Metal count

WILL COLFORD, SnowSeekers Inc.

Though my pin collecting became somewhat of an obsession, I am quite proud of what I’ve managed to acquire during the games. I am leaving the best place on earth tomorrow and it’s time to weigh in on exactly what I got and where I got it.
These are my top four favourite pins, each are rare and sought after; but more importantly, each one has its own story and memory of the Olympics.
Number 4: “I Feel Slovenia.” On our second night, we were invited to a media party at Slovinia house. You can see the whole thing on our video blog: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8AF6xtwEq0&feature=channel
The house was jammed. There was a wild mushroom and pepper soup like I’ve never tasted; Nancy Green gave the welcoming speech; everyone was excited for the Olympics to really get going.
One of the Slovenian volunteers approached me and we began speaking in a friendly manner. I felt bad because our entire team wore our Jamacian team shirts we got the night before. I asked to get a Slovenian shirt to better promote their team in the village.  The volunteer peered around, squinted at me, and whispered in a thick accent, “come this way.”
She loaded me up with Slovenian swag and spirit, not even asking for a thank you in return. Like the pin says, I felt sLOVEnia.

Number 3: “The Volunteer Team pin.” The mascot pin was acquired on the Alberta Train. Though it doesn’t sound very good, this pin depicts a trail of lies. Early on in pin trading, I began to lie about the rarity of each pin in order to get better ones.
This tactic, however, backfired when I was in fact lied to and got swindled out of two truly rare gems. In fact, since that day I’ve been trying to track down replacements to no avail. The pin I got back turned out be something I could buy from 7-11 for a $1.25.  Harsh.
 Getting back to the Train, when I was supposed to be interviewing Katerina Witt – two time Olympic German Gold medalist for figure skating – I couldn’t help begin trading with a mother-daughter duo who both had the most supreme collection I’ve seen yet. They might as well have had diamonds draped around their necks.  I instantly began salivating.
She opened the negotiating by going after the impressive looking, but truthfully dull, 7-11 hunk-o-junk. I talked it up just as it had been talked up to me and was able to snag two extremely rare beauties: team France and the mascot pin. It is, in fact, the volunteer pin and only those who volunteer at the Olympics receive it.
You can’t buy it, and no one gives it away. It was insidious, borderline villainous and against the spirit of the games, but I had to have it.
Number 2: “Clear green leaf with skier.” I saw this pin on a list of five most sought after Olympic pieces. After partying with some members of the USA Olympic team in Long Horns, I was ready for my bed. However, as soon as I stepped on the bus home, I knew it wouldn’t come soon.

Six Norwegian girls were celebrating their country’s success by belting out their national anthem. This sparked up the Canadians and an anthem war ensued. Moments like these are what makes the Olympics so great to be at. Eventually everyone fell into laughter, but I fell in love … with a pin.
It was perched on her touque like the idol in the first Indiana Jones movie. I delicately rubbed my fingers, and approached her. By this point I had many great pins, and had let go of my obsessive lying and swindling; I offered a very good trade.
She ended up with a U.S. Department of Special Security. Don’t know where it came from or really what it was, all I know is I haven’t seen another one.
During the trade, I noticed my stop about to pass; however, I was committed and decided I’d just do the whole loop if it meant getting this pin. The deal went down and we began chatting a bit more, as I now had lots of time. The girls, somehow, also missed their stop and asked the driver how best to get back.
This driver, most likely a volunteer, turned the bus around to make sure the girls got home okay.  As it turns out, we missed the same stop. The driver’s kindness and willingness to go so far out of his way to help these internationals, just here to cheer on their country, will continually inspire me.
For this reason, I’ll continue to where this particular pin at home.
Number 1: “Ghana Ski Team.” Please read my full blog on the snow leopard: http://snowseekersblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/on-trail-of-snow-leopard

Writing these blogs in the media house one day, I was about to pack up, and head out to find some stories. Then I noticed a press conference with Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong and decided to stay. After hearing Kwame’s story of struggle and perseverance, they opened the floor to limited questions.
Already touched by his story, I asked him to speak more about the physical dedication it took to become a competitive Olympic skier in just six years.
He seemed like he’d avoid the question, then simply said, “I had to be my own coach, my own baggage carrier, my own physio therapist. If I got hurt I had to fix myself. It was such a difficult experience. I never want to repeat it.”
I’m not sure if a tear came to my eye or his, but the quiver and sincerity in his voice held back real pain. Kwame truly embodies what the Olympics wishes it could be. He is the enduring human spirit that reveals humanity’s true potential. Feel free to read his story and support his several causes by sponsoring a spot on his race jersey:
www.ghanaskiteam.com/newsite/kwames-army-paddy-power/sponsor-a-spot
I know they’re technically just pins, but in some degree each one connotes a memory so much better than photos, or videos ever could. These pins are treasures; I am a rich man.    

Stay tuned to www.snowseekers.ca/olympicnews for daily blogs, videos and more throughout the Olympics.
For full stories on Western Canada's winter destinations, visit snowseekers.ca and friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Whistler Whereabouts: Powder harmony

WILL COLFORD, SnowSeekers Inc.

Welcome to the fourth installment of Whistler Whereabouts.
I awoke to the sound of bombs. Muffled and distant, their heavy growls signal another day of deep turns. Groggily, I sighed heavily and got up; the bombs continued.
Sound is an important connector for skiers and borders. Since I was being taken into both Harmony and Symphony bowl on Whistler Mountain today, I decided to keep my ears open. One of the first sounds I heard this morning was an Australian accent from my tour guide, Matt Mohr.
“How ya goin?” he asked, with a strong shake of my hand.
After some initial discussion about snowfall and just how good it was up top, we decided it’d be best to try for Harmony bowl. A short hike from the Whistler gondola and we were standing on top of the run, Rabbit Tracks.
The stiff wind bristled the pines, like some kind of organic wind chime. The bowl was devoid of people and sound after our boots rested, and the team took a moment to pick a line.
All four of us blew off a wind lip then jet streamed a fresh pow-line to the bottom. Going that fast through fresh sounds like a predatory hiss. As if a snake is giving you fair warning, though you’re not sure where it is. It’s all around.
Immediately after stopping, another familiar sound: laughter – inundating, enthralling, laughter. It’s the only noise that has any chance of describing how we felt. As we make our way down to the Harmony chair, others join our laughter. Everyone in line – all eight of us – were either laughing, or religiously silent.
“Unlike the Coke bottle effect of Whistler Bowl, you get to the top of Harmony and pretty much pick 1,000 different ways to go down,” said Mohr. “There’s all these little sections with six to eight turns in each. The best is linking all the sections together in one continues run. Then when that gets tracked out you can access about 1000 different areas from Harmony.”  
Our run took us right underneath the lift line and linked together Little Whistler, the Camel Humps, and the trees to skier’s left of lower Harmony Piste. During this run, a new sound emerged. It’s a sucking breath as waves of snow break head high, every single turn.
Blowing through a solid cloud, everything goes white and you emerge like a rabid snowman, frothing at the mouth and hungry for more.
Like colliding sofas, Mohr hits my glove in a fierce high-five. “How’s that for ya?”
All I can do is exhale and beam.    

Stay tuned to www.snowseekers.ca/olympicnews for daily blogs, videos and more throughout the Olympics.

For full stories on Western Canada's winter destinations, visit snowseekers.ca and friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Whistler Whereabouts: A walk in the park

WILL COLFORD, SnowSeekers Inc.

Welcome back to Whistler Whereabouts where I ride specific sections of the mountain each day and tell you about them.
You cannot come to Whistler without checking out one of the two Nintendo Terrain parks. Having one on each mountain, Whistler Blackcomb has every level of rider covered when it comes to all things park.
If you’re just starting out, hit the Whistler park; the jumps are mellow to medium and the rails and boxes will let you progress without taking a trip to the hospital.
Once you have your intermediate skills down and you want to begin infusing some creativity and challenge into your tricks, then pop over to Blackcomb and head up the solar coaster chair. There is a dedicated lift specifically built for park laps.
Unlike any other mountain I can think of – save maybe the T bar at Red Mountain – the Cat Skinner chair is only as long as the park itself, so there’s no mucking about getting to the hits.
The Blackcomb park is spit into two sections, an intermediate park with good jump, rail, and jib lines. Then there’s the pro park.
You need a special pass for this park which you can get from the guest relations desk in the village. These are the Hollywood big guns. Often the cheese wedges are taller than a grown man, and the tables start at 12 metres (40 feet) and go up from there. You can see these monsters from the intermediate line which helps motivate riders on difficult tricks.

After all, if you’re trying to progress your board slide from a straight rail to a 270 on, and you look over to see someone hurtle themselves 15 m (50 ft.) through the air, spinning like a falling cosmonaut, suddenly your trick doesn’t seem so impossible.
Even if you don’t ride park, it’s worth it to take a ride up the chair to see something you’ll hardly ever get to see on any other mountain: pros going big.

Stay tuned to www.snowseekers.ca/olympicnews for daily blogs, videos and more throughout the Olympics.

• Photos courtesy TOURISM WHISTLER 

For full stories on Western Canada's winter destinations, visit snowseekers.ca and friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Swiss bliss

DOC POW, SnowSeekers Inc.

Nadia Durig, from Kelowna, British Columbia, jumped at the chance to represent her family’s heritage by getting in on the action happening around the games. And she did it the best way she knew how, by producing a tasty treat to show off to the world.
“With my Swiss roots I have chocolate running through my veins,” said this Red Seal chef whose uncle calls Switzerland home.

 The village here in Whistler is packed full of nations who are showing off their culture via houses. The House of Switzerland is everything from the land of the Alps; it's a house that showcases the best of the country – which last night, included this competition that was caked in chocolate.
“Our history is in chocolate, we are very famous for this,” said the director of the Swiss House, David Grolimund. “For us it’s about quality, creativity and utilizing some of the country’s finest ingredients.”
The Swiss take one of their biggest exports seriously but certainly leave some for themselves.
The 7.7 million Swiss consume over 11.6kgs of chocolate per year – each. And in the spirit of that consumption, the Swiss government called on three chefs to come up with their best chocolate dessert and in honour of Valentine’s Day. Olympic visitors got to vote on their favorite.
Durig heard the call months ago by the Swiss Government to be a part of history and bring her passion to the slopes of Whistler Blackcomb. And it proved to be the right decision.
Her Swiss Bliss, a layered mousse of three types of chocolate took gold last night (Feb. 14) which, for all of us in the audience, was just the ticket to a sweet success.
Stay tuned to www.snowseekers.ca/olympicnews for daily blogs, videos and more throughout the Olympics.


For full stories on Western Canada's winter destinations, visit snowseekers.ca and friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Together we stand

WILL COLFORD, SnowSeekers Inc.

The cowbells clanged as the crowd began to chant, “Robbie, Robbie, Robbie.”  Posted up just below the fifth gate for the Men’s Downhill, everyone was going peanuts as one of the Canadian medal hopefuls pushed out of the gates.
All nations are represented in the crowd. Thankfully someone has a bull horn and is shouting out the times and leader positions as they come in on his iPhone. When they announced that Swiss favorite Didier Defago had taken the lead, a large Swiss contingent is unsurprisingly overwhelmed.
They chant and wave and everyone in the crowd smiles for them. Though we all want our own nation’s athletes to win, you can’t help feel residual joy for the people celebrating beside you.
Like a wave of sound, the cheer follows Robbie down the run. Than at the notorious gate three, Robbie connected and the bells fall silent. It looks like he’s just about to go down as the gate shatters off his helmet, but being the professional he is, he sticks it out, tucks in, and keeps going.
The crowd snaps out of it, and explodes as Robbie blows by.
This is one of the biggest events in the Olympics, only made better by sharing the moments, bad and good, with everyone from around the world, just here to cheer.    

Stay tuned to www.snowseekers.ca/olympicnews for daily blogs, videos and more throughout the Olympics.

For full stories on Western Canada's winter destinations, visit snowseekers.ca and friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Forget the games, try the food

WILL COLFORD, SnowSeekers Inc.

“I have a Canadian for Will,” shouted the chef, holding a beautiful disaster. The tin corrugated dish – normally reserved for Chinese take out – bowed under the sheer weight of the meal it contained.
Thick cut potatoes, topped with cheese curds, a river of gravy, and a full sausage awaited. My arteries shuddered as the plastic fork stabbed the monstrosity. I stuffed my mouth and began shaving years off my life with each glorious bite.
It’s the Olympics, and the best food from around the world is at my finger-tips.
My first experience with international flavour came at Bavaria House with a giant salty pretzel. The outside was dense and crisp; the inside was a doughy cloud, perfectly salted. One quickly turned into seven, as empty beer glasses – taller than my forearm – piled up beside the plates.
Next was a wild mushroom and pepper soup from Slovenia. If this dish is ‘common,’ the Slovenian quality of life is anything but. It was a rare treat in that I have never tasted anything like it. When you taste something completely new, your brain and taste buds have a sit down and try and work out all the flavour intricacies.
Because of this I can only describe what it wasn’t. It was not watery, greasy, salty, thick, processed, or bland. It was the perfect soup.
Sadly, I will not be able to taste everything the world has to offer at the games; but damn it, like the athletes themselves, I’ll give it my best.    

Stay tuned to www.snowseekers.ca/olympicnews for daily blogs, videos and more throughout the Olympics.

For full stories on Western Canada's winter destinations, visit snowseekers.ca and friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Collector or addict?

WILL COLFORD, SnowSeekers Inc.

It began as a formality. “Here, have a pin,” said Nancy Greene during the Slovenia House opening last night. I didn’t even look at it. Just stuck it to my lanyard and smiled. But something changed as I pinched the backing, pierced the canvass, and pressed the trinket into place.
“Vancouver 2010, Canada,” read the pin. White and silver with appropriate national and Vanoc colours. Had I known what I was about to get into, I never would have said, “Thank you.”
Pins are the currency of the Olympic games. Pin collectors, buyers, and traders populate the village like undercover police; they could be anyone. As the addiction worsens, people disappear, their faces go, their names go, all I see anymore walking around the most electric place on the planet are the pins.
Volunteer 2010, Munich applicant 2018, Swiss house in both English and Swuisse, Intrawest corporate pin, and the Quatchie Zambonie Visa collection, this is all I can think about.
It’s gotten so bad I tried to trade my team Ireland for a line cook’s nametag. What’s worse is that I got it. I feel like I really hit rock bottom when I saw what looked like a rare white rectangular Canadian pin on the ground, only to realize – as I picked it up – it was, in fact, someone’s unchewed gum. And yet, I can’t stop.
The pin collecting is a great way for even the most out-of-shape spectator to get into the spirit of the games. The transaction of trading usually begins with meeting someone from another country. Then you connect to that person, not through language, but through your shared sport of pin collecting.
There’s a round of competition in which both collectors try to “win” the transaction by getting the better pin. Finally there’s a ceremony in which both ‘athletes’ congratulate each other and say, “Have a great Olympics.”

Everyone has their own tactic for trading up and acquiring rare and sought after pins. My tactic is quite amateur: I lie.
By telling people the pin is harder to get than it actually is, I have been able to get some pretty great items. However, this backfired when I realized that I am not the only one to have thought of the tactic. I began to wonder if I had, in fact, been trading crappy pins for other crappier pins.
I met a gentleman who could only be described as eclectic. He waved a double-sided flag, Canada on one side and America on the other. He said, “It’s not about competition, it’s about coming together.”  I believed him.
After giving up three solid pieces, I received what I thought would be my crown jewel. A circular gold, flag encrusted, double pinner that reads “Whistler Blackcomb Pin Collector.”
On the back it says the pin is limited to only 2010 pieces.
After showing it off today I was gloating to one gentlemen who replied simply, “Oh ya, you can buy those at Seven Eleven for a buck.”
I suppose just like the games themselves, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, but it’s always a treat just to be playing the game.    

Stay tuned to www.snowseekers.ca/olympicnews for daily blogs, videos and more throughout the Olympics.


For full stories on Western Canada's winter destinations, visit snowseekers.ca and friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

A meeting with gold

DOC POW, SnowSeekers Inc.

One of the best things about travel is you never know what or who is around the corner. That sentiment couldn’t ring stronger than here in Whistler at the Olympics. At a media reception tonight at the Whistler Media Centre – one of the epicenters for the world’s media in Whistler Village – I was in mid-sentence when I turned around and said, “Hey that is Ross Rebagliati.”
It took seconds for me to make my move to get in a chat.
For those of you who need a refresher, back in 1998 at the Nagano Olympics Rebagliati won an Olympic first – gold in snowboarding, only to have it stripped after a drug test, which tested positive for marijuana.
Rebagliati was taken into an interrogation room where IOC representatives from around the world grilled him – an 18 year resident of Whistler – about the lifestyle that he was a part of.
At the time, snowboarding was a demonstration event at Nagano and there were a lot of misconceptions about the sport and the people.
Anyway, the decision was quickly overturned and the IOC reversed its decision, re-awarding Rebagliati his medal.
Within days, he was back in the village here in Whistler.
Being in the crowd that February in 1998, I can tell you the atmosphere was almost exactly like last night’s as Canadian athletes took to the stage during the opening ceremony festivities.
It was pretty sweet – 65 athletes who couldn’t make it down to Vancouver for last night’s opening ceremonies paraded through Whistler before a crowd of about 25,000 strong. Mike Janyk, Canadian Men’s Slalom athlete and Whistler resident, took the mic for a bit to speak about the support he receives from the community. Something Rebagliati talks about as well.
“This community is fantastic. They’ve even named a park and a run after me. Whistler is this incredible place that never disappoints its own.”
Stay tuned for more unexpected experiences – word is we may even be out snowboarding with Rebagliati later in the week.

Stay tuned to www.snowseekers.ca/olympicnews for daily blogs, videos and more throughout the Olympics.

For full stories on Western Canada's winter destinations, visit snowseekers.ca and friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Whistler is live!

DOC POW, SnowSeekers Inc.

Are you ready for a bash? The folks in Whistler are. Thirty-eight shows over six stages that run from 9 a.m. through 11 p.m. each day. They have brought in some hired guns including some of the Whistler’s finest to produce this experience that includes Shawn Pozer of Boombox, a Vancouver-based production company, who just got back after working with the Super Bowl.
Kristine Robinson is with Whistler Live!, managing the six stage sites that are sprinkled around the village. “This is a fusion of sport and entertainment,” explains Robinson.
And she’s right. Over the course of the games, the folks from the community are working to bring these stages to life.
“Damien Marley, Swollen Members, Bedouin Soundclash and several cultural events are just some of the performers who will be a part of the celebrations,” she explained.
Going off their experience and success of such event as Whistler’s World Ski and Snowboard Festival in April and events in the summer such as Crankworx, the team is working to bring the best of Whistler to the roughly 40,000 to 50,000 people who are expected in Whistler each day.

Having been to both events, I know what it feels like to be immersed in a crowd of soon to be 10,000 of your closest friends with an awesome band on stage. The vibe is like something you’ll ever experience anywhere else – this is Whistler at this best.
They’ve been waiting for the moment for over 50 years – they’ve bid for the game five times, first starting in 1964!   In this case, it’s ‘sixth time is the charm.’
For a full look at what is happening in and around Whistler through the games, you can check out www.whistler2010.com/whistlerlive

Stay tuned to www.snowseekers.ca/olympicnews for daily blogs, videos and more throughout the Olympics.


For full stories on Western Canada's winter destinations, visit snowseekers.ca and friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Whistler Whereabouts: Whistler Bowl

WILL COLFORD, SnowSeekers Inc.

Welcome back to Whistler Whereabouts, my daily report on specific ski and snowboard areas of Whistler Blackcomb.
Today’s area included some of the best runs I’ve ever, or possibly will ever have: Whistler Bowl and the Peak chair. (Please read my blog, Waiting for it to better understand the atmosphere in the lift line, waiting for patrol to open the area. Moreover, check out the trail map to follow along the areas I’m speaking to:
www.ski.com/resorts/trailmaps/tmn_whistler.jpg)
My first taste of the Peak chair admittedly came yesterday during a white out wind storm. The light was dangerously flat and the only discernable features were the many cliff banks that define the area. In fact, the poor visibility made the chair ride a bit horrifying as massive slabs of rock would materialize out of the mist and snow, then drop away into nothing.  It made me wonder just how high up I really was.
Going down was like reverse blindness, just piercing white in every direction. Feeling my way down a combination of deep pow and the crests of mammoth moguls was disorientating. However, through the maelstrom it was easy to know how good this area could be.
Today, I realized that potential. Rising above the clouds, the Peak chair area was draped in sun and snow alike. After waiting in line for the area to open, it was finally time to experience what I previewed a day earlier.
The Peak chair accesses four glory bowls. Each one is jammed with steeps, chutes, cirques, couloirs, glades, cliffs, and all manner of intermediate and extreme terrain. From left to right there’s Glacier Bowl, Whistler Bowl, and West Bowl.
It’s a hard decision when you reach the top and throngs of people are scattering in every direction trying to get the freshest tracks on the best lines. But you have to make a quick choice since more people are following close behind, ready to grab your perfect line before you can.

I decided to go with what I vaguely knew, Whistler Bowl. Straight up, the bowl is a typical alpine fare, meaning it’s wide open and loaded with snow all the way down to the tree line. You can follow the bowl into gladded areas called Doom & Gloom and Frog’s Hollow.  But that means taking two chairs back to the top, burning a full fresh run.
Not knowing, I began to follow a sharp traverse leading skier’s right, heading under the lift line, high up in the bowl. What I didn’t know is that the traverse led to a tight couloir known as the Coffin. You can’t turn, you have to air over a few drops, and it’s straight down.
I opted out, angry for wasting time. Somehow I found myself on the ridge separating Whistler Bowl and Glacier Bowl. Looking at the steep never-ending line I had to double check if the area was actually open. It was.
In 19 years of skiing and snowboarding, I can count on one hand how many times I’ve experienced a run like this, and one of those times was cat skiing.  It just kept dropping away as my edge sunk deeper into the fluff. A skier came on my left and crossed my line with a slash. I blew through his sluff like a fireman running out of a burning building. I was painted with snow and took a hard breath in. It felt like breathing for the first time.
The run began to mellow as I came into the Saddle. My adrenaline level began to drop as my euphoria level began to rise. I looked back at my line in admiration for only a second because more skiers and riders began pouring over the crest. It reminded of the scene in the Lion King with the stampeding water buffalo.
Back in the lift line, everyone was silent with glee. I am told on a normal day you only get one run before it’s all tracked. I managed to get three, all fresh. The Peak chair takes skiers and snowboarders to the top of Whistler mountain, but today it might as well have been the top of the world.
Stay tuned for more runs like these.

Stay tuned to www.snowseekers.ca/olympicnews for daily blogs, videos and more throughout the Olympics.

For full stories on Western Canada's winter destinations, visit snowseekers.ca and friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Truly Canadain

WILL COLFORD, SnowSeekers Inc.

Canada House opened today as any good Canadian venue should: with breakfast. The pancakes, music, and maple syrup were all in plentiful supply this morning as Canada House opened its doors on the first day of Olympic competition.
The mood was all "Please" and "Thank yous," "After you" and "I insist." Even though it was packed, everyone was eager to make space for one more hungry Canadian. Families with kids, and glass-eyed spectators alike ate with verve and cheer.
We as Canadians, after all, have a lot to cheer about at these Olympics as our nation gets to host the world and demonstrate our hospitality.
Even though the games represent the panicle of international competition, the mood within the village is anything but competitive. The conversation this morning buzzed with last night’s ceremony event.
In true Olympic opening ceremony fashion, something had to go slightly wrong.
Off the top of my mind, I remember a foible in Sydney with the hydraulics, and a big scandal in Beijing involving the replacement of one little girl who could sing for a more aesthetically pleasing one who couldn't.
However, unlike those ceremonies, ours was received by Canadians with whit and comedy. We are able to laugh at ourselves and let others in on the joke. By comparison to other opening mishaps, cutting to Steve Nash awkwardly looking around, signaling the hydraulic malfunction was more hilarious than embarrassing. Moreover, the rest of the ceremony was downright spectacular. The lighting effects with the whales, the fiddling and dancing routine, and KD Lang’s beautiful rendition of Halleluiah were just a few highlights.
So what if the delegates were a bit late and Wayne had to fend off some ‘jovial’ yahoos when travelling to the outside torch site. As Canadians, we expect these lesser important quirks.
Remember when Chrétien got ‘attacked’ with a pie to the face? Or when our flag was hung upside down during a medal ceremony? Or who could forget Rebagliati’s ‘performance enhancement’?
While other nations would be embarrassed, we take it in stride, and let out a collective chuckle over some pancakes.      

Stay tuned to www.snowseekers.ca/olympicnews for daily blogs, videos and more throughout the Olympics.

For full stories on Western Canada's winter destinations, visit snowseekers.ca and friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Whistler Whereabouts: Franz, Old Man, and some killer glades

WILL COLFORD, SnowSeekers Inc.

Welcome to Whistler Whereabouts. Because Whistler Blackcomb is so massive with so many places to ski and ride, I’ve decided to ride a new section every day and tell the tale of my experiences.
My first day, however, may very well be my best. I began the day at 6 a.m., heading to the village with a “first tracks breakfast” ticket in tow. This program allows anyone with a lift ticket to head up early and get breakfast on top of Whistler at the roundhouse lodge. It was a great spread, with a fine selection of bacon – essential for early morning fuel.
At some point, someone clangs a giant bell, and everyone stuffs down their stray pancakes, and gulps the rest of their juice and coffee, then scrambles outside for first tracks. Since you can access several areas from the lodge, people are breaking off in every direction, making it impossible not to second guess your decision.
Thoughts like, “Those people look like they know where they’re going.” creep in.  But then you strap in and commit.
The area I committed to included the Old Man area, followed by Franz and the glades skier’s left of Franz. These funneled down to the highway 86 cat track, eventually leading to the Big Red Express chair, and back up to the Roundhouse lodge. (head to Whistler’s interactive trail map at media.intrawest.com/whistler/trailmap/index.html?int=banner-nonflash_mapbtn_101807 to follow along).
Getting first tracks through this area was varied and quick. The wide open meadows of Old Man nicely gave way to the chutes of Franz and the spacey glades left of Franz. The trees themselves looked like Old Growth cedar, making a steep face very technical and picturesque. In two hours, we lapped these lines no less than seven times. Each time fresh tracks were had.
Though it contains a few traverses, and a bit of planning, the area itself is steep and technical. If the snow wasn’t there, I would have had a difficult time on a board. But on skis, it would make for some seriously technical riding. Stay tuned for part two of my day, and the highlight of my life: Whistler Bowl and the Peak Chair.

Stay tuned to www.snowseekers.ca/olympicnews for daily blogs, videos and more throughout the Olympics.

For full stories on Western Canada's winter destinations, visit snowseekers.ca and friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Waiting for it

WILL COLFORD, SnowSeekers Inc.

Nearing the top of the hill, on the second last lift before the top is bittersweet. The sun crests the clouds and two things become immediately apart. The conditions are ideal, but the chair to access them isn’t open.

Bombs are going off and every so often a patroller skis a line and gets back on the lift, only heightening the tension and angst. Every time the chair begins to turn, you think it’s time. Then you see a rope drop and you can’t put your board on fast enough, only to find out it’s still not time.
“Sorry folks, it’ll be half an hour at least,” says the liftie. Even still, the line is beginning to build.
After a few more runs, the line is full and there’s no more risking it. It’s time to line up and wait. The mood is almost somber. It has gravity. It’s maybe like watching a meteorite about to land on earth and change your way of life forever, but nobody knows where or when or how, all they can do is wait.

The ski patrollers again ski down and skip to the front of the line. Everyone hears the ding ding of the chair lift start cycle.
“Is it just for the patrol?” someone asks. The patrollers don’t make eye contact with anyone in line, and just push strait to the chair. The machine lurches forward about to pick them up. Everyone is waiting for some kind of update before the patrol leaves. The line is silent. The patrol turns back and says, “Strap up everyone, it’s time.”
The meteor lands and everyone screams and rushes and panics, then it gets truly crazy.  By the time I make my way to the front, the first chairs have unloaded at the top and people are imprinting tracks in the untouched bowls and chutes. A skier pokes out at the top of air Jordan – a triple drop section that combines for about 120 feet. Everyone in line goes nuts. Poles are banged together, boards a slapped on the graound, cheers, yells, and “DO IT!” fill the air.
He points his pole and lets go. He lands the first drop and takes off the second. Landing in the larger patch a slab breaks off, hurtling towards a 60 footer. He pops out with just enough time to set himself, then lets go again off the 60 foot face.
Sticks the landing and everyone’s world has been changed forever. My chair scoops me up and I turn my gaze to scan for the perfect line. They’re all perfect. Soon it will be mine turn. I can’t wait.

Stay tuned to www.snowseekers.ca/olympicnews for daily blogs, videos and more throughout the Olympics.

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Aussie makes the cut

WILL COLFORD, SnowSeekers Inc.

“That third gate is seriously wicked,” said Max Isaac as he looks over the men’s downhill course. Today is training day for the skiers, and according to Isaac they’ll need to pull out all the stops to top the podium on a course that isn’t “a token Olympic downhill.”
Isaac is a ski school instructor from Australia. He’s been working in Whistler for five seasons and flies home ever summer to work the winter season in Australia. That way, he skis all year round. The man knows what he’s talking about.
As a downhill racer gets a little sideways through a gate and over a steep, Isaac winces. He’s cheering for a hometown friend.
“I grew up in the same town as Jono,” he says with pride. He’s referring to Australian skier Jono Brauer, one of two Australians to be selected for the competition.
According to Isaac, Brauer was recognized as a natural talent at a young age. He’s been training with the Canadian team for a long time and is the first Australian to qualify for all the Alpine events.
Unfortunately, Brauer has had several major injuries and corresponding surgeries.
“He has trouble even walking,” notes Isaac. “He has had to avoid training, instead just rocking up, doing one ski before the event, then just going for it.”
The Alpine ski events are notorious for season and career ending injuries.

Just this year during the Lake Louise world cup event, American favourite, T J Lanning suffered shredded knee ligaments, a neck fracture, and shattered Olympic dreams all in the same horrifying moment.
But, that’s what makes Brauer so astonishing. Even after all the injuries and all the surgery, and all the abuse his body ahs taken, he’s here in Whistler competing one more time for Olympic Gold.
Isaac, will assuredly be right along the fence cheering Brauer on.  

Stay tuned to www.snowseekers.ca/olympicnews for daily blogs, videos and more throughout the Olympics.

For full stories on Western Canada's winter destinations, visit snowseekers.ca and friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.