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Whistler Voices – In boldness lies genius

Alta States is all about celebrating the many — and varied — voices of the Whistler community (in its broadest definition). So in this very first column of 2008, I’ve decided to step back and let some of them speak to you directly. Listen well.
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Alta States is all about celebrating the many — and varied — voices of the Whistler community (in its broadest definition). So in this very first column of 2008, I’ve decided to step back and let some of them speak to you directly. Listen well. There’s a lot of wisdom in these words…

Roger McCarthy: “Get out of your office, put your skis on and go check out the mountain for yourself… Let’s make sure we keep reminding each other just how special this place really is.”

Peter Alder: “I want Whistlerites to be able to control their own destinies. I want our young people to feel involved in their future.”

Rob Boyd: “If people reach out and aim just a little higher than what they’re comfortable with, they’ll find that there are a lot more winning opportunities out there for them.”

Chris Prior: “We’re trying to create a business that also values a healthy lifestyle. To me, success means being able to surf and test product on the mountain as much as being able to pay the bills at the end of the month…”

Jim McConkey: “My goals in life have always been to have as much fun as possible and make people happy. That to me is way more important than how much money you make — or how much power you yield…”

Shelagh Bridgewater: “The gift of working with very young children is that they help you put things in perspective. They rekindle that spark of having fun no matter what you are doing. They constantly challenge you to keep things exciting.”

Jack Turner: “It’s the wet gloves, long drives, storms and other ‘inconveniences’ that will really bond a parent and kid. The so-called down times are just as important as the ultimate powder run or picnic lunch. Both are key to making memories that will last forever.”

Arthur De Jong: “I’m convinced of at least one thing. As the rest of the world gets more polluted and ugly, those places that manage to protect their environmental integrity will prosper.”

Paul Mathews: “No matter what business you’re in — no matter how successful you’ve been in the past — you can’t sit back and rest on your laurels. You have to continually re-invent yourself. In order for Whistler to move forward, we have to re-invent who we are.”

Sarah Jane Hornes: “Whether young or old, people share a common sense of energy and excitement here. And that’s really stimulating to me. I mean, there are as many Whistler stories as there are characters in this valley.”

Al Safrata: “The mountains provide me with my own personal roller-coaster ride. And it’s the only roller-coaster ride I know that I can totally control myself. To max out on the g-forces, to grit my teeth against the weather, to groove on the beauty of my surroundings — it’s all part of the ride. I’m going fast, almost like low-level flying. I’m banking off this, and jumping off that. Veering off the piste to check out a little powder here. Or feeling the power of a perfectly carved turn there. And nobody else can tell me how to do it. I’m fully in charge of my own ride.”

Andree Janyk: “We often underestimate just how much our visitors want to get in touch with our community — how much they want to experience the unique connections that make Whistler such a special place. After all, to feel part of something real — whether you’re a first-timer or a long-time visitor — it really pulls at your heartstrings…”

Andy Szocs: You never know where your leaders are going to come from. That’s why it’s so important to keep the door open to everyone.”

Doug Perry: “Whistler needs events that reflect and celebrate the culture of the place. Don’t be afraid to step outside the box. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Be bold. It’s only by trying new stuff that you get to hone an event to the point where it can be successful.”

Pam Barnsley: “Long-term residents at Whistler seem to have raised the performance bar when it comes to accomplishing the impossible. Heck, I’ve been to a lot of 60-year-old birthday parties recently where just about everybody looked young and strong. Maybe this is the dawn of a new age…”

Pat O’Donnell: “We have this great opportunity to turn kids on to a way of life that is healthy, uplifting and hugely satisfying. And they’re looking to us for leadership and inspiration. So what are we doing about it? We’re giving them ‘stuff’. Shame on us!”

Bonny Makarewicz: “I think people here should take a moment every day to look around and see — really see — the beauty around them. We’re not at war. We’re not starving. And nobody is beating us up for our political views. In fact, we’re pretty well off by any standard you care to measure us by. We should be thankful for our good fortune…”

Willy Raine: “I see an opportunity (in sports) to create strong values — life skills that each of our kids (whether champions or not) can apply to their everyday lives. Discipline. Vision. Goal-setting. Knowing how to work with others. Learning how to win. Learning how to lose. These are skills that come in mighty handy in your adult years.”

Cathy Jewett: “If you’re volunteering because you’re looking to ‘get’ something from the Olympics, forget it. The benefits you’ll get from the Games will probably be nothing like you expected. And you know what? You’ll never know if you don’t get involved…”

Claire Daniels: “My parents didn’t come to Whistler to get rich. And neither did the parents of most of my friends. They came here because they loved the mountains.”

Colin Pitt Taylor: “Why would you ever want to wear a frown around here?”

Auden Schendler: “The idea that green is fun, easy and profitable is dangerous. This is hard work. It’s messy. It’s not always profitable. And companies (or communities) have to get off the mark and start actually doing stuff.”

Sue Eckersley: “One of Whistler’s most attractive characteristics is that it is a community of youthful thinking people — no matter what their age might be. To me, that’s an attitude to celebrate.”

Mike Varrin: “I just want to squeeze as much now out of now as I can.”

Brad Larsen: “Mountain sports are all about romance, adventure, and sex appeal. The pioneers of skiing understood this spirit."

Dave Demers: “If you have a vision for this place and you don’t think you’re being heard, then get involved! Join the chamber, run for election, get named to a board. But do something!”

Davey Barr: On the one hand, I want to fight for what I had as a kid. I want to fight for the Whistler I once knew. On the other hand, I have to come to terms with the fact that the Whistler I once knew no longer exists.”

David Perry: “There are certain characters that define a place. And they can be your biggest assets. In the end, it’s the people — not the things — that really count in our business.”

Eldon Beck: “When you can find a way to slow people down and become conscious of their surroundings, you allow them to connect again — with the environment and with other people.”

Florence Petersen: “I wish sometimes we hadn’t been in such a hurry to ‘civilize’ this place…”

Garry Watson: “Be strong. Be clear. And don’t back down.”

Helen Klanderud: “Creativity is all about allowing things to happen, not crushing what is evolving.”

Dave Brownlie: “ I had a much better time skiing with you yesterday than I am meeting with a bunch of suits in Vancouver today.”

And finally, Al Safrata offers us all something to aspire to in the New Year: “I’d rather count the number of smiles I generate in a day than the number of dollars I’ve earned…”