Two months gone but two more to treasure

AUSTRALIA 1, SCOTLAND 0

OK so I virtually forgot about Burns Night. I’m a bad Scot. The chances of finding a haggis in Whistler would be slim to none anyway. Australia day, however, was big news. Bigger in Whistler than it is in actual Australia, apparently. There was a lot of face paint and nakedness on their part, and ridiculously long line-ups for all the clubs. I spent it with a few choice Aussies in a lesser populated bar where we drank (and spilt) a lot of martinis.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE ONESIES

Vintage one-piece ski suits never fail to amuse here in Whistler. I am still yet to procure mine from the Re-Use-It Centre (giant op-shop) for fancy dress purposes, but when validating tickets I never tire of checking out the old timers’ gear.

STILL WAITING TO SKATE

I thought I was onto something when temperatures plummeted and stayed low a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately it lasted a few days short of being able to skate on the lakes. I did two days snowboarding in temperatures of around -22oC, which meant lots of warm-up breaks to thaw out my toes.

I now ride in my lovely new snowboard boots – bought with the extra money I earned working far too much over Christmas and New Year. I tried on every pair of girls’ boots in my size in Whistler before I settled on a pair – 13 different types in the end.

THE SNOWIEST SKI RESORT IN THE WORLD

Our snowbase is floating around the 3m mark and dumps of 20cm are not uncommon. There has been record snowfall since November 1st. Season pass holders for other Intrawest resorts suffering from lack of snow have been offered free skiing at Whistler Blackcomb to compensate.

Dude, where’s my car?: rumour has it this is a vehicle parked by my front door

That said, we’ve not had any new snow in several days now. Luckily it’s cold enough at nights for snow-making, and the sun has been shining which makes for a fantastic day riding. I saw a lifty wearing a t-shirt on one of the t-bars 2000m up yesterday.

SCREEN IDOL

I set myself up with a day filming as an extra on the TV series ‘Whistler’ earlier this month. Think Hollyoaks in a Canadian ski resort. As yet, I haven’t seen the programme, because my navigation of Whistler cable TV and its multiple time zones hasn’t improved any and I just haven’t come across it.

There was a lot of hanging around – it was a thirteen hour day. You’ll see me in the background in a variety of hats and scarves (apparently it makes you look like a different person) partaking in such things as: throwing an old snowboard onto a bonfire (remember the Ullr party from my November blog?), taking photos of an imaginary heartthrob on a half-pipe, carrying a box of beer on the way to a party, drinking coffee outside a cafe (it was -10oC) and lots of walking back and forth across the plaza.

The episode(s?) will be screened at the end of May, so I intend to get up-to-speed with ‘Whistler’ by then. I also intend to make sure I get it on tape for the grandkids.

ALL CHANGE

My flatmate Emma leaves for sunny Mexico in two weeks, and my roommate Ange leaves to start her job back in Melbourne not long after. Others have already left, and the list of those leaving in late February or March is getting longer all the time.

I am now re-assessing work, as I feel more than a little worn out by the tedious issues of tickets and validation and very ready for a change. I’m considering taking my Level 1 snowboard instructor course in the next month or two and I’ve discussed the possibility of moving into Lift Operations, though the drop in pay puts me off.

I’m starting to think what is going to happen after the season too. Mum and Dad are coming out to Canada for a couple of weeks at the end of April, so I’ll have some family time before I start the next part. It’s still looking like Vancouver, and as I’ve heard there is a lot of extra work to be had there, I’m wondering if I can make a living from it for the summer.

Rob deserves a mention, mostly for his pink Dave Murray signature one-piece, but primarily because we spend a lot of time together. He’s from Brisbane and he works as a lifty on the Creekside gondola where I check tickets. What can I say except watch this space...