So my little bro Drew arrived last night for his Xmas vacation. He got to Whistler around 6.30 and we rushed home to drop off his bags so we could get some shopping in. He wanted to be able to go boarding the first thing the next day and needed to buy a few bits and bobs to do that. I also needed to do a bit of shopping because the temperatures on the mountain had dropped drastically to -25C. Drew needed to buy some boots, so we wondered around Whistler for a bit, going to the stores where I new I would get a decent discount. Drew was looking for a specific pair of shoes that we just couldn’t find. You see, Whistler is a great place to come and ski and snowboard, but they don’t have very many big shops and even those only hold certain brands. So Drew had to settle for some pretty nice Burton White Collection boots. All I’ve got to say is Very white, but nice.
Since the temperature had dropped so much, it wasn’t possible to go boarding with any skin exposed. So we need to buy some face masks. I don’t care who you are, no one can pull off wearing a fitted face mask. Luckily, hardly anyone can recognise you when you where it. You just look silly!
Yesterday was also the first time that I waxed my board. I’d bought all the equipment that I needed gradually thoughout last week. Shopping for cheap waxing gear is hard in Whistler. Everyone wants it, so they can charge what they like. Eventually, ended up getting a complete set for a pretty competitive price. Anyway, back to my original train of thought. Waxing a board is pretty simple stuff. There are a load of tutorials on the web and I attend a free how to class a couple weeks back. I personally enjoy waxing my board, I find it very relaxing and I take my time. Tom, on the other hand saw it as a chore. So did it as quickly as he could. Which in turn made a big mess… I just added to that mess (in smaller quantities though). It’s fair to say I was proud of myself after I was done. I’d waxed my board for the first time and not screwed it up.
This morning we woke up early. This may not seem as anything special, but we always aim to get up early and rarely ever do. Most of the time I end up leaving on my own. So we got up the mountain at a decent time. It was a clear day and we could see all the surrounding mountains. This was my first day back after injuring my back, so I took the first couple slopes nice and slowly. Drew didn’t, he said he was worried that it would take time for him to remember how to board. Bollocks. He was pelting down the mountain at full speed on the first run. I hate to say it, but he’s better than me (for now).
After lunch we decided to test out the new Peak to Peak gondola. It’s the world longest suspension bridge. 4.4km in 11mins. It’s pretty impressive and pretty scary if you are afraid of heights. I made a nice little video of our first trip on the gondola, so go have a look.
Blackcomb is the mountain next to Whistler. Currently, it doesn’t have as many runs open. But it is a lot less busy. Except its mostly ice. Every where you ride you just encounter huge sheets of ice, or fake snow. So on Blackcomb, your either doing a nice turn, then hitting a sheet of ice and sliding uncontrollably for 10m. Or your doing a nice turn and you hit a huge patch of artificial snow and just stop. Atrificial snow is great, but why the hell is it like glue? It’s very hard (I don’t say impossible, cause people can) to go fast in articifial snow. It just sticks to your board.
Lastly, I just want to talk about the Blackcomb godola. Compared to the Whistler gondola, it’s like heaven. You can actually sit down in it and your board isn’t pressed tightly against your lap. It’s outside where it should be.
