Telus Recap

Kendra Tombu

Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival

Telus started off with a bang this year, opening with the skier’s Big Air finals in the village square on Saturday night. I’m no skier, but it definitely looked like they were setting the bar high for the snowboard finals the following weekend. Both concert stages were going full force, with DJ Rosco on the Pontiac stage and Lotus performing on the main stage during the Big Air. Sharpie Artist Tim Barnard worked on the brand new Pontiac Vibe throughout the day, which would be on display for the remainder of the festival, while the Chef Challenge went on behind him. Animal Nation, Team Canada, and Run GMC all performed on the main stage during the day to kick off the festival, and the night ended with the silent disco at the GLC, sponsored by Kokanee. This was an interesting addition to the lineup this year, where clubbers were handed a set of Skull Candy headphones, and plugged into whichever one of the four DJs playing GLC appealed to them. 

Both weekends hosted Demo Days outside Roundhouse Lodge at the top of Whistler.  Most of the major snowboard companies were there, along with some smaller ones. I demoed five boards: The Stepchild Moustache Rider, Bataleon Violenza, Salomon Gypsy, Prior AMFRocker, and Prior Brandywine. My top two picks were the Moustache Rider (and not just for the name!) and the Brandywine. They were both super responsive, light, and fast. The Brandywine was a bit stiffer, but both maneuvered well, had great control. I didn’t enjoy the AMF Rocker at all, however. A friend had tried it and loved it, and since they had it in my size, I took it for a spin. It felt like I was riding a tank. I didn’t think the difference between guys and girls boards was so huge, but in the Prior lineup they definitely are (the AMF Rocker is a guys board). I couldn’t get from edge to edge nearly fast enough, and turning was slow and sluggish. I was more than happy to hand it back in after one run! 

On Sunday, Blackcomb played host to the Orage Masters, and Monday was another skier day with superpipe qualifiers. Bands included Ozo Matli, The Hairfarmers, and The Rising Tide. Monday was Zeppelin Day, and the main stage showcased A Whole Lotta Led, and Black Dog. The snow conditions were typical spring slush, with some powder dustings thrown in for fun. Whistler didn’t have nearly the base it normally does, but it was nowhere near as bad as the 04/05 season where they got just about nothing. New this season was the Peak to Peak gondola (or P2P for short), which definitely makes it easier to ride Whistler and Blackcomb on the same day.  It’s also fun riding down to the village to check out what’s going on, and taking the gondola back up the other mountain. Monster and Schick were out in full force this year, handing out freebies to anyone passing by. Schick hosted the “Ride the Razor” contest again, a giant razor-turned-mechanical-bull.

The Grenade Games kicked off on the Tuesday, and there was no looking back from there. The Poker run started it all, which was a scavenger hunt on hill, followed by a poker game. The Arkells and USS opened the music lineup for the Grenade Games, and in the evening the 72 hour Filmmaker Showdown drew a hefty crowd. 

Molly Milligan showing the boys how it’s done

After an overnight freeze, the Grenerds got to get their moguls on. Hearing them scraping down one after another almost made me think I was back on the East Coast. Molly Milligan was the only girl brave enough to face the Dual Slalom styled moguls, and she represented in style. She made it to the third round (of five), crossing the finish line about three inches after her competitor. Myrosha Daley won the event, with honorable mentions going to Cody Dresser and Sammy Luebke. The free concerts continued through the afternoon with Ten Second Epic and Yuca, and the Second Cuts Filmmaker Screening took place in the evening, for anyone who had missed the first showing.

Dustin Craven flies above the crowd

Thursday had the Grenerds practicing their pipe skills on Blackcomb’s Superpipe. The pipe was set up with a box on either side, a tree bonk, and a grenade piñata that was eventually knocked down by Lucas Magoon during the finals the next day. Sarah Conrad was the only female to proceed to the finals, winning the judges over with her solid riding. Down in the village, the Stills and Ghost Brothers took the main stage, while City of Glass represented on the Pontiac Stage. The evening was set aside for the Pro Photographer Showdown, a yearly event that showcases some of the best local talent. Definitely one of the highlights of the festival.

Sarah Conrad scopes out the pipe, then brings it with a tail grab

Justin Lamoreux consistently throwing down huge airs —- Louie Vito’s front flip nose grab

TJ Schneider going for gold

Friday was the Superpipe finals, with a lot of big names coming out in style. Sarah Conrad was up against the likes of Louie Vito, Dustin Craven, Danny Kass, Scotty Arnold, and Wyatt Caldwell. True to Grenade style, the event got off to a late start, even though riders started throwing down early. The level of performance was spectacular, with prizes for best trick and best crash, along with the usual first second and third. After not riding pipe for two years, TJ still managed to take first place. Guillaume Morisset snagged second, while Dustin Craven landed third. Best crash of the day went to Dennis Bannock, while Louie Vito won best trick with a 1260. Those that left the pipe early were able to catch Metric in concert at the main stage, followed by Bend Sinister. The afternoon ended with a mini ramp jam in Village Square, hosted by Danny Kass. The night went to the Schick Fashion EXPOSED party.

Saturday was a day of more demos, coupled with great spring conditions. Riders warmed up on the Big Air course during the afternoon, getting set for the evening’s competition. The competitors started at the top of the scaffolding, dropped down into the run, and then had the choice of a 60 foot channel gap, or a giant butter box. After landing, the riders then had to choose between a flat box and a down-flat-down rail combo, a stair rail, or a butter box to 20-foot tree jib. At the bottom there was a rail to grind skateboard style. The riders did not disappoint; the same level of performance that had been present throughout the games held through till the bitter end. 

Robin Van Gyn throwing down

Craig Beaulieu walked away with first prize in the big air, followed by Jesmond Dubeau in second and Wyatt Caldwell in third. Kevin Casillo won the honours of most radical dude, while Robin Van Gyn wound up with the title of best babe. DJ Z-Trip, Mat the Alien, Jon H from Fort Knox Five, and Vinyl Ritchie worked together to provide the music to back the riding. Village square was filled with spectators.

Craig Beaulieu with a nice indy

Sunday was a day to ride; the demo tents were the only on-hill entertainment. With the warm weather, puddles were appearing everywhere, and runs that were snow covered at the beginning were bare by the end. The ride out to the village still had decent coverage, but bumps and dips were showing up where you least expected. 54-40 closed down the concert series in the afternoon, and The Chairlift Revue was the last evening event.

Whistler from Big Red chair —- some of the terrain at Blackcomb

Posted by freelance on 05/12