26 Dec

Whistler’s 12th Day of Christmas: Finally, It's Here!

TAG: Family Time, Holidays

Posted by: Feet Banks

Editor’s Note: These are the 12 days of Christmas, Whistler Style so strap in and get ready for a week and a half of snow, excitement, twinkling lights, good times, great food and fantastic winter enjoyment. No Partridges, no pear trees (although there may be some tree skiing.) Happy Holidays.

Is it a white Christmas? (This post is pre-written and was posted by a robot/cyborg while I open gifts with my family and then hit the ski hill for some, hopefully, super-duper fresh powder perfection.

One awesome thing about Christmas in Whistler is that Santa or Ullr (the unofficial god of Snow) or whoever is in charge usually blesses us with fresh snow. Ten of the past eleven Christmas mornings have seen fresh snowfall and skiing on Christmas is how most true locals celebrate the big day.

“While everyone else is back home opening presents we are out ripping and empty hill,” says Whistler artist Chili Thom. “And it’s usually covered in fresh pow so you just get up and enjoy being with your family or friends.”

And there’s the kicker, the real meaning of Christmas. Snowboard photography pioneer Dano Pendygrasse has been riding Christmas Day in Whistler for as long as he can remember. Last Christmas he summed it up perfectly for us:

“Well I think when I was young,” Dano says. “Skiing on Christmas was a pain because I just wanted to get back to the presents but as I got a little older I recognized the light crowds and started to appreciate that. Later on when life got really busy it became the only day I got a chance to ski with both my parents and my brother so I really looked forward to it. Real locals always ride on Christmas. I distinctly remember catching one of the first few chairs on the Peak one Christmas day—dropping into untracked just under mid station and hearing (former World Cup Downhiller and local legend) Robby Boyd and his wife Sherry cheering me on from the chair. In the end, I don’t remember the socks and sweater I got as presents that year, but I’ll always have that memory, and that’s the best present you can get.”