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

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)

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

Mickey and Neil.

Bags are packed (to the max), tech gear is assembled and the Eh Team – Vancouver’s blogging contingent -  is preparing to depart Vancouver on the Chevrolet SXSW Road Trip Challenge. Tomorrow’s Day 1 of a 4-day road trip to Austin, TX for SXSW Interactive. The total distance is approximately 2,500 miles/4,142 kilometers. Day 1 is Vancouver to Boise, Idaho. Day 2 is Boise to Moab, Utah. Day 3 is Moab to Clovis, New Mexico. Day 4 is Clovis to Austin, Texas. Here’s our official route.

Photo: John Biehler

The road trip organizers have been dropping little hints along the way and thus far, the info has been limited. Along the way we’ll be participating in a total of 11 challenges, still to be announced. The 10 teams – which are departing from across North America – will be judged by a panel of social media superstars. So far the sentiment is that it’s about quality of engagement over quantity.

The Eh Team had a little send off at Local Public Eatery in Kits (@LOCAL_Kits) with an array of appetizers and Red Truck beer. It was great to feel the love before we embark on our epic journey.

The Local is an awesome spot to watch the Hockey.

yummy nachos

My good friend Kim Bowie from The Thuggie even dropped off some Chuggie beer coozies for the trip (thanks Kim!).

Rub a chug, chug. The Chuggie keeps my drink nice and cold.

The Eh Team has been hard at work getting the word out about our trip. So far, we’ve been on News1130, Miss 604, Van City Buzz, CKNW and team captain, John Biehler, will also be hitting CBC morning news in the morning tomorrow. Check out our press room for more info.

Follow along with the Eh Team:

BLOG: http://www.ehteamsxsw.com

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

Two Fridays ago, I went on a solo mission to explore the Sea to Sky Bike Trail . This 30 kilometre round-trip journey from Whistler to Brandywine Falls brought a bit of everything: from breaking my favourite pair of Oakley sunnies to experiencing an annoying mechanical issue with my bike seat. But regardless of a few setbacks, it was a great adventure with beautiful scenery along the way and one that I could recommend to anyone who can ride on 2 wheels.

The Sea to Sky Trail, once completed, will link Squamish to D’Arcy with a 180 kilometre non-motorized trail. In the winter, you can snowshoe or cross-country ski, while in the summer months, it’s all about biking or running.

The Whistler to Brandywine Falls leg opened last summer. Overall, the ride wasn’t difficult; rather it was just long. Don’t expect to see any single track or difficult features. This is a mellow ride compared to the North Shore, Whistler Mountain Bike Park or Whistler bike trails, but it’s still a great way to get a bit of exercise and be outside.

The trail is quite wide with a moderate grade and is perfect for anyone who is an high beginner to intermediate level mountain biker. Some level of fitness does help, given the distance.

The views are stunning along the way as you cross rushing mercury-blue rivers and navigate through the lush, forest, along river beds and passed purple alpine flowers and waterfalls.

The Whistler to Brandywine route is more or less complete, although I did have a bit of trouble navigating the trail once I crossed the Cal Cheak Suspension bridge to Brandywine.

When I finally made it to Brandywine, I was rewarded with views like this:

Last fall, Neil and I visited Brandywine (by car) and he ended up with a sprained ankle from an ill-fated jumping photo. You can read about that here.

The Sea to Sky Trail has partnered with the Trans-Canada Trail, which makes it part of the world’s largest trail network. And that makes it super cool.

This project is funded with the help of government, First Nations and community partners, and also by donation. According to the website it costs $5,000 to build around 100 metres of trail, so you can imagine why they haven’t quite completed it yet!

Expect a little bit of adventure along the Sea to Sky Trail. Anything’s possible:

Here’s their introductory video featuring Dr. David Suzuki and also Paralympic skier Brad Lennae who discusses accessibility on the Sea to Sky Trail.

To access the Sea to Sky Trail
Bike south from Whistler Village via the paved Valley Trail. At Tamarisk, you’ll have to skirt onto the highway for about 10 minutes. Once you get to Function Junction, cross the highway to Cheakamus Crossing and keep right along the road until you come to the small Sea to Sky Trail sign.

More Information
Always check the weather forecast before you head out and make sure you bring plenty of food, water and a first aid kit.
http://www.seatoskytrail.ca/

Neil hails from Plymouth and is distantly related to an infamous pirate named John Thomas. Here’s JT’s grave near Penzance, which we visited 3 years ago. As you can see, it has a real live skull and cross bones etched into it, as well as a very cryptic eulogy, which basically says he was a scoundrel and an all-around bad dude who deserved to die.

Plymouth is located in the South West peninsula of England in an area called Devon. The famous “Mayflower” ship full of America’s first settlers departed from Plymouth Harbour in 1620.

This coastal area of Devon and Cornwall is the official surfing capital of the UK and boasts long stretches of beaches, quaint seaside towns and the famous and most delicious Cornish Pasty.

I recommend Philp’s Pasties in the town of Hayle for the best Cornish Pasty on the planet. You can take it to go and head to Gwithian, a lovely beach nearby. Here’s the official Philps Pasty Appreciation Facebook Group.

The tiny coastal fishing towns that dot the peninsula are seeped in mysterious history of pirates, smugglers and wreckers. It’s Pirates of the Caribbean come to life, complete with Johnny Depp. Apparently, some scenes from the movie were filmed along the coast and a few locals reported having a cheeky pint with Johnny in the tiniest of pubs.

Wreckers were notorious in these parts. When the storms weren’t working in their favour, they caused ships to wreck on shore, by strapping donkeys with lanterns to trick ships into thinking they were lighthouses. As soon as the crew perished, these vultures would scavenge every last valuable part of the ship.

Smugglers would import and export everything they could get their hands on: teas, spices, textiles, arms, booze, treasure, exotic art and the list goes on and on.

Bloody brawls and mysterious disappearances were common in these parts. Nowadays, these old towns hide their secrets in their narrow cobblestone roads, decorative pub signs, wooden window shutters and their 1,000-year-old churches.

In the 17th and 18th Centuries they were hideaways for the most badass dudes. Now many are retirement areas or tourist destinations; a much less exciting life, no doubt.

Neil and I camped overnight in a town called Sennen, which is located about 5 minutes from the Western most point of England, known as Land’s End. In typical British camping fashion, we spent the night in a field for £5. The field just happened to be beside a 400 year-old inn and pub (The First and Last Inn.).

And a 1,500 year old church!

My meal at the First and Last Inn consisted of succulent lamb shank with roast vegetables and a Cornwall-brewed Doom Bar Ale.

Inside the pub lies a preserved smuggling hole nicknamed “Annie’s Well.” The story goes that Annie was one of the Inn’s previous managers.. She reportedly turned King’s evidence against the inn’s owner, who was her smuggling agent, and made many other enemies along the way. The locals eventually got their revenge on Annie and staked her out on the beach at low tide, where she eventually drowned.

After a bit of a history lesson at the pub, we wandered 20 minutes down a country road to the official Land’s End to watch the sunset and take fun photos.

With all the touristy shops and cheesy 4D theatre closed for the day, the spot took on a more somber atmosphere. The history of the place seemed to seep through the clifftops, the lonely waves and the submerged wrecks.

As we looked out over the water toward the Isles of Silly, I couldn’t help thinking about another tale I’d heard of the area. According to the story, there is a Lost Land of Lyonesse beyond the shores of Land’s End. A land where King Arthur is believed to have had his fateful battle with his son Mordred. An entire city that reportedly sunk in November 1099AD. People have reported seeing church spires and other city ruins beneath the waves during raging coastal storms.

It seems that England too, has its own Atlantis.

We wait with bated breath – or a version thereof – for the stars of this science fiction movie: the Manta Rays. After 10 minutes of anticipation, two forms emerge from the shadows like birds on the wing gliding through a watery sky. Pumping their wings with grace, they are slowly illuminated; blurry at first and then gradually coming into focus. Two babies, averaging a six or seven foot wing-span, have come to play.

Part prehistoric aquatic dinosaur; part otherworldly being, they circle the mysterious man-made spaceship of light and bubbles. They glide playfully over the scuba divers, doing somersaults and spins; revealing their soft white bellies with black polka dots. For what other reason than to have fun?

They feed on the plankton that gravitates toward the torches; their giant mouths gulping in water and filtering out the food. We can see right into their bodies: hollow, skeletal and sleek.

I spend 50 minutes at 50 feet, captivated by these creatures. They glide so close to my snorkel and mask, I’m afraid their wings will knock my equipment off my head.

I want to touch them but I know it will harm the protective mucus that covers them. I settle for making eye contact with one of our new friends. Behind the ray’s yellow eyes is primal wisdom and knowledge, with a touch of curiosity and amusement. The eye stares back at me; one organic creature to another. I wonder what he or she is thinking. Maybe something like: “So long and thanks for all the plankton.”

And just as gracefully as they glide into the light, they disappear into the shadows; their wings now a distant silhouette against our torches. It’s time for them to return to the deep, away from our bubbles and torches.

As I surface at our boat, my body is still buzzing with the experience. The creatures of the ocean are so unearthly to us. But, I can’t help thinking tonight that perhaps it is we who are the unnatural ones on this planet.

This Manta Ray dive is known as one of the Top 10 dives in the world and for good reason. The dive site, Garden Eeel Bay, is located off the West Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii (Hawai’i) in a town called Kailua-Kona.

There are a variety of dive shops in town. We went with Jack’s Diving Locker, which seems to be one of the more established in the area. Scuba divers and snorkelers are welcome. The package offers two dives at the same site; one at dusk and then one at night. This is a Bucket List experience, so be sure you take the plunge if you find yourself on the Big Island.

a) smoke weed
b) eat poutine
c) chat with an invisible Muhammed

Make that all of the above. Whistler’s fourth annual Chairlift Revue, a locally produced event, ended the TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival on a “high” note.

MC’d by the Pique newspaper’s very own social commentary guru G.D. Maxwell, the Chairlift Revue covered the top 3 hot topics that are bound to offend: religion, sex, drugs. The plays ranged in theme from coming of age to “just because I slept with you doesn’t mean I’ll ski with you” to Olympic-withdrawal to an Olympic mascot who dunnit to dangerous encounters with metal and body parts.

The audience was a lot more local and family-oriented than you’d find at the rest of the rowdy evening events filled with industry people and younger ski/board types. But, I kind of like the authentic, genuine nature of the Chairlift Revue. It’s a community performance, supported by the Whistler Arts Council and written, directed and produced by Whistlerites who are passionate about arts and culture in this community. It’s events like this that are the true backbone of this town.

And I have to say, Ace MacKay-Smith (DJ Foxy Moron) was the best darn Jesus I’ve ever seen!

Since I left you last, there have been so many adventures and new friends. For one, I actually got up to ride in the spirit of the “ski and snowboard” part of the festival.

So, first, I checked out the Grenade Games Superpipe competition on Friday.

I went riding with my boyfriend Neil and we tested out our new Go Pro HD Hero helmet cam. He has designed a homemade filming device: a red broom handle with a wristband. Actually, to be fair it works really well and takes awesome POV footy. We’ll be making an edit of our adventures.

One of our stops was the new mini pipe on Blackcomb Mountain, which is my favourite addition to the park. It’s perfect for people like me, who are just starting out in the pipe world. For those who are more apt at pipe, there’s the Olympic-sized Superpipe a little further down the road.

Wandering through the village is always fun during WSSF. We came across the Whistler Dogfest and checked that out for a while. I dream of one day owning a dog named Mickey.

Yesterday evening it was on to Sushi Village, the iconic Whistler dining spot, for a dinner with a few media friends, such as blogger Van City Allie, Snowboard Canada, Frequency The Snowboarders’ Journal, ESPN and Tyler Ingram, to name a few.

We may or may not have polished off 2 Dumbos of saki and approximately 10 saki margarita pitchers. Our gracious waitor, who also happens to be the talented photographer Rich Glass, also delivered the ultimate sushi experience with a ton of yummy sushi rolls to choose from. Mmmm.

For the record, here is Gerhard Gross of Snowboard Canada and one of our Dumbos of saki so you can see just how much alcohol we consumed!

After that, I may or may not have participated in a Hot Tub Time Machine bachelorette party for my friend Kat. She’s getting married next month. We might have dressed up in ’80s retro gear and danced around the chalet in our bikinis drunk. I can neither confirm nor deny this, but I might have also worn a sweet retro ski jacket.

So many new friends and great times at this year’s festival. But, it’s not over yet for me. Tonight, I’m checking out the Chairlift Revue. It’s my first time so I’m intrigued.