Art, Music and Snowboard Mogul Races in Whistler

Most people think living in Whistler is a 24/7 party. The truth is there can be spells where nothing is going on. Weeks of boredom. Being one of the most expensive places to live it's usually because everyone is broke. For instance there is only one festival in Whistler during the winter however; when it rains it pours.
 
Most hills are winding down; Whistler is just winding up, the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival kicks off now.
 
The Festival that started out as a ski and snowboard big air and halfpipe competition, has changed hands a few times evolving over the years. The second weekend in April has turned into the beginning of ten days of sports and art celebration.
 
The 72 hour Filmmaker Showdown is an event now as big as the Big Air or Halfpipe competitions. Filmmakers competing have three days to shoot and edit a short film. The results are some truly unique and hilarious little movies. Some give us a chance to laugh at our ways of living here in Whistler; some are made by out-of-towners, giving us a different point of view. The finalists will hopefully be posted on the Festivals website so those of us not lucky enough to be at the show can check them out.
 
Other than that, the week and three days is full of free concerts, art shows, a fashion show, after parties and oh, right, ski and snowboard competitions. The snowboard side of things is the creation of a handful of pros and is one creative contest. Besides the usual slope style and big air there is the Borderstyle and Dual Mogul event. Borderstyle is just what it sounds like bordercross with mandatory long boxes and spins off the finishing jump. Teje Haakonsen, the living legend from Norway, graced us with his presence in the Borderstyle, impressing the judges with a back flip off the last jump. Abiding by the contest rules he threw spin on the flip landing him a top four placing.
 
I've been missing most of the fest due to the CASI level three courses I've been on all week. I did however, catch the Dual Mogul competition. It's a race, set up on a freestlye ski mogul course. It has gates set-up as if it were a slalom, with one kicker jump into more moguls before the finish line. Two racers on side by side courses slide as fast as they can over huge moguls, around gates as if they were racing a dual slalom, for glory or snowburn as they fall across the finish line. Best event so far!
 
My course is now done which I failed miserably but there is a free concert and good times with friends tonight to help me get over it. As well, the anticipation of seeing what kind of tricks the skiers will throw down off the Big Air jump after. Then after that anything could happen, it is after all Telus Fest.