Can-Ski 2016-17

ISSUE No. 6 WINTER 2016-17

2017 GEAR GUIDE

PATAGONIA’S

PROVISIONER

christine’s

the latest gear for the year

planetary crusade

necessities of the well-curated life

comfort food with a twist

HE A D S T RONG IN TRODUCIN G THE MOD 5, THE FIRST HELMET ENGINEERED BY OAKLEY.

OAKLEY.COM ©2016 OAKLEY, INC.

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The Route to Skiing Nirvana If you’re a skier or snowboarder, you’ve likely dreamt of it: standing atop a majestic peak, a perfect, P: Eric Berger

untracked blanket of snow laid out before you – yours for the taking. And while some think of heli-skiing as a once in a lifetime experience, those who’ve had a taste always want more.

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ISSUE No. 5

WINTER 2016-17

Under the global influence THE WORLD’S TRENDLINES HIT THE SNOWLINE IN WHISTLER Since 1986, CAN-SKI has outfitted generations of mountain-goers in the latest sporting equipment, outerwear and après apparel, and the going is just getting more international.

Come as you are.

The vibe in Whistler, as this Lookbook will attest, is mountain casual.

Skew chic or yuccie (young urban creative), as you will, but keep in mind that there’s nothing casual about the performance ratings of mountain-ready gear. Says Chandra Eyton, the head buyer for all of Whistler Blackcomb’s CAN-SKI stores, as well as the Patagonia, Columbia, The North Face and Salomon stores, “It’s fun to see the depth of the different brands we showcase. There is an amazing assortment represented across our stores. We’re on the West Coast, so we stock items that work in this climate.”

So, while there’s no official look, there is a Whistler style. Unwrap and peel apart the “mountain casual” DNA that’s culturally embedded here, and you’ll discover that it breaks down to a simple code: waterproof, layered, confident, relaxed.

Even the Prime Minister draws from his seasons as a snowboard instructor here.

So who exactly is influencing whom?

Despite the growing trend towards e-commerce, and the potential of drone home delivery putting the postal service out of business, the best brands in the world are still pursuing brick and mortar outlets as an opportunity to tell their stories and provide an experience where the consumer can touch, feel, and smell the brand.

With staff recruited for their expertise and enthusiasm, several recently renovated stores, and two brand new locations, CAN-SKI aspires to be a more tactile, personal and seamless experience than logging on to your laptop could be.

It is your vacation, after all.

To meet the demand – of both the climate and the savvy diverse travelers who choose Whistler - Whistler Blackcomb’s retail team cast the net wide when sourcing products for the CAN-SKI stores.

Featuring brands like Bogner, Spyder, Descente, Toni Sailer, Mountain Force, Frauenschuh, KJUS, Arc’teryx, The North Face, Salomon, and Canada Goose, ensures that CAN-SKI can tap into the global mountain zeitgeist comprehensively – key to resonating with an increasingly international guest.

“Working with the right brands is the most important decision in our world,” says Chandra Eyton. “We are continually looking for new, up and coming brands and drawing inspiration from the way our featured brands invest so much to expose their designers to new trends, sending their teams all over the world to build the mood boards that set the direction of the next season’s line.”

In return, Whistler-based athletes, designers, planners and filmmakers seed trends of their own, shaping activewear and snow culture with a reach that penetrates far beyond the resort’s borders.

Should you be really pressed for time, several CAN-SKI locations offer a personal shopping service. You can even request an outfit to be waiting upon your arrival.

“Everything fits so differently in ski apparel,” says Eyton. “It does make it quite hard to buy online. It’s nice for people to be able to come in and talk with an expert staff member who can navigate the sizes and help explain the technical features of an Arc’teryx piece versus the fashion aspects of a Bogner.”

So come as you are. Really. You influence Whistler more than you know. While Whistler Blackcomb, 50 years strong, continues to shape global ski culture, the richness and range of your stories and experiences invites the team to keep one eye on the snowline, and the other on global trendlines. Both are constantly in play. And play is what it all comes down to.

So bring your best game, your stories, your aspirations, your favourite jacket. And give Whistler Blackcomb and CAN-SKI a chance to augment them all.

© Whistler Blackcomb 2016 - 4545 Blackcomb Way, Whistler BC Canada V0N 1B4

ISSUE No. 5

WINTER 2016-17

CONTENTS

16. SNOW BLIND 24. Necessities of (The Well-Curated) Life 26. SPRUCE UP! 32. TIMBER LINE 46. PATAGONIA’S PLANETARY CRUSADE 48. gear guide 56. night moves 72. comfort food with a twist Creative Director Paul Higgins Art Director André Pinces Fashion Editor / Softgoods Buyer Chandra Eyton Stylist Ariana Preece / Nobasura Hair & Makeup Carey Williams Marketing Services Supervisor Jessica Caton

Front Cover: SPYDER Amour Jacket Back Cover: HIM: ICEBREAKER Helix Shirt with Admiral beanie and ??? scarf HER: SPLENDID Vest with Turtle Tunic

© Whistler Blackcomb 2016- 4545 Blackcomb Way, Whistler BC Canada V0N 1B4

FREE TO CHARGE

BLIZZARD BRAHMA Brahma is a favorite of ski testers and it’s easy to see why. With an 88mm waist, it whips through steep, short-radius turns as effortlessly as it slices precise arcs on groomers. Carbon Flipcore™ design delivers consistent edge control and stability, end to end. And double layers of titanium, a wood core, and carbon tip and tail lend unbelievable quickness and torsional stiffness in all snow conditions. The 2017 Brahma is an all-mountain machine that knows no limits.

TO TAKE A DEMO, VISIT YOUR AUTHORIZED BLIZZARD DEALER.

BLIZZARD-SKI.COM

CONTOURED FOR SKIING Sleek weather protection with the power of elegance.

Crafted for skiing.

RAVEENA-JACKET

p: Mark Welsh Sage Cattabriga-Alosa

Sage ID I/O 7

Introducing ChromaPop™ SEE MORE DETAIL Our proprietary ChromaPop™ lens technology enhances clarity and natural color to allow you to see more detail. Now available in our Interchageable Series.

The experience is everything.™

S N O W BLIND Models: Michelle - Lizbell Agency / Aaron - Richard’s Models Styling: Ariana Preece Hair and Make-up: Carey Williams

Photographed by André Paul Pinces

SALOMON SPEED Jacket with ICEGLORY Pant, SALOMON ICON2 4D Helmet and SENSE Goggle

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SALOMON SPEED Jacket with ICEGLORY Pant, SALOMON MTN CHARGE Helmet and XT ONE Goggle

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THE NORTH FACE MACHING Jacket with POWDANCE Pant and STRETCH THERMOBALL Jacket, OAKLEY MOD 5 Helmet with AIRBRAKE XL Goggle

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THE NORTH FACE NFZ Jacket with NFZ Pant and STRETCH THERMOBALL Jacket SMITH VANTAGE Helmet with IOS Goggle

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KJUS DOWNFORCE Jacket with FORMULA Pant and RADIATION Jacket, KASK ELITE PRO Helmet

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ARC’TERYX RAVENNA Jacket and Pant, OAKLEY MOD 5 Helmet with FLIGHTDECK XM Goggle

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KJUS SCYLLA Jacket with FORMULA Pant and MIRRABEL Jacket, KASK LIFESTYLE LADY Helmet

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ARC’TERYX CASSIAR Jacket with CASSIAR Pant and LORUM Hoody, SMITH VANTAGE Helmet and IO7 Goggle

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Necessities of (The Well-Curated) Life THERE MAY BE NO ACCOUNTING FOR TASTE, BUT YOUR STYLE CAPITAL WILL GAIN POINTS AT PROVISIONER

There is no shortage of skis, bikes and logo wear available for sale in Whistler. Provisioner was conceived as a different kind of retail experiment. An homage to design. An offering of intrigue. A style capsule of what’s all that, right now, before the calendar flips a page and the next installment arrives, refreshing the offering and casting everything over in a new light.

Bellroy, Nixon, Marshall, Skullcandy, Ken Diamond, Herschel, Fjallraven, Roark Revival, S’well, Brixton, Urbanears – these brands aren’t household names, but knowing them is a sign of your currency with the unblemished, bearded and blissed out.

From camping kit to that must-have pair of Chucks, Herd Headwear’s backcountry survival kits to Portmanteau vintage-vibing portable blue tooth speakers, the range on display is cherry-picked and intentionally eclectic. Of course, there are helmets and goggles there, too – POC, Sweet Protection, Oakley, Smith, Electric.

You might call them accessories. Provisioner calls them mountain lifestyle necessities. Others would use words like porn or candy, but that seems a little juvenile, and the store’s feel, while most definitely millennial, is more Portland than Sun Peaks, a sign that Whistler has long outgrown its outpost origins and is evolving the schtick of ski resort into something more savvy, becoming a kind of cultural light box that illuminates the dynamic interplay between snow, surf, skate and bike culture, the outdoors and global urban fashion.

supplies hauled between settlements by the settler assigned to move the important inventory along the supply line. It evokes a frontier mentality, an adventuresome spirit, and an innate understanding that certain landscapes and lifestyles require their own special brand of outfit.

Everything in stock has a story: the pro model goggles developed in partnership with some of the most elite athletes; HippyTree’s tshirts, designed by a California family in their living room; Poler Stuff, whose sleeping bags come with arms and pockets and convey the best camp vibes imaginable; Ken Diamond leather, crafted completely by hand out of his East Vancouver studio. And they come with their own cult following.

More recently, Provisioner has brought in two interesting B Corp brands, whose story is now mandated by that new style of corporate structure, to have an environmental ethic baked in to the way they do business.

MiiR is a Seattle based outfit that make bikes, bags and hydration solutions. Provisioner features their stainless steel water bottles growlers, howlers, tall boys. Each vessel funds a trackable giving project – a portion of the proceeds will fund clean water for someone for a year.

You can log on, plug in your product’s code and see exactly which project you are helping to fund.

Provisioner stocks all their stories. And possibly a few of yours, too.

It’s a nice irony, reclaiming the role of the Provisioner as a kind of contemporary curator. The word’s origins conjure the essential

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SPRUCE UP!

Take Your Winter Wardrobe to New Heights With This Curated Collection of Clothes and Accessories

CANADA GOOSE WOMEN’S TIMBER SHELL Jacket, CANADA GOOSE MEN’S TIMBER SHELL Jacket, CANADA GOOSE MEN’S BROOKVALE Hoody, AMANN W SUSCH Boot, SOREL W MAJOR MAVERICK Boot, SOREL M MADSON WINGTIP Boot, SOREL M ANKENNY MOC TOE Boot, HESTRA Gloves, ICEBREAKER AFFINITY Scarf, OAKLEY MOONLIGHTER Sunglass, PISTIL SOHO Fedora, PISTIL WOLF Hat, LUIS TRENKER ABADI Scarf, HERSCHEL MARKET Tote, FILSON Briefcase 26

LUIS TRENKER WOLFGANG Jacket, LUIS TRENKER JAGAN LS T-Shirt, LUIS TRENKER HAMLET MINIMUSTER Shirt, 7 FOR ALL MANKIND Jeans, SOREL MADSON Wingtip Boot, ICEBREAKER AFFINITY Scarf and Beanie, KEN DIAMOND SIMPLE Belt, BELLROY Wallet, OAKLEY MAINLINK Sunglass

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TOP: NEVE W SNOWSHOE Top, ICEBREAKER VERTEX W LS Half Zip Heather Fairisle, KARI TRAA W Rose Half Zip Blue BOTTOM: NEWLAND M LEO Hoody White, NEWLAND M NICOLO Hoody Black, NEWLAND W CLEOPATRA Hoody Black/White

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KJUS BOYS FORMULA DLX Jacket, KJUS GIRLS SURFACE Jacket, SPYDER BOYS LEADER Jacket, SPYDER GIRLS LOLA Jacket, KJUS BOYS CHARGER Fleece Jacket, KJUS GIRLS JADE Fleece

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LOLE FAITH Jacket, LOLE MARA Sweater, 7 FOR ALL MANKIND HW Skinny Jean Black, LOLE POPCORN Scarf and Hat, SOREL JOAN OF ARCTIC Mid Wedge, PISTIL SOHO Fedora, SMITH CHEETAH Sunglasses

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BOGNER LISANN Vest, KRIMSON CARMEN Hoody,7 FOR ALL MANKIND HW Skinny Ankle Jean, AMMANN SUSCH Boot, BOGNER TALITA Hat, OAKLEY TIE BREAKER Sunglasses, HESTRA Mitts

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TIMBER L I N E This year’s casual looks inspire cozy thoughts and help you embrace the outdoors in style.

Models: Melissa - Richard’s Models / Ryan - Lizbell Agency Styling: Ariana Preece Hair and Make-up: Carey Williams

Photographed by André Paul Pinces

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HIM: ICEBREAKER SPIRE Cardigan with LODGE Flannel HER: ICEBREAKER NOMAD Jacket with VERTEX Long Sleeve Turtleneck

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CANADA GOOSE EMORY Parka with Icebreaker LS Crewe

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HIM: ICEBREAKER HELIX Shirt with ADMIRAL Beanie and DESTINY Scarf HER: SPLENDID SOLENN Vest with Cashmere Blend Turtleneck

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KRIMSON RIVERS AND ROADS Cardiagn with STACKS Sweater and PISTIL SOHO Fedora

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CANADA GOOSE CHELSEA Parka with Neve GEMMA Sweater

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LUIS TRENKER JAKOB Nylon Vest with CALLAN Long Sleeve Shirt

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BOGNER SPORT NILA Vest with FANNY D Jacket and BELINE Shirt

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LUIS TRENKER FIEDERIKE Fleece, ORTRUD LS Shirt with AVARA Wool Scarf

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ARC’TERYX AMES Jacket with COVERT Hoody

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Made in Austria, handcrafted with love.

HIM: FRAUENSCHUH CLINT Stretch Fleece with RICO Multi Vest and WES Vest HER: FRAUENSCHUH MARISSA Jacket with OLIVIA Wool Jacket

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Shh. Do you hear that?

It’s not the rev of an engine, not the roar of the crowd.

It’s your own muffled breath. The sound of your own nature and Ma Nature sizing each other up and nodding with satisfied recognition.

A “silent sport” is what Patagonia calls skiing, snowboarding, climbing, surfing, paddling, fly fishing, trail running – all the practices they design clothing for.

Because these silent sports are all about moving with Nature out among the elements, the protection and preservation of the environment is as integral to the brand as making excellent gear.

“You can’t do business on a dead planet,” founder Yvon Chouinard famously says. Nor can you paddle poisoned waters or ski the melted glaciers of overheated mountains.

A longtime climber and surfer, Chouinard’s minimalist ethos seems only to have become more concentrated by the years, and his 45 year long ownership of the company, now registered as a B Corp, means Patagonia is truly an extension of those values.

The 2400 square foot Patagonia store, located at Whistler’s Marketplace, is one of the company’s core outlets for snowsports, the only one in Canada to play such an integral role in showcasing the snow line. Products tested here by athletes like Kye Peterson and Marie France Roy are put to real trials – these ambassadors are at the top of their fields, testing gear in real conditions, at the apex of what is possible in the sport.

The feedback races back to Patagonia’s Ventura, California, headquarters, where their ethics are so baked-in to their business that they don’t mass-produce anything. They make pretty much only to order. If the retail team here at Whistler Blackcomb didn’t forecast that you were going to come to town this winter and be of a mind to acquire a certain Patagonia jacket, then, it won’t be on the shelves waiting for you, and they’ll have to work some serious magic to order one from the warehouse.

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Luckily, the team’s spidey senses are supernatural, and their alignment with the brand is genuine. Store manager, Jeff Hunt, still has his first Patagonia piece, a retro snap tee fleece that he bought in Whistler, as a kid, back in 1987. It now hangs in his office.

As for that piece you’ll acquire? It’s backed by the most comprehensive warranty program in the outdoor industry. And fits completely with the Slow Fashion mojo: Buy better gear. Buy less of it. Wear it more.

Twenty years from now, when it’s worn in to the contours of your shoulders and imbued with stories of the best adventures of your life, they’ll repair it, or send you the link to one of 40 free repair guides so you can do it yourself.

Last year, CEO and President Rose Marcario released the DIY repair guides with a call for people to get radical for the planet – by buying a sewing kit and learning how to use it.

The company has also released a book of insights gleaned from years of eco-campaigning, Patagonia’s Tools for Grassroots Activists: Best Practices for Success in the Environmental Movement. They were in Paris for COP21; use only organic cotton and sustainable down; make activist documentaries. Over 200 people packed into the Whistler store for the screening of Jumbo Wild – more were turned away.

Marcario wants us to reposition our role at the checkout, and join Patagonia in a radical rethink: Let’s all behave like owners, not consumers.

“Owners are empowered to take responsibility for their purchases – from proper cleaning to repairing, reusing and sharing,” says Marcario.

“Consumers take, make, dispose and repeat – a pattern that is driving us towards ecological bankruptcy.”

So this winter, go out and enjoy this inimitably lovely snow-cloaked part of the planet. When you tap into your well-earned endorphin rush, let that moment of clarity recommit you to the way of the adventurer: to do no unnecessary harm. Act like you own the place, and are thereby responsible for it.

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GEAR GUIDE

HELMETS & GOGGLES 2016 / 17

MEN’S HELMETS (Clockwise from top): OAKLEY MOD 5 Helmet with FLIGHTDECK Goggles, SMITH VANTAGE Helmet with I/OX Goggles , KASK ELITE PRO Helmet, OAKLEY MOD 5 Helmet with FLIGHTDECK XM Goggles

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WOMEN’S HELMETS (Clockwise from top): SALOMON QUEST Helmet with XT ONE Goggle, SALOMON MTN CHARGE Helmet with SENSE Goggle KASK LIFESTYLE LADY LIBELLULA Helmet, SMITH VALENCE Helmet with I/OS Goggle

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GEAR GUIDE

SKI BOOTS 2016 / 17

WOMEN’S SKI BOOTS (clockwise from top): LANGE RX 110W LV, ATOMIC HAWX ULTRA 110W, TECNICA MACH 105W, SALOMON X MAX 90W

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MEN’S SKI BOOTS (clockwise from top): ATOMIC HAWX ULTRA 130, LANGE XT 130 LV FREETOUR, SALOMON X PRO 120, TECNICA MACH 1 120 MV

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GEAR GUIDE

SKIS 2015 / 16

WOMEN’S SKIS (Left to right): ATOMIC VANTAGE 90W, SALOMON LUMMEN 99, SALOMON LUMMEN 99, VOLKL 98W, BLIZZARD BLACK PEARL

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GEAR GUIDE

SKIS 2015 / 16

MEN’S SKIS (Left to right): ATOMIC VANTAGE 90, SALOMON QST 106, VOLKL KENDO, ROSSIGNOL SOUL 7, BLIZZARD ZERO G 108

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N I G H T MOVES Download Directly to the High Life

Models: Michelle - Lizbell Agency / Aaron - Richard’s Models Styling: Ariana Preece Hair and Make-up: Carey Williams

Photographed by André Paul Pinces

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TONI SAILER MATHILDA Fur Jacket with ETHEL Pant , VALENTINA Stretch Jacket and VERONIKA Beanie

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FRAUENSCHUH ESTELLE Multi Jacket with DELPHINE Mulit Pant

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FRAUENSCHUH ISAAC Multi Jacket with ALEX Pant, CLINT Stretch Fleece

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DESCENTE EDITOR Jacket with SWISS Pant

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MOUNTAIN FORCE RIDER Jacket with CARBON Pant, DENALI Hoody

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MOUNTAIN FORCE SAMARA Jacket with EPIC Pant, CATALINA Top

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TONI SAILER LEONEL Splendid Jacket with NICK Pant and LENNY Stretch Fleece Jacket

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SPYDER HOKKAIDO Jacket with BORMIO Pant

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SPYDER AMOUR Jacket with AMOUR Pant

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DESCENTE RAVEN Jacket with SELENE Pant and KELSEY Shirt

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BOGNER FLINN D Jacket with JAMES T Pant, VERTI Shirt and RANDI Beanie

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BOGNER AERIN D Jacket with GWENN Pant, MADITA Shirt and TALITA Beanie

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Comfort food With a Twist THE MAKEOVER BEHIND THE MEALS AT THE NEW CHRISTINE’S ON BLACKCOMB In the bad old days of mountain top dining, an inverse correlation

appeared to exist: as altitude increased, food quality decreased. Resorts dished out a staple fare of burgers, fries, soggy pizza and excessively

sweet hot chocolate. Skiers and riders, it’s time to fare better. Let Whistler

Blackcomb take your tastebuds beyond. For the pinnacle of alpine dining, look no further than the new Christine’s.

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When you’re a Restaurant Chef in charge of one of the most highly praised restaurants in Vancouver, you don’t make mountains out of molehills. Then, when you find yourself in the mountains, with more than 250 meals a day to deliver, in a restaurant accessible only by chairlift or gondolas, meeting your own exacting standards entails a whole other realm of logistics entirely.

Steve Ramey, newly at the helm of Christine’s, in Blackcomb’s Rendezvous Lodge, was up for the challenge. A climber, kayaker, snowboarder and hiker, the 37 year old spent 5 years at Hawksworth Restaurant, consistently ranked one of Canada’s best, before deciding he wanted a new adventure.

As Hawksworth’s opening sous-chef, Ramey had developed the menu and overseen lunches at the topranked Vancouver spot, until he and his wife realized they were spending every spare moment of their meager downtime driving up the Sea to Sky highway to recreate in Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton.

A change was in order.

Fortuitously, Whistler Blackcomb were embarking on some seismic changes too – investing $6 million into a complete overhaul of Blackcomb’s Rendezvous Lodge, and the ongoing roll-out of a new philosophy regarding ski resort food.

“This was the biggest project I’ve ever overseen,” says Executive Chef Wolfgang Sterr, who is charged with all 17 restaurants in Whistler Blackcomb’s massive food and beverage division. “It was a complete gut of the kitchen. We threw the menu out the window, and tried to offer a lot more food that is cooked fresh in front of our guests.”

Sterr’s appreciation of food sensitivities and preferences has meant that the menus at Whistler Blackcomb now have a wider range of vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options. He’s sourcing more local ingredients, and prioritizing sustainable choices, be that in ethical coffee or Oceanwise seafood. But beyond that, the mentality about mountain fare has shifted, big time.

And Christine’s, the fine dining restaurant in the Rendezvous is the perfect case in point.

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“When I started at Whistler Blackcomb five years ago,” explains Sterr, “we used to compare ourselves to the other ski resorts - in the region and in Colorado - but three years ago, we said, who is our clientele?

They eat in Portland, Seattle, Vancouver. They know food. So we started to set ourselves new benchmarks.”

In order to showcase the best, and most sustainable, Canadian and Pacific North West food, to their two million visitors, Whistler Blackcomb’s F&B team began exploring creative partnerships with leading chefs and sommeliers – Vikram Vij, Araxi’s Wine Director Samantha Rahn, Chef David Hawksworth.

After Hawksworth partnered with Whistler Blackcomb to deliver a special lunch at Steeps Grill on Whistler, a connection was made.

“It came up that I was leaving Hawksworth and moving to Squamish, and that Whistler Blackcomb wanted someone to reinvent Christine’s,” says Ramey.

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He joined the team in October 2015.

“They left it completely open for me to reinvent.”

And reinvent he did.

Sable fish curry. BBQ duck salad. Scallops. Braised short ribs. Pork chops with smoked apple sauce.

Ramey calls it “comfort food with a twist.”

“I adapted what I learned at Hawksworth to the alpine. It’s contemporary Canadian, very much a Vancouver style of food, with lots of fresh ingredients, fish, bright flavours, different textures, a good balance of crunchy, bright, acidic and creamy. The thing I took away from working at Hawksworth is the importance of putting all those elements together onto a plate.”

Their fears of alienating previous guests proved unfounded.

“It’s not what people are used to having on a ski hill but Whistler is the right place and the right crowd to be able to up the ante like that.”

Christine’s was jammed all last winter, drew rave reviews, and started getting bookings for this winter as early as June.

“It’s a pretty low bar to just beat other resorts or lodge fare,” says Ramey. “Within Whistler, our patrons go to Araxi, the Bearfoot Bistro, the Rim Rock. I want to make sure we’re appealing to the same people who’d eat at Hawksworth for lunch and offer them something different in the alpine to eat with a couple of bottles of wine. It’s not what people are used to having on a ski hill but Whistler is the right place and the right crowd to be able to up the ante like that.”

Dealing with the logistics of cooking on the mountain was the biggest thing, and the food quantities they went through in that first season were insane. “The braised short rib was a huge hit. We’d go through 120 pounds, twice a week. We made our own base for the curry in 40 litre batches and we’d do that two to three times a week. The cool thing for me was that we were

able to deliver that, and keep the quality we wanted.

Plus, I got to ski home at the end of the day.”

“Steve is the brains and creativity behind the new Christine’s,” says Executive Chef Sterr. “He deserves credit for establishing something outstanding, that, coupled with excellence in service, has made the place one of the best mountain top restaurants in North America, if not the world. That’s the feedback we’ve been getting and we’re very pleased to hear that.”

Sterr has more transformations in his sights, having rolled out an apprenticeship program so that Whistler Blackcomb’s F&B department isn’t anything like a fast food restaurant. “Anyone can open a can of soup. We want to help people get trained and become excited about going into the field of culinary arts.”

Which makes it exciting to be a patron of the culinary arts, in Whistler, too.

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CONQUER YOUR MOUNTAIN THE MACH1 LV & MV

High performance starts with the perfect fit. The MACH1 comes in two district shell volumes: LV (Low Volume) and MV (Mid Volume), allowing us to more precisely fit the shape of your foot. Tecnica’s exclusive C.A.S. shell, liner, and boot board delivers a great fit right TECNICASPORTS.COM

out of the box and is fully customizable. Performance has never felt this good. Available at your Tecnica Dealer.

Johnny Collinson exploring the Stikine region of the Yukon. Photo: Andrew Miller

P L AY ANY LINE Excel in all playgrounds with the QST 106, a powder-ready all day ski with on-piste reliability.

The QST 106 has the superior stability of a Spaceframe Woodcore construction, so charging in every condition has never been more fun. The lightweight agility and engaging performance of CFX Superfiber brings carbon construction to the next level. A full sandwich, ABS sidewall construction and TI Power Plate allow you to perform at your best from the first run to the last.

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photo Š Stefcande.com

XTFREETOUR

SOME BUILD BOOTS THAT CAN FIT LANGE BUILDS BOOTS THAT DO FIT We build and design every boot around the foot to guarantee maximum comfort, response, and control. We collaborate with the best boot-fitters in the world, with an attention to foot mechanics and the desire to help every skier perform better. We take an artisan’s approach to boot-building, fine-tuning shell thicknesses and handcrafting each liner to ensure that every foot that steps into a Lange will BE ONE with their boots.

Only LANGE delivers state-of-the-art solutions in fit and performance for every foot, from the World Cup circuit to the skin track with the all-new, award-winning XT FREETOUR.

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Photo: Gabriel fine-tuning shell thickness.

photo © Blake Jorgenson

ANOTHER

DAY SOUL 7 HD

AMPLIFIED FREERIDE PERFORMANCE

The most demanded, acclaimed, and versatile ski in freeride – now amplified to deliver the ultimate fusion of ultra-lightweight accessibility and uncompromising performance. Featuring Rossignol’s newest game-changing innovation – Carbon Alloy Matrix – the all-new SOUL 7 HD delivers the high-definition energy, mobility, and strength to push your boundaries with confidence and have Another Best Day. www.rossignol.com

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