Tag: World Cup

Whistler’s Women’s World Cup DownhillWhistler’s Women’s World Cup Downhill

February 20, 2024 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

Though Whistler began hosting World Cup downhill races in 1982 (or earlier, depending on how you look at it), in early 1994 Whistler was preparing to host its first Women’s World Cup Downhill on March 5 & 6, followed a week later by a Men’s World Cup downhill and Super G. While there had been previous Women’s World Cup races held on Whistler Mountain in the 1970s, the downhill races had been cancelled due to weather, though the GS races had gone ahead.

In January, volunteers were still being recruited to join the ranks of veteran Weasel Workers and it was expected that they would start setting up the course on Dave Murray Downhill by the end of the month. According to the Whistler Question, the Dave Murray Downhill course was considered “one of a few ‘classic’ downhill courses” with jumps, flats, drop-offs, high speed turns and more. Some changes had been made to the course in 1992 to make it more exciting for racers and more accessible for fans, including the addition of two off-camber turns below Coaches Corner and the Hot Air Jump.

Weasel Worker Dean Fletcher prepares for the World Cup. Whistler Question Collection, 1994

As in many years, the weather was a popular topic in the lead up to the World Cup races and many people were concerned about whether the races would be able to go ahead. January 1994 was unseasonably warm, prompting the Question to ask readers “Is the recent warm weather giving you spring fever?” By the beginning of February, Whistler Mountain had to announce changes to the Peak to Valley race course because there was not enough snow to ski down to the valley. Instead, the start of the race was moved higher up to just below the Saddle entrance to the Glacier Bowl and the course was shortened.

Worries about the snow were eased on February 9, 1994 when 28cm fell overnight. According to a report from Bonny Makarewicz, “Skiers and merchants woke up with smiles on their faces as the countdown to the World Cup has begun in earnest.” The snow continued to fall and by the end of February the mountains had received nine feet of snow in nine days. At the beginning of March, however, the weather had turned again and planned training runs for the inaugural Warsteiner Women’s World Cup races were canceled. When team captains examined the course on March 2, they found that the snow was too soft to be safe for training runs and volunteer crews were scheduled to work all day to re-anchor nets and fences that had been left unsecured after the course lost 40cm of snow overnight.

Despite poor conditions, chief of race Joan Giannelli remained optimistic. The rest of her leadership team (which included Nancy Greene as race chair, Michelle Brown, Andrée Janyk in charge of gatekeepers, and Brenda Oaks as chief of timing) agreed and their optimism was rewarded. Training runs were held on Friday, March 4 and the race was able to go ahead on the weekend. Katja Seizinger of Germany placed first, followed by Pernilla Wiberg of Sweden and Michelle Ruthven of Canada.

Ben Ardet, Brenda Oakes, and Louis Sohar take shelter from the rain in a makeshift cover on the Dave Murray World Cup Downhill Course. Whistler Question Collection, 1994

World Cup events in Whistler included more than just the races. The Kokanee Rock N’ Ski Party featured eight different bands performing on the bar circuit and the Whistler Village Art Gallery featured works of BC sports artists Dale Cooper, Brent Lynch and Ken Wesman in the second annual World Cup Show. Other newsworthy events that took place during the World Cup races included the announcement by Canadian racer Kerrin Lee-Gartner of her retirement and the gathering of Canada’s Olympic and World Downhill gold medalists at a benefit dinner for the Whistler Health Care Centre.

Canada’s Michelle Ruthven, Germany’s Katja Seizenger and Sweden’s Pernilla Wiberg share the podium after Whistler’s first Women’s World Cup Downhill race on Saturday. Whistler Question Collection, Doug Alexander

Despite continued uncertain weather, the Men’s World Cup Downhill and Super G races were also able to ahead the following week and the 1994 World Cup in Whistler was considered a success. However, while the Men’s World Cup races did return in February 1995, the Women’s World Cup did not and the Canadian stop of the tour was moved to December in Lake Louise.

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1984: The Molson World Downhill1984: The Molson World Downhill

February 28, 2023 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

When Whistler held its first World Cup Downhill race in 1982, the course ran from the top of the Black and Orange Chairs, down through the Double Trouble rollers, the Pony Trail Flats, Tokum Corner, the Elevator Shaft and across Crabapple Creek to the finish line in view of the recently completed Whistler Village. This was, however, the only World Downhill to run this course and in 1984 the course returned to the south side of Whistler Mountain.

Spectators walk down to the Whistler Village from the 1982 World Downhill course. Whistler Question Collection, 1982.

The race in 1984 followed the same course as had been planned for the World Downhill in 1979. It began near the top of the Orange Chair, coming down the run now known as Dave Murray Downhill and ending above today’s Creekside area. The course was prepared by hundreds of Weasel Workers, volunteers who bootpacked, slide-slipped and carefully maintained the race surface, as well as working the course during training runs and the race itself.

Spectators watch from the side of the 1984 course prepared by the Weasel Workers. Whistler Question Collection, 1984.

Spectators were encouraged to come and watch at both the race itself on March 11 and at the training races in the preceding days. Winterfest offered a VIP viewing experience for Winterfest patrons, who were flown by helicopter to a prime viewing location on the mountain where they could enjoy a champagne brunch before being flown back down to the valley. For those who didn’t have a spare $1,000 to become a patron, organizers printed a guide to viewing locations along the course. From Double Trouble near the top of the course, spectators could expect to see racers come down the starting pitch and tuck before disappearing beyond Toilet Bowl. Racers could be going pretty fast at the Weasel and spectators watching from the finish could see the racers push themselves to make up any lost time. Highly recommended was Coach’s Corner with a sharp turn and a section requiring good technical skiers.

A helicopter approaches the VIP viewing area and brunch. Whistler Question Collection, 1984.

Whistler was the last stop for the 1984 World Downhill. This meant that by the time the World Cup came to town and Winterfest began many of the racers were well known even to those who didn’t usually follow the circuit. Franz Klammer of Austria and Crazy Canuck Steve Podborski were fan favourites, especially as this was to be Podborski’s final race before retiring at the end of the season. On March 11, however, it was the American skier Bill Johnson who came in first. This was the third World Downhill win for Johnson, who had also taken gold at the 1984 Olympic Winter Games in Sarajevo.

American racer Bill Johnson holds up his trophy at the awards ceremony. Whistler Question Collection, 1984.

According to the Whistler Question, the race was a success “in terms of excitement and technical difficulty,” though the start was postponed twice due to fog. Some of the top skiers of the season didn’t finish the race, including Ermin Resch of Austria who had a serious fall but still came in second in the overall downhill standings. The top Canadian results came from Todd Brooker, who finished fourth, and Podborski in fifth. This race also marked the end of local skier Rob Boyd’s first World Downhill season.

While the course in 1982 drew complaints from some racers, reactions to the 1984 race and surrounding events were mostly positive, although the snow did soften throughout Sunday, making for some tough conditions for those later in the line up and reports of the race admonished spectators who chose to boo Johnson at the finish. Nonetheless, hundreds gathered in Mountain Square to cheer for the racers at the official ceremony. Joey Lavigne, the Canadian Men’s Downhill coach, even told Winterfest organizer Tony Formby that “Whistler had the best run event on the whole 10-race World Cup downhill circuit.”

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Remembering Whistler’s Downhill World CupsRemembering Whistler’s Downhill World Cups

March 26, 2019 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

This year marks a few important anniversaries for ski racing on Whistler Mountain: it has been 40 years since the ski hill almost hosted the World Cup in 1979 before it was cancelled due to weather and safety concerns, and it is 30 years since Rob Boyd became the first Canadian male to win a World Cup downhill event on Canadian soil.

Local boy Rob Boyd atop the podium, 25 February 1989. Photo: Greg Griffith/WMAS.

Whistler Mountain also held other successful World Cup events in the 1980s and ’90s starting with a World Cup downhill in 1982.

By the last week of February 1982, Whistler had undergone some major changes since a World Cup was last attempted in 1979.  Blackcomb Mountain opened for skiing in 1980, giving Whistler Mountain nearby competition, and the first phase of Whistler Village construction was, for the most part, wrapped up.

The course for this World Cup downhill was changed as well.  Rather than follow the traditional route that used what is now known as Dave Murray Downhill ending in Creekside, the 1982 course ended in Whistler Village.

The Molson World Downhill came to Whistler, bringing thousands of spectators along with it.  Whistler Question Collection, 1982.

The new 3,810-metre course was expected to result in a winning time in the two-minutes-and-15-seconds range.  Racers began near the top of the Black and Orange Chairs and then headed down through the Double Trouble rollers, the Pony Trail Flats, Tokum Corner, the Elevator Shaft, across Crabapple Creek and to the finish line in view of the spectators waiting in the village.

There was more to Whistler’s 1982 World Cup than raceday on Saturday.  The opening ceremonies began the festivities on Wednesday, February 24 and included a parade of nations complete with flags and local dignitaries.  The following evening was Western Night.  The scheduled events included a display of logger sports such as axe-throwing and chainsaw demonstrations and a square-dancing demonstration for the national teams.  The Lil’wat Nation also hosted an outdoor salmon barbecue.  The Friday evening before the race was a more casual affair with a torchlight ski parade and fireworks display.

A torchlight parade makes its way down Whistler Mountain.  Whistler Question Collection, 1982.

According to The Vancouver Sun, prior to Saturday the weather was “the most-discussed element of the whole affair.”  Days of fog and fresh snow leading up to the race meant great conditions for those skiing on the rest of Whistler Mountain but these conditions weren’t great for training runs, causing delays and cancelled practices.  Luckily, on Saturday and weather cooperated and, for the first time on Whistler, the World Cup downhill could go ahead.

Going into the race, the two racers to watch were thought to be Steve Podborski of the Crazy Canucks and Austrian Harti Weirather, the 1981 World Cup downhill champion.  The race was, however, won by Swiss skier Peter Mueller, a two-time World Cup downhill champion (the 1982 season ended with a tie for the title between Mueller and Podborski).

At the awards ceremony after the race on Saturday, the cheers for Mueller were reported to be just as loud as those for the Crazy Canucks.  Mueller appeared to enjoy his second trip to Whistler, having first come to the valley one a five-week camping tour of Western Canada in the 1970s.  When speaking of the area’s hospitality, he told reporters that, “The people here are so friendly.  They come up to me and say, ‘Hi Pete,’ even if they don’t know me.  I would really like to come back here.”

Whistler’s 1982 World Cup was not an unqualified success to everyone.  According to Doug Sack in Whistler Magazine some teams “loathed the new course.”  It ended too slowly, passing over the flats of Lower Olympic, and one Austrian was even heard to say “I should have brought my cross-country skis with me.”

Whistler Mountain hosted more World Cup downhills after 1982, using the Dave Murray Downhill course.  If you’re interested in learning more about Whistler’s World Cups and what it takes to organize and pull off such an event, join us at the Whistler Museum for our next Speaker Series on Thursday, March 29 with guests Rob Boyd and Alex Kleinman.

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Whistler’s World CupsWhistler’s World Cups

March 21, 2019 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

Whistler’s first World Cup was set to be held on Whistler Mountain in 1979 and in the past four decades Whistler has gone on to host many high profile events, including Rob Boyd’s win in 1989.  We’ll be hearing about what went into putting on these races, what it was like to experience the multi-day events and how one run became a celebrated moment in our town’s history with guests including Boyd and Alex Kleinman.

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