Whistler: The Visit.

B.C. British Columbia. Canada. I haven’t been here in two years, and I have truly missed it. There is something about this place that just makes me never want to leave. I came during a period of bad weather.

The snow is famous, the runs are olympic, and the scenery is incomparable. Whistler, Blackcomb, British Columbia as a whole, is know for the weather permitting factors of clouds rolling in and out of areas like people through a McDonald’s.

For the days I had at Whistler/Blackcomb, that was the situation everyday. I didn’t get to enjoy the sights as much as I would have wanted but that’s not why I was there. I was there to enjoy the wonderful snow B.C has to offer.

And at the peak, it was impeccable. Riding down from whistler peak into the Whistler bowl and the back bowl were amazing. I didn’t get to ride the parka s much as I wanted because of the fog ending visibility completely. But I’m not complaining.

I just wish I could have stayed a couple more days, because the forecast predicted the clouds rolling out for good a couple days after I left.

I must say though between the “Sea to Sky” drive from Vancouver to Whistler and the views from the peak; I was speechless.

 

Torstein Horgmo: In Your Face. The Snowboard Game.

As I ventured through the library of snowboard videos on YouTube, I come across a set of videos with X Games big air silver medalist, Torstein Horgmo, called “In Your Face.”

In Your Face is a game that Horgmo invented. It involves a roshambo (rock-paper-scissors) to determine a caller. The caller will determine a trick that the opponent must land. If the opponent does not land the trick you get a strike. The first person to get two strikes loses, and gets sprayed in the face with snow.

Simple.

“[about Jossi Wells] He french fries down the mountain. All the time”-Torstein Horgmo 

Horgmo, especially is the perfect candidate to host this game because he is such an innovative snowboarder. As I said, he won the silver medal this year at the X Games in Aspen. Although he got second place, he had the best single trick (the cleanest backside triple cork 1440 imaginable) in the whole competition.  His arsenal of tricks along with his comical personality are what make these videos so great.

These videos shows what professionals do on the slopes and that to them, snowboarding is  still fun. Unlike basketball, football, baseball, golf, nascar, soccer, or any other sport where  the professional athlete sees so much money that they start seeing his sport as a job, snowboarder, skateboarders, skiers, and surfers don’t. The very few who are overwhelmingly rich from skateboarding or snowboarding are somewhat humble, except for maybe a couple.  I don’t know if it’s the culture of the sports, or the lack of money in the sport (compared to basketball, baseball, football…) or whatever, but it’s true. Torstein Horgmo shows the audience that these professional snowboarders are real people, on the slopes with their fans.

Maybe, if someone in the NBA would make videos of them playing other NBA players in games of horse on a basketball court in a YMCA or something and put it YouTube for the world to see. I’d maybe change mind but they don’t. So, for now, Torstein Horgmo thank you.