Local Vibe
Stories by David Burke
Giving you the inside information on what’s happening, what’s fun, and what’s new in Whistler.
Featured Image - Whistler Invictus Games Sculpture | Photo Joern Rohde
JERSEY CREAM 'SIX PACK' OPENS
Skiers and riders who love the Jersey Cream zone on Blackcomb Mountain have better access to their favourite runs this season thanks to an upgrade to the Jersey Cream Express, taking it from a high-speed detachable quad chair to a “six pack.” The upgrade improves uphill capacity by 29 per cent, reduces wait times and enhances circulation in the mid-mountain area.
Work on the project, the latest in a series of lift and gondola capacity upgrades over the past six years, actually began at the end of last season, said Dane Gergovich, Whistler Blackcomb (WB) senior manager, communications.
“Because of that prework that they did, we were able [to] open the new lift early this season,” Gergovich said.
“The Jersey Cream upgrade project was a labour of love from our dedicated teams and development partners,” Belinda Trembath, WB vice president and chief operating officer, said in a statement. “We can’t wait to see this latest investment in the guest experience come to life this winter.”
Image Joern Rohde
LIFT TICKETS GO MOBILE
Less visible but just as impactful, the hands-free Mobile Pass and Mobile Lift Tickets went live at the start of the season, giving guests the ability to skip the ticket window and buy their season or Epic pass, or lift ticket, online. Guests can now activate and store their passes on the My Epic app, which offers lift access, real-time resort updates, personalized stats and more.
“With Mobile Pass and Mobile Lift Tickets, your phone becomes your gateway to the mountains, making it easier and faster to get up the slopes by skipping the ticket window completely,” Trembath said.
Image Joern Rohde
WELCOMING THE INVICTUS GAMES
In February 2025 — 15 years after it served as Host Mountain Resort for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games — Whistler will be at the centre of a global, multi-sport competition when it co-hosts the 2025 Invictus Games.
Current and former soldiers who have suffered from combat-related injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through their experiences in war zones will step into the global spotlight for competitions in Vancouver and Whistler from Feb. 8 to 16, 2025.
The Invictus Games Foundation, headed by former soldier Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, has hosted the Invictus Games five times, most recently in 2023 in Düsseldorf, Germany.
This is the first time that winter sports will be incorporated into the games. Vancouver will host indoor rowing, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair basketball, and wheelchair curling. Whistler will host competitions in five sports — alpine skiing and snowboarding on Whistler Mountain, skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre, and Nordic skiing and biathlon at Whistler Olympic Park in the Callaghan Valley.
The focus of the Invictus movement is not on medals but on healing and moving forward through sport.
“My injury is not the end of the story, in fact, it’s just the beginning,” Robert Pullen, who will compete in alpine sit skiing, wheelchair basketball and indoor rowing for Team Canada, said in a statement. “Having the Games there for us helps cement that in and go, ‘Listen, dude, this is just the beginning, this is just the beginning.’”
As with the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, the Four Host First Nations — Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish and Lil’wat — will play a significant role in hosting the games in their traditional territories.
Whistler Invictus Games 2025 Training Camp
Photo Jeremy Allan
Duke of Sussex Visit
Photo Jeremy Allan