This week, the Whistler Sliding Centre opened its public bobsleigh experience. This activity on the fastest track in the world now joins skeleton as a once in a lifetime bucket list item that brings you closer to being an Olympic athlete than you ever thought possible.

Many Canadian lads and lasses have grown up watching the Winter Olympics on TV with their parents. Aside from figure skating and ice hockey, what else is more iconic and exhilarating than bobsleigh? Hulk-like men and women running, then jumping into a tiny bathtub sized sled and pummeling down the track at lightening speed. We’ve all secretly wanted to be one of those bronzed gods and goddesses in tights and spiked Adidas shoes.

Much to the chagrin of my boyfriend – who has wanted to be a bobsledder since he was a little boy – I had the opportunity to try the experience with some of my colleagues.

After a brief introduction to the sport and some important safety information, we are shuttled up to the start, which is more than two-thirds up the track above the public skeleton start.

There, we meet our professional bobsleigh driver Pat Brown, who just so happens to have been the coach of the original Jamaican Bobsleigh Team and the inspiration for John Candy’s character in the film “Cool Runnings.”

Pat tells us that the minimum age to begin bobsleigh is 16 and there is only one junior bobsleigh team in Canada.

As my 2 female colleagues and I hop into the sled, my heart skips a beat. “Has anyone ever thrown up in one of these things?”

Our fearless leader Pat bonks us all on the helmet as a show of solidarity and good luck before he hops in.

The track crewman gets us off to a running start – we aren’t allowed to run ourselves for obvious reasons. And, we’re off. I can hear one of them on the radio: “Be prepared. It’s a light sled.” What does that mean?

At first the sled moves at a slow, rattling pace and I think: “This isn’t so bad. It’s like bumper cars.”

Then all of a sudden, the sled picks up speed. I assume the position we learned: shoulders shrugged, arms wide and strong, holding on for dear life with a white knuckle grip.

As we swerve from left to right through the turns, our sled is now a Mack Truck and then a 747 Jet. “Sweet Jebus, hold on!” I’m screaming the whole way down and so are my 2 sled companions. Pat is as calm as a cucumber – I assume.

As we enter the final Thunderbird turn, the sled hits its fastest speeds and my brain feels a little fuzzy.

As we come to a complete stop, my head is still buzzing from the G-force and adrenaline. Pat high-5s us as we step onto the finish platform, just like his Jamaican brethren many years ago.

In just 45 seconds we’ve descended the world’s fastest track, reaching speeds at 125 kilometres per hour. No big deal.

Would I do it again? Heck yes! And you should too.

More Info

The public bobsleigh experience is $149 CAD + tax

Sessions are 2 hours

1 bobsleigh ride per participant

http://www.whistlerslidingcentre.com

To prepare for the upcoming day I thought I would shreducate myself by asking some new and old snowboarding legends the question: “What does snowboarding mean to you?” Here’s what they had to say:

Finn Finestone, Whistler grom

Photo: Brian Finestone

“Snowboarding makes me feel calm, all week I look forward to riding so I can try new tricks and get better at my old ones. Riding in powder is fun, I like the way you float and it gets all quiet.”

Brian Finestone, Whistler Blackcomb Terrain Parks Manager (Finn’s Dad)

“Snowboarding has been a part of my life for 26 years. It used to be the personal progression that kept me going but now it’s the enjoyment of sharing it with my son. There are very few things in life that get me stoked like riding deep powder!”

Braden Dean, Voleurz athlete

“Snowboarding means a reason to wake up early in the morning, to continuously work on being in good physical condition, and to eat healthy so I can ride harder for longer.

Snowboarding gives meaning to the seasons and the weather. Changes in temperature, visibility or precipitation have an affect on where I go and what I do on any given day, week or month.

Snowboarding has introduced me to my best friends and given a purpose to my travels around the world.

Snowboarding has given me a reason to stay healthy, strong and in tune with my environment, and passion to share with my friends.”

Ken Achenbach, Camp of Champions Founder/snowboard legend

“Snowboarding means I get to be 15 for the rest of my life. It means being able to close your eyes and see the exact second your life changed. It means making friends that last a lifetime. It means traveling the world. It means being a local everywhere but at home.

It means having a secret handshake that opens doors to places you never imagined. It means days you never forget. It means days where you wish you could turn back time. It means days where time stops. It means changing your life without even realizing you are doing so.

It means surfing. It means living in the future you imagined and created. It means living in a bubble. It means experiencing your friends at their happiest moments. It means learning things about yourself that you never knew you needed to learn.

It means you know what luck is. It means sharing the worst of times. It means being alone in amazing places. It means traveling inside your head. It means seeing things that don’t get seen by normal people.

It means having the last laugh. It means waking up and always being happy. It means toothpaste from Tokyo, life and haircuts from Chamonix, socks from Verbier, appreciation from Ballarat, pit stick from London, pies from Auckland, music from Melbourne and friends and pictures from everywhere.

It means trees and the spaces in between. It means never growing up. It means the smell of pine. It means living somewhere where everyone gasps with envy when you tell them where you live.

It means you always buy “Powder Fresh Scent” even though you know that’s not the powder they are talking about. It means seeing mountains up close. It means you know the thousand of shades of blue.

It means you can smell winter. It means you know light. It means never being an adult. It means Fuji 50, 500, 5.6. It means you love helicopters, snowcats, powder, your friends and not in that order.

It means nothing and everything. It means fun.”

Dano Pendygrasse, legendary snowboard photographer

Photo: Dano Pendygrasse, James Kurylo 1996

“The easy answer is that Snowboarding is one of the parents of my career, that it is responsible for the direction I’ve taken in life and that I owe it a huge debt. The more complex answer is that my feelings about the idea of snowboarding have changed dramatically, that the parts of the sport that I like are harder to find, and that my desire to be a part of the current incarnation of the sport has waned. Considerably.

Still, strip away the industry, fashion, trends and resorts, put me on top of an untracked run with Morry, Warburton, Garry, Shin and Kearns, and there is literally no place in the world that I’d rather be. I’ve had my share of 100-day seasons and now it’s all about qualityover quantity. Even if that means going without if I can’t ride the way I want.”

Vera Janssen, pro rider

“Snowboarding makes me feel free and it let’s me be the person I want to be. It has given me an identity, yet it does not press me into a form.

Snowboarding is my way of self-expression; drawing lines into the mountains is my form of art – I am closest to myself when I am in the mountains, in nature, with the elements and my board – it purifies my soul.”

Graham Turner, Showcase Snowboard Shop boss man

“Snowboarding to me means sliding on snow and sliding on snow has been a part of my life for the past 40 or more years. The sliding on snow business has been my career since I was 14 years old. Snow can take a huge rugged mountain and turn it into a white magic carpet that you surf over incredible terrain that would normally be impassable. Snowboarding with my friends & family makes me smile a lot:) I am super stoked to pass this down to my little boy!”

Me, a BC girl who just loves to slide

“Snowboarding is freedom. It’s relaxation and exhilaration all in one moment. Snowboarding is the first time I learned how to link turns. It’s also my first cliff drop and those really stormy days when the alpine isn’t open and you can still get un-tracked lines every run. It’s hitting the pipe and high-5ing my boyfriend after an epic session. It’s listening to that little rattle on the chairlift as you upload and inhaling the scent of hot wax. Snowboarding is smelling like fresh alpine air and soaking up the muffled silence a big snow storm brings. Snowboarding completes me.”

It’s clear that the passion we all have for this sport can’t be boiled down into on simple answer. This Sunday, pay tribute to the sport that has brought you joy and go sliding. You’ll be glad you did.

What does snowboarding mean to you? We welcome you to answer in the comments below:

Cornucopia Whistler has come and gone, and the massive hangover can be felt around town as abandoned Masquerave masks blow in the wind like tumbleweeds. Luckily, the mountain will be opening soon to help us work off the massive amounts of cheese, wine and champagne we consumed this weekend.

Still, as we nurse headaches and sleep deprivation today, the culinary celebration can continue long after Cornucopia is gone. The appreciation of finer things in life can continue in the homes of all Whistlerites.

All you need is cheese and wine.

Cornucopia combined two of life’s best things into one delicious seminar with the Dairy Farmers of Canada, Blasted Church and Summerhill Pyramid Wineries yesterday.

Four of the six cheeses sampled were finalists in the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix, a worthwhile resource if you’re looking for a delicious cheese to bust out at the next social gathering. The odyssey of fromage took us on a journey across Canada, from Prince Edward Island to Quebec, and then to BC. To sample cheese, one must touch and smell, then put a small piece on the top of the tongue, gently warming it with the roof of the mouth.

Contrary to popular belief, white wines generally pair better with cheeses, according to our tasting coaches; and blue cheeses often taste best with a dessert wine. My biggest take-away from this seminar was this: Life’s short, so cut the cheese! And always, whatever you do, accompany that cheese with a healthy pour of wine.

Here are six pairings you may want to try:

1. Cheese: Island Brie – Little Qualicum Cheeseworks
Wine: Summerhill Pyramid Winery – Cipes Brut N/V

2. Cheese: Aged Lankaaster – Glengarry Fine Cheese
Wine: Blasted Church Wines – Chardonnay Musqué 2010

3. Cheese: Le Mont Jacob – Fromagerie Blackburn
Wine: Blasted Church Pinot Gris 2010

4. Cheese: Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar – Cows Inc.
Wine: Blasted Church Wines – Big Bang Theory 2010

5. Cheese: Cracked Pepper Veredelait – Natural Pastures Cheese Company
Wine: Blasted Church Wines – Pinot Noir 2009

6. Cheese: Bleu Benedictin – Abbaye St. Benoît
Wine: Summerhill Pyramid Winery, Chalice N/V

Top 25 Wines

If you’ve managed to check off the above list, try this on for size. Every year, an esteemed panel of judges chooses Cornucopia’s Top 25 wines to showcase at both the Crush Gala tasting and the Top 25 Celebratory Reception. This year’s list included a powerhouse of wineries with White Wine of the Year going to Bellingham – Bernard Series Old Vines Chenin Blanc, selling for $24.99. Red Wine of the Year went to Nk’Mip Cellars – Qwam Qwmt Syrah, which sells for $34.99.

As a self-professed armchair sommelier, I’ve always followed my taste buds more than the tasting notes. My trusty buds tell me their favourite wines of the Top 25 were Cupcake Vineyards – Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Mistaken Identity Vineyards – Abbondante Bianco Certified Organic, Cottesbrook – Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010, and the dramatic Bodega del Palacio de los Frontaura y Victoria – Nexus Crianza 2005. You can find the complete list on the Cornucopia website. Don’t worry, you have a whole year to get through the list!

So..who’s hosting the next wine and cheese party?

Friday evening at Cornucopia started off with a fabulous dinner at Alta Bistro. The “Symphony Bowl” 3-course menu included a Fresh Fall Salad with carrots, beets and candied walnuts; a second course of Goat Cheese Terrine and a main of Arctic Char with heavenly gnocchi.

Our cocktail wizard just so happened to be the restaurant’s co-owner, Ed Dangerfield. He mixed up a delightful daiquiri, followed by a mysterious lime and mint-infused rum concoction that can only be described as a party in my mouth. Arriba!

Next, we headed to Cornucopia’s Gala Grand Tasting event in the Whistler Conference Centre.

As always, the people watching was spectacular; from Vancouver’s glitterati to Whistler’s Twitterati and everyone in between. There were people there wearing furry boots, bejeweled cocktail dresses, Tom Selleck mustaches; as well as a man who looked like “The Situation” in 20 years.“I prefer tails over ties,” said the man dressed as a giraffe. No one said “dressing up” for an event can’t mean coming in costume.

As expected, the wine selection was spectacular, especially for the armchair sommeliers in the crowd. Attendees flocked to Cornucopia’s Top 25 wines, which were identified with white stickers. Other popular tastings included Argentina Wines, Black Hills, Blasted Church, Sterling Vineyards, and Painted Rock.

While food plays a much smaller role at CRUSH, the few food stations that were there offered a variety of sumptuous treats, including Nita Lake Lodge charcuterie, Crepe Montagne, SIDECUT at the Four Seasons, Terra Breads and Agropur Fine Cheese.

The  “Eh Team” Vancouver blogging contingent competing in the challenge was comprised of 5 people. Of the 5 only 1 is bona fide photographer (John Biehler). But that didn’t stop our entire team from diving into photography with shutters wide open!

My personal experience with photography is limited. I’ve always been intimidated by high-end DSLR cameras -  so many buttons and big ass lenses!  That being said, I’ve always loved taking photos of unique perspectives and beautiful things. That’s the beauty of photography: it’s inclusive. You don’t need to be a pro to enjoy this art form.

When I picked up the Olympus Pen E-PL2 it was like magic. Every photo I shot with this camera for the 14 days of my trip turned out perfectly – or at least a heck of a lot better than it should have.

In addition to the 2 detachable lenses that came with the package, my favourite feature of the camera is the Art Setting. You can choose from a variety of options to help create an artistic image. My favourites were: Pop Art (which amps up the colour in your photo) and Dramatic (which saturates the colours to create a crystal clear vintage look). There are also a host of great Scenes to help capture in all types of light and weather conditions. I really enjoyed playing with the Fish Eye effect. I also noticed that this camera has excellent image stability features compared to similar cameras.

I’ve always been really inspired by the contrast between nature and man made things. My eye is drawn to shapes and colour like a magpie to shiny objects.  The Pen really helped me bring my ideas to life. It was fun to use and easy to navigate and has really helped me realize how much I enjoy taking photos.

Here are a few of my favourite shots from the trip:

Driving through Idaho.

Faded Tibetan prayer flags in Moab.

Yoga in Utah.

Zen moment on the road.

Beauty in the middle of a harsh highway.

Somewhere in Texas.

The power of the storm.

Viva Las Vegas.

Nevada sunset.

Somewhere in Nevada.

View the Eh Team Flickr Gallery here.

The camera also takes amazing HD video. Check out this cool video I came across on You Tube.

Here’s a video gear guide for the Olympus Pen E-PL2

**Full disclosure. I received the camera on loan from Olympus Canada for free.

Extraterrestrial Highway

I’m driving through the desolate desert of Nevada, blasting dancy tunes, when you pull onto the Extraterrestrial Highway, State Route 375. This stretch of road is famous for being the gateway to Area 51, a secret and well-protected government location deep in the desert that is rumoured to house alien spacecraft and possibly even life forms from galaxies far, far away. If there’s any place to have a close encounter, it’s here. The mystery and conspiracy theories that surround Area 51 and the ET Hwy attract sci-fi geeks and outer space nerds from all over the world.

Excited, I whip out my smartphone (thankfully there’s 3G service) and check in via Foursquare to the venue “Alien Research Centre,” located at 100 Extraterrestrial. Chris G is the mayor and there is 1 tip: “I Highly recommend this place for real close encounters. Also there is good beer.”

Alien Research Centre

Alien Research Centre

Then I check into Area 51 and the Alien Fresh Jerky (Middle of Nowhere) “It looks closed.”

The road trip: a great North American tradition. A group of friends stuffing themselves and their worldly possessions into an old Chevy something and hitting the open road. Just you, your buds and some inspiring tunes in search of adventure. And now… throw social media gaming into the mix and you have yourself a very interesting social experiment.

The emergence of the “game layer” is clear after watching Seth Priebatsch’s keynote at SXSW Interactive Conference last week. Gamifying adventures like the road trip is, perhaps, a new and fun trend that will only grow as wireless service spreads through North America like wildfire and smartphones become ever more popular. Imagine collecting digital badges and points for hitting the key landmarks along your route or sharing your tips and suggestions with fellow travelers. All the while you’re sharing your experiences in real time with friends and loved ones back home.

I’ve been on a Chevrolet-sponsored road trip from Vancouver, British Columbia to Austin, Texas for SXSW Interactive and then back – a total of more than 5,000 miles. Check out the Eh Team’s misadventures.

Along the way, we used Foursquare, Yelp, Twitter and Facebook to source all kinds of information about locations we were visiting. We were social media machines: from finding a place to dine to sourcing must see tourist attractions to checking into and bragging about famous destinations.

I-10 Van Horn Rest Area is somewhere in the middle of Texas, but it has free wi-fi – and a Foursquare check in.

“Watch out for the bum that asks for change! How’d he get there????!” says the sole tip at the venue. We never did see the bum, but thank whoever left it for the warning. Brian V. is the mayor of Great Salt Lake State Park.

“Um so happy hour starts at 11:30am. No. I’m not lying. Yes, it’s perfectly acceptable to start at that time,” says one Caden B. of The Jackalope venue in Austin, TX.

In every small town, great and small, there is a Facebook Fan Page or a Foursquare venue to interact with. Even in the tiny town of Ely, Idaho, there are 3 Foursquare Specials.

As the game layer begins to saturate more of our daily life experiences, gamifying adventures great and small will become a part of the mix. Earning rewards for hitting landmarks might just inspire a whole new generation of road trippers to seek out adventure and challenge themselves to explore.

Dennis Crowley himself said at his SXSWi panel that Foursquare’s ultimate goal is to link people’s “bucket list” items with the check in to create a digital time line of all the fun, quirky and exciting things we’ve done in our lives. Foursquare will add value to the experience by helping you literally check things off your list and ping you when you’re near an experience you’ve flagged as a “must do.”

I only hope that one day soon, Crowley and the Foursquare crew will make an Extraterrestrial Highway badge – among others!

Party like a rock star, Tweet like a geek. Live off Cold FX, Emergen C, Red Bull, coffee, an assortment of free booze and food. Socialize with the Twitteratti. Never in bed before 2am. Meeting the who’s who of the digital space from Ben Huh of the I Can Haz Cheezburger network to Dennis Crowley of Foursquare to Chris Heuer, founder of Social Media Club House. Come home with a boatload of schwag, a pending cold and sleep deprivation.

When my good friend, blogger John Biehler first teased SXSW Interactive to me last year, I was intrigued. He had just returned from the event and was absolutely raving about the amazing networking opportunities, parties, panels and sheer volume of big players in the interactive space.

“SXSW Interactive is a summer camp for geeks,” he said back in 2010 as he showed me his brand spankin’ new iPad. I knew I needed to listen to him.

Lo and behold, a few weeks later I’d managed to convince my boss (over beers) that sending me to this event was the right thing to do for my company.

And last night as SXSWi came to a close, I found myself at the Serverbeach Geeky Beachy party wearing nerd glasses with tape wrapped around the rim and a pink t-shirt that said “I Love Geeks.” It was summer camp good bye and electro funk solo artist Neiliyo was sporting Harvard-chic geek attire as he sang us out of one of the most fun and dynamic conferences on the planet.

A large contingent of Canadian digital space players descended upon Austin, TX for the 5-day conference/festival hybrid. Michelle Leroux and I were proud to be the only Whistler representatives. Canadian media outlets, and companies like Radian 6, Hootsuite, tech start ups, as well as prolific bloggers and photographers, social media managers, public relations professionals and other le geek so chics were in attendance. The Maple Leaf Lounge – sponsored by the Government of Canada’s economic development ministry – rented out a space on Trinity Avenue to provide a haven for Canada’s digital community to hang out, participate in panels and meet potential clients.

SXSW was everything I hoped for and more. Thankfully staying at the very central location Courtyard Marriott Downtown saved us a 30-minute drive into the city each way and we were able to do quick wardrobe changes and drop off gear before the evening party sessions began.

The beauty of SXSWi is the inclusiveness and the meeting of great minds. It’s OK to bury your head in your Android or “check in” at a Foursquare venue because you’re among your people and they’re doing it too. In fact, if you’re not wired in at all times – you feel impotent. If you’re not wearing your big old SXSWi badge, you feel uncool.

My biggest take aways from SXSWi 2011 were:

1) the game layer is here and it’s bigger than we ever imagined, as per SCVNGR founder, Seth Priebatsch

2) there is a place for anonymity on the web, according to 4Chan Founder Christopher “Moot” Poole

3) Gamification giant Foursquare is where you want to play if you’re a brand

4) Group texting is the latest big thing (GroupMe)

5) Watch for Hashable

6) Giving is not only heart warming, but it’s also profitable (Tom’s Founder, Blake Mycoskie).

I can’t wait to return to geek summer camp next year, where I’ll celebrate with my new and old friends in chic le geek style. Stay tuned for more tales from the road. Yes…the Eh Team is still on the Chevy SXSW Road Trip.

Here are some great blogs and coverage that I’ve been reading as a wrap up to SXSW Interactive:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/sxsw

http://mashable.com/

http://whatsnext.blogs.cnn.com/

http://www.flightpath.com

HELPFUL TIPS

* Book your badge and accommodation early

* Bring extra power converters, plugs, batteries, chargers

* Wear comfortable shoes at all times

* Pre-SXSW do a cleanse

* Post-SXSW do a cleanse

* Pack ColdFX, Emergen C, headache pills

* Leave extra space in your suitcase for schwag and lots of it!

* Buy a US sim card with data if you’re from Canada. You’ll be glad you did

* Bring a portable USB or AA powered charging doc for your phone

* Bring multiple phone batteries

* Take notes at the panels (iPad suggested)

In our digital world, we’re used to being plugged in at all times. The Chevrolet SXSW road trippers challenge participants are the ultimate citizens of this digital nation.

The premise of the Chevy Road Trip Challenge is to be wired in at all times, dispatching our experiences via social media minute by minute. As a tech savvy team comprised of digital media professionals, we spend our lives connected – some might say too connected.

We spent the first 2 days of our road trip with heads down, tapping away on our Macs, Tweeting from our smartphones and drowning in a maze of wires, cables, wireless devices, batteries, memory sticks and card readers.

But on Day 3, Eh Team experienced a rolling blackout from all wireless devices for the entire day.  At first, our frustrations mounted as we stared at our blank screens. After all, it was a 5 challenge day! We had a lot to accomplish and felt impotent that we couldn’t connect to the world.

But after a while, the Eh Team began to embrace being off the grid. We raised our eyes from our computer screens and began to truly take in our surrounds.  Our eyes wide open approach for the day lead us on many adventures, from hitting the beautiful geographic site, Wilson’s Arch in Utah, to making new friends at Rudy’s BBQ in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Since our heads weren’t buried in our computers for hours at a time, we got to know one another better and grew closer as a team – and as friends. From losing purses to getting stopped by the cops (again), to wandering through small towns sporting mysterious white jump suites – the hilarious moments, laughter and jokes kept on rolling through the day, right through to our 3am arrival in Clovis, New Mexico.

The Eh Team learned a very valuable lesson during our period un-connectivity: Sometimes it’s important to stop tweeting and smell the roses.

Passing through the beautiful “ski hills” of Snoqualmie Pass, we made our way to the small town of Yakima where we encountered a Sonic Burger for the first time. Fun little burger joint with roller skating carhops.

Check out the full Flickr Gallery for photos.

Sonic just happens to be directly across from The Muff Center. The hilarity and irony of this name – given that there are 3 girls in the Eh Team pack – inspired us to call our Chevy Traverse by the very same name.

The good old fashioned road trip is almost a rite of passage for every North American. There’s something about breaking free of the confines of the rat race and just…well….driving. And driving we are doing: Today is an 800+ kilometer drive.

I’ve been on a few road trips before – both times with a group of close girlfriends. It’s been fun getting to know some new friends from scratch – and some old friends better.

On every road trip, there are a few common denominators:

Junk Food

Funny Inside Jokes

Music (good and mostly bad)

Random Moments

To keep the inspiration alive, here are my favourite Road Trip movies of all time.

tra

Today’s Info Drop – which we’ve affectionately called “Chrissie Mail” as an ode to Tyra Mail on America’s Next Top Model – indicated that we need to be in Twin Falls, ID tomorrow by 11am, where our first challenge will be commencing. They’ve told us to download the Group Me app.

Stay tuned to the Eh Team Blog for further updates and follow along with the hashtag #ehteam.

• John Biehler – @JohnBiehler
• Wayne Racine – @WayneRacine
• Amber Turnau – @AmberTurnau
• Leila Pejman – @ThePej
• Michelle LeRoux – @MichelleLeroux

I’m co-organizing Twestival Whistler with my good friend – and owner of PR agency Reine Communications, Michelle Leroux. Our event will take place on March 24, as part of Twestival Local, which involves cities all over the world – from San Francisco to Madrid to Tunis. We’re raising funds for a local charity called Zero Ceiling Society, a non-profit that helps get underprivileged youth off the streets and onto boards, bikes and other life adventures; providing them with a chance to see beyond the boundaries of poverty.

We’ve enlisted the help of many dear friends and contacts from across the Sea to Sky Corridor – including the good people of Origin Design + Communications, who designed our banner ads and logos. Join us to Tweet, Meet, and Give at the Whistler Brewing Company on March 24. Tickets are on sale next week on our site. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Zero Ceiling.

About a month ago, my friend and blogger John Biehler invited me to participate in a once in a lifetime experience to join a team of bloggers departing from Vancouver to participate in Chevrolet’s SXSW Road Trip Challenge. We’re one of 10 teams  across North America – and only one of 2 Canadian teams – driving down to Austin, Texas in a Chevy SUV for one of the most influential music, film and interactive conferences in the world. We’ll be participating in a series of “Amazing Race” style challenges along the way and raising money for an educational Canadian charity. Follow along with the “Eh Team”: John Biehler (@johnbiehler), Wayne Racine (@WayneRacine), Michelle Leroux (@michelleleroux @reinecomm), Leila Pejman (@thepej), and I (@amberturnau) as we drive from Vancouver to Austin. We’ll be departing from Vancouver on March 7 and arriving in Austin March 10. Follow along on our adventures with The Eh Team Blog and hashtags #EhTeam and #ChevySXSW.