Category: Ski-Town Stories

From Whistler to Blackcomb to Whistler Blackcomb.

WSSF: The BeginningWSSF: The Beginning

April 9, 2024 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

April is the last month for our temporary exhibit Off the Lip: The Rise of Snowboarding in Whistler. If you haven’t had a chance to see it, make sure you stop by before it closes to allow for the installation of another new exhibit. Although Off the Lip is the first exhibit dedicated to snowboarding in our current facility, the museum’s first snowboard display took place in April 1996 and was developed to coincide with the very first World Ski and Snowboard Festival (WSSF).

According to festival director Doug Perry, the organizers of the WSSF had two goals when they began planning: to increase activity in the resort at a traditionally quiet time of year and to attract as much media attention as possible. To this end, they planned 22 events over ten days with 1,500 athletes participating.

Insight Photography Collection, 1996

The 1996 festival brought together established events that already took place in the spring such as the Couloir Ski Race Extreme, the Whistler Cup, and the WestBeach Classic and added more events both on the mountain and throughout the Whistler Village. These included family events, related arts and culture events such as the snowboard exhibit at the Whistler Museum, industry displays and demos, more ski and snowboard competitions, and performances by nearly a dozen bands in various venues over three days with Vancouver’s 54•40 closing out the festival. By the end of the ten days, Perry had head the festival described as “the single most important happening in the ski and snowboard industry” and organizers were already looking ahead, promising an even bigger and better festival next year.

The WSSF returned in 1997 from April 4 to 13, including many of the same events. Additional events were planned as well, including two biking events meant to take place on the mountains. The Grinders Cup Dual Eliminator Mountain Bike Snow Race was scheduled to run on Blackcomb Mountain under the Magic Chair but was canceled due to lack of interest by competitors. The Norco Challenge did go ahead and featured Norco factory riders trying to gain as much speed as possible down Whistler Mountain’s Saddle.

WestBeach events were incredibly popular during the World Ski and Snowboard Festival. Insight Photography Collection, 1997

Some of the snow events also raised money for various causes, such as the Backbone Enduro Vertical Challenge coordinated by Chris Kent. Teams and individuals competed to see who could finish the most runs over an eight-hour period while uploading only the Creekside Gondola and the Red Chair. Competitors collected sponsorships and the money raised went to a rehabilitative medical research centre proposed by BC Rehab and to the GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre.

This appears to be the only photo we have found of Heaven at the Conference Centre so far. Insight Photography Collection, 1997

Other organizations also got involved in the festival through partnerships and by creating their own tie-in events, increasing the number of arts and culture events within the WSSF. The Whistler Resort Association (WRA) offered a new “Stay for Free” promotion where buying three days of dual mountain skiing got you two nights in a hotel for free. Heaven, advertised as a “full-on all-night interactive rave,” planned to turn the Conference Centre ballroom into a dance club with DJs from Toronto and Los Angeles. 23 bands were scheduled to play throughout the festival and, for the first time, film was introduced as a component of the festival with the Moving Pictures film festival featuring “some of the hottest and most controversial Canadian films from the past year.”

The Air Canada Whistler Cup was incorporated into the WSSF from 1996. Though no longer part of the festival, the Whistler Cup continues to run each year. Insight Photography Collection, 1997

According to statistics gathered just after the WSSF finished, the festival was a great success for the resort. Over 2,000 athletes came out that year to participate in the various events and the audiences for most events also increased, with over 8,000 spectators gathering at the base of Whistler Mountain to watch the WestBeach Invitational Big Air competition. Both Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains reported their highest single-day skier numbers for the month of April on April 5 and the WRA reported bookings exceeding the 1996 WSSF by about 80% and an increase in package bookings of 200%. Though not all businesses reported their numbers, the Longhorn and McDonald’s both reported record sales days during the WSSF.

The WSSF is back again this year from April 8 to 14 and, though it has changed in many ways since it first began in 1996, will still include some familiar aspects.

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Maximum ExposureMaximum Exposure

April 2, 2024 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

It’s often the case that some weeks are busier than others, whether they’re planned that way or brought about through unexpected changes. In late March and early April 1980, Whistler Mountain had a very busy week of events, only some of which they had planned to host.

The Labatt World Cup Freestyle Championships were scheduled to take place on Grouse Mountain from March 28 to 30. However, by March 20 it was announced that warm weather meant that Grouse would be unable to host the competition. According to Peter MacKay-Smith, spokesperson for Grouse, “It’s unfortunate but we had to face the fact that we would have to move an enormous amount of snow to provide a safe and adequate ballet and mogul course.” Instead, the three day event featuring around 100 skiers from around the world was shifted to Whistler Mountain.

The Labatt World Cup Freestyle Championships on Whistler Mountain. Whistler Question Collection, 1980.

Canadian skiers were looking strong heading into the competition, with Stephanie Sloan and Greg Athans leading the women’s and men’s divisions. Along with ballet, aerial, and moguls competitions, a pro-am mogul bash was also planned for March 26 to help set up the bumps ahead of the mogul competition on the upper T-bar headwall. Teams of three were made up of one professional and two amateaur skiers and the event was used as a warm up for both competitors and the lift company.

As with many events held on Whistler Mountain, the weather was not all that cooperative. Conditions for the World Cup Ballet Championships held on Friday, March 28 were described as “somewhat unfriendly with blowing snow and high winds,” even blowing out the fencing and banners that lined the course near the top of the Little Red Chair. The mogul event scheduled for Saturday, March 29 had to be postponed after 35cm of snow fell on the course. Both the moguls and the aerials took place on Sunday, March 30, making for a busy and tiring day for competitors. All of this was followed by a presentation ceremony at the base of the lifts where, having both held onto their leads, Greg Athans and Stephanie Sloan were crowned as World Cup Freestyle Champions. Sponsored by Labatts, there was also $30,000 in prize money given out.

Downhill racing on Whistler Mountain while the freestyle events go ahead. Whistler Question Collection, 1980.

Though running the World Cup Freestyle might seem like enough for one week, there were also downhill races running on Whistler Mountain Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday (March 30 to April 2). While freestyle skiers demonstrated their acrobatic abilities, a Nancy Greene Ski League GS race was held on part of the Orange Chair downhill (today part of Upper Dave Murray Downhill). About 50 skiers aged 6 to 14 from the Whistler Mountain Ski Club (WMSC) and the Red Mountain Ski Club of Rossland raced to earn points for their clubs. In the end, Red Mountain came out ahead with 197 points against Whistler Mountain’s 154. The top placing WMSC racer in 7th place was Willy Raine (son of Nancy Greene and Al Raine).

Jill Warland and Jamie Parsons, winners of the first Bob Parsons Memorial Downhill. Whistler Question Collection, 1980.

Even as the freestyle competitions went on and young skiers raced down the GS course, slightly older junior racers trained on the Back Bowl course for two downhill races held Monday and Tuesday (April 1 and 2). These races made up the first Bob Parsons Memorial Downhill race, named for one of the founding Weasel Workers and Chief of Course for many downhill races on Whistler Mountain before his death in 1979. These races were restricted to racers who were “up and coming” with “100 FIS points or more.” Unlike the freestyle events, both downhill race days were cold and clear and the event went smoothly. Over the two days, Jill Warland of Kimberley and Jamie Parsons (fittingly the son of Bob Parsons) came in first in both downhills and the Bob Parsons Memorial Trophy was awarded to Jamie by his mother Lee.

According to the Whistler Question editorial following all of these events, Whistler Mountain came through this period with “a minimum of confusion and a maximum of exposure,” leading to a lot of positive publicity for the growing resort.

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The Big Test: The 1967 du Maurier International Ski RaceThe Big Test: The 1967 du Maurier International Ski Race

March 26, 2024 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

Just over a year after Whistler Mountain opened in 1966, the Garibaldi Olympic Development Association (GODA) hosted the second annual du Maurier International. This race brought in top ski racers from around the world.

This competition was a test to see if Whistler could handle a race of this calibre, in hopes of eventually hosting the Olympics.

So, how did the first international ski race at Whistler go? Thanks to the publication Ski Trails, we have the full coverage of the event.

This advert for the race ran in Ski Trails and also promoted the new features found on Whistler Mountain that season.

The du Maurier International was created in partnership with the Canadian Amateur Ski Association (CASA) and du Maurier Cigarettes. The cigarette company saw the potential for advertising and promotion through skiing events. After receiving approval from the International Ski Federation (FIS), the first competition was held in 1966 and was split in two halves at different locations, Mt. Norquay (Alberta) and Mont-Sainte-Anne (Quebec). The race consisted of two disciplines, slalom and giant slalom, in both men’s and women’s categories.

The Whistler event took place January 28-29, 1967. CASA was responsible for organizing the event, while du Maurier Cigarettes sponsored the promotion and transportation for the athletes. Because the resort was fairly new with limited resources, there was a lot of planning and consideration for racers and spectators.

A crowd gathers at the bottom of the slalom course located alongside the Valley T-Bar. The weekend saw a mix of conditions (rain, snow, wind, and fog) that affected visibility for both racers and spectators. MacLaurin Collection

Luckily, it was a big snow year and the courses were well-packed and many racers complimented the construction. Aside from Canadian skiers, the race drew in professional athletes from the United States, Austria, France, Switzerland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, West Germany, and Finland.

Spectators were charged an entry fee of $1 or $2 if they chose to use the gondola to view the race. Transportation options from Vancouver were a train via the Pacific Great Eastern Railway or a bus via Squamish Coachlines, GODA Charters, or Greyhound. Driving was an option but parking at today’s Creekside area was limited. The event organizers had parking available at Brandywine Falls, with a shuttle ready to transport the public to the base of the mountain. Though the organizers ensured there were extra trains and buses, transport did not go as smoothly as expected.

On both days, the giant slalom was scheduled at 9:30am and the slalom at 1:00pm. Some trains arrived halfway through the first race, and some buses did not leave Vancouver to make the two hour journey until 8:00am. As the race started at mid-station, it took about thirty minutes to hike up to the area, and by that time many spectators did not see much. The slalom was at the base of the mountain and easier to view.

It might be a little hard to see in the crowd, but here Nancy Greene is on the podium at the du Maurier race. MacLaurin Collection

The race results were particularly exciting for Canadians. Nancy Greene placed first in both races, beating France’s Christine Goitschel by two seconds in the slalom and Switzerland’s Ruth Adolf by four seconds in the giant slalom. In the men’s category, Norway’s Haakon Mjoen won slalom and Austria’s Werner Bleiner won giant slalom, though Canadian Peter Duncan placed fifth in both races.

Did Whistler pass the test? Yes and no. Hosting Whistler’s first international skiing event proved the mountain terrain was capable of holding Olympic level competitions; however, the resort still did not have enough resources to accommodate the athletes and number of spectators. The success of this event strengthened GODA’s 1976 Olympic bid, but ultimately these Games went to a previous host (Innsbruck, Austria). This was due to a few factors. The summer Olympics was scheduled to be in Montreal, and the International Olympic Committee did not want to have two Olympics in the same country in the same year. After awarding the bid to Denver, Colorado, it was rejected by the state due to environmental concerns. Whistler was reconsidered, but the new NDP provincial government did not support this round. Though disappointing, it gave Whistler more time to develop its resources.

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Skiing by the Book with Toni SailerSkiing by the Book with Toni Sailer

March 19, 2024 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

Book learning may not be the first method that comes to mind when teaching someone to ski, but looking through the museum’s reference shelf you’ll find multiple examples of publications aiming to improve skiers’ technique and ability, often attached to at least one notable name. One such book is Ski with Toni Sailer in Flip Vision Photographs from 1964, though the copy at the museum is a reprint from 1967.

The front cover of Ski with Toni Sailer in Flip Vision Photographs.

Toni Sailer, born in Austria in 1935, became the first ski racer to sweep all three disciplines at the Olympic Winter Games in 1956 when we won the downhill, slalom, and giant slalom in Cortina d’Ampezzo (Italy) at the age of 19. Sailer acted (and skied) in films, recorded albums, developed business interests in ski equipment and clothing, worked for the Austrian Skiing Association, was named “Austrian Sportspersonality of the Year” from 1956 to 1958 and “Austrian Sportspersonality of the Century.” He also won four gold medals in world competitions before retiring from ski racing in 1959 and was awarded the Olympic Order in 1985. Around Whistler, however, he might be best known for his work with the summer ski camps on Whistler Mountain beginning in 1967.

Whistler Mountain hosted its first summer ski camp in 1966, the summer after the mountain had opened to skiers. The camp offered coaching to intermediate and advanced skiers, as well as junior racers. From 1967, the Racing Camp was run under the personal direction of Toni Sailer, described by Garibaldi’s Whistler News as “one of the greatest Alpine racers of all time.” Skiers from 9 to 20 came to Whistler Mountain to train with Sailer and the camp became known as the Toni Sailer Summer Ski Camp (the camp’s wooden sign is currently on display at the Whistler Museum). Over the years, other notable names came to coach on Whistler Mountain as well, including Nancy Greene, Wayne Wong, and Crazy Canuck Dave Murray, who took over direction of the camp in 1984.

Toni Sailer and Nancy Green on the 1979 Molson World Cup Downhill course on Whistler Mountain. Whistler Question Collection, 1979

While not as hands-on as coaching at the summer ski camps, Ski with Toni Sailer is an interesting (and often entertaining) look at Sailer’s approach to skiing. Costing only $1 in 1967 (adjusted for today, that would be just under $9), the book is meant to supplement rather than replace formal instruction and readers are encouraged also to visit a “reputable certified ski school.”

Ski with Toni Sailer opens with the statement “Skiing is the superlative of all sports” and goes on to say the “Skiing is more than just a sport. It is a way of life, an addiction that becomes a part of you.” After making it clear that there is no minimum or maximum age required to ski (Sailer describes his father introducing him to the sport at the age of two), the book moves to practical matters such as picking the right equipment and clothing. Though much of this advice has changed over the past sixty years as skis have gotten shorter and clothing designs have evolved, some advice, such as how to grip your ski pole, appears to be timeless.

Flipping through the book shows Toni Sailer move through four different techniques at once.

After stretching and strengthening exercises, the skier is led onto the hill and instructed on how to walk and turn on their skis. This is followed by chapters dedicated to specific techniques such as snow-plow turns, sideslipping, and slalom. Perhaps the best part of the book are the Flip Vision photographs that accompany these chapters. Skiers can watch Toni Sailer demonstrate twelve different techniques “as you would view a motion picture” simply by flipping the pages before trying them out themselves.

While this is not the only flip book produced to teach skiing, today the ease of making, viewing, and sharing videos means that books are an uncommon method of teaching the sport. If, however, you’re interested in perfecting your technique be seeing how Toni Sailer did it, come by and check out the museum’s reference section.

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