Living the WSSF Dream: The First Two Days

Ahh, the World Ski and Snowboard Festival. The moment I truly fell in love with Whistler (it was only lust before then) was somewhere between Intersection and the Pro Photographer Showdown at WSSF 2012, when I realized that in the midst of the epic mountains, snow sports and people, this sweet resort town has a real and distinct culture.

The WSSF is like a condensed version of all my favourite Whistler things: mountain laps, free concerts, art, film, photography, competitions of all kind, parties, bumping into friends and having exciting adventures.

While it is perfectly acceptable to just wing it with the WSSF, my personal approach this year has involved careful planning and strategizing to maximize my potential for fun. Here is a brief recap of the first few days, which have been a smashing success.

Stalking… I mean Shadowing the Competitors

My favourite part about WSSF is the creative competitions—whether it be Intersection, the action sports filmmaking challenge; the 72 Hour Filmmaker Showdown, the short film competition; or the Pro Photographer Showdown, where the portfolios of action sports photographers are pitted head-to-head, I love them all.

Following Team Leo Zuckerman into the woods for Intersection:

This year, I have been following various competitors to get a better sense of the hard work and team effort required to make the finished product. This has been heaps of fun and a great way to experience the festival from another point of view. Fear not, loyal reader, I will provide you with in depth accounts of my experiences in articles to come as the events unwind.

Sneak preview: my talents extend beyond journalism.

State of the ART

Night one of the WSSF brought the opening of the State of the ART event, exhibiting the creations of artists near and far. I spent the evening wandering through the labyrinth of exhibits while a DJ pumped tunes, and half the fun was bumping into some of my favourite people of Whistler. This event is free and ongoing throughout the festival, and I highly recommend having a wander when you have an hour to spare. All the art shown is available for purchase, and if you’re like my friend Julian, you might find yourself impulsively picking up your favourite piece.

Shredding

Remember that secret bluebird powder day that came out of nowhere on Day Two of WSSF? It was awesome! It wouldn’t be right to neglect the “ski and snowboard” bit of the World Ski and Snowboard Festival, so I caught a few Blackcomb Glacier laps with my buddy to start the day off right.

Big Air

This is a snowboarding website, but you have to respect our skiing compadres who sent it off the Big Air jump right in the village centre. Those in the know are already aware that my fellow countryman Vince Gangier came first, with Gus Kenworthy and Henrik Harlaut placing second and third, respectively. I was going to provide a play-by-play breakdown of what exactly went down, with all my technical knowledge, but it seems that others have beat me to the punch. Instead, I offer you this:

Shredmachine’s Top Three Tips for the Enjoyment of Big Air-Type Performances

Choose your vantage point thoughtfully. Standing in the Village Square permits for impromptu run-ins with dear friends, while a seat on a patio provides for comfort and possibly a fleece blanket. Be warned: Longhorn was charging a $5 cover. What! Even crazier… I PAID IT.
Dress accordingly. The skies might be blue, but it’s flipping cold and the sun is going to go down. I brought my snowboarding mittens and didn’t regret it for a moment. No regrets, bro.
Trying to meet up with friends will fail. Don’t worry, you will run into eight hundred people you know and love.

Nas

Free festival concerts and old school hip hop: does a better combination exist? I submit there does not. I will fully admit to only truly knowing one Nas song (Got Yourself a Gun), but I still had a time!

Would you like to see a photo of the Nas experience? Sorry, I can’t help you there. My photo-taking device (who are we kidding, my iPhone) was securely in my pocket the entire show, but just picture a bunch of heads all up in your face, clouds of smoke and shiny bright lights. That pretty well sums it up.

Yes, the first two days have been a great success, and I am pacing myself for the remaining nine days of fun. Remember, folks, party in April, sleep in… no, sorry, it’s too cliché.