The appearance of snowboarders on the slopes in the late 1980s caused a stir in the Whistler community. Though it was not all sunshine and rainbows at the start, the new “youthful” sport persisted and changed the resort landscape. The Whistler Museum’s latest temporary exhibit, Off the Lip: The Rise of Snowboarding in Whistler, digs into […][...]
The natural terrain features, beginning of boardercross, and the early adoption of a terrain park all helped cement Whistler’s important place in snowboard history. The early snowboard shops in Whistler were also important for supporting local snowboarders and the growing sport. The first snowboard shop to open in Whistler, known simply as the Snoboard Shop, […][...]
Blackcomb Mountain opened for snowboarders in the 87/88 season. While it would take Whistler another year to start embracing snowboard culture, Blackcomb was generally supportive of the ‘knuckle-draggers’ thanks to the persistence and passion of a few snowboarders on staff and in the community. Additionally, Hugh Smythe could see the strategic benefits of welcoming a […][...]
Despite skiers and snowboarders charging down the mountain together today, there was a time when single-plankers were strictly not allowed. Skier complaints and safety concerns resulted in both Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain remaining closed to snowboarders until the late 80s. Snowboarders were forced to ride smaller undeveloped hills, head to the backcountry, or hike […][...]