Doglotion.com - Freeskiing Community - whistler blackcomb

Orage Masters Wrap Up

J Dogg — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:27:24 -0400

Rating

From the weeks leading up to the event, to the hype surrounding the 5th anniversary of the Orage Masters and its move to Whistler; there remains only one thing left to say...

Congratulations to the K2 Spread Eagles... They came, they saw, they kicked some ass... and broke beer mugs over their heads along the way. Doglotion.com was too busy burning our faces skiing slackcountry slush to cover the event in detail, but here's the word on the street from Orage, and some vids from our other fine furry web mag friends.

Not only did K2 come equipped with props, they were by far the most theatrical team in the event. Which, combined with their course dominance and inspiration from fearless team captain Mike Powell, the Spread Eagles were lead to victory and have officially given the hells angels something to fear. The 5th installment of the Orage Masters not only lived up to its namesake, the Anti Comp found a way to surpass our wildest expectations providing rare springtime sun and warm conditions at the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival.

For the hundreds of fans who peppered the tree line boundary of the course, the 8 competing teams better known as the one and only K2 Spread Eagles, 4 Frnt Tibetan Monks, Armada Star Wars crew, Salomon Super Heroes, Volkl David Hasslehoff look-alikes, Surface Outsiders, Dynastar Vikings and the Rossi Pirates all came dressed to impress and were ready tear a strip off the custom built Masters course.

With the traditional sound of the blow horn teams Salomon and Dynastar kicked off the event with high flying choreographed acrobatics in hopes of impressing their fellow competitors and guest judges, JF Cusson, Myles Ricketts, Mike Atkinson and Joe Schuster enough to be granted permission to move onto the next round. With only 15 minutes between each set of two teams, 4 preliminary round robin heats were packed with action on the course built by none other than TJ Schiller himself. When the smoke had cleared it was K2, 4 Frnt, Dynastar and Armada who would move into the semi final round.

From there Dynastar and K2 rose above the rest and would ultimately set the stage for a battle between the biker gang and the weapon clad viking village pillagers. But in the end, no team could top the antics of the K2 Spread Eagles who not only dominated the event but somehow found time to slam beers, break mugs over their helmets and scream death metal lyrics during their runs.

When it was all said and done the Orage Masters provided debauchery, reckless acts of costume clad skiing, a fantastic free lunch, countless beers from Kokanee, a live web cast on ns.com and 8 hours of on hill partying... just the way we like it... just the way every event should be.

For those of you who did not witness the Masters in person or on the countless number of websites who covered the event check out some of the top notch coverage compliments of our friends at...

Newschoolers event coverage>>>

Big Lines video>>>

2 Weeks Left for Ullr Girl Entries

J Dogg — Tue, 5 Feb 2008 21:21:52 -0500

Rating

What does girls who rip, Whistler Blackcomb, and $25,000 cash all have in common? If you're answer is "The 3 things i dream about most", you're close, but didn't quite nail it. Back again this year, Whistler's If Ullr Was a Girl contest has another $25,000 prize purse for female rippers to grab, but girls have to enter in the next 2 weeks!

Female riders and skiers have just 2 weeks to join the online community at ifullrwasagirl.com, by posting their profiles alongside fellow mountain-gals from across North America.

Four wildcard athletes from ifullrwasagirl.com will join up to 12 invited ski and snowboard pros, to contend for the crown at April’s TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival.

The online voting aspect from 2007 has been nixed, and the four wildcard athletes will be selected by a panel of judges based on their demonstrated passion for mountain life, to compete alongside the hottest talents on snow today.

Says Michelle Leroux, If Ullr Was A Girl judge and PR & Communications Manager for Whistler Blackcomb, “Four girls will win a seven day, six night trip to Whistler to compete with the pros and we want to see creativity, enthusiasm and proof that these girls rip and deserve to compete for $25,000.”

The women will gather for the most unique women’s only competition ever seen on snow, combining a slopestyle event, a big mountain event, a Superpipe event and Ullr Unleashed, a showcase of arts and culture. It’s all about finding the ultimate mountain woman, worthy of dethroning the god of snow, and taking the crown herself.

"Whistler Blackcomb saw the importance of this competition for women in the ski and snowboard industry and the entire team was thrilled to work on this event again,” says Meredith Armstrong, Whistler Blackcomb's Brand Marketing Manager. "This year we decided to work creatively with two partners on the project to ensure we could build and improve upon last year's event."

Watermark Productions, the producers of the TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival (TWSSF), has stepped up to take over the management of the event, making the If Ullr Was A Girl competition an official event of the TWSSF. They are also contributing half of the cash prize purse with Whistler Blackcomb making up the remainder. Whistler Blackcomb’s creative agency Origin Design + Communications is stepping up with their marketing and communications expertise to ensure the competition and the athletes get the exposure they deserve.

"The Ullr Girl campaign is really close to our hearts," says Origin creative director Danielle Kristmanson. "We worked with Whistler Blackcomb to develop the concept last year and were so happy to see that the girls really embraced it. When the opportunity arose this year for us to be part of the team we jumped at the chance."

Last season Whistler Blackcomb posted 442 online profiles from girls all over North America seeking the Ullr Girl title and the site, ifullrwasagirl.com generated, on average, 660 user sessions per day with 20 page views per session. Competing athletes, like Sarah Burke, cited the event as the best of the season because of the camaraderie the girls enjoyed. Skier Grete Eliassen took the crown and donated the entirety of her prize purse to charity.

The comp will once again bring North America’s top women skiers and riders to Whistler in April for the 2008 TWSSF, which excites the Festival’s Communications Director, Lisa Richardson. “The teams behind this event, at Watermark, Origin and Whistler Blackcomb are well-stacked with passionate women who love living and riding in the mountains. So it’s exciting to be part of such a unique event that really encourages female talent.”

Want in on it?

JOIN NOW, create a profile for yourself, add yourself the the “CONTESTANTS” group and start loading your photos, video and comments and rate the posts of everyone else. Wanna hang out here and not compete? No problem. Create a profile but then add yourself to the “COMMUNITY” group instead.

CoreShot Film Premiere in Whistler

J Dogg — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 01:25:20 -0400

Rating

Linescore is an action documentary chronicling the 2007 U.S. Freeskiing Series. From the first event to the finals, Linescore shows what it takes to climb the competitive ladder on North America’s premier big mountain circuit. The top up and coming skiers in the world come out to these events to test their skills and show their respect to fellow athletes.

This is a community based on mutual friendships and admiration. One of the only competitive sports where you will see the athlete standing in first position genuinely cheer on the athlete in second. Highlights include not only insane lines, huge airs, and gnarly crashes but also stellar camaraderie between athletes and friends. As well as behind the scenes commentary from athletes on the tour and from freeskiing legends like Shane McConkey and Ingrid Backstrom.

When: October 26th @ 8:30
Where: GLC, Whistler
$$$$$: Free Show!
Bonus: Slidewshow of Mt. Fairweather and St Elias Mountains at 8:00 P.M

VIEW THE TEASER>>

Gaper Day 2007 Video Released

J Dogg — Tue, 2 Oct 2007 22:47:46 -0400

Rating

At last, Gaper Day 2007, a mockumentary by Paul Cotton, has been released for the public world to enjoy. After a packed audience ate it up at My Millennium Place on the weekend, it's now live on the web for all to enjoy.

Rock grinds galore, bush skiing, rapid fire straight-lines, terrain park gang bangs, bizarre outfits, some deep thoughts, and some day-wrecking bails. All captured on digi and edited by the one and only Paul Cotton.

Gaper Day 2007 - The Ultimate Regression

J Dogg — Wed, 6 Jun 2007 23:20:57 -0400

Rating

Words cannot describe the display of sillyness, ferocity, passion, fashion innovation, and blasphemy that made up Gaper Day 2007 - a day for all gapers to be proud of. It was in the cards, the most epic winter season in memory could only be followed by an even more epic season ender bender. The slushy snow conditions were prime, the temps - a smoking 30 degrees celsius, and the stars were aligned. We think.

A 40-pack of Gapers slowly emerged from different corners of the village, gathering at ground zero at the Longhorn, much to the confusion of tourists and Mountain Bike Park riders alike. Out came one-pieces, jean shorts, spandex, hot-pants & fish-nets, bikinis, suit jackets, and to top it all off - Jonny "Nacho Libre" Law in full topless sparkling mexican wrestling attire. Some morning stair grinding by the Pan Pacific set the tone for the day, but it was only the beginning of what was to come.

With only a few chairlifts open, the horde of gapers (now some 6 dozen strong) were confined to the narrow reaches of Jersey Cream Chair, making for a Gaper concentration like never before. Rapid fire chain-gang off the table-tops, gang-bang attacks on Lift Line, the Bite, and Cafe Cliffs, and general good-quality gaper shredding.

With such an epic pack of shredders, no one Gaper was able to stand out amongst the do-do birds and 'officially' claim the Sillygoating World Champion title... but some honorable mentions are well deserved:

...Jonny Law for taking ski fashion to a whole new level, and breaking his ski while he was at it

...S.M.U.T. for given'er like only he can, and drawing blood for safe measure

...that high-school kid pointing it like no-one else

...Bob Kitchen for kartwheeling into the days' first bail segment

...Lotte for reminding us that all Snowlerbladers are fairies, literally

...Giggs for not taking no for an answer when it came to the great 'ski to the valley' debate, and the brave souls who followed him

...yours truly, not to toot my own horn, but think I claimed the bail of the day by a healthy margin, with the ditch to spread eagle on land to header somersault on dirt & rocks

...and lastly, the guy in the speedo, whoever he was. Did he even know it was Gaper Day?

Here's a few shots from official Gaper photographer Jordan Manley that can only hint at the nonsense of the day. Plus keep your eye out for Paul Cotton's video coming at'cha soon. Afterall, if words can't describe it, we can only hope Paul's-eye-view captured some of the glorious and monumental regressions in freeskiing that was Gaper Day 2007.

Jonny "Nacho Libre" Law in fine form.

Merlins stairs adding new terrain to Blackcomb.

Uh, yup.

Lift line assault. Bit overexposed, but hey, so were we.

Some people are taking their park skills to the backcountry, Brian is taking it indoors.

Andre sillygoating.

This one speaks for itself.

Mathieu and the girls, uh, all pretty in pink.

Chad & Andre capping off an epic day in style.

WHISTLER PEAK TO PEAK GONDOLA OFFICIAL

J Dogg — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 14:04:34 -0400

Rating

Whistler Blackcomb, a mountain resort already renowned for daring innovation, has announced its boldest move yet with the construction of the Peak to Peak Gondola, for completion December 2008. The two mountains will be united by a gondola that will set world records for length and height while providing an unmatched experience for winter and summer resort guests.

The Peak to Peak Gondola will travel 4.4 kilometres in just 11 minutes, transporting winter and summer guests from Whistler’s Roundhouse Lodge to the Rendezvous Lodge on Blackcomb Mountain, giving them unprecedented access to both mountains’ expansive and unique high alpine terrain and spectacular vistas. “The Peak to Peak Gondola will create a dramatically enhanced experience that no other mountain resort in North America, possibly the world, can offer,” says Dave Brownlie, Whistler Blackcomb’s Chief Operating Officer. “This link will effectively double, or more, the options for accessing the highest quality and greatest variety of terrain on any one day, from anywhere on the mountains. We are going to completely revolutionize our guests’ experience.”

Skiers and riders will have the opportunity to easily take advantage of 8,171 acres of terrain encompassed by both incredible mountains, via the world's longest continuous lift system. Moving freely between the high alpine areas of both mountains skiers and riders will spend more of their day in the best weather and snow conditions. The adventure for summer visitors will include spectacular views of glaciers and peaks as well as access to an expanded hiking trail network on both mountains. “This lift is the catalyst for a sustainable economic future benefiting both Whistler Blackcomb and the entire resort community,” says Brownlie. “It will solidify Whistler’s position as the undeniable leader of mountain resorts in North America, while increasing our appeal as a top destination in the world.”

With 28 sky cabins each holding up to 28 people, total capacity will be 4,100 passengers per hour. The Peak to Peak terminal on Whistler Mountain will be located next to the Roundhouse Lodge and easily accessed from the valley by the Village Gondola. On Blackcomb Mountain the Peak to Peak terminal will be located next to the Rendezvous Lodge and accessed from the valley via the Wizard Express and Solar Coaster Express.

Construction will commence in May 2007, with the lift being manufactured and installed by the Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group (Doppelmayr) of Austria The Doppelmayr 3S tri‑cable gondola will span 4.4 kilometres (2.73 miles) in total distance from Whistler Mountain to Blackcomb Mountain with the world’s longest unsupported (free) span of 3.024 kilometres (1.88 miles) between the two towers furthest apart. The highest vertical point is over Fitzsimmons Creek at 415 metres (1,361 feet) – the world’s greatest distance above a valley floor.

Example gondola.

Ullr Girl Finalists & PHase Two Kicks Off

J Dogg — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 00:24:29 -0400

Rating

Whistler Blackcomb has kicked off Phase Two of the “If Ullr Was a Girl” contest. Ten invited professional skiers and snowboarders will join the top open athletes from ifullrwasagirl.com to battle it out for an unprecedented $25,000 prize purse.

Confirmed invited skiers are Jess Cumming, Lynsey Dyer, Grete Eliassen, Michelle Parker and Sarah Burke. Confirmed invited snowboarders are Leanne Pelosi, Silvia Mittermuller, Bev Vuilleumier, Dominique Vallee and Mercedes Nicoll.

Lynsey Dyer by Paul Morrison.

Open contenders Joanna Dzierzawski of South Lake Tahoe, NV; Vanessa Stark of Whistler, BC; and Pip Hunt of Crested Butte, CO won phase one of the contest and a seven day, six night trip to Whistler Blackcomb from anywhere in North America by getting the most votes on the ifullrwasagirl.com site. They will compete against the invited pro skiers and snowboarders for the massive $25,000 prize purse.

Ash Crist of Snowbird, Meredith Eades of Dewittville, PQ and Angie Seeley of Sun Peaks, BC also won trips and will be competing as amateurs within the contest. Amateurs will vie for a separate Ullr Girl prize package including a professional photo shoot, inclusion in a Matchstick Productions’ or girl’s snowboard DVD, a new gear set-up and a Whistler Blackcomb season pass.

With all the athletes confirmed for the athletic and mountain culture competitions, Phase Two of the “If Ullr Was a Girl” contest officially began with the launch of the new voting microsite on March 9. The contest will culminate with the on-mountain and mountain culture events at the TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival (TWSSF) April 13-22.

“We are proud to have so many of the ski and snowboard industry’s top athletes competing in ‘If Ullr Was A Girl,’” says Meredith Armstrong, Brand Marketing Manager for Whistler Blackcomb. “Our confirmed athlete list reads like a who’s who of North America’s hottest women skiers and riders. The battle for $25,000 and the Ullr Girl title is going to be a major attraction at this year’s TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival.”

The Ullr Girl finals for both open and amateur categories will consist of the following four event components:

Votes on ifullrwasagirl.com. Votes for the final selection were refreshed on March 9 with skiers and snowboarders starting with a clean slate – Voting will end Wednesday, April 18 at 5pm PST.
Participation in the Stompede, a sanctioned TWSSF event – Friday-Sunday, April 13-15
Ullr Unleashed – an evening of mountain culture. Each athlete will be asked to pick an art form – for example photography, film, art, or music – to present during a special evening event – Monday, April 16
A big mountain competition held in-bounds on Whistler Blackcomb – Wednesday, April 18
Ullr Girl crowned and $25,000 grand prize awarded at the Big Air – Saturday, April 21

Head to ifullrwasagirl.com to vote for your favourite Ullr Girl or to get full contest information and rules.

Whistler Blackcomb Exceeds All Time Snowfall Record

J Dogg — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 23:30:33 -0500

Rating

Following the most recent snowstorm that dropped 22 centimetres or 8 inches in 24hrs, snowfall accumulation totals at Whistler Blackcomb have reached record highs. 877 centimetres or 345 inches of snow has fallen in Whistler so far this season, which is the most the resort has seen by this time in January based on 27 years of snow data analysis. The previous record saw 827 centimetres or 325 inches fall by January 31 of the 1991/1992 season. The current base sits at an incredible 305 centimetres or 120 inches as measured at mid-mountain.

“This has been the most incredible season here, and we’ve been extremely lucky compared to other resorts on the East Coast and throughout Europe,” says Stuart Rempel, Whistler Blackcomb’s senior vice president of marketing and sales. “We’ve seen system after system blaze through this area and it seems like every few days there’s another metre of snow on the hills. It’s really quite amazing to wake up each morning to another epic powder day. We’ve been very blessed.”

With an average annual snowfall of 10 metres or 33 feet, Whistler Blackcomb is close to exceeding this by the end of January.

The Environment Canada Alpine Forecast is calling for a high pressure system to move in over the next few days bringing some welcome sunshine to the stormy resort. With the annual Whistler Blackcomb Learn to Ski Week coming up January 16th, conditions for first time skiers and riders could not be better. Learn to Ski Week offers up to 40% discount on beginner lessons.

Whistler Blackcomb started off the 2006/2007 season with the snowiest November on record with 416 centimetres or 164 inches of snow. The previous record was in 1994/1995 with 272cm. December received 275cm of snow. So far this season, Whistler Blackcomb has seen over 15, 15+ centimetre days.

Great accommodation deals are still available for the rest of the season including 3 nights for $129.00 CAD or $117.00 USD per night if booked by February 15. For up to date weather and snow information, as well as a range of upcoming events including February’s Women’s Week, Whistler’s gay ski week WinterPRIDE, and April’s TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival, log on to whistlerblackcomb.com.

Record Snow in Whistler

J Dogg — Fri, 1 Dec 2006 20:27:35 -0500

Rating

November 2006 will go down in history books in Whistler as the snowiest November ever. Were you here? With 416 centimetres or 13 feet 6 inches of snowfall recorded during the month, the prior November record of 272 centimetres or 107 inches was crushed, setting a new high for early season snowfall. This month’s snowfall has created phenomenal conditions for an excellent winter season.

“The continuous snowfall this month has been incredible,” says Stuart Rempel, Whistler Blackcomb’s senior vice president sales and marketing. “We’ve woken up to between 10 and 20 centimetres of fresh powder almost every morning since November 1st; we’ve been able to open our high alpine lifts earlier than ever before and ski outs to the valley are in fantastic shape. The locals are in heaven, our employees are thrilled and our visitors are ecstatic.”

The current mid mountain base at Whistler Blackcomb stands at 164 centimetres or 65 inches, a depth that normally isn’t reached until early January. “The average November snowfall for Whistler Blackcomb was 138 centimetres,” continues Rempel, “and we’ve tripled that this year!” Two of the snowiest months in Whistler Blackcomb’s history have occurred in 2006. November 2006 joins January 2006 among the top four snowiest months of all time. January’s 469 centimetres or 15 feet of snowfall sets the all time record. Whistler Blackcomb has been recording snow data over 28 years of operation.

Looking ahead, Whistler Blackcomb will be celebrating the grand opening of its new $9.5 million chairlift – the Symphony Express – on December 16, 2006. 1,000 acres of spectacular, high alpine terrain will be accessible in the newly crowned Symphony Amphitheatre. Vast bowls, gladed tree runs, and deep powder are surrounded by spectacular views of Garibaldi Provincial Park, and across the valley to Blackcomb Mountain’s 7th Heaven zone.

Whistler Blackcomb currently offers 6,700 acres and 5,020 vertical feet or 1,529 vertical metres of terrain for skiing and riding. Hotel rooms are currently available in Whistler starting from $109 per night.

Keep an eye on Whistler Blackcomb’s current conditions by checking out web cams and operational updates at whistlerblackcomb.com.

The snow phone is also updated daily and can be reached by calling 604-687-7507 (Vancouver) or 604-932-4211 (Whistler), or toll-free at 1.800.766.0449.

TGR Show and Weekend Rocked

J Dogg — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 22:51:54 -0500

Rating

If the 12 feet of snow wasn't enough, winter in Whistler has now officially been ushered in. Kicking off on Thursday with Whistler Blackcomb's official opening day, Blackcomb opened with insanely good coverage, and eager anticipation of what was to come in the alpine.

But before opening day could be put to rest, Doglotion.com and 200 of Whistler's keenest shredders gathered at the GLC for the Whistler premiere of TGR's Anomaly - starring none other than Whistler's own Ian McIntosh. The flick opened with his ridiculous big mountian segment, and the rest of the film was spent trying to top him. Good luck with that.

After the flick, Worst Case Ontario nailed their first shot at a bar gig, and one lucky dude won the green slush chugging contest to take home a pair of Salomon Gun Labs from The Glacier Shop.

From then on, the wintry sillyness ensued. Blackcomb alpine opened on a clear day, followed by an downright nutty Whistler alpine opening on Saturday - with early season guinea pigs hitting Air Jordan, the Waterfall, Idiot's Air, and many more. Not a bad way to kick off the season.

More photos from the weekend to come shortly...

Pre Season Scoping

J Dogg — Sun, 8 Oct 2006 22:01:03 -0400

Rating

They say you should always scope your landings. So why not scope out the whole mountain! Doglotion was eager to find out exactly what dangers lay beneath some of Whistler's more notorious runs, so we set out onto Whistler Mountain this weekend for some pre season reconnaisance. And hey we'd heard about some freshies in the alpine, who knew, maybe some lines were already good to go...

Trudging through 1cm of new snow, we were able to make our way around the mountain, scoping things out for the season. The verdict overall? Uh, we need more snow. But that'll come. Here's some of our findings...

Air Jordan... yep, needs a bit more snow I think.

Don't Miss... hmmm, yep this sucker needs some more snow too.

Weekend chutes... bit whiter, but yep, still think we need more snow. No wonder you're not allowed to ski here.

Hmmm, not sure what this sign was telling us, must be an off-season thing.

Snowing in Whistler - Game On

J Dogg — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 23:15:27 -0400

Rating

Sept. 15. It's on. Snowing in Whistler. We were wearing shorts in 27 degree weather a couple days ago, and now this? hells ya.

Over 15 centimetres was measured this morning at the Roundhouse Lodge on Whistler Mountain (1,850 metres/6,069 feet), and as snow covers the mountains all our brains are squirming with thoughts of winter ahead. Are you ready?

Time to get off the couch, start pounding some protein shakes, go on long runs (uphill both ways) with your fridge strapped to your back, and get stoked. Get your pass, get pumped, score some gear, and we'll see ya'll on opening day.

In case you didn't see winter coming, Whistler Blackcomb left ya some reminders...

Come out September 21 for MSP's World Premiere of PUSH, presented by Whistler Blackcomb at the Roundhouse Lodge.

If you're short for gear, come out to the Turkey Sale, October 7-9, for a huge sale of gear for up to 70% off.

Whistler Blackcomb’s official opening day is November 23. And hey, if we keep burning skis maybe it'll come even earlier. Has anyone even burnt skis yet? It's so darn early! Anyway, enough talk. Winter's coming. Keep an eye on the webcam, and get ready to give'er.

$25 GRAND for the First Ullr Girl

J Dogg — Thu, 7 Sep 2006 20:55:50 -0400

Rating

Whistler Blackcomb has kicked off “If Ullr Was A Girl”, the first contest of its kind, offering a huge prize purse of $25,000 for a female skier or snowboarder who’s crowned Ullr Girl. The contest officially began September 1^st with Whistler Blackcomb’s launch of the contest’s voting microsite ifullrwasagirl.com.

In old Scandinavian myth, Ullr was the god of justice and dueling, but was most well known for his beauty and mastery of skiing. Every winter, Whistler invokes the favour of Ullr with a huge party involving the ritual of burning skis and boards in hopes of epic snowfall that winter. Legend has it that as the god of all things ridden on snow, Ullr was not only a kick-ass rider, but had the passion, confidence and attitude befitting a Norse god as well. Although Ullr is cast as a male in ancient myth, Whistler Blackcomb began wondering, what if Ullr was a girl? What would she be like? What would it take to find her? The “If Ullr Was A Girl” contest will provide those answers.

The search for Whistler Blackcomb’s Ullr Girl launches with a wide net being cast across North America in search of the ultimate mountain girl - someone with a passion for skiing and snowboarding that can rip it up on and off the slopes.

“This contest is designed to celebrate women whose lives and passions revolve around snowsports and who embody mountain culture, to provide them with a venue to showcase their talents to the world, and to reward them significantly for what they do and believe in every day,” says Christy Allan, Whistler Blackcomb’s General Manager of Marketing. “Whistler already enjoys the benefits of having some of the best skiers and riders in the world training and playing on our doorstep. This contest will help us to connect with even more female athletes, celebrate their love of snowsports, and discover that ultimate mountain girl.”

Women are invited to enter in two categories to win the Ullr Girl title – an Open category which includes all pro athletes, and an Amateur category. The contest will culminate at Whistler’s 2007 TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival (TWSSF), April 13-22, where the athlete in the Open category who best demonstrates her world class athleticism and embodiment of Whistler’s mountain culture is awarded a grand prize of $25,000. Amateurs will vie for their own Ullr Girl prize package which includes a professional photo shoot, inclusion in a Matchstick Productions’ or Misschief Films DVD, a new gear set up and a Whistler Blackcomb season pass. Whistler Blackcomb will award the grand prizes after the votes accumulated through ifullrwasagirl.com are in, and all finalists compete in a series of events at the TWSSF in Whistler.

Ifullrwasagirl.com will host the first portion of the contest where athletes are already posting their bios, photos and videos in order to vie for the votes of site visitors from around the world. Three Open athletes and three Amateur athletes with the most votes by February 19, 2007 will each win a 7-day, 6 night trip to Whistler during the TWSSF to compete in the finals. Site visitors voting on ifullrwasagirl.com can also enter to win a trip to Whistler to be one of the judges for the finals. In addition to the voted-in athletes in the Open category, additional pro skiers and snowboarders will be chosen by an athlete selection committee to compete in the finals. The additional athletes chosen will round out the Open category up to a maximum of 8 skiers and 8 snowboarders. All invited Open athletes will be chosen from the online profiles on ifullrwasagirl.com, making participation in the website a requirement for an invitation to the finals in Whistler.

The Ullr Girl finals for both Open and Amateur categories will consist of the following four event components:

A big mountain competition which will be held in-bounds on Whistler Blackcomb

A parks and pipe competition (exact format to be announced)

An arts component based on the TWSSF events. Each athlete will be asked to pick an art form – for example photography, film, art, or music – to present during a special evening event at the TWSSF.

Votes on ifullrwasagirl.com. Votes for the final selection will refresh on March 1st with skiers and snowboarders starting with a clean slate.

During the on-mountain events, skiers and snowboarders will be judged by different judging panels and ranked separately. All four event categories will carry equal weight and the finalists will be awarded points for their ranking in each event. The grand prize winners in the Open category and the Amateur category will be the two athletes who accumulate the most points after all four categories are totaled. Full contest information and rules, as well as details on posting an athlete profile, nominating a girl, voting, or applying to be a judge, are available on-line at ifullrwasagirl.com.

Whistler Blackcomb Buys Whislter Heli

J Dogg — Mon, 4 Sep 2006 00:09:57 -0400

Rating

Whistler Blackcomb has acquired Whistler Heli-Skiing in a transaction that significantly increases Whistler Blackcomb’s skiable terrain and offers guests over a half a million acres of skiing and snowboarding terrain. The purchase adds Whistler Heli-Skiing’s tenure of 494,000 acres throughout the Whistler backcountry to Whistler Blackcomb’s 8,171 acres of in-bounds skiing, creating a ski area of 502,171 acres or 785 square miles.

The four previous owners of Whistler Heli-Skiing – Doug O’Mara, John Hetherington, Andrew Wilkins and Ken Hardy – will continue to be actively involved in the business. They will continue to provide management and expert guiding for Whistler Heli-Skiing while Whistler Blackcomb will provide added sales, marketing and operational support.

“Whistler Blackcomb is very excited with the new opportunity to grow the Whistler Heli-Skiing business,” says Dave Brownlie, Whistler Blackcomb’s Chief Operating Officer. “Under the continued expert management and guiding of Doug, John, Andrew and Ken, and with the valuable marketing, sales and operational infrastructure that Whistler Blackcomb can provide, the business is poised for even greater success. There are huge opportunities for us to market heli-skiing alongside our current in-bounds experiences.”

“This announcement is great news for Whistler as it presents an opportunity to package guest products that are unique in the ski resort vacation market,” says Doug O’Mara from Whistler Heli-Skiing. “There are very few places in the world where a world class ski resort can provide its guests with a heli-ski experience on glaciers within a five minute flight from the village. With Whistler Blackcomb’s strong sales and marketing efforts, the opportunities to create unbelievable packages and attract new guests to the resort will be significant. My partners and I are very happy to be able to take Whistler Heli-Skiing to this next level with Whistler Blackcomb.”

Another major benefit of the two companies joining forces is the incredible wealth of shared snow science knowledge that will now be available to both companies. Some of the most experienced mountain guides and ski patrollers in the business will now share years of snow data collection and snow study. In a business that relies daily on the predictability of its forecasting and reporting, this shared intelligence will be a significant asset.

The 25 year-old heli-ski company, the only one based in Whistler Resort, will still operate as Whistler Heli-Skiing, and will be a wholly owned subsidiary company of Whistler Blackcomb. For further information on either company, visit www.whistlerblackcomb.com or www.whistlerheliskiing.com.

Livin' Large at the Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival

J Dogg — Thu, 13 May 2004 00:00:00 -0400

Rating

Photos by Jordan Manley and Andre Charland.

Watch video

What do Justin Timberlake, Jon Olsson, Sarah Burke, and a guy juggling chainsaws all have in common?

a. They are all kinda girly

b. They travel alot

c. They all think Britney Spears is hot

d. You can't do what they can

e. They were all at the 2004 Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival in Whistler

If you answered any of the above, you're probably right! Well, the chainsaw juggler may not be very girly, but he was wearing a flourescent orange jumpsuit.

Crowds flocked to Whistler for the third week of April to be part of a surreal blur of parties, sick skiing, and live music that hits Whistler this time every year. The annual Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival has earned a reputation as the biggest and best ski resort party, and it didn't dissapoint this year. Everyone who was or wanted to be someone was partying everynight, live bands took to the stage every day, and the skiers and boarders once again reminded spectators why they are someone.

On the snow, snowboarders kicked off the festival in the Ripzone Snowboard Invitational. Crispin Lipscomb won the superpipe, while Guy Deschenes went large for the Big Hit winning hit. Tricia Burns took first in womens superpipe, and Roger Hjelmstadstuen won the mens big air.

But the two-plankers once again scored the limelight with the Salomon World Skiing Invitational scheduled for the grand finale weekend of the festival. Big air, superpipe and the McDonalds Rail session were all sweet events, and 17-year-old Simon Dumont pretty much killed it the whole weekend.

The superpipe once again had a huge turnout of big names and unkown rippers ready to show their stuff, everyone threw down really strong runs. It almost seemed like a style contest because the technical tricks are getting so easy for some of these guys. Tanner Hall snagged first, with Simon Dumont hot on his tails for 2nd, and Charles Gagner scored third.

Then came the silly-big airs of the big hit contest. These guys were going HUGE! Like 22 feet out of a halfpipe! It was the kinda show that makes you wonder if you should get super-stoked and hit the park afterwards, or sell your skis and buy a Datsun. Scott Hibbert, Tanner Hall, and Simon Dumont stole the show by trying to up eachother on the same hit at the bottom, but Dumont ended up winning this rider-judged event.

As impressive though, was the women's superpipe contest. No offense to the ladies of yesterday, but women's super pipe used to be kinda dull, apart from Sarah Burke and Kristi Leskinen who would often join in on guy's contest just to hone their skills. This year's contest was unreal. These girls were going way higher than you or your mom will ever get out of the pipe, all the while throwing technical tricks too. Marie Martinod took first place, Burke snagged 2nd, and Jamie Sundberg earned 3rd. 16-year-old Jen Hudak was stealing the show by going way huger than the other girls, but couldn't link a solid enough run together to make podium. She finished 4th.

Action didn't stop at night either. After the Black Eyed Peas and guest-star-teeny-bop-idol Justin Timberlake finished performing for the crowd on Friday April 23rd, the McDonalds Rail Session was it's own sight to see. A big crowd gathered around to watch skiers and boarders sessioning a 27 foot doube-kinked rail set-up beside the GLC patio, while 2 people in flourescent orange jumpsuits blew fire and juggled chainsaws. Iannick B. ruled it, for more info check out our news story (coming soon!).

Saturday April 24th was the final night of the festival, capped with the Salomon Big Air Contest. The contest started as a style vs. technical airs contest, with skiers trying to out-do Jon Olsson's smooth-as-silk-boxers style with more difficult tricks. After the preliminary round, the top eight skiers moved on to the head-to-head final rounds. Top ranked against bottom ranked skiers battled it out in heats, eliminating skiers as they went. Jon Olsson, TJ Schiller, Simon Dumont, and Josh Bibby made it to the final four, and the grommets gave Olsson a run for his money, forcing him to step it up from his stylie but easy switch 3's and 7's to big, insanely clean switch 10's. WIth that switch 10 Olsson won the contest for his second consecutive year, but he better watch his back for those other guys.

On the loud speakers at the awards ceremony, Dumont made the grommets presence known, when he jokingly asked Olsson "How does it feel to beat a bunch of 17 year olds?". Indeed... overall Dumont scored 2nd in the pipe, 2nd in the big air, and 1st in the super hit. Watch out for this kid.

Overall the skiers and boarders were given'er all week, and put on a huge display of talent. And for those who could care less about either sport... the free outdoor concerts, industry parties, and free Yop and Mars Bar samples kept them going strong all week long. Good times were had by all.

PS-Must have been nutritious samples too, because I didn't see any teeny-boppers faint when Justin Timberlake took to the stage.

View VIDEO

At the end of the Superpipe contest, Simon Dumont volunteered to drop from an airplane into the pipe.

2004 Canadian Freeskiing Championships

J Dogg — Mon, 12 Jan 2004 00:00:00 -0500

Rating

So the 7th annual Tylenol Canadian Freeskiing Championships returned to Whistler this week and proved to be another jaw-dropping big mountain expression session, setting the standard for freeskiing in 2004.

Snow conditions started off dreamy for the 2 qualifying days Jan 7-8, with lots of fresh snow covering 'The Bite' and 'Chainsaw Ridge'. Everyone gave it their all, but only 5 women and 18 men moved on to compete in the Championships.

Day 1 of the Finals kicked off Jan 9 in Blackcomb's 'Ruby Bowl'. Right off the get go, sweet lines were skied by Manu Gaidet, Leif Zapf-Gilje, and Moss Patterson. Highlights included Dominic Balik from North Vancouver doing a huge flip off the 'boomerang' cliff, Jonny Law skiing mach 10 down the top section (before paying the price), and Ian Macintosh's solid run that landed him in first for the day. But bad weather and a few unfortunate injuries resulted in Day 1 of competition carrying on to the next day. By bad weather we mean pouring rain. Peanut gallery team captain Chris Mansbridge was heard commenting "I wonder why the people wearing The North Face are the only ones smiling?" (shameless product plug for somebody who doesn't even sponsor us).

The remaining male skiers finished Day 1 the next day, followed by all the women completing a second run in Ruby Bowl. Doglotion.com sends out a special thanks to billy-goater Jack Hannan for keeping sillygoating in style like no-one else can. Ian held onto first in the mens division, and Susan Medville led the womens category.

After breaking his goggles on his first drop, Leif Zapf-Gilje skied his whole Day 1 run with his broken goggles flapping from his hand, and still managed to ski a killer high scoring line on Day 1.

Along came the final day of competition yesterday (Jan 11) in Diamond Bowl on Blackcomb, and competitors gave it their all. Skiers competed in reverse order, so the highest scorers from day1 skiied at the end. Some played it safe and some went for broke. Hamish Acland didn't fly here from New Zealand to get 4th, so he went big at the top of the bowl but ended up flaunting his gymnastic talents with and endless string of kartwheels. Watch for him at the competition. All the top 10 competititors skied strong lines, and Ian and Manu ended the show with a bang, but when it was all said and done there was a shuffling in the ranks.

Manuel 'Manu' Gaidet of Courchevel, France became the first man ever to defend Canadian Freeskiing Title in 'Diamond Bowl' on Blackcomb Mountain (Sound Clip>). Extraordinary skiing and a tight competition wasn't enough to keep 2003 defending champion Manuel Gaidet off of the top of the podium. Gaidet skied a fluid technical line nearly flawlessly scoring the top run score of the day of 43.6. Fellow countryman, Aurelein Ducroz, moved from 7th position to 3rd place with the second highest run score of today's competition (Sound Clip>).

Yesterday's leader and local favourite, Ian Macintosh currently hailing from Whistler, finished 2nd overall in the event! Ya Ian! (Sound Clip>)

The sickbird award went to Whistler's own Moss Patterson for his huge and style cliff drop (80 feet!?!) at the top of Diamond Bowl.

In the women's competition, Ingrid Backstrom, of Squaw Valley, USA worked her way from her 5th place standing, after the first two runs, to win the event skiing a unique and dynamic, very exposed, line. Whistler local, Laura Ogden, moved up from 4th place to finish 2nd in the event, and Norwegian Ane Enderud finished in 3rd place. Yesterday's leader Susan Medville of Crested Butte, USA slipped into to the 4th place position for the women.

"The event this year had a great representation from around the world (8 countries were represented), and despite difficult weather conditions the event organizers and athletes worked together to make a 3 run contest for the women and a 2 run competition for the men", said Event Director and IFSA President David Swanwick. "With the support of Tylenol, Dynastar and the other sponsors, Mountain Sports International and Whistler Blackcomb were able to execute another great freeskiing championship event"

The Tylenol Canadian Freeskiing Championships was the first stop on the International Free Skiers Association (IFSA) World Tour. Check out www.freeskiers.org for more info. The second stop is the Subaru US Freeskiing Championships February 2-6 in Snowbird, Utah, USA. The final event, The North Face Freeride will be held in Les Arcs, France March 1-5.

Doglotion.com is sending out a heads up to everyone at the upcoming comps. Jonny Law has been training hard and will be callin' for a comeback. Ian Macintosh is skiing hard and has his eye on the overall title. Will one of them bring the title back to Whistler?

MULTIMEDIA FROM THE CANADIAN FREESKIING CHAMPIONSHIPS

On the way up the gondola, we tried to figure out how to use our funky new sound recorder. Then we ambushed a few people at the bottom of the competition on the final day to find out what they had to say. The sound is straight outta Compton, aka 'ghetto', aka 'bad'. Not bad meaning good, but like bad meaning bad. But it's worth checking out, and next time we'll get our acts together and learn how to use it.

Video and Interviews coming soon.

Ruby Bowl Day 1 Video (By Paul Cotton and Elijah Lee)

Interview with IAN MACINTOSH after his run>

Interview with MANU GAIDET after his run>

Chris Mansbridge ambushing Kevin Hjertass for an interview>

Chris Mansbrige's comparison between freeskiers and Rubber chickens>

We don't know if Vicki Cole wants you to see this. True colours at the end of a comp run.

Spearhead Traverse 2002

J Dogg — Sat, 15 Jun 2002 00:00:00 -0400

Rating

To anyone who thought winter was over, it's time for a wake up call. We just got back from four days in the Whistler backcountry on the classic Spearhead Traverse, and even with temperatures hotter than Britney Spears we still had mountains of deep, dry powder all to ourselves.

As true slackers do, we got off to a late 12 something start on Whistler Mountain and skinned over to the Russet Lake Hut with our overstuffed packs drooping from our backs. By the time we reached the hut it was so late that most normal skiers were probably detoxing down in the bars. But we still had a peak to bag and we knew the May sun would be kicking around for a few hours yet. We dumped our bags in the hut and booted to the peak of nearby Fissile Mountain, a Whistler area classic. There's nothing easy or boring to ski off this peak, and as the Sun got ready to pack it in for the night we debated over which of several 50+ degree chutes or faces to drop into.

All votes were for the wrap-around 'Elevator Chute', an aesthetic line dropping from the right shoulder of the summit that funnels into the main chute. We were greeted by good ol' spring conditions, stuck with super-skanky crust up top followed at the bottom by the deepest snow I've skied in months! Not a bad start to the traverse.

The whole traverse took four days because we took our sweet ol' time and bagged a few more peaks as we went. Of note, Mt. Iago was a gem we'd been eyeing for a while, and it's 580m of 50-something-degree face skiing yielded some epic turns. On the flip side, our hike up turned into a sketchy, blind traverse above who-the-hell-knows-what as the weather started its series of 'pregnant-lady' mood swings of doom. Nothing like being stuck on a steep and crusty boot-pack route with no game plan, wearing a t-shirt and sunglasses, and no ledges to get your skis or jacket on. Good times.

The other highlight had to be our 2-run session on Mt Tremor; a 55-degree face with unexplainably bottomless powder the whole way down. How you get snow like that in May is beyond us, but we weren't complaining.

All in all it was an amazing trip, and we scoped tons of peaks that we now have lined up for next time, and Mt Fitzsimmons is on the top of that list. It's funny to think that most of the steep descents in the area weren't skied until the early 90's by guys like Trevor Peterson and Eric Pehota.

The slacker mountaineers before then must not have known what they were missing.

Canadian Freeskiing Championships 2002

J Dogg — Tue, 15 Jan 2002 00:00:00 -0500

Rating

Hucking to Hardpack, Flat-Light Straight Lines and More? Nothing Stops the Canadian Freeskiing Championships from Upping the Anti

After mother nature finished pissing on Whistler/Blackcomb and the rest of Western North America's resorts, things weren't lookin' good for the IFSA Canadian Freeskiing Championships. Rain to 1800m, gusting winds, sounds pretty juicy eh? Local Whistler competitors had their doubts; some of them waiting as late as possible to register for the comp, and others like myself bailing out entirely. Bad call. How dare I doubt the competition that for five years has kicked off the season with the most epic up-the-anti game there is.

The fun began on Day 1 of the World Tour Qualifier, which doubled as a North American Tour competition with IFSA tour points awarded to the winners. That meant skiers couldn't just play it safe and qualify, instead they had to put on a show. And what show it was, held on a bump run on Blackcomb appropriately named the Bite. Kurt V. brought stream skiing back in style by falling short on his waterfall gap and going for a slip and slide down the wet rocks and into the 'hole'. Fortunately for his ego, two or three other skiers enjoyed the same delight. In other parts of the circus arena, skier after skier went soaring over the 'day wrecker' dip at the end of the run and let fate decide their outcome.

The highest scoring run of the day came from Team DOGLOTION athlete Blair Fontana who stomped three clean airs, styled a root-grind-to-straight-line, and floated over the 'day wrecker' like it ain't no thang.

For those who made the cut, Day 2 was held on Chainsaw Ridge: high enough up for competitors to bag some powder turns rather than wallowing in the slush and streams. With another cut looming over their shoulders, the front of the pack had to stay on their feet while the laggers had to step it up a notch. The men and the women all skied super strong, leaving no clues to spectators that it was only a qualifier for the real meal deal. The best show was from Johnny Law who had some major catching up to do. He flashed the most technical line down the Fin and then went for extra credits by stomping an air at the bottom that dwarfed other competitors' drops. But Day 1's leader #21 Blair Fontana skied a solid and technical billy goat line that scored him the overall win! The Mammoth Lakes contingency of Brett Lotz and Ben Cumbie took 2nd and 3rd. Out of the girls, Sarah Oakden from Fernie absolutely ruled the competition with an 8 point lead after two days. Oakden... hmmmm, what do they feed those kids? Behind her was Lindsay Yaw from Aspen, and Meg Oster from Red Mountain. And that was just the beginning? they all needed to save tricks in their hat for two more days of competition in the Canadian Freeskiing Championships...

The Main Event?

The Canadian Freeskiing Championships has a huge reputation in the freeskiing community after five years of epic snow and absurdly awesome athlete performances. But this year's hokey mix of powder, ice, frozen slush and flat light was lookin' rough. Even after the wicked performances in the qualifier, some people were still doubting this comp?s reputation. But the show must go on, and the circus was due for two more days of stellar performances. Day 1 was held in Ruby Bowl where the girls started the show with flair. Local snow slayer Jen Ashton nailed the run of the day like it was her annual duty, leaving Ingrid Backstrom trailing 4 points behind. Unfortunately 1st place qualifier Sarah Oakden didn't make the final cut.

When the guys were up to bat, Ryan Oakden upheld the family name by throwing a huge spin off a steep shelf at the start of his run. Unfortunately his bindings didn't appreciate the abuse and let him go. Other crowd pleasers included Will Burks' huge huck in the first two turns of his run, Mike Tierney's sick dissection of that same cliff, Daisuke Sazaki's accidental acrobatics, and Johnny Law's endless line of hucks-to-hardpack. But the high scores and ooooo's and aaaaaaah's this year were for the skiers who skied the cleanest, smoothest lines. Local ripper and AFT athlete Pierre-Yves Leblanc linked a bunch of solid airs and fast turns together with more style than anyone else, earning him the highest score of the day. Hugo Harrison knew the judges were stoked on such a fluid line, so he went up to try the same, only to finish less than a point behind Pierre. If these guys' scores were any indication of what freeskiing judges are looking for, it must be all about charging a hard line with style and finesse. And why not? It?s way the hell harder to flash a hard line with unrelenting style than it is to huck your carcass. But nobody will complain about sick crowd pleasers, especially the Day 4 action that stopped most passer-by tourists for a long game of "what the hell is that guy doing"?

The girls started the Day 4 cabaret, and Jen Ashton again led the pack by four points, earning her a solid seat in the Canadian Freeskiing Championship thrown for the second consecutive year! Ingrid Backstrom held on to 2nd and Aleisha Cline narrowly stole 3rd from 4th place finisher Meg Oster.

The guys brought the circus show into full effect with every athlete charging from start to finish. Local AFT skier Robin Courcelles skied a heinous, technical line down a steep ramp, followed by a pile of rock drops and grinds. But he lost a would-be podium spot by twirling into an accidental ski-ballet demonstration, cartwheels, fakie turns , rolls and all. Full props to Robin for skiing so aggressively both days, and for sticking the ballet moves! DOGLOTION and AFT skier Leif Zapf-Gilje skied hard like he wanted that podium again, but an invisible snow-troll sent him twirling over some rocks to his demise. And the sick bird award goes to... Ryan Connelly, the Comor Freeride Team member who took his skis where no man had gone before. In true up-the-anti style, Connelly saw the daily rock-grind bet and raised it ten fold; skiing diagonally across 60 feet of frosted rock until friction denied him and threw him onto an uphill landing. Aaaah, freeskiing at it's finest, and props out to Ryan for risking his 6th place standing to teach us all how to grind with class.

All grinding aside, the best runs of the day were again thrown down by the guys who skied aggressive, solid, and fluid lines. True to his reign from Day 1, Pierre-Yves Leblanc once more skied like he was surfing through powder, stomping all his airs and hauling from crux to crux without hesitation. P-Y scored the highest on both days to become the Canadian Freeskiing Champion. Other solid runs were skied by Hugo Harrison who snagged 2nd place once again, Kevin Hjertaas in 3rd, local Mike Stevenson in 4th, and Nat Fresnois in 5th. And just when the show seemed over, crowd favorite Daisuke Sazaki came from nowhere and ripped a line that upped him from 30th to 8th! He dropped a huge air into a narrow coffin, stomped it, hit some quality billygoating to the finish line, and sealed it with his signature bowing and chanting ritual.

At the awards ceremony, female Champion Jen Ashton didn't hesitate to douse the photographers with Champagne. Male champion P-Y Leblanc shoved his bottle in his throat and chugged almost all of it before dumping the rest on his head. Both these champions call Whistler home, and overall the Canadian contingent kicked ass. But it wouldn't be a competition without imports like Peterson and Binning pushing the women, or Tierney, Burks, Olson and Sazaki going large every time.

Next stop, Snowbird. They've seen it, who's gonna raise it?

Rankings

Women Men

1. Jennifer Ashton 1. Pierre-Yves Leblanc

2. Ingrid Backstrom 2. Hugo Harrison

3. Aleisha Cline 3. Kevin Hjertaas

4. Meg Oster 4. Mike Stevenson

5. Linda Peterson 5. Nathaniel Fresnois

6. Andrea Binning 6. Ehren Olson

7. Jessica Baker 7. Robin Courcelles

8. Susan Medville 8. Daisuke Sazaki

9. Anne Catelin 9. Jim Jack

10. Jennifer Berg 10. Mike Tierney