British Columbia Canada Blog

Apart from the Olympic Games, there will still be plenty going on in Whistler Blackcomb. Here’s a brief rundown of the events you can attend in Whistler this year.

March 1st – 8th 2010 Winter Pride 2010

March 1-8 are the official dates for GayWhistlers WinterPRIDE celebrating its 18th anniversary. This is going to be one anniversary party you will not want to miss come and experience Whistler just after the Olympics and take in the excitement of being on the world stage.

For more information, check out: Gay Whistler

March 13th – 21th 2010 Winter Paralympic Games

From March 12-21, 2010 Whistler plays host to some very talented and extraordinary athletes at the Paralympic Games. Come cheer on your favorite athlete as they go for Gold. The Paralympics are known to be more intimate than the Olympics and just as exciting!

April 9th – 11th 2010 The Whistler Cup

THE WHISTLER CUP is an international ski event organized by the Whistler Ski Club . Having completed its  17^th year, Whistler Cup has grown to become the largest and most important ski race in North America, and internationally, for athletes aged 11 – 14 years. It is held under the auspice of FIS, the international governing body for alpine skiing. With over 390 young athletes from 20 countries, Whistler Cup brings together children from many different cultures, from around the world.

April 16th-25th 2010: Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival 2010

Related Links:

Whistler City Guide

Top Whistler Pubs

Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival

Drive to Whistler, British Columbia

Yesterday, I was in front of the TV set way before the start of downhillskiing event with high hopes on 5 Canadian athletes participating in the event.  The weather was great and Whistler creekside looked fantastic. It surely was a wonderful day for:

Switzerland’s Didier Defago who took gold by clocking 1:54.31. Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal, last year’s overall World Cup winner, took silver with a time of 1:54.38 and American extrovert Bode Miller was third in 1:54.40. 

Alas! No medal for Canada in Men’s downhill skiing inspite of several predictions claiming that Manuel Osborne will do Canada proud. Manuel Osborne grew up racing for the Whistler Mountain Ski Club. His first World Cup podium came in November 2006 at the Bombardier Winterstart men’s downhill in Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. His first victory was at the Downhill of Kvitfjell in March 2009. He currently has three World Cup wins in 2009, recently winning the downhill in Val Gardena, Italy.

Well, all we can say to our downhill skiers is better luck next time.

Related articles:

Vancouver 2010: Medal predictions

Winter Olympics 2010: Men’s downhill skiing

Okanagan Athletes in Vancouver 2010
 

Do you know that the German and Swedish teams that trained at Silver Star Ski resort in British Columbia won 12 medals during the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics? Many Olympic teams in the hopes of getting the same results are using the Okanagan  again to do their final pre-Games tune-ups on local cross-country ski trails.

Some of the participating athletes are from the nordic event teams of Norway, the Czech Republic, Russia and Switzerland. In all, eight Olympic teams totalling 100 competitors are training locally, injecting money into the economy and Olympic buzz into the region. One of the most popular venues is the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre in the North Okanagan. The Norwegian biathlon team has been training there and at nearby Silver Star Mountain Resort for the past two weeks.

The region has been a popular training ground for nordic competitors for years. Most teams are staying at Silver Star for 10 to 16 days, resulting in $125,000 in total revenue for the resort. So, next time you ski in BC consider yourself lucky because you might be using the same trails which helped train Olympic athletes.

Other Vancouver 2010 Posts:

Transportation During Olympics 2010

Opening Ceremony Olympics 2010

Meet Vancouver Olympics 2010 Athletes

The Olympics may be finished come April but the action never stops in Whistler. TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival will be held in Whistler from April 16-25th 2010.  The festival will be packed with competitions, concerts and mind-blowing excitement.

It makes sense to visit Whistler during this festival because besides enjoying everything that this wildly popular festival offers, you can also take advantage of  the slopes which will be less crowded, the snow will still be great and you can get amazing low season prices.

View the entire Ski and snowboard festival event schedule here: Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival 2010 

Walnut Beach Resort in Osoyoos is a great place for your winter weekend getaway. Skiing conditions at Mt. Baldy are excellent and the Malt Wine is ready along with the fireplaces in cozy Walnut Beach Resort rooms. 

All one bedroom and two bedroom suites have their own fireplaces and insuite washer and dryers. Oh and don’t forget the Wine Bar and Bistro on site. The pool and hot tubs are open and resort also offers sauna and steam room to warm up those tired muscles.

Walnut Beach Resort’s private beach has received a go ahead for a liquor license which will make you feel like you are in the tropics with beachside bar service. Plan a wedding at the resort and we promise, you won’t be disappointed.

So this ski season you’ve decided to stay close to home because the Flights from Japan to Whistler, Canada are very expensive. Well, not a bad decision considering that you can now enjoy Vancouver 2010 Olympics and delicious Whistler food near home at Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture. Tourism British Columbia, Whistler tourism and Naeba Ski Resort, Japan have made it possible for Japanese ski lovers to enjoy flavors of Whistler in Japan by opening Whistler Café at Naeba Ski Resort, Japan.

The café will be operational only during the winter season and this year it will run from December 19^th 2009 to 28^th March 2010. The officials have just launched a ‘Go-Whistler Campaign’ to celebrate the grand opening of this café. The campaign includes several fun contests with about 100 different prizes including a trip to Whistler in Canada for a pair and Naeba Ski Lift tickets. Also, don’t be disappointed if you haven’t been able to get tickets for Olympics 2010 in Vancouver because during the Winter Olympic Games, you can enjoy the selected popular Olympic events with your friends and family at the café as public viewing of the games has been arranged.

The Whistler Café will serve Canadian casual food, beer, British Columbian wine and you will also be able to find brochures, magazines and books, related to Whistler. Oh and those who are visiting Naeba Ski resort, Japan from Canada- Whistler Café will not let you miss home.

To plan your next trip to British Columbia, Canada visit: BC Travel Guide

Silver Star and Big White Ski resorts are a great place to spend holidays with family and friends. They have accommodations ranging from hotel rooms to big chalets which can accommodate everyone’s needs and budgets.

 Also, gift cards for these resorts can be a wonderful holiday gift. Cliff Chair opened at Big White this year on Dec 21st and Falcon Chair is scheduled for Dec 23rd.  The grooming crew have been spreading some Christmas cheer opening the Snowcross course in TELUS Park as they continue to work on other features.

Up at Silver Star the 3 gladed runs on Silver Woods are now open bringing the total run count to 100. For those that just can’t get enough, night Skiing is in full swing at both mountains. At Silver Star night skiing operates every Friday and Saturday evening (except Dec 25th) from 3:30pm – 8:30pm on the Summit and Silver Queen. At Big White night skiing runs straight through until 8:00pm on the Bullet, Plaza Chairs and from 5:00pm to 8:00pm in TELUS Park every night over Christmas (except Christmas Eve and New Years Eve).

Christmas celebrations at Big White will include: Family Photos with Santa, an indoor Church service at the Village Centre Mall, Christmas carolling, the torchlight parade followed by a fireworks show with hot chestnuts roasting on an open fire and hot chocolate. Elves permitting, even Santa Claus himself will be there. This is a must attend event and it is all free. Photos will take place all day and the festivities kick off with the church service at 4:30 pm.

Christmas Eve at Silver Star is always a night to remember. The first delight is the Torchlight Parade and the spectacular Fireworks display getting underway shortly after 4pm. As the last sparkle dims in the evening sky, Santa will lead the kids to the NATC for Santa’s Gift Giving and Photos.

Plan your holiday trip today with BC travel Guide.

This weekend is perfect for visiting Whistler, British Columbia because Whistler ski resort  has already exceeded its record for snowfall in November.  Recently, Tourism British Columbia revealed that more than 430cm of snow has fallen so far, beating the previous record of 416cm set in November 2006.

Accommodations are reasonably priced and ski conditions are excellent so what could be the better time to visit Whistler. The guests will also benefit from a major upgrade to the Sea-to-Sky Highway, a transport link between Vancouver and Whistler.

Tourism Whistler’s vice-president of marketing, Arlene Schieven, said:

Whistler is currently offering some of the best value for accommodation and lift ticket packages in its history and the atmosphere here is more inviting and exciting than ever.
With all the early snow, we are off to a great start this winter season.

So, are you ready to ski?

New ski season is almost here which means we know you are considering buying new ski and snowboarding equipment. Well, Ski & Sport Swap might be able to help. Whether you need some new gear or just want to get rid of those old skis and boots or any other sports gear taking up room in your garage, Big White ski swap can help? The Big White Racers are hosting their Annual Ski and Sport Swap on November 6th and 7th at New Life Church on Harvey. Check out the schedule below:

Nov.6th 2009: Consignments 10:00 am to 8:00 pm

Nov.7th 2009: Sale 8:00 am to 3:00 pm

Nov.7th 2009: Pay out and pick up 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Wishing you happy skiing.

To plan your this year’s Ski trip, visit: BC Travel Guide

Whenever I book my ski trip, my focus is on least amount of travel time (who likes getting stuck on icy roads in winter or wait for connecting flights) and maximum time on the slopes. I am sure there are a lots of BC tourists out there who think and plan the same way. I have some good news for such BC Travellers planning their BC ski trips.

Delta Airlines will again this ski season (2009-2010) offer non-stop flights from selected US cities ( like Salt Lake City, Utah) to the Kootenay Rockies Region of British Columbia. 

For instance the short, two hour flight from Salt Lake City to Cranbrook (starting Dec, 19th) will provide easy access to a pair of southeastern B.C. ski and snowboard resorts, and will be available weekly on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Mar. 28, 2010.

(Information below courtesy: Delta Airlines)

How it Works (The Rules)
Origins and Destinations	Between Cranbrook (Canadian Rockies Intl.), BC and select U.S. cities
Purchase by	March 13, 2009
Advance Purchase and Minimum Stay	14 days; none
Other Rules	Tickets may be purchased at delta.com.