We went to Whistler last week and had the time of our lives. It was a pretty special thing to share with the boys about what snowboarding actual gives you. Not sponsorship, accolades, prizes and trophies…its friendship. The fact that a 50 year old man can make, maintain and have new friends at this age and feel like a 16 year old kid all week was amazing. Not to mention what a smile and rad conversation I had with the boys about it on the drive home. They totally understood it and respected it. Thanks everyone.
Mac packing the sport up. The burban was full of skate, snow and bike shit.
On the drive up thru Vancouver, we stopped by to see TJ Schnieders denim shop, The Shop Vancouver. It's so rad to see someone who was so immersed in the shred be as passionate, if not more with their professional choice after.
Then we got to Whistler, and hooked up with this crazy ass chick, Julie Smith. Mother of Truth Smith, the most up lifting, positive, stoked - skate/snow kid in the world. And you can see where he gets his juice from. Julie managed to meet up with us in some shape, way and form everyday we were in Whistler and sprinkle fun dust on the day.
My partner in crime, snow time, and on going negotiations of dad lyfe, Jason Cline on the outside, and our gratious host, Chad Chomlack in the middle. Jason and I learned lots from Chad this week. Patience and just rolling with shit for the most part. Mr. Cline and I are trying our hardest to "Chad" shit more.
I like this shot Brian Finestone took. Sums up my week of #dadcamin.
I thought I invented something while up there. GoBro on top of my lens so I could double down on photos and video. Then I went on Amazon and found that the gadget exists for $8. It's pretty rad.
And with all that above, I leave you with the story that was sent to Snowboarder Mag about the camp.
After handing in his pro shred card 20 years ago, Rob Picard started the Whistler Valley Snowboard Club as a way to continue snowboarding every day. The initial goal of the club was to show local Whistler kids all aspects of ripping the mountain while hitting some of the contests thru out British Columbia. The program grew from 5 kids the first year, to over 80 these days developing some of Canada’s top snowboarders.
Rob Picard and camper.
During the summer, WVSC used the Camp Of Champions facilities to continue practicing what they were preaching in the winter. So when the air was let out of the Camp Of Champions tires this summer, Rob and crew grabbed a compressor and blew new life into the snow, keeping COC’s 28 year summertime glacier snowboarding torch alive, and Whistler Valley Summer Camp was born.
WeGnar
With help from Whistler Blackcomb, and park builders Ty Weed and Lucas Ouellet, a progressive jump line was built, as well a rail line for the kids to throw down on. And throw down they did during the inaugural first week.
Gnar_Producer
Jadyn Chomlack
Hips galore in the public park.
Sean Dog
Finn Finestone
Killer weather graced session 1. From the WVSC park you could access the public park making laps long and full of everything you could imagine during July shredding. Snow conditions were fast and the t-bar lines were minimal. The week blew by as afternoons on the hill, led to evenings in the newly built Whistler Skate Park, as well as top to bottom bike park laps.
Does a bear shit in the woods? No but a old man that had too much coffee does still shit his pants.
7 kids + 5 dads in Whistler Bike Park = one hell of a good time.
Group shot. Props to Brian Finestone and Scott Keuling for the tour de Whistler.
A big thanks to Whistler Valley Snowboard Club, Whistler Blackcomb, Rob Picard, Joe McAdoo, Antoine Malingrey, Sam Weston, Josh Howell, Gunner Marquis and the Chomlack family for the invite, coaching and hospitality.
For more information about Whistler Valley Snowboard Club, as well as next summers camp plans, contact them here.
United Slopes 4, so good...If you liked the Snowboard Realms, you'll like USOA. THIS is something that snowboarding AND skiing need badly. The attitude, adventure and sharing of accessible-in-bound spots is marketing that your average everyday ski or snowboard participant can relate too. We have too much cool guy club shit that's out there and the way United Slopes is presented is really welcoming. I always wrote Heavenly off my list of places I would ride, but now will ride there. As well as Sierra at Tahoe.
Here's the series in its entirety, take your time and check em all out.
"Dad, no offense but I kinda want to go to Holy Bowly without you."
Getting to the Holy Bowly was no easy task. It was during spring break, we didn't know if Milo was getting invited, didn't really have any family's to travel up with and split the cost, but regardless, I bought TWO airplane tickets to Calgary and rented a car hoping it would happen. Holy has been on MY "to do" list since it started. I always thought that it would be the event that the boy would shine at and put some effort into getting us both up there.
The DWD dudes said they would take Milo on his own, solo trip style. Which sounded good at first, but then thinking about my precious Catholic all boys schooled son sleeping in a 3 bedroom condo, on the floor with 10+ men, partying, not cooking, and just being derilicks, that idea was scrapped.
After chatting with Riley about who he knew may be going, Miles Fallon's name came up. He was rolling up with his pops, Joe and they offered the roll out couch to Milo. I called Joe, we chatted and he seemed rad. So when I asked the boy how he felt about me sending him on his first trip alone, across an international boarder, he responded: "Dad, no offense but I kinda want to go to Holy Bowly without you."
So off he went and as bummed as I was initially about not going to witness, ride, photo and film everyone getting rad, I was blown away with the boy and what he got accomplished without me there enabling him. That was the EH in the Holy Bowl eh for me.
Thanks Joe Fallon, Miles Fallon, Mary Walsh, Mia Danials, Krush Kulza, Scott Stevens, Cooper, Matteo and the Dino's dudes for all looking out and bringing out the best in him. Nice work producing, Gnar_Producer, I'm proud of you.
Joe, Miles and Milo. Joe, does the room your staying in have a kitchen? "Yea, maybe, I dont know. I'm the type of guy that likes to eat out though."
Another great closing weekend, this time at Mission Ridge with the Dinosaurs Will Die crew. Sad to see the PNW mountains shutting down when the weather and snow are at there best.
The last two closing weekends at Stevens Pass have been pretty TiTS. Yea it's been raining, yea it's been snowing, yea we've had maybe 4 sunny days this season, but when its wet out, its soft out. I don't get it how we as an industry push the sunny, powdery, extreme days of being on the mountain when some of the best times I've been on them I've had a plastic bag on over my Gore-Tex coat and used a squeegee every run on my goggles. If we payed attention to the weather channel we'd never be on the hill.
These past two weekends Corey Wilson, Austin Buza, Austin Vizz, Joe, Milo & Mac put the Stevens Pass parks to good use before the lifts stopped running during the 2016-17 season. And we had to wear plastic bags to keep from being soaked thru. All the specks you see in the video, that's water.
Thank you Stevens Pass management, staff, and parks crew for a killer year.
