzzing around for footage. The scene was packed, 5 filmers, 5 photographers, and a hodgepodge of the world’s top skiers, among them: Jon Olsson, TJ Schiller, CR Johnson, Mark Abma, Simon Dumont, Sammy Carlson, Eric Hjorliefson, Mike Douglas and Sarah Burke. As well as top snowboarders: Eric and John Jackson, Freddy Austbo, Kazu Kokubo, Matthieu Crepel and today, Danny Kass. The jump was being filmed in HD and Super 16mm for the Matchstick Productions Fall Movie Tour, watch for it when the premieres start popping up around the continent. But the booter days isn’t all you’ll see, as this winter at Whistler has been straight up ridiculously epic, and the filmers have been lovin’ every minute of it.

Here’s some shots by the paparazzi. OK they were Heather Martin's, but she does have a budding paparazzi career ahead of her. OK she organized the whole thing and was allowed to be there, but paparazzi sounds more scandalous.

Ullr Girl Finals Underway

Whistler Blackcomb — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:52:48 -0400

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14 finalists made it to Whistler and the final comp is well underway. Kicking it off with the Stompede on the weekend, the Ullr girls held their own and had some solid finishes.

Grete Eliassen stomped home 2nd, Sarah Burke gave a solid performance - scoring 3rd in the skier comp.

Snowboarders Joanna Dzierzawski placing 3rd with Leanne Pelosi close with 4th.

Click here for the full list of Stompede Final Results.

Then last night the Ullr Unleashed event went off in the Glacier Shop in Whistler Village. The who's who of the ski & snowboard world all showed up to chug some Tabtini's & Konkanee & see what these Ullr Girl candidates had up their sleeves. I don't anyone in the house expected as quality a showing as what came out of ALL 14 girls. Everything from Grete's chinese song & slideshow to Sarah Burke's handmade mosaic & driftwood table, Bev's snowboard rap to Vanessa's gorgeous paintings (and cupcakes!). It was all there, really impressive, and fun to watch.

Based on a long list of judging criteria the top three were announced in no particular order... Bev, Dominique, & Grete.

Two components are left. The Big Mountain comp goes down Wednesday, the same day the voting closes, and the winner will be announced at the Big Air on Friday!

Here's a few pics from the Unleashed party.

The Judges.

Lindsay Dyer (striped shirt) brought in some pogo sticks for a good time.

Vanessa Stark with her art in the background.

The top three from the Unleashed show.