Pemberton wildfires continue. These photos by Dave Steers offer an incredible documentation of what’s happening in the village just north of Whistler. Many of my colleagues and friends live in Pemberton so I’m thinking of all those folks today.
Find out about the current wildfires in BC here.
It isn’t often you see an African man in a leopard-print ski jacket on Blackcomb’s Horstman Glacier.
We’ve all seen the movie Cool Runnings, which tells the story of the Jamaican Bobsleigh team and their quest for the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary. This winter, the eyes of the world will be on Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong, Ghana’s first and only Olympic skier.
I was lucky enough to meet Kwame and his family when they visited Whistler recently for a TV project I was helping coordinate. Humble and down to Earth, Kwame handles his blossoming fame with grace – and a lot of humour.
The Scottish-born, Ghanian-raised skier says he’s always been an athlete, participating in just about every sport you can think of. But, it wasn’t until he moved back to the UK as an adult and worked part-time at an indoor ski slope that he developed his passion for skiing. From the dry slopes to the real slopes, he’s come a long way, having recently obtained the correct number of points to guarantee his spot in the Olympics, requirements set out by the World Skiing Federation.
While “Snow Leopard” isn’t a name Kwame came up with (it was a nickname coined by a UK journalist), he’s made the most of his new found fame. The Snow Leopard has captured the hearts of the British and Ghanian fans and now he’s come to Canada to mark his territory. Kwame’s trip to Whistler included meeting a few of Canada’s past and future Olympians, experiencing Whistler’s summer activities, checking out the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola and Horstman Glacier, and perhaps even taking a sneak peak at a certain downhill course.
Now that he’s experienced Whistler, Kwame says he’s even more motivated to amp up his training for the Olympics. It’s going to be a busy six months for the Snow Leopard, but he’s already envisioning himself at the bottom of the run throwing his helmet and gloves into the crowd and raising his hands in victory.
Without a big athlete budget to draw from, Kwame is mainly self-funded. He’s come up with a creative way to gather sponsorship dollars. He’s having a snow leopard ski suit designed for his debut in 2010 and is selling off the spots. For just £5 you could have your name on a leopard spot. That way, all his friends, family and fans can be with him on his Olympic journey. Sponsor him by clicking this link.
Paul Morrison, Whistler Blackcomb photo
Ladies clad in full face helmets and body armour and streaked with mud and dirt, doesn’t generally spring to mind when you’re thinking about an all girls club. But then again, Whistler isn’t your average town and Whistler girls aren’t your average ladies.
Women’s Night in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park is where dirty girls come to play – and get their fix of drops and jumps and beer.
Women’s Nights run every Monday and Wednesday night and act as a gathering ground for female downhill mountain bikers of all ability levels. You’ll find women of all age groups and interests in this group: from moms with groms to twenty-somethings to tourists to locals.
The guides divide everyone up by ability level and area of interest. The tickets are varied in price, depending on whether you have your own equipment and pass. At the end of the evening, everyone gathers at the GLC for a beer and prize draw, featuring some sweet schwag, including brakes, armour, tires and other bike equipment.
One of these Wednesday evening sessions back in 2007 was my first introduction to the bike park and I was instantly hooked on the adrenaline rush. While I still like to keep things fairly tame and am only just getting into drops, I honestly have this program to thank for even giving me the courage to get into the sport. I genuinely believe it’s women’s programs like these that are contributing to the influx of ladies in downhill mountain biking. That and passionate female riders like Katrina Strand, who is one of the forces behind WomenzWorx, an all-girl competition that falls under the Crankworx umbrella of events.
The bike park’s Women’s Night has blossomed over recent years. Kokanee Crankworx 2007 was the turning point for the program when “Women’s Wednesdays” finally gained traction. It was then that an adrenaline-fueled Crankworx inspired 100+ ladies to sign up one Wednesday – and they kept returning every Wednesday after that. I’d like to say I was one of the pioneering ladies, but alas, I merely jumped on the bandwagon – quite literally.
Since then, Women’s Wednesdays have transitioned into two nights each week to accommodate the growing demand.
Staring up into the infamous Boneyard Slopestyle course doesn’t exactly inspire the everyday woman to hop on a tank-like full suspension bike and ride off into the sunset. But behind all those wall rides, slalom courses and massive drops lies a variety of trails that will NOT terrify the average person. And don’t worry, they take it easy on you the first time.
Ninja Cougar is my new favourite; a flowy intermediate trail designed with the cross country rider in mind. B Line and Crank It Up are also good fun for intermediate riders. Karate Monkey and Devil’s Club offer their fair share of bridges and other assorted obstacles. And there are plenty more trails to advance to after that.
Before I moved to Whistler, I had no idea the bike park even existed. Now, I find myself actually craving the adrenaline rush. If you’re a lady with a bit of an adventurous side and you haven’t tried downhill biking, you should. Don’t be intimidated by all the ar aggressive-looking macho dudes riding their mega-expensive bikes. There’s a place in the bike park for us ladies too and it’s muddy, dirty, wild and fun.
