Tag: Nello Busdon

(Nordic) Ski Racing in 1980(Nordic) Ski Racing in 1980

February 6, 2024 Whistler Museum 0 Comments

While the Alta Lake Sports Club (ALSC) was founded in 1975 to “organize and encourage participation in outdoor sports at all levels of ability in the Whistler area and beyond,” in the winter months the ALSC was all about cross country skiing. Members organized events in Whistler and competed in races with other clubs around the province, although they got off to a rocky start in the winter of 1976/77 when a particularly mild winter forced one event after another to be cancelled or moved to Manning Park. By 1980, however, the ALSC was consistently hosting multiple races each season and the first few months of the year were busy ones for the members.

In January 1980, members of the ALSC travelled to 100 Mile House to take part in the Cariboo Marathon, a 50km race with 1,500 competitors that took place in “extremely cold” and “frigid” temperatures according to the report in the Whistler Question. The ALSC was well represented in the women’s division of the Marathon, with members Joan McGrath, Loreen Barnett and Betty Ann Hopner taking first, second and fourth places. Catherine Gaarder and Jenny Busdon, both ALSC members, provided a picture-perfect finish after meeting at the 15km mark and cross the finish line with their hands together after 5 hours and 10 minutes.

Competitors cross the bridge during the ALSC and Labatt’s annual meet. Whistler Question Collection, 1980

ALSC members did not far so well in the men’s division, where the Finlandia Club from Vancouver swept the first five spots. Some members were out with injuries or working out of the country while others ran into difficulties during the race. Al Fisher, the ALSC coach, ended up in the trees around the 20km mark, was knocked unconscious, broke his nose, recovered, and made it to the finish line in 13th place. Both he and Nello Busdon ended up at the hospital with frostbite.

On February 10, the ALSC and Labatt’s hosted their annual meet on the trails around Lost Lake with a 25km course for racers and a 12km course for tourers and “youngsters.” The ALSC was well represented in both divisions this time, with McGrath again coming first in her category and Dan McDonald placing third in his, behind two members of the Finlandia Club.

Later that month, ALSC members competed at the BC Championship Cross-Country Ski Meet held in Manning Park, where they came second in the 3x5km relay (coming in just behind the Finlandia Club team).

Kauko Puscnius of the Finlandia Club receives his first place medal from Al Fisher as Labatt’s Terry Burns looks on. Whistler Question Collection, 1980

The last big race that year for the ALSC was the 4th Annual Fischer Cup, again held around Lost Lake. The rain and warm weather before the race had some members wondering if the race would go ahead, but according to Jenny Busdon, “We are an optimistic bunch and one thing our Club never does is give up!” The race director Jim Bishop took three days off from his work in the city and spent two days shovelling with other members to build a new course that eliminated previous problem areas that caused “scenes of absolute bedlam” whenever one skier went down. In the end, the 15km course was in “fantastic” condition for the race.

A skier comes down water tower hill in the Fischer Cup. Whistler Question Collection, 1980

At this last race of the season, McDonald took first, finally coming ahead of the “seemingly unbeatable Finns.” The event also included an elementary age race where new ALSC skiers, some of whom had only tried the sport a few times before, got a taste of competition over 5km.

The Fischer Cup was followed by a medals ceremony, prizes from Fischer, Labatt’s, Andres Wine, the Highland Lodge, and Molson, and a dance at the school, where the social aspects of belonging to a club took precedence over the competition.

Through the 1980s, the ALSC hosted fewer skiing events as the newly formed Whistler Nordic Ski Club grew. Last night (Monday, February 5) we had a great time learning about Nordic skiing and the Whistler Nordic Ski Club from Tom Barratt, Keith Bennett and Stephanie Sloan and heard some amazing stories. Thank you to everyone who came out to our first Speaker Series of 2024 and we hope to see you at our next events!

Rudi’s Famous StrudelRudi’s Famous Strudel

October 4, 2022 Whistler Museum 0 Comments

In Whistler today you have your pick of restaurants catering to all tastes, including many fine dining options. Unsurprisingly, the options were more limited in 1970 when Rudi and Merrilyn Hofmann’s Mountain Holm Steakhouse opened at Nesters. Later known simply as Rudi’s Steakhouse, it was an instant favourite often requiring reservations weeks in advance.

Rudi had trained as a chef in his home country of Germany and got his start in Whistler in 1969, working as the head chef at the Christiana Inn. In an interview with the Whistler Question, Rudi said, “When I was at the Christiana, I quadrupled the turnover. I was just serving different food than they were used to. In those days the general fare in ski areas was hotdogs, hamburgers, chilli.” At the time the Christiana Inn and L’Après were the main restaurants in Whistler. Seeing that there was a market in Whistler for finer dining, Rudi set out to start his own restaurant. He purchased Tony’s Hamburger Heaven, a late night eatery running out of a former Pacific Great Eastern railway tool shed, and the rest is history.

*While it may not look like much from the outside, Rudi’s Steakhouse was the venue of choice for a fancy meal. Whistler Question Collection.*

With appetisers including escargot, goose liver pate, prawns and scallops (’Coquilles Saint Jacques a la Parisienne’) all for under $6 a dish, flipping through a menu is likely to make anyone long for restaurant prices from the 1986 as their mouth begins to water (and when Rudi first opened in 1970 the prices were even lower). The main dishes include additional information to help diners choose. The 8 oz. Filet Mignon Par Excellence includes the claim, ‘You can cut it with a fork!’.

*Nello and Jenny Busdon pose for promotional photos in Rudi’s Steakhouse with owner and chef Rudi Hofmann. Greg Griffith Collection.*

With loyal customers returning again and again, Rudi’s became the venue of choice for wining and dining. Franz Wilhelmsen, President and Founder of Garibaldi Lift Co., could often be spotted in the Steakhouse. He did not hold back his praise for Rudi’s, saying, “I don’t think I ever had better food anywhere in the whole world.” It was a regular venue for events including the weekly Rotary Club meetings and birthdays, and they would hold an annual traditional European Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve, featuring goose, dumplings and homemade Christmas pudding.

The glowing reviews were global. According to the August 1972 issue of Ski Magazine, ‘While Whistler’s nightlife would rate three on a one-to-one hundred scale, its feeding potential would rate about 92. The main reason is the Mountain Holm Steakhouse, known as Rudi’s because of its bearded proprietor, a master chef from Germany. Rustic, warm, personal; magnificent beef for $6.’ To cater to the demand, Rudi’s was renovated in 1974 to expand the lower seating area and increase the kitchen space, yet the 60 seat restaurant still filled up.

*Rudi’s Steakhouse closing party in 1986, featuring left to right – Don and Isobel MacLaurin, Rudi Hofmann, Franz and Annette Wilhelmsen. Petersen Collection.*

It has been argued that Rudi’s was more about dessert than dinner. Former local Bob Penner said in an oral history interview, “Rudi wasn’t famous for steak, he was famous for strudel. That was his undoing. The strudel came off of Rudi’s strudel press on Thursdays, and anyone who knew anything in the Valley was lining up on Thursdays to buy Rudi’s strudel. Rudi believed to have a good strudel you had to be able to read a newspaper through it and if it had any breaks he went into an absolute tirade.”

Despite the rave reviews, Rudi was unsuccessful selling the restaurant in 1977, and instead leased the building. This led to a rotating door of restaurants in the space – Vallee Blanche, Madame’s, Le Chalet. Eventually Rudi’s opened back up in 1984 to the excitement of Whistler locals, however, the changing times were hard on Rudi’s Steakhouse. The new town centre kept tourists in Whistler Village and increased competition, and the downturn in the economy meant fewer people were eating out. Rudi’s closed for good in 1986 but is still remembered fondly throughout the community.

*Rudi’s was burnt for fire practice after closing in 1986. The next year Nesters Market opened on the same site. Whistler Question Collection.*

This Week in Photos

This Week in Photos: February 8This Week in Photos: February 8

February 8, 2018 Whistler Museum 2 Comments

You might have noticed that while the Whistler Question Collection covers the years 1978 – 1985 not all years are shown in This Week in Photos. The simple explanation is that the photos for some weeks are missing, damaged or in the possession of the photographer. We’re looking forward to April when we can start sharing more photos of 1978 and 1984!