Story Ideas
Countdown to 2010
NEW EVENT FOR 2010: WHAT IS SKIER CROSS/SNOWBOARD CROSS?
Snowboard cross was created by Steven Rechtschaffer, and the first course was created on Whistler Blackcomb during the ’90s. Derived from motocross, this is a competition where four to six racers navigate jumps, banked turns and each other to get to the finish first. (Whistler Blackcomb has b-roll of Skier Cross events)
Whistler Blackcomb offers one of the only permanent snow cross courses in North America providing a training ground for skier cross and boarder cross athletes they can’t get anywhere else.
The International Olympic Committee decided on November 28, 2006 to include Skier Cross in the programme of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
WHISTLER: BORN FOR THE GAMES
Built on the dream of hosting a Winter Olympics, Whistler bid in 1961, to host the 1968 Winter Olympics; bid in 1965 to host the 1972 Olympics; and bid again in 1967, to host the 1976 Olympics.
The closest bid came was in 1968, when Vancouver/Garibaldi won the Canadian nomination to bid for the 1976 Winter Games. At this time, Montreal was bidding for the 1976 Summer Olympic Games. The IOC would not award both the summer and winter to the same country and when Montreal won their bid; Whistler knew they had lost theirs.
Although these previous bids were unsuccessful in actually obtaining the Olympics, they were crucial in initiating and maintaining the development of Whistler Mountain and the surrounding valley. The Whistler valley as we know it would not exist without the vision and dream of hosting a Winter Olympics. Born for the Games, Whistler will realize their dream to host, along with Vancouver, the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2010.
WINTER OLYMPICS 2010: EVENTS TO BE HELD ON WHISTLER MOUNTAIN
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S DOWNHILL RACE COURSES
Creekside Village will be the hub of activity when Whistler Blackcomb hosts the disciplines of men’s and women’s Downhill, Super-G, Giant Slalom, Slalom and Super Combined on Whistler Mountain in 2010.
The men’s skiing will take place on the well-respected Dave Murray Downhill run, while women’s skiing will take place on Franz’s run. Male skiers will charge the Dave Murray Downhill, one of the most challenging and respected downhill courses on the international ski-racing circuit.
Dave Murray Downhill is named after Dave Murray, one of the most popular and personable ski personalities Canada has ever produced. He was one of the four original Canadian skiers referred to as the Crazy Canucks - Dave Read, Steve Podborski, Dave Irwin and Dave Murray.
Dave was from Abbotsford but skied for the Whistler ski team prior to being named to the Canadian Ski Team. After retiring in 1982 from the team, he joined Whistler Mountain as Director of Skiing and created a series of events and programmes targeting "mature" skiers (Dave Murray Camps, Masters races, Peak to Valley Race). Dave passed away in 1989, after a valiant fight with cancer. The run was named in his honour in 1990.
The Dave Murray Downhill run has seen a number of World Cup Downhills and Super G races over the past 20 years. Perhaps the most notable was the 1989 World Cup during which young Whistlerite Rob Boyd stole the downhill gold on home soil, becoming not only a hometown hero, but a national legend.
Women’s skiing takes place on a new course, which starts on Wild Card and cuts across to Franz’s Run before connecting at the bottom of the Dave Murray Downhill. Franz’s is named after Franz Wilhelmson, a driving force in getting Whistler (Whistler Blackcomb) to its current status as the No. 1 ski resort in North America. He had a vision in the early ’60s of seeing Whistler Mountain as a venue for the Olympics and a major ski area catering to Vancouver and Seattle skiers. Through his tenacity, he managed obtain government approvals, and helped open Whistler Mountain in February 1966. Franz’s run was his favourite and named in his honour.
Quick Facts:
3km – Length of both race courses.
30 km – amount of safety netting needed for both race courses
33 – Number of turns on the Men’s Downhill
29 – Number of turns on the Women’s Downhill
28% - Average slope gradient
810m – elevation of the finish area for both men’s and women’s events
1,662m – elevation for the Men’s course
1,545m – elevation for the Women’s course
*All stats are approximate figures.
WHISTLER ATHLETES IN TORINO: OLYMPIANS WHO CALL WHISTLER BLACKCOMB HOME
A number of past, present and future Olympians call Whistler home and train on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. Whistler, a venue where many world class competitions are held, is also hosting the 8 Olympians, who competed in Torino for the Winter Olympics, call Whistler home.
One in 1200 people in Whistler was an athlete competing in the 2006 Winter Olympics. Comparatively, only one in 156,035 people in Canada was an athlete competing in the 2006 Winter Olympics.
SKI/SNOWBOARD INSTRUCTORS AT WHISTLER BLACKCOMB
Want to learn to ski or snowboard from the best? The Whistler Blackcomb Ski School is regarded as one of the best ski and snowboard schools in North America and teaches over 215,000 lessons each season. In the Whistler Blackcomb Ski School there are 863 instructors. Each instructor is certified by the Canadian Ski Instructors Association. 182 instructors have achieved their Level 1 certification, 359 instructors have achieved their Level 2 certification, 257 have achieved their Level 3 certification and 65 have achieved their Level 4 certification which is the most of any ski school in Canada. There are only 520 ski instructors in Canada that have achieved their Level 4 certification.
In the snowboard school there are 382 certified Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors. 168 have achieved their Level 1,143 have achieved their Level 2 certification, 47 have achieved their Level 3 and 6 have achieved their Level 4 certification. There are only 66 snowboard instructors in Canada with their Level 4 certification.
Other Fun Facts
• Whistler Blackcomb Instructors can teach lessons in 26 different languages
• The oldest (current) ski instructor is 86 and is a World War Two Bomber Pilot veteran
• The most child ski or snowboard lessons taught on a single day was 1,713
WHISTLER BLACKCOMB: BUILDING OLYMPIANS
Whistler Mountain Ski Club: in existence for over three decades, the Club is dedicated to the development of young ski racers from age 11 in all Alpine disciplines. This season, more than 170 young racers will actively participate in the programs. Between 1976 and 2006, the Whistler Mountain Ski Club has produced seven Olympians. This year, four members are competing in the National circuit and two members have achieved podium finishes.
Whistler Valley Snowboard Club: a local organization designed to provide Whistler/Vancouver kids with snowboard instruction all day, every Saturday and Sunday. Now 80 members strong, the Whistler Valley Snowboard Club (W.V.S.C.) is a freestyle snowboard program for ages nine and up.
Olympic Legacies
SNOWMAKING
With the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games two years away, venue preparations at the alpine skiing venue on Whistler Blackcomb are complete. Snowmaking was paramount in the preparation and Whistler Blackcomb had the opportunity to participate on the snowmaking enhancements design team. Approximately $17.6 million was spent by VANOC on snowmaking infrastructure to be ready for the Games, a huge legacy to the resort once the Games are over. Whistler Blackcomb has been able to leverage this by investing in further improvements that will ultimately double the snowmaking production capabilities on the mountains by 2010.
Additional snowmaking improvements by Whistler Blackcomb include:
• Snowmaking from the Chic Pea restaurant to the valley via Orange Peel, Expressway and Crabapple, providing a new early season route and another dependable ski-out throughout the season;
• Pump station upgrades to keep pace with the new expansion technology for benefits long past 2010;
• New sewage infrastructure for the Raven’s Nest and Crystal Hut restaurants providing much anticipated conventional washroom facilities there.
“Working with VANOC on Games preparations has been a very worthwhile experience,” says Bob Pasch, Whistler Blackcomb’s snowmaking project manager and a member of the VANOC team on the Whistler Mountain snowmaking project. “Having the opportunity to work alongside VANOC ensures that, not only will the snowmaking infrastructure meet the needs of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but that Whistler Blackcomb can effectively and affordably operate the system long after the Games have finished.”
The legacy after the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games for anyone coming to visit Whistler Blackcomb will be the improved quality of snow and skiable terrain earlier and later in the season, typically when lift ticket and accommodation deals are the best.
HOSTING MORE WORLD CLASS EVENTS
With the completed infrastructure of the Men’s and Women’s Olympic Downhill runs, Whistler Blackcomb will be able to host more world class events. TELUS presents Whistler World Cup (February 18 to 24) represents the return of FIS World Cup racing in Whistler after a 10-year hiatus.
HIGHWAY
The Sea to Sky Highway completion will improve road conditions for all guests visiting Whistler and Whistler Blackcomb long after the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games are over. Whether people are visiting from Vancouver or Seattle, or are coming from the Vancouver airport, the highway improvement will increase the road’s safety, reliability and capacity. In addition to meeting the area’s future traffic needs, the upgrades will also enhance economic development opportunities in communities along the highway and in the province as a whole.
Making a Difference
WHISTLER ADAPTIVE SPORTS PROGRAM
The Whistler Adaptive Sports Program is a non-profit organization aiming to make snow sports accessible to people of all physical abilities. With the support of Whistler Blackcomb, the program caters to a full spectrum of skiers and snowboarders from beginner through advanced. Trained and certified instructors, guides, and assistants help the disabled access the slopes of Whistler Blackcomb. Lessons provided include sit-skiing, stand-up skiing, and skiing for the visually or hearing impaired, and developmental learning disabilities.
ZERO CEILING
Zero Ceiling is a registered charity based in Whistler that believes in the promotion of equality, the intrinsic worth of all people, and the value of diversity. In partnership with Whistler Blackcomb, the organization operates innovative, progressive and sustainable programs that inspire and educate disadvantaged youth in BC's Metro Vancouver.
Zero Ceiling’s flagship program is the “Work to Live” Program where up to ten carefully selected youth participate in a weeklong training course in December. During this course the youth are trained to become Whistler Blackcomb snowboard instructors and are also trained to work in the Whistler Blackcomb food and beverage department.
The youth that pass the course then take the Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors Level I qualification and Food Safe Course (if they choose to work in the Food and Beverage department). They are given a key to their new staff housing accommodation and a full-time job at either Whistler-Blackcomb or Cypress Mountain Snowboard School and receive ongoing training and support from Zero Ceiling for the duration of the winter season. They are also supported for summer employment opportunities.
FUN FACTS
• Zero Ceiling is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2008. The program was started in 1997 by professional freeskier Chris Winter.
• Zero Ceiling has hosted over 1,000 disadvantaged youth to the slopes of Whistler Blackcomb.
• 15 former street youth are living in the Whistler area, some for as long as 9 years.
"My whole outlook on life has changed. I feel more connected with people, I'm healthier and everything is more positive. I can do anything," said Carter, a Zero Ceiling graduate and current Board Member.
WHISTLER BLACKCOMB FOUNDATION
The Whistler Blackcomb Foundation is dedicated to providing financial support to registered non-profit organizations whose activities provide benefit to residents of the Sea to Sky Corridor in the areas of health, human services, education, recreation, arts and culture and the environment with an emphasis on children, youth and family programs.
Since 1992 the Foundation has raised and donated over $4 million for registered non-profit programs throughout the Sea to Sky Corridor, making it the largest fundraiser for the area.
