On a beautiful, sunny Saturday afternoon skiing Ridge Runner on a free pass earned through 30 years as a Whistler Blackcomb volunteer in numerous departments, Kenneth Gary Hicks, eternal powderhound, relentless videographer of Weasel workers, live entertainment shows and life in Whistler in general, made his final turn in aggressively punched out boots accommodating his bunioned toes.
Ken was born in Vernon and spent years skiing Silver Star and Revelstoke before making Whistler his home. His love of floating powder runs knew no bounds. So year after year Ken would pilgrimage parts the Powder Highway in search of the elusive pow. Tagging along in his van for weeks at a time was considered a first-class lesson in skibummery.
Ken's currency was beer, as in, "thanks for doing me that favour, I'll buy you a beer later." Ken buying someone a beer or doing someone a favour so they would buy him a beer was just an invitation to sit and talk. And talk he could—usually about how everyone missed out on choice powder that day because they don't know the secret spots on the mountain. Ken would go on endlessly about some cat track that led to some turns nobody ever does, and one would have to listen, because there was an Ullresque quality to his report on snow conditions. He was always listening to on-hill communications with his own radio just to be informed about avalanche conditions.
In summer months, Ken was all about entertainment. He recorded, for posterity's sake, decades of live shows in Whistler that have now been turned over to the Whistler Museum and Archives. Ken worked years for Currie Construction and was Owen Carney's guy who took care of Canada Post kiosks. Clearing snow in winter and removing unwanted flyers year-round.
Lately he worked afternoons for GFL at the recycling depot in Function. Goodnaturedly going on with everyone about where to put something that people are trying to get rid of for the rest of their lives. With an up and at 'em attitude until his last lift, Ken was a kind and gentle soul. A friend to all and true Mountain Man, with his passing Whistler is somewhat less than it used to be. Ken is survived by his wife Cindy. A celebration of Kenneth Gary Hicks' life will be held at Dusty's on June 22 from 2 to 5 p.m.
