Whistler Opening Week

Whistler Blackcomb – Opening
21 November 2011

When you are one of the biggest resorts in North America you could expect excitement to build to fever pitch for opening day.
To make it just that little bit sweeter the opening day was brought forward to November 18.

In this picturesque Canadian ski town the fever would have been building well before the opening. Whistler Blackcomb resort had one of their favourite sons, the “Godfather of Freesking” and pro skier Mike Douglas reporting from atop the Peak on Whistler Mountain for the week leading into the opening.

Embedded in the ski patrol shack and reporting with video and images back to the faithful, Douglas perhaps had the perfect start to his umpteenth winter.
If that is not enough to have the masses frothing, their was powder on offer and showing video of his journey and images of Douglas skiing in the days before the early opening would have been enough to send this ski mad town into a frenzy.

November 15. The week leading up to the opening and the “plush” lodgings for Mike Douglas at the top of Whistler. Skiers would have paid a top dollar to be perched here in this shack and watching the start of winter unfold.

Naturally there was work to be done and this ski patroller gets to play with some big fire crackers for that extra pre season adrenalin rush. With massive terrain and bucket loads of snow, the sounds of bombs echoing through the valley would have been music to the locals ears.

November 17 and a taste of what is to come. Legendary local photographer Paul Morrison gets to capture Douglas making turns in the alpine while Coast Mountain photographers also get to sample the goods.

And it certainly looks the goods here off the Emerald Express chair

November 18 and the local hordes make a pilgrimage to the base of the gondola for opening day. With a big storm brewing in the Pacific Northwest this week it looks like Whistler will be basking in powder for the remainder of November and will certainly set the season up to be another belter.....

Whistler is without a doubt a must visit in your skiing lifetime. With two of the biggest vertical rise mountains sitting side by side and both feeding back into a great village, there is enough terrain here to keep you occupied all season long, let alone just for your skiing holiday. Steep chutes, powder bowls and endless thigh burning groomed runs, it has it all. Combined with restaurants and bars scattered throughout the village, apres or nightlife the choice is all there.

For more details Visit Whistler, Canada.