Tag: Julia Smart

Summer Skiing in WhistlerSummer Skiing in Whistler

August 20, 2024 Whistler Museum 0 Comments

Since Whistler Mountain’s first year of operations in 1966, summer skiing has been a staple in many people’s summer plans. One of the first summer ski camps to be hosted in Whistler was called the Toni Sailer Summer Ski Camp, hosted by gold medal Olympian Toni Sailer. This particular camp ran from 1967 until it was taken over by Dave Murray, becoming the Atomic Dave Murray Whistler Summer Skiing Camp. While over the years many camps have come and gone such as Camp of Champions and High North Camp, Momentum Ski Camp has been on the slopes for over thirty years.

Photo: Toni Sailer Ski Camp, Alex Douglas Fonds, 1980.

Originally known as Smart Mogul Skiing, the camp was started in 1992 by former Olympians John and Julia Smart who offered freestyle mogul skiing instruction. Over the years, Momentum expanded to offer instruction in a wide range of freestyle disciplines to athletes from all over the world. The camps started small with as few as 43 participants but grew to host 1000+ campers per season. The original camps ran for three weeks but over the years the camps were extended to five weeks. Other changes included the name, which went from Smart Mogul Skiing to SMS and then finally to Momentum Camp in 2004. One of Momentum’s key principles has always been to hire top talent, including Olympians and World Cup competitors, to instruct and inspire students. Campers are not only inspired by their instructors’ skills but also have the chance to build strong relationships with them. The camps have been a tightly knit group and the majority of staff are former campers. John and Julia believe exposing students to a variety of disciplines helps to build a passion for skiing and foster a life-long love of the sport. John attributes Monentum’s longevity to its ability to navigate and adapt its programs as the sport of freestyle skiing has changed over time.

Photo: Riley Leboe at Momentum Ski Camp. Bruce Rowles collection, late 1990s-early 2000s

Fans of summer skiing are disappointed this year as 2024 is the first year since 1996 that there is no summer ski season at either Whistler or Blackcomb. The summer season traditionally started in mid July; however, this summer the Horstman Glacier is closed due to a low snowpack.

While we are all disappointed to say goodbye to summer skiing for at least this season, we understand why the Horstman Glacier is closed. After a winter that only provided 49% of the usual snowfall, the glacier isn’t in its best form. In recent years, the shrinking snowpack has made the beloved Horstman T-bar unusable, resulting in its removal in 2021. Shrinking glaciers and reduced glacial meltwater can also disrupt the production of hydro electricity, although the Horstman Glacier is not part of Whistler’s hydro electric power system.

Photo: Summer skiing with High North Camp. Bruce Rowles collection, late 1990s-early 2000s

Without intervention, the glacier could shrink to half its current size over the next 20 years. In an interview in 2015, Mountain Planning and Environment Resource Manager Arthur De Jong discussed man-made snow production as one option for recuperating the glacier, though the ecological impact of the energy used to rebuild the glacier would need to be justified with continuous efforts to lessen the mountain’s ecological footprint. He said if snow production was introduced, only enough snow to maintain the glacier would be made. Thinking long term, De Jong said it might have been possible to close the energy consumption loop with energy generating solutions such as wind turbines. It does not, however, appear that this approach was used on the Horstman Glacier.

While many will miss the summer ski season this year, it is unknown whether the tradition of summer skiing and boarding will continue. Until then, we can enjoy the many other summer activities like hiking, biking, and plunging into Lost Lake that Whistler has on offer!

Ella Healey is the Summer Program Coordinator at the Whistler Museum through the Young Canada Works Program.

A Ski Coach’s R&RA Ski Coach’s R&R

June 20, 2023 Whistler Museum 0 Comments

Before Whistler became a year-round destination resort there were few visitors and events throughout the summer. Residents made their own fun with regattas on Alta Lake, softball, fishing and hiking all popular pastimes. Along with mountain biking, today golf is a very popular activity in the summer with the local golf courses often booking up well in advance. However, before Whistler’s first 18-hole golf course officially opened in 1983, the Squamish Valley Golf Course was the closest place to tee off. Still, summer residents would make their way along the narrow and windy highway to have a hit.

Although skiing is not thought of as a summer sport, summer ski camps in Whistler have kept athletes on the snow year-round since the resort opened. The first summer ski camp was run by Roy and Jane Ferris and Alan White in 1966 with Art Furrer as a guest coach. Alan and Roy owned Highland Lodge and the summer camps were initially conceived as a way to bring visitors to Whistler during the quiet summer season.

The summer ski camps became known as the Toni Sailer Summer Ski Camps in 1967, after Toni Sailer was recruited during a ski demonstration at the Seattle Center. Toni Sailer was an Austrian skiing superstar who had won gold in all three alpine events at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Toni would coach the Austrian ski team during the winter months then disappear to Whistler where he enjoyed living in relative anonymity, rarely being swamped for autographs like when he was back home in Austria.

*Toni Sailer (right) and Tim Ferris on the t-bar in July 1978 during the Toni Sailer Summer Ski Camp on Whistler Mountain. Alex Douglas Collection.*

A legend in his own right, Jim McConkey moved to Whistler the year after Toni Sailer to take over the Whistler ski school and ski shop. He became good friends with Toni, who said that he took the job in Whistler specifically so he could play golf in Squamish. Before Whistler had its own golf course Toni would coach each day until noon, then go to Squamish Valley Golf Course which also opened in 1967.

Jim McConkey still comes to the Sea to Sky to golf today; however, before there was the pick of local golf courses he was a member of the Capilano Golf Course. Toni Sailer was a big name in sport, and the Capilano Golf Course said everything would be on the house if Toni visited. Jim and Toni started golfing together at Capilano on the days between summer ski camps. One particularly memorable visit was a trip that they took with Earl Noble. Earl owned a big lumber mill in North Vancouver and had a helicopter. They golfed together at Capilano in the morning, then they flew to the Victoria Golf Club for another round in the afternoon. According to Jim, “Toni never forgot that, he just thought that it couldn’t get any better. 36 holes!”

*Don McQuaid teaching tricks during the Toni Sailer Summer Ski Camps in 1977. Alex Douglas Collection.*

The Toni Sailer Summer Ski Camps were ahead of their time and quickly began to offer four types of instruction – Advanced Racing, Intermediate and Novice Racing, Recreational and Freestyle. Along with Toni Sailer and Jim McConkey, personalised instruction was offered by internationally renowned skiers, including Nancy Greene Raine and Wayne Wong.

In 1984, ski racer, Crazy Canuck and former camper, Dave Murray took over the summer camps and they became known as the Atomic Dave Murray Whistler Summer Ski Camps. Campers continued to be coached by internationally renowned athletes, having a blast and creating lifelong memories. This continues today with Momentum Ski Camps on Blackcomb Glacier, run by Olympic skiers John and Julia Smart and their talented coaches.