The Alpine Family

EVERYONE’S HAPPY PLACE

AT THE HEART OF ALPINE’S MISSION, VISION AND VALUES ARE THE CORE BELIEFS WE HOLD CONSTANT. KEY AMONG OUR VALUES IS OUR CONNECTION AS A FAMILY, BOTH WITHIN YOUR FAMILIES AND THE ALPINE FAMILY AT LARGE. OUR CLUB HOLDS A SPECIAL PLACE IN OUR MEMBERS’ LIVES, WHETHER THEY ARE NEW TO THE CLUB OR THIRD- OR FOURTH-GENERATION FAMILIES. COUNTLESS FAMILY EVENTS AND MILESTONES HAVE TAKEN PLACE HERE, AND MEMORIES AND BONDS HAVE BEEN MADE THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME, LEAVING A LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO BEHOLD. AS PART OF OUR ‘EVERYONE’S HAPPY PLACE’ SERIES, WE ASKED THE MEHTA AND BRAUN-TOPLOSKI FAMILIES ABOUT THEIR ALPINE EXPERIENCE AND WHAT THEY SEE FOR THEIR FUTURE AT ALPINE. HERE’S WHAT THEY TOLD US.

THE MEHTA FAMILY Joined in 2014

We joined the Alpine family in 2014. At the time, our son Rohan was nine years old and keen on Snowboard Alpine Racing. We realized that the best way for him to fulfil his dream was to join a club. Alpine just felt right, and with the OEST team training there, it made sense.

Our daughter Sia was five years old at the time and we loved the independence that Alpine gave her. Once we were comfortable with her ability to handle the bar on the lift, she was on her own and thrilled!

Both kids have progressed in their racing programs. Rohan is now a Level 2 Snowboard Instructor, and hoping to go to university out west, following the big mountains! Sia can’t wait to begin her U14 O Cup ski race program this winter, especially since it will begin with a pre-season camp in Sun Peaks, B.C. Over the years, we have realized the comfort of Alpine. The few times that our children have had injuries, we were informed within minutes, through multiple sources. Everyone watches over each other and is more than happy to help when the need arises.

We have met wonderful people, and made lifelong friends. It is always such a happy day when the season at Alpine begins and everyone is excited to be on the slopes and reconnect with friends.

As the children grow up and follow their own paths, we will continue to enjoy our winter life at Alpine. With regular training in racing programs, the kids are experts and have a great passion for their respective snow sports. They will carry this love with them always.

THE BRAUN-TOPOLSKI FAMILY Joined in 2018

To say that our family has embraced the Alpine way of life can be summed up by the name of our puppy, Rossignol Alpine Topolski.

Our family’s journey to Alpine began, like so many others, at Blue Mountain. We would trek up on weekends, always enjoying the skiing and family time, but never bonding with the community or the mountain. Then, one Saturday that we will never forget, our very dear friends, the Baker-Morris’, who had just joined a ‘private ski club’, dropped off Alpine merchandise (swag) and began what they termed their ‘long play recruitment effort’.

The weather on our first day at Alpine was perfect. The feeling we had that day made the weather look terrible. It wasn’t the conditions. It wasn’t the food (though that helped!). It was the immediate sense of community, the feeling that we had found an extended family. Our decision was easily made. We joined within ten minutes. Since that first day, our Alpine family has grown. We have made countless new friends and encouraged some of our old ones to join. More importantly, our children have embraced the Alpine way of life. Leaving aside their overuse of charging hot chocolate and cookies to our account, they have made friendships that we hope will last a lifetime. Any future weddings can only happen at the base of Lovers Lane!

From the outset, we wanted to give back to the Alpine community. Every year we have been ambassadors to new member families, hoping to convey our experience to others and we regularly participate in events in the evenings and otherwise (bring back Whiskylicious!). On a more serious note, we are particularly proud of Alpine’s continued commitment to the community through such activities as Track3, which we participate in.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed everything. It quickly became apparent that family would play an increased role of importance as we, like so many others, navigated a new reality of quarantine. Alpine became our new home. We spent most of the year hiking its trails with our boys and puppy, seeing the mountain with fresh eyes. While we could not go inside or ski, Alpine was with us.

When Alpine was finally able to reopen, albeit, with strict conditions, rather than focusing on the negative, the larger Alpine family met outdoors every weekend recognizing how lucky we were to be together again. The winter was amazing and one of our most memorable.

We believe our future is intertwined with Alpine’s. As the Alpine family grows, so does our experience at the Club. One of our sons is now an Alpine instructor, teaching the next generation of club members. The other we hope will do the same when old enough. The two of us often think that we would love to join the Ski Patrol. We know, certainly, that Alpine will be part of our family for generations to come.