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WHISTLER, BC, November 2, 2009 – Whistler Blackcomb’s latest film creation, “On the Shoulders of Giants”, will have its world premiere online at Whistlerblackcomb.com on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at noon, Pacific Standard Time. It is the story of how visionaries, athletes, and innovators have been inspired since the beginning to step up to the challenge of Whistler Blackcomb’s terrain, and move progression a notch ahead, again and again.
“The original motive for this film was to document the building of the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola. As filming progressed and interviews were captured it became clear, the way Whistler inspires people to constantly do things bigger and better was really the story we needed to tell,” says Stuart Rempel, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “On the Shoulders of Giants celebrates our dreamers and our innovators while ultimately telling the story of how the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola came to be.”
Some of Whistler’s most beloved and well-known trailblazers, including resort chief Hugh Smythe, big mountain skier Eric Pehota, godfather of newschool Mike Douglas, and the legendary Jim McConkey share their experiences of living in the ultimate testing ground, and how it inspired them to conceive the inconceivable. The backdrop to their stories are some of the most powerful images of Whistler ever captured on film, ranging from the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola’s gargantuan feats of construction to sweeping aerial views of the majestic Coast Mountain Range.
The crew behind the film's production is all locally-based. Jim Budge has worked as Whistler Blackcomb’s filmmaker for over 28 years and has produced countless videos to feed the passions of skiers and riders as they count down to their next day on the mountains. Pemberton scribe Lisa Richardson developed the script, and renowned filmmaker Christian Begin helped Budge capture dramatic footage of the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola through the construction phases as well as amazing ski and snowboard action. In the final stages, Squamish-based film editor Sean Horne lent his expertise in the editing suite and developed the PEAK 2 PEAK animation and other motion graphics used in the film.
“In conducting all of the interviews about PEAK 2 PEAK and Whistler Blackcomb I noticed there was a theme,” says Jim Budge, director of “On the Shoulders of Giants.” “People always talk about the special feeling they get when they are in our unique high alpine. So many of Whistler Blackcomb’s innovations have been about providing an unparalleled high alpine experience and the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola is proof of that commitment.”
Tune in to Whistlerblackcomb.com on Tuesday, November 10 at noon (PST) for the world premiere. The film will remain available on-line for those interested, following the premiere.
In addition to the airing of Whistler Blackcomb’s “On the Shoulders of Giants”, Discovery Channel Canada will present an hour-long documentary about the construction of the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola on December 23, 2009. Discovery Channel producer Mark Miller spent two years documenting the massive construction project and has created a riveting story that details many of the challenges that are encountered when building an engineering masterpiece at 6,000 feet. Check local listings for more details.
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