Tiggers like to hop and one helluva mop

Gaper Day Tigger



Mr Mono-Ski

Gaper Day 2011 - Rapture On The Slopes

Just because it was the second biggest snowfall on record, doesn’t mean that the season should end any differently than usual. And just because the world didn’t end as predicted by some fruitcake radio host, doesn’t mean that the apocalypse didn’t hit- at least some areas of the world. Namely Whistler, BC on May 30, 2011.

Or at least that’s what some people might have thought. It was a surprisingly warm and bright day at the end of May. Because our weather as of late has gotten us a little TOO used to rain and cold in early summer, I can actually refer to it as ‘surprisingly’. Blast! Anyway, why wouldn’t there be over a hundred people dressed in costume heading up for one last ski? For strangers to Whistler it would seem unusual, for locals, it’s just another day wasting away in Gaperville.

And so things kick off with a race down the Pan Pacific stairs. To my surprise, everyone made it, with no broken skis or bones. Then onto the gondola! One last trip up Blackcomb for this group of fun loving lunatics. Up the lifts people randomly cheered and shouted at the top of their lungs. Translation: “Life is good!”

At the top of the first runs of the day, a huge group of people would collect, all waiting patiently for everyone to arrive at the top. I stop to ponder how there’s something rather nice about that, but in a beat we all take off at top speed. One would think that holding a beer whilst riding would slow some people down. Apparently not.

A visit is made to the Jersey Cream cliffs, and everyone shows off their best tricks. Props go to the gentleman who did the front flip on a mono-ski. I believe he was wearing a giant afro wig. There were lots of bails, lots of moves, and most of all, lots of smiles.

Next up – the pond skim. The pond was a little small this year, a small price to pay after such a spectacular season. The sun beat down and huge crowd gathered to see who had the guts to go for glory.  It was more the spectacular falls that got the cheers this time around, being that it was deemed ‘easy’ to make it across. I enjoyed watching the real Gapers skiing down, with no turning back, had to face a gauntlet of snowballs in order to pass through to Excellerator. Now you know for next time, folks.

Gaper Day is a Whistler tradition, and it’s so fun to see people get out there and make it a day to express how much we love the mountain, being silly, a little sunshine, and our friends.

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!