Sunday, July 08, 2018

Whistler Valley Snowboard Camp


There's something about Canadians, they are so hospitable and nice its almost annoying.  But being the suckers for nice people punishment we packed our bags during Americas week of independence celebration along with Milo's birthday and headed north to Whistler BC, to hook up with all our Canadian and Spokane friends for a week of snowboarding, biking, skating, bears and world cup soccer.  

Rob Picard has run the Whistler Valley Snowboard Club for 20+ years and last year saw and opportunity to keep the kids on shred during the summer with the demise of The Camp Of Champions snowboard camp that ran for the previous 25 years.  We went up for the inaugural launch of the camp and had a blast so it was only fitting  that we return for year two of the camp. 

This year there were three, six day sessions running.  We went to session two, that had close to 50 kids in attendance.  What blew me away with this camp was the coaching.  The coaches at WVSC weren't dudes trying to film their summer part in between pretending to coach the kids to learn new tricks.  These coaches truly coached.  They spent the day on the glacier, at a feature working with the kids to get whatever trick or progression of a trick that the camper would communicate to them they wanted to get. 


Lots of this going thru the boarder and on the road to Whistler.  We were one of the few going to stand sideways. 
 But we brought our bikes as well.  I got 3 days of riding lifts on bikes there. 
 Gnar above, Milo here.
 Bears
 On the first day of camp, ran into this dude from Steamboat, Dan GIlchrist.  Dan was notorious for "hey, I got this bike ride (insert hike, ski or whatever) that Im looking at, its like an hour long are you in?" Then 8 hours later you would come out of the trail and he'd be like "whoa, that took longer than I thought."  So when he said "do you want to go ride bikes?"  I was hesitant. 
 Bear
 We had a few cm's of new snow for our first day of riding lifts. 

 July 4th groomers.
 Hey, dig out that tube and move it like 2inches ok?
 Owen Cline
 Rob Picard

 Truth Smith
 Lunch

 Canadian tradition
 Kim and Jason Cline our partners on the trip along with their two rats, Owen and Mr. Progression Session Wyatt. 

WeGnar
 So we didnt have beers for the ride off the mountain, but the mountain had some.  We went up and bought these but the Aussi said she had to open them because it was alcohol.  We told her no, it was lemonade.  "Oh, Budweiser makes lemonade?  Cool." 
 Backward helmet steeze.
 The Chomlacks our Canadian homeys.  Along with Latifa the dog here. 

 Why Wy
 Gnar Producer
 Finn Finestone
 Jadyn Chomlack
Thanks to all for the hospitality, niceness and good times at one of the raddest places for action guys to go too. 

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