Hot-Diggity-Dog! The Hotdoggin' IV party

I’m not much of a fan of hot dogs. Never have been. But I’ve changed my mind after attending my first Hotdoggin’ party at the GLC. This year was the 4^th annual party, thrown by Ace Mackay-Smith. I can’t believe I hadn’t attended this event before – it has all the ingredients for a legendary party. Costumes, music, drinking, debauchery and... hot dogs.

It’s the last day of the season on Whistler Mountain so we headed up for a few runs. Then we screamed down mountain in our 1970s – 1980s gear, much to the dismay of other riders, who couldn’t quite grasp the sight of my boyfriend in his (very) tight florescent one-piece and mullet wig. I opted for a more 70s hippie feel, as did my roommate. We flew down to the GLC and kicked off the party on the patio with a beer and a gourmet hot dog.

I’m glad we got there early, for it meant prime seats by the entrance to watch everyone arrive. This is a party where you can tell the costumes have been carefully planned and chosen far in advance. When you can’t wait to don that amazing one-piece, miraculously found at the Re-Use It Centre, and strut into the party. I, on the other hand, felt it was time for a wardrobe change and suited up in my three-piece velour suit for the second time during TWSSF. Hey, I couldn’t decide what to wear!

Events of the day included the hilarious Ski Ballet competition, Hot Dog eating contest and Limbo. There was an appearance by both Jesus AND the Easter Bunny, who duked it out in a melee that had everyone rolling on the ground. What an Easter.

Slushin' It Up At The Cup

If anyone were to ask someone who knew me “what does Kristy Mitchell love?”, one of the answers would surely be “costumes”, and another would also be “skiing”. Hence, when they announced a new event called the Palm Bay Slush Cup I was in heaven. So I suited up in my three piece crushed blue velvet suit and tie, packed a few cold ones in my backpack, shook off my hangover and hit the hill.

This event is surely the most talked about thing during this year’s festival. The sun was shining as hundreds of people gathered outside of the Glacier Creek Lodge on Blackcomb Mountain. Riders lined the mountain, waiting for their turn to speed down it, off a jump, and into  a pool of freezing water. The goal? To skim all the way across. Most people didn’t make the full length, but their attempts to do so were highly entertaining. But skimming the pond was not the only objective of the day. So was winning one of the many prizes for Best Costume, Best Wipe Out and Best Trick. We saw everything from Batman to Sasquatch to Borat. We saw tandem riders, back flips and piggy backs. There was a gratuitous amount of nudity, both male and female. It’s ok guys, we know that water was cold. Luckily the sun was hot and the crowd basking in it cheered long and hard.

A friend commented how an event like this makes Whistler feel like it did in the old days...  nothing like a day of costumes, nudity, skiing and drinking to bring a community together.

You An' Me Just Sittin' In Tha Dark...

One of the things I love about Whistler is the caliber of talent that is here, both on and off the mountain. Even better is the fact that those of us not so talented enough to be featured in, say, the Pro Photographer Showdown, love to gather and appreciate those who are.

Going to the Pro Photographer Showdown at TWSSF is a who's who in mountain culture. As I walked through the sliding doors to the Conference Centre, I immediately recognized most people in the room, something that was pleasantly maintained throughout the evening. Then we all settled in to our seats, the lights went down, and.... we all looked at pictures. But not just any pictures. Photos of our lives, our friends, the mountain, and riders doing what we only wish we could do - in places we only wish we had been. We saw photos from around the world, photos that inspired us, photos that made us laugh and made us gasp.

To be in a room with some of the coolest people in Whistler, sitting in the dark, admiring the talent and beauty out there in the world is an amazing thing. My favourite was Steve Lloyd, whose flawless presentation left me wanting more, as each photo was seemingly better than the last. Bryn Hughes took home the Peoples Choice award, by having the most balls. No really, he had the most balls! (that's how they voted, by collecting ping pong balls) And once again, Blake Jorgenson took home Best In Show, his compilation of images from Kashmir and around the world, and his stunning use of light ensured his victory.

After the show, I threw on my bunny ears and hit the annual Night At The Mansion Party at Garfinkel's, because my TELUS adventure is never complete without a visit to Hef and the Bunnies. Three days left and counting...

Filmmaker Showdown Best In Show!

Check out the winner of the WSSF Filmmaker Showdown! I would have loved to have been there, but I was strutting my stuff at the Calendar Model party at the Longhorn

http://vimeo.com/22672591

Cockle is one lucky guy!

Jeff Cockle from Tommy Africa's celebrated his 31st birthday with the Whistler Exposed Calendar girls during TELUS. The event raised over $2000 for the Canadian Spinal Cord Research Association. Birthday cake, hot ladies... and all for a good cause. Happy Birthday Jeff!

You Wanna Be On Top? The Search For Whistler's Next Top Calendar Model

TWSSF is bringing sexy back this year with a bevy of Whistler’s most beautiful girls gathering at the Longhorn Saloon last night to see if they had what it takes to be Whistler’s Next Top Calendar Model. The Whistler Exposed Calendar, in its third year, has become a local success story and Director Shannon Carlson couldn’t have been more pleased with the turn out. If you weren’t at the Filmmaker Showdown, then this was the place to be. And even the filmmaker’s knew it – I think they must have ran from the Conference Centre straight to the Longhorn to try to catch the show!

Almost 25 girls competed on the runway, showing off their athletic prowess and sex appeal to prove to Shannon and a panel of judges that they could embody the Whistler spirit AND look pretty darn good doing it. It’s all about attitude - as a current Whistler Exposed Calendar model, I can tell you that posing in the snow in a bikini is both fun and hard work, so you have to know how to laugh about it! Even I found the competition stiff. I mean, I know that Whistler girls are notoriously attractive and fit but this was off the charts! For the sportswear competition we saw everything from baseball & football girls, to dirt bikers, boogie boarders and boxers. I can tell you that ‘backstage’ aka the Longhorn kitchen, that those chefs left with big grins on their faces. It’s not often that they will be closing down a shift while 25 hot women change into lingerie while they clean the grill. The lingerie / swimwear competition nearly brought the roof down. It’s safe to say that Shannon has her pick of the best and sexiest girls to fill out the 2012 calendar.

Proceeds from the calendar go to The Canadian Spinal Cord Research Association, a charity close to Shannon’s heart and sometimes overlooked in a community that’s commonly affected by spinal injuries. The night’s cover charge of $10 a head to a sold out event put the Whistler Exposed Calendar closer to its goal of beating last years funds raised ($10,000!). Way to go Shannon!

Tupac meets Dr Seuss and Bob Dylan at TWSSF!

Creative 5 Eclectic is Stephen Vogler’s baby. And a proud papa he is, as he should be, with his latest performance series bringing down the house during TELUS. A diverse crowd packed the upper lounge at The Players Chophouse in Creekside. Away from the crowds and chaos of the Village, we settled in for an evening of poetry, beat-boxing and god knows what else. “All hell could, and probably will, break loose at any moment”  Vogler promises, before leading the audience to howl at the moon for this Full Moon Edition of Creative 5 Eclectic.

Mr. Vogler led the performances with his entertaining and humorous prose. “Poetry is NOT fun”  he insists with a comical beat. I beg to differ, Stephen. Accompanied by Rajan Das on the stand up bass, they have my complete attention. This. Is. Cool.

Garnet Clare of Animal Nation brought his musical stylings to the stage and entertained the group with a heartfelt and hilarious rendition of his song ‘Bacon and Eggs’. Any guy that can sing that passionately about breakfast food is good in my books.

I ran into the Whistler ‘Twitterati’ (accurately self dubbed, these guy ARE the Twitter scene in Whistler) and we all agreed that it was great to see a new and different kind of creative gathering at TWSSF, outside of the Village. And C.R. Avery had us all riveted from the first beat-box. Sex, drugs and the spoken word might have gotten this artist in ‘trouble’ in the past, but we were all more than happy to sit and give him our complete attention, like children in a daycare sitting on the floor with our chins in our hands and naughty grins on our faces. A mixture of Spoken Word, Blues, Hip-Hop and Rock N Roll, Avery’s unique performance had us laughing, cheering and singing along. ‘My life is based on a true story’ we all sing, while his signature beat-box harmonica, twanging banjo and belting poetic verse blows our minds.

Fingers crossed that C.R Avery pays us a visit again, because he put this baby to bed.

Spirit Of The West, Indeed!

Day 3 of the Fest and it’s Sunday Funday! I headed up the mountain and found sun, powder and a mixed bag of visibility. All in all the conditions were great, and as I skied out the sweet sounds of music rose up from the village to meet my ears. Riding out to the stage with the sun beaming down and Brother Twang rocking out was enough to make me smile. And things just got better. My gal pals met me in front of the stage bringing delicious offerings of beef jerky (gotta love promo girls!). We enjoyed said jerky while watching our long time friends Brother Twang wail. These guys are right in the heart of Whistler’s music scene, and rightfully so. They are a talented bunch of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, and we’ve watched them come into their own over the years and do Whistler proud!

TWSSF would not be complete without a session on the Longhorn patio. We enjoyed a bucket of Coronas (thanks Kat!) while listening to the inspired Delhi 2 Dublin. This was a first time for me, and wow, was it ever impressive! An amazing mash-up of world music– I loved the blend of Celtic, dub-reggae, electronica and Bhangra, and it looked like everyone else did as well, as they drew quite the crowd.

Another Corona and you’ll have to excuse me... at this time I’m not at my best. Next to hit the stage are Spirit of the West, a Whistler favourite. How could they not be? They sing of vacations, bars, drinking and debauchery – all things much beloved here in Whistler, especially during Telus. More smiles abound as a little girl joins the band onstage for a jig. And soon it spreads to the crowd and everyone gets their jig on!

Ending an epic après with another win from the Canucks and I’m spent! We don’t call it Sunday Funday for nothin’.

Comin' In Hot!

 Yesterday morning I kicked off my TWSSF experience with a stroll through the Village to check out the free samples in true local's fashion. This is a known highlight to the first day of the festival for us Whistlerites - the gathering of the goodies. I was not disappointed! Hot Sauce, Beef Jerky, Gum, Body Spray, Deodorant....Sweet. I'm set.

The Village certainly has that energy about it already, and when I returned later that night you could feel the vibration in the air. Everyone was clearing out from the State Of The Art opening party, and with their artistic buzz on, were filtering out into the clubs and pubs. My destination? Maxx Fish Nightclub for the Girl Powder Party.

It might have been called 'Girl Powder' but the dudes were out in full force. Good on them! Nice to see guys out supporting a good cause- all door proceeds were going to the Breast Cancer Research. As my friend Big Kev put it 'Save the Breasts!'. It was also a Svedka Vodka launch.  Booze and Boobs? The two go hand in hand, don't they?

Ace Mackay-Smith's pumping beats got everyone on the dancefloor (nice work on the pole, guys) and infamous bartender Jimmy fired things up on the bar (literally. He lit the bar on fire). Adding to the fun there was a 72hr film team taking advantage of the sexy setting to shoot their entry for the showdown.

This is what TWSSF is all about. Coming together and having a good time. The fact that we were raising money for a good cause and celebrating the strength and empowerment of the active female shows that Girl Powder is more than just a brand, it's a lifestyle. And a fun one at that!

and the WSSF crank starts turning....

T-minus 24hours until the biggest and best festival of the year explodes in Whistler like a hot pizza pop in our mouths! Without the burning. Hopefully.
Yep, most people I know are either chilling on their couch tonight (well I am, anyway) because we know that the next 10 days of our lives will be exhaustingly fun, OR preparing their costumes/ set decorations / film & photo productions for an onslaught of Whistler's creativity at it's best.
Tomorrow morning while I meet with fellow bloggers, others will be meeting at the starting line for the Filmmaker Showdown. So far I've heard rumours about Zoolander characters, hot tubs, zombies - all good things. It wouldn't be a Filmmaker Showndown without them!

So get a good nights sleep tonight my friends. Tomorrow IT IS ON!

hmmmm... interesting

I suppose it was only a matter of time before I started blogging. I get inspired. I like to write. I just hope that whatever I end up writing is interesting, or at the very least entertaining!

Join me in the next coming weeks as I enjoy the debaucherousness that is the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival. It's the best time of year in Whistler - concerts, events, parties, spring skiing... and I'll be blogging all about it. Need I say more?