Mention to someone that you’re going to Whistler for the weekend, and the responses you will no doubt get are guaranteed to include, “Nice”, “Dude, Whistler is so sick”, “I love it up there!”, “Can I come?”. All of those responses are exactly what makes Whistler so special.
Located just 2 hours away from Vancouver, it feels as though you’ve found a lost town in the middle of the forest. There’s something for everyone all year round. If you ski, snowboard, mountain bike, golf, hike, or party….you’ve no doubt heard of Whistler. If you haven’t heard of it, you will, Whistler plays partial host to the 2010 Olympic Games.
The winter is when Whistler/Blackcomb puts its best foot forward. Consistently ranked in the top 3 ski resorts in the world, W/B boasts the largest ski area in North America (8,171) which is 54% larger than its closest competitor. With 2 mountains of terrain to tackle, it’s entirely possible to ride 2 days, one on each mountain, and never hit the same run twice. There are gondolas and lifts galore, and although the lines are long at peak times, the staff keep things running smooth and orderly. The addition of the peak to peak is a huge advantage to the rider as you can now shred both hills without having to ride to the bottom. Each April Whistler plays host to the “Telus, World Ski and Snowboard Festival”, the biggest annual 10 day and night celebration of arts, sports, culture and music.
When the sun comes out to shine, whistler burns brighter. World-class mountain biking, top notch golf courses and even glacier riding for ski and snowboarders, just in case you didn’t get enough in the winter. For bikers there’s over 4,900 vertical feet of lift-serviced gravity fed, adrenaline fueled descending trails. Truly something for every skill of rider. For golfers, championship courses designed by the likes of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Robert Trent Jones Jr., provides a challenging round with breathtaking views throughout.
After a hard day of riding, biking, golfing, or just relaxing, this writer’s favourite thing to enjoy is the nightlife in Whistler. With locals being super low key and chill, it makes for a fun atmosphere no matter where you end up. With no less than 10 nightclubs within 5 minutes of each other, and even more world class restaurants, the party never stops. Located at the base of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountain Gondolas, the Longhorn Saloon has been the #1 après ski spot in town for over 25 years! Great Food from the grill, ice cold draught beer & DJ's spinning party tunes create a perfect ending to a day on the mountain, golf course, or bike park.
My advice: Get to Whistler, bike, snowboards, and golf in the same day, and experience all the Whistler/Blackcomb have to offer before world will in just 5 short months.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Progression
Progression [pruh-gresh-uh n] - the act of progressing; forward or onward movement.
10 years ago, who would’ve thought we’d ever see tricks so difficult being thrown like they were a simple ollie. Across all action sports, FMX, BMX, Snowboarding, Skateboarding, Surfing, etc., progression is the name of the game.
The most recognizable competition in action sports is clearly the X-Games. Each year someone in some discipline is making history.
1999 – After 29 attempts, Tony Hawk lands a 900 degree spin.
2002 – Mike Metzger lands the first back flip in Moto-X competition.
2002 – “The Condor” Matt Hoffman lands the first no handed 900 degree spin.
2003 – Brian Deegan lands the first 360 degree spin in Moto-X competition.
2003 – Ryan Sheckler wins gold at age 13. Becomes youngest X-games medalist ever.
2004 – Chuck Carothers pulls the first body varial in freestyle Moto-x.
2005 – Jamie Bestwick pulls the first ever double tailwhip flair in BMX vert.
2006 – Travis Pastrana lands the first double backflip.
2006 – Kevin Robinson lands the double flair.
2006 – Chad Kagy lands the first “flatwhip double tailwhip 540”.
2007 – Simon Tabron. First in X-Games history to pull back to back 900’s in BMX vert.
2008 – Jim Dechamp fails to land the front flip in FMX.
2009 – Anthony Napolitan lands the first ever double front flip on a bicycle.
2009 – Travis Pastrana fails to land the 720 degree spin in FMX.
2010 - ????????????????
Keep in mind…that’s just the summer sports. Even with the failed attempts at huge tricks, it shows just how far each discipline has come. These athletes are pushing so hard to further their sport, and do something that no one has seen or dreamed of before.
Leading the brigade on the snowboarding side of things is Travis Rice. It’s redundant when people say “oh snowboarding has progressed so much”, but that’s exactly what Travis is doing, he takes everything a little step further. He strives for perfection, and pushes the envelope in everything he does.
Taking that into account, Travis created a competition, “Quicksilver National Selection”. The contest in his own words is meant to bring snowboarding “back to its roots”. In this invitation only contest, 17 of the worlds best riders take to the slopes of Jackson Hole, Wyoming for an all mountain assault on fresh untracked pow. The likes of Bjorn Leines, Devun Walsh, Danny Kass, Andreas Wiig, and Rice himself make it the most pure snowboarding event around.
He followed that up, with the first every HD snowboarding movie, "That's It, That's All". TITA takes you on a powder fueled adrenaline rush through New Zealand, BC, Tokyo, Alaska, Jackson Hole, etc. TITA is filmed from angles never before seen, and boasts tricks, never before seen. It is truely the next generation snowboarding film.
Snowboarders have barely scratched the surface of a new era. With Mother Nature providing the canvas, these riders find new ways to paint it with their talent each year.
After all, isn’t that what sports are all about? Progressing yourself to heights you never though you could achieve?
10 years ago, who would’ve thought we’d ever see tricks so difficult being thrown like they were a simple ollie. Across all action sports, FMX, BMX, Snowboarding, Skateboarding, Surfing, etc., progression is the name of the game.
The most recognizable competition in action sports is clearly the X-Games. Each year someone in some discipline is making history.
1999 – After 29 attempts, Tony Hawk lands a 900 degree spin.
2002 – Mike Metzger lands the first back flip in Moto-X competition.
2002 – “The Condor” Matt Hoffman lands the first no handed 900 degree spin.
2003 – Brian Deegan lands the first 360 degree spin in Moto-X competition.
2003 – Ryan Sheckler wins gold at age 13. Becomes youngest X-games medalist ever.
2004 – Chuck Carothers pulls the first body varial in freestyle Moto-x.
2005 – Jamie Bestwick pulls the first ever double tailwhip flair in BMX vert.
2006 – Travis Pastrana lands the first double backflip.
2006 – Kevin Robinson lands the double flair.
2006 – Chad Kagy lands the first “flatwhip double tailwhip 540”.
2007 – Simon Tabron. First in X-Games history to pull back to back 900’s in BMX vert.
2008 – Jim Dechamp fails to land the front flip in FMX.
2009 – Anthony Napolitan lands the first ever double front flip on a bicycle.
2009 – Travis Pastrana fails to land the 720 degree spin in FMX.
2010 - ????????????????
Keep in mind…that’s just the summer sports. Even with the failed attempts at huge tricks, it shows just how far each discipline has come. These athletes are pushing so hard to further their sport, and do something that no one has seen or dreamed of before.
Leading the brigade on the snowboarding side of things is Travis Rice. It’s redundant when people say “oh snowboarding has progressed so much”, but that’s exactly what Travis is doing, he takes everything a little step further. He strives for perfection, and pushes the envelope in everything he does.
Taking that into account, Travis created a competition, “Quicksilver National Selection”. The contest in his own words is meant to bring snowboarding “back to its roots”. In this invitation only contest, 17 of the worlds best riders take to the slopes of Jackson Hole, Wyoming for an all mountain assault on fresh untracked pow. The likes of Bjorn Leines, Devun Walsh, Danny Kass, Andreas Wiig, and Rice himself make it the most pure snowboarding event around.
He followed that up, with the first every HD snowboarding movie, "That's It, That's All". TITA takes you on a powder fueled adrenaline rush through New Zealand, BC, Tokyo, Alaska, Jackson Hole, etc. TITA is filmed from angles never before seen, and boasts tricks, never before seen. It is truely the next generation snowboarding film.
Snowboarders have barely scratched the surface of a new era. With Mother Nature providing the canvas, these riders find new ways to paint it with their talent each year.
After all, isn’t that what sports are all about? Progressing yourself to heights you never though you could achieve?
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