Whistler (BC), Canada – Originally opening for skiing in the winter of 1966 and founded on the dream of one day hosting the Olympic Winter Games, Whistler Blackcomb has been going beyond to leave its mark on those who are drawn to the mountains.
In the spirit of celebrating and commemorating, the B.C. ski and snowboard resort kicking off its 50th anniversary season with 50 Years Of Going Beyond, a movie five decades in the making.
From the resort’s adventure-seeking founders to its freestyle heydays—and breaking Guinness World Records along the way—snowsport industry legends recount the contributions that Whistler Blackcomb has made to skiing and snowboarding and the significance of its golden anniversary.
The full HD movie will be released for free on YouTube on Tuesday, October 13th. The film is presented by Whistler Blackcomb and TELUS, and produced by Switchback Entertainment, Whistler Blackcomb, and Origin Design + Communications.
“Whistler Blackcomb has always been about pushing the envelope,” says Dave Brownlie, President and CEO of Whistler Blackcomb. “We like to be first, to go big, and to surpass guest expectations over and over again. This season we want to showcase what we’ve achieved over the past 50 years while looking forward at what is yet to come.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiqSB4TLWI4
Guests visiting Blackcomb Mountain this winter season will notice the Rendezvous Lodge has had a facelift. The lodge underwent a massive renovation this summer and will open its doors with an increased capacity and improved functionality. The building has a brand new look to complement the new and fresh customizable menu options in the food court, including Japanese ramen bowls and a Thai-inspired wok station where flavorful rice or noodle dishes are finished with authentic sauces and garnishes. The Mexican taqueria will offer made to order burritos, tacos and salads, and the grill is serving up naturally raised, hormone and antibiotic-free chicken and beef burgers, Ocean Wise salmon sandwiches, as well as a plant-based option.
A total revamp of Christine’s restaurant was included in the Rendezvous Lodge renovation this summer, and it has elevated the fine dining experience on Blackcomb Mountain. Christine’s will open for the 2015-16 winter season with a fresh new look, a new menu and a new chef, coming to Whistler Blackcomb this winter from Hawksworth Restaurant in Vancouver. Steve Ramey, an avid climber, hiker, and snowboarder, is well suited to life in the mountains and will use his culinary prowess to reimagine the menu for Christine’s.
Whistler Blackcomb will be introducing WB+ this winter season, a new online interactive platform connected to the ski resort’s RFID technology introduced last year, giving guests the option to create a personal profile in order to collect stats and data about their days on the mountains. By scanning lift passes at the RFID chairlift access gates located around Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, guests will be able to keep track of personal stats including their number of days on the slopes and total vertical ridden. Customized privacy settings will allow users to make their WB+ profiles accessible to friends, family members and work colleagues, allowing groups to create goals and fun challenges throughout the winter. WB+ profiles will also allow visitors the option to reload winter lift passes and EDGE Cards online throughout the year to avoid line ups and better manage their remaining days on passes and cards.
This winter season, Whistler Blackcomb will conduct a new snowmaking pilot project aimed at preserving the Horstman Glacier on Blackcomb Mountain. The pilot project will involve the testing of four low-energy consumption snowmaking guns in the Horstman Hut area to determine if a full-scale snowmaking system is an option to prevent further recession of the Horstman Glacier. A snowmaking system on the Horstman Glacier could improve the early season access to glacier skiing and snowboarding during the winter and preserve our summer glacier experience for guests to enjoy in the future. If the pilot project is conclusive, this unique project will become a significant addition to Whistler Blackcomb’s list of adaptations to ensure long-term resilience against climate change.