Tag: Whistler history

Icons Gone — brought back centre-stage!

Icons Gone — brought back centre-stage!Icons Gone — brought back centre-stage!

April 14, 2026 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

Featured Image: Keven “Big Kev” Mickelsen presents at last year’s Icon Gone. Whistler Museum Collection.

It could be argued that a signpost or a benchmark of a town’s maturity can be tabulated by how many significant symbols/things/happenings/elements-uniquely-local that have come to be associated with it, can now be referred to in the past tense… measuring a community’s forward trajectory by its ‘icons gone’.

Lamenting the legacy of legends-left-behind is the focus of next week’s ‘ICON GONE’ event put on by the Whistler Museum at the Maury Young Arts Centre/Millenium Place. The event began in 2008 and ran for many years up until 2013. It was resurrected last year with yet another all-star cast.

In a lively evening of friendly competition (tinged with debaucherous debate…it is, after all, 19+), six notable locals will take to the stage and argue for what they think is the largest loss in the landmark of Whistler-specific icons. The audience (through applause-and-yell-o-metre) along with a panel of equally notable judges will crown a champion. Nudity was the winner of last year’s debate. Citta’ (pronounced Cheetah’s, for those who don’t know), the runner up.

This year’s panel promises to deliver on all levels, covering the extremes from the raunchy to the contemplatively serious. Past topics have included everything from Fixed-Grip Chair Lifts to A-Frames, Squatters Cabins to The Boot Pub, the Passenger Train and Toonie Races to the Toad Hall Poster; from the Snow, Water, Earth Race to the Party Barge, Mountain Man Beards to Beavers. Gravity – as a topic, as a subject — even won one year.

The purpose of the evening is two, even three-fold. Undeniably, entertainment and community-fun are a major focus. However, the event also serves as a way to highlight the Museum’s local archive – and remind people of its absolute essential relevance. Through the eyes of the present we are given tools to reflect upon our past. ICON GONE serves to illustrate the value of preserving our stories, our legacies, our legends and some of the many ways which we can keep them alive. Humour is one of them, a method of honour. The archive is not a dusty, musty collection – it is active, vital and alive – infused only by our present perspectives.

In a December 5, 2025 editorial titled ‘Who remembers Whistler?’ Pique Newsmagazine editor Braden Dupuis deftly articulated the value of the Museum. ICON GONE offers the opportunity to showcase Dupuis’ points, worth repeating anew:

“If we don’t invest in institutions that collect, preserve, archive, and explain, we lose more than objects and photographs. We lose context. Identity. A sense of place beyond postcards and ski packages.

Left unchecked, the version of “Whistler history” that remains will be curated by marketing budgets: sleek, sanitized and built for outside consumption. It’s cultural erasure in its most casual, passive form.

[…]

By preserving history, we don’t resist change, we anchor it in respect. We ensure Whistler doesn’t forget it is more than a ski-lift and slopes, a playground for the rich or an ATM for faceless corporations—that it is a real community built by people, labour and continuity.”

In the spirit of continuity – through raucous reverence — let us celebrate the cornerstones of this community…

On Friday, April 17 – at 7:00 pm – join judges Ace MacKay-Smith, Julia Murray and Brandon Barrett as together we applaud debaters Feet Banks, Princess Stephanie, Stinky, Laugh Out Live’s Rebecca Mason, — and — as they set to historically hammer home their iconic topic of choice!

For more information and Tickets, please visit www.whistlermuseum.org

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Broads on Board: Broadening the Sport, Part II

Broads on Board: Broadening the Sport, Part IIBroads on Board: Broadening the Sport, Part II

April 6, 2026 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

Featured Image: L – R: Punchy, Nes and Jibber / Photographer Credits: INISIGHT Collection, Shannon Doohan; Dagan Beach; Rich Glass

This article continues on from last week’s first installment featuring the reflections of three pioneering women from the early ‘golden age of snowboarding’ – ‘Punchy’ (Sherry [Newstead] Boyd), ‘Nes’ (Vanessa Stark) and ‘Jibber’ (Jennifer Godbout) – on the progression and progress of the sport, of the culture. These three ladies are all still making their respective marks and all helped carve a track for girls to come.

Punchy — a former member of the National Team, Alpine Dispatch worker and snowboarding stuntwoman for film — recalls “I actually had an older gentleman [skier] chase me down and come up to me as though he was going to assault me. And then I took off my goggles […] to show him that I was a girl. And he stopped. I said, ‘are you going to assault me?’”

In the beginning, there was no women-specific gear. No boards, no boots, no nothing. “I’d just wear extra socks,” smiles Jibber – former snowboarding coach and current member of Whistler Search and Rescue and backcountry split-board guide.  Suited up, girls were often assumed to be boys.

“I’ve been whipped by poles. But as soon as I’ve like turned around and they found out I was a girl, they were like, oh my God…,” Jibber recalls. Not only were these women navigating their way through the ‘Boys’ Club’ of their own sport, they were also manoeuvring through the initial tensions of ‘skiers versus snowboarders’ on the slopes.

Punchy reflects on past workplace dynamics where she was blacklisted for being a snowboarder, where it was insinuated and continuously affirmed: “you’re one of them and you are not welcome here.”

Nes — the first female to ever do ‘Air Jordan’ on a board, celebrated visual artist and former snowboard Park Ranger — inserts: “Even now, I ride the gondola and parents will be like, ‘Oh, don’t talk to them, they’re snowboarders!’”

Jibber suggests that a pivoting point for the culture of snowboarding has been parenting: “I think there’s a lot of dads that now have daughters that are competing. And I think that is the huge difference because all of a sudden they’re like, ‘well, my daughter deserves an opportunity.’ No shit, she does. … It’s different now that you have a daughter, eh? Treat them differently, eh? I mean, people have grown up, too. And everything is different. But I also remember.”

And remembering is key. Learning from our histories – and her-stories – are what help us collectively shape our futures.

And it also important to note that the under – or mis-representation of women – is not exclusive to snowboarding. It was, arguably, a pervasive social practice of the time that females (and males) are still trying to overcome. “Women in business, women in all sports, like it didn’t matter the sport, we were all experiencing that same thing,” comments Jibber.

But things are changing. For the better. Much better. Way better.

Punchy, now married to World Cup Ski Race Winner Rob Boyd, recalls “as much as snowboarders always got a bad rap from the uptight skiers, they very much cared for their own. There was a lot of love, a lot of camaraderie.”

And it’s that continued love and admiration that shines through, as these trailblazing women all beam with pride at the upcoming generation of female snow (and skate!) boarding go-getters, carving their own unique courses. Local names like Leanne Pelosi with her Full Moon Film and associated community of projects, the initiatives of Marie-France Roy, Jess Kumera’s The Uninvited film series and the work of the Real Wild Kittens and but a few of the many groundbreaking initiatives spearheaded by women: pioneering powerhouse pivots in the sport embracing multi-facetted inclusion.

Jibber comments on how she wanted to “make a deeper, broader path for the women behind me. And then I hope they do the same. And that’s always something that I really believed in is that you pay it forward.” And the notion of caring for ones’ own is clearly being evidenced in the sport, in the culture. She continues, “I think there’s a lot of incredible women who are forging forward. They’re just stomping down that path and making it better for the generation behind them.”

As Punchy urges: “don’t ever discount yourself. Believe that you are capable.” And that’s exactly what the gals are proving (still and again!)

*

The Museum is hosting an exciting Speakers Series ‘Recording the Scene: The POWerful History of Local Snowboard Documentation’ with an all-star cast on April 13, 7:00 pm. Purchase tickets through www.whistlermuseum.org.

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The Dual Mountain Duel: 7th Heaven and Peak Chair

The Dual Mountain Duel: 7th Heaven and Peak ChairThe Dual Mountain Duel: 7th Heaven and Peak Chair

January 20, 2026 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

Top Image: Skiers atop Whistler Peak. 1990s. Griffith Collection.

This week marks the 60th anniversary of Whistler Mountain’s opening. Blackcomb Mountain opened in 1980. Whistler’s runs were designed more to side-run the mountain, whereas Blackcomb’s followed more of the fall lines. 

Up until 1997, the two mountains operated separately. There was, however, a Dual Mountain Pass that could be purchased, granting access to both mountains. The pass was one of the only points of collaboration between the two competitors, whose rivalry was best showcased in their alpine lift duel.

In 1985, Blackcomb installed the 7th Heaven T-Bar: at the time, becoming the continent’s first, and only, “Mile High Mountain.” A vast amount of new terrain was opened up by this development – expansive glacial access and four powder bowls – extending Blackcomb’s skiable area by almost two-thirds. The significant upgrade served to dispel its previous uniformity in design. Skiers now could  travel down runs covering 1160 acres, a substantial increase over the previous 420. 

The alpine world had been opened up. 

The mid-1980s, short-lived 7th Heaven T-Bar. Griffith Collection.

A young Mike Douglas (“Godfather of Freeskiing”, filmmaker and founder of the Canadian chapter of Protect Our Winters) described the experience of arriving at the top of 7th Heaven as being “dropped off at the edge of the world.” Nancy Greene (Olympic gold medalist voted Canada’s Female Athlete of the 20th Century) declared “The enormous variety of slopes and spectacular views are unequalled in North America.” In the forefront of those views was Whistler Mountain. 

Whistler responded by countering a year later with the opening of the Peak Chair, a three-seater, one kilometre long lift depositing people just beneath the summit of the mountain at 2182 metres. The bar had literally just been raised (in every sense of the word!), one upping Blackcomb in the process.

Peak Chair was initially restricted to just advanced skiers. Snowboarders, at this time, were still not welcome on the mountain. 

Whistler’s original Peak Chair. Griffith collection.

Challenging, cliffed, corniced and steep terrain characterized the area off the peak. Glaciated bowls and bouldered outcrops earmarked the summit’s geologic geography; whereas, its demography was being populated by seekers-of-skiing’s-extreme.

Blackcomb was not to be outdone. Riding 7th Heaven, arguably, remains the pinnacle of the Blackcomb experience.  The following year, in 1987, 7th Heaven Express opened, replacing the two-year existence of the T-bar. The new four person chair, running along a longer and new lift line is the same one in operation today. Much like the Peak Chair, only skiers were permitted, when both first opened. 

Blackcomb was the first to welcome snowboarders in 1988/89. Whistler followed suit; however, in this case, the mountain was much more reluctant to follow this trend, only opening their slopes to shredders a full year later.

In 1996, the two mountains joined forces, merging under the banner ‘Whistler Blackcomb.’ Continuing the streak of earning international accolades, the united front earned the Number One spot in SKIING Magazine’s ranking of the ‘Top 25 Resorts in North America’ (Tourism Whistler, 2019).

Two years later, Whistler further upgraded access to its alpine summit, with the unveiling of the four-seater, Peak Express. This same high speed, detachable chairlift remains in operation today.

And every morning, the eager and the energetic mingle and gather at the bases of 7th Heaven and Peak Express, awaiting Ski Patrol to finish their avalanche clearance protocols, in a bid to carve fresh tracks through unparalleled terrain.
The duel of the dual mountains – the rivalry of lifts and runs –  may have ended on a financial and marketing level, but preferences ran – and still run – strong between slope-sliders and stylers  as to which side of the mountain they prefer… along with their preferred method of flying down their chosen hill!

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The original Black Tusk Snowmobile Club

The original Black Tusk Snowmobile ClubThe original Black Tusk Snowmobile Club

January 13, 2026 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

Feature Image: Snowmobilers take a break in front of Black Tusk. Judging by the sleds, this is probably from the early 1970s: however, unfortunately we do not have any details about this archival photograph.

This year 60 is a big number. 

Whistler Mountain is celebrating its ‘diamond jubilee’. 

Another sixtieth anniversary of note is the formation of the first local snowmobile club, on the opposite shores of Alta Lake.

The inaugural meet-up and race of the lower mainland-based BC Snow Vehicle Association was also held on Alta Lake, at the end of January, sixty years ago. 23 people competed in the event and the winner of the 20 gate, large machine slalom course was won by local Dick Fairhurst: completing the run in a whopping 39.9 seconds.

Dick Fairhurst was one of the ‘westside gang’ – a band of early residents – who called themselves the Black Tusk Snowmobile Club. The club (whose numbers are hard to confirm) would venture out and among the surrounding peaks, including Rainbow, Sproatt and up into the Callaghan. 

From R-L, Dick Fairhurst, Gray Mitchell, Stephan Ples, and Don Gow take a break on Callaghan Lake, March 1970. The entire upper Callaghan Valley, including Callaghan Lake, is now a non-motorized zone to avoid conflicts with backcountry and nordic skiers.

Dick – a logger and trapper of Cypress Lodge fame (now the site of the Point Artist-Run-Centre) and creator of the valley’s first ski ‘tow rope’ in 1960 – was one of the three founding members of the snowmobile club, along with Don Gow and Glen Creelman. Together, the three became the area’s first distributors of Bombardier Ski-Doos.

Don Gow moved here in 1955. He stayed and was the station agent at Alta Lake for four years, up until the train’s scheduled stop (in operation since 1914) was demoted to simply a ‘flagstop’ in 1959. However, the area’s appeal and pull was strong, and Don returned to Alta Lake in 1965 (along with his wife, who became the postmaster and their two children). They lived here until 1975.

Glen Creelman was a microwave technician. In 1957, BC Telephone Co. installed a double copper line around Alta Lake. Glen was responsible for establishing an open circuit/party line – linking lodges and homes with this new thread of communication. One was able to lift the receiver of the old crank telephones and listen in on your neighbour’s conversations. 

And surely, at that time, part of the talk of the town was the growing popularity and access to motorized sleds…

From up the Callaghan Valley. Fairhurst Collection.

Bombardier pioneered the development of the snowmobile. In 1966 – the year the Black Tusk club was formed; the year Dick won the inaugural BC Snow Vehicle Association race; and the year Don, Glen and Dick began selling the machines to the Alta Lake Community – the Canadian company released a line of three machines with “new, super slick styling.” The models included the ‘New Alpine,’ the ‘Olympique’ and the ‘Super Olympique.’ The latter was what Dick won the race on. The 250 lb machine had a roller chain in oil bath drive, the patented Bombardier track and was 2.36 metres in length. It was also bright yellow. 

Dick Fairhurst with sled-groms in front of Cypress Lodge (now The Point Artist Run-Centre) — on a neighbour’s sled, Ron Dent’s “Dentmobile” in 1965.
Fairhurst Collection.

Snowmobiling – or sledding, as it is more colloquially referred – remains as popular as ever as a thrill-seeking, backcountry sport. Handling has been honed and the horsepower hiked… but the same spirit seeking freedom, fast movement and further access prevails.  

Not all who sled are members of a club, but other regional groups now exist. The Powder Mountain Snowmobile Club has been operating since 1990. The Pemberton Valley Snowmobile Club was officially incorporated in 2000, but sledding stories in the area far precede that date, too. 

As for the Black Tusk Snowmobile Club, it ‘still’ exists, however its base now operates out of the Brohm Ridge former ‘Rat-Pack’ chalets. This particular incarnation of the club dates their inception to 1971. Records of how the Alta Lake-based group either entirely dissolved or transitioned to the current location are perhaps best described as being frozen in two-stroke time…

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