A rainy, cooler start to the summer had some doubting, but summer came in swinging with lots of sunshine and warm temperatures for the valley. The best way to beat the heat is to head up the mountains and check out the newly open, Cloudraker Skywalk! Over on Whistler, the snow walls are still a sight to be seen while the Whistler Mountain Bike Park’s Top of the World trail just got cracked open for 2018. There was lots of partner activations and action these past couple months, check it all out below.
Despite all of this talk of warm weather, winter is truly right around the corner. Planning for the winter, especially around accommodations and events, should be top of mind from this point forward. After last year’s great season we expect things to fill up quickly!
The Grandest of Openings
Anytime you get to spend time in the Bike Park is a good reason to celebrate. But, when the Trail Crews add an additional 13km of new trail to the roster, the celebration needs to be turned up a notch. The expansion of Creekside is truly something to behold - 5 brand new trails, 644 vertical meters, and a gondola all to its own. Explore Creekside
Suspended 2,000 metres above the valley bottom, the new CloudRaker Skybridge is up and running. Spanning 130m, the Cloudraker Skybridge goes from Whistler Peak to the West Ridge, crossing high above Whistler Bowl. It features unobstructed views in every direction.
Additionally, the West Ridge Lookout and the cantilevered walkway will be opening in the coming weeks. The West Ridge Lookout will consist of a viewing platform with 360° views from Whistler’s Peak. The cantilevered walkway will extend 12.5m out from the West Ridge, with exhilarating views well above Whistler Bowl.
To celebrate Canada Day, Whistler Blackcomb and CIBC invited guests to stay on Whistler Mountain for extended hours to enjoy the sunset and to get a front-row seat to the firework display at 10PM. Despite the colder weather, Roundhouse Lodge was filled with excited guests who relished the Mountain Top Feast while listening to live music by JennaMae. In addition, CIBC handed out cozy custom-made Canada Day blankets to guests.
Monster Energy celebrated Canada’s big day with their third annual Canada Day Block Party at Dusty’s in Creekside. The popular event was free for anyone 19 years and older, and featured 7 hours of live entertainment from DJ’s Anna Lunoe, Pomo, SkiTour, Kut Corners, Juice and Case of the Mondays.
From July 9th through July 15th, Quiksilver and Roxy celebrated the re-opening of the newly renovated Quiksilver retail store.
In alignment with the Roxy Make Waves Move Mountains campaign, Boardriders Week hosted a photography showcase, featuring female photographers Bryanna Bradley, Erin Hogue and Ilanna Barkusky. As well, on July 14th, guests joined professional surfer, Cody Young, for the premier of the new Quiksilver Generations surf movie. One lucky attendee walked away with a Cody’s Sharpeye Surfboard!The pump track is where bike handling skills are honed and next generation rippers are born. On July 21st, GMC hosted the Phat Kidz Pump Track Challenge which allowed kids, between the ages of three to fifteen years old, multiple laps and time to work on their bike handling all while trying to beat the clock. Riders and spectators were treated to a free BBQ presented by GMC alongside GMC’s newest SUV line outfitted with hitch hammocks for the ultimate chill-out zone.
On July 28th, adults will get the chance to test their flow on the Pump Track. The top male and female winners will win a Bike Heli-drop, provided by Blackcomb Helicopters, for themselves & 4 friends!
Whistler Blackcomb and Blackcomb Helicopters are proud to announce that they are continuing their partnership through the 2019.2020 season! Blackcomb Helicopters and Whistler Blackcomb have a long withstanding relationship across numerous areas of the business, including Whistler Heli-Skiing. As the Official Helicopter of Whistler Blackcomb, Blackcomb Helicopters is the perfect match for the Whistler Blackcomb environment and customer base, with strong brand alignment between the two organizations.
Over nine weeks riders can put their skills to the test on Wednesday evenings with our ever-popular race series. Complete with an awesome après at the Garibaldi Lift Company and tonnes of prizing.
Perched atop Whistler Mountain with stunning views from Steeps Grill & Wine Bar, a full-course dinner complete with wine pairings took place on July 28th. The world class SunRock Vineyard wines were paired with locally-sourced culinary delights.
Guests can ride up the Whistler Village Gondola and enjoy mouth-watering mains, fresh salads and delicious desserts at 1800 m/6000 ft with the Mountain Top Summer Feast presented by See Ya Later Ranch. Each evening features world class wines sponsored by See Ya Later Ranch.
Nintendo held the first stop of its Nintendo Switch system tour across Canada, right here in Whistler on June 23. Guests of all ages got the opportunity to explore and compete together with games like Super Mario, Odyssey Splatoon 2, and many more. Guests also got to roll up their sleeves with a hands-on experience making and playing their own DIY cardboard creations combined with Nintendo Switch. To top it off, Luigi made an appearance!
There are big changes coming to our mountains this summer. With $66 million in upgrades happening, there is a lot to get excited about. In the lead up to the 2018.19 season we’ll be keeping you up to date on the progress of the construction, and give you a behind the scenes look at all of the changes.
To learn more about all the exciting changes coming for the 2018.19 winter season read: Everything you need to know about Whistler Blackcomb’s lift investment
| August 1 | Phat Wednesday presented by Kokanee |
| August 4 | Mountain Top Summer Feast presented by See You Later Ranch |
| August 3-5 | Bulleit Bourbon Canadian National BBQ Championships |
| August 11 | Corona Sunsets |
| August 18 | Mountain Top Summer Feast presented by See You Later Ranch |
| August 25 | Mountain Top Summer Feast presented by See You Later Ranch |
| August 29 | Phat Wednesday presented by Kokanee |
