Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Best of Whistler 2005

From where to eat to where to make out, readers write in with their choices.

Best of Whistler 2005

The people’s choices

This fall, Whistler residents and interested parties had an opportunity once again to cast their ballot for the Best of Whistler. The stakes were bragging rights and the coveted sticker on the window that winners receive.

In an effort to protect the fragile part of the democratic process – counting the votes – we did away with paper ballots this year and went strictly with electronic, on-line voting. With on-line voting any attempts to follow the old political chestnut of "vote early and vote often" could, in theory, be traced back to computers where the "send" button had been pounded too frequently.

But Whistlerites are a competitive lot, and as simple as democracy sounds in theory it sometimes requires some interpretation as well. With that in mind, we bring you the 2005 edition of the Best of Whistler, as determined by you the voters.

QUINTESSENTIAL WHISTLER

Best Way to Spend Your Last $10

Living in Whistler we all know what it’s like to go to the bank machine and even though you know there’s nothing in there, you still give it one last futile attempt. Maybe those desperate phone calls home about scraping by on Kraft Dinner have perchance prompted a parent to deposit a little extra cash in your account to help you get by. More often than not it hasn’t.

So what do you do when you’ve only got $10 to your name and payday is still a ways away? You buy beer of course. Whether it’s beer at the Boot, beer at the Longhorn, beer at Tapley’s, it’s all beer. And even though we know it may not be wise (note: the top choice for the worst use of money is also beer) it still got top votes this year in the Best Way to Spend Your Last $10 category. Maybe when you’ve only got $10 you feel that it’s best to drown your sorrows.

Many others voted with their stomachs, recognizing that when it comes down to the wire, food is the way to go with the last $10. Some chose to blow it in one sitting as in a Splitz burger or a chicken taco salad at La Tortilleria, while others chose to stretch it out at Nesters. And chocolate lovers everywhere picked the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory as a place to blow your last dough on a milkshake or a big chunk of dark rich delicious chocolate.

Best Extreme Thing to Do

It’s plain to us that we’re a town of thrill junkies. A read through the different votes in the best extreme thing to do category and you know we’re an extreme kind of town: mountain biking, kayaking, rock climbing, ice climbing, skiing the Cakehole, skiing the Couloir, skiing Air Jordon, heli-skiing, sky diving, gliding in Pemberton, telemarking in the backcountry. Well, you get the picture.

But ever since two "newer" activities have come to Whistler in recent years, they have vied for top spot in the most extreme thing to do. This year ziptrekking topped bungee jumping by almost half. Both activities are guaranteed to get your heart racing and if you’re looking for a thrill, look no further. On ZipTrek you get a bird’s eye view of the world, shooting across a wire suspended between Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains high above the rushing Fitzsimmons Creek. It’s guaranteed to give you a new perspective, in more ways than one.

Best Use of Money

Living in Whistler, working a few jobs, living pay cheque to pay cheque, there just never seems to be enough of the stuff to go around. We could all use a little more. You were a practical bunch of voters this year, picking food as the best use of money. Sure, we need it to survive, and so you could argue that it truly is the best use of money, but food isn’t all that much fun. Fortunately true ski bums weighed in and managed to make the ski pass as a close second in this category. That’s always nice to see living in a ski town! And other thrill seekers chose Ziptrek as third runner up. And though we can be accused of our hedonistic lifestyle here, living our days for powder runs, at least some of you took a more altruistic view of things this holiday season.

Honourable mentions should go out to those readers who said the best use of money was to "help someone in need" or a "donation to WAG or AWARE." For those of you, and there were several, who picked "saving it for a rainy day" or "saving/investing" that’s not all that much fun, now is it?

Worst Use of Money

There are so many ways to blow our money it’s hard to pick which is the absolute worst. But you did. And it’s beer. Even though it took the top spot, or perhaps because it took the top spot for Best Way to Spend Your Last $10, beer also topped the list for the Worst Use of Money. Rent, that beastly monthly payment to help somebody else’s mortgage, got second spot. Readers also took the time to get a little political in this category. Pay parking, along with parking tickets, raised your ire. The $8 million library got a vote, along with "delayed decisions of projects like the library." Taxes always get people’s goats and this year there were a few votes for the unspent $6 million in the Whistler Housing Authority fund, which at least some readers feel should be used to help the owners of the sinking Eva Lake employee housing condos.

Party of 2005

If there was ever a party to go to in 2005 it was Andre St. Jacques’s now infamous MasqueRave. After a decade of this annual party during the Cornucopia festivities, St. Jacques went bigger and bolder than ever before. It didn’t hurt matters that there was a media spotlight on St. Jacques in the days leading up to the event and in the end he pulled the live tigers from the scene. Booze and live tigers are not the best mix. But the Cirque Phoenix acrobats stayed to dazzle the 2,000 strong crowd, and the air-brushed naked women added their share of sexuality, along with the Chinese shadow performance with two porn stars. People from near and far partied until the wee hours and made this the best party of the year. We can’t wait to see what St. Jacques has up his sleeves for next year!

The Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival also got its share of votes, along with Cornucopia and the Whistler-Blackcomb 40/25 party at the Roundhouse.

Worst Whistler Trend

It may be of some concern that with four years to go until the 2010 Olympic Games, readers voted "Olympic hype" as the worst Whistler trend for 2005. If you think there’s too much hype now, just wait a few more years! It’s not going to get any quieter. Over the past year there have been several milestones in Olympic planning which have called for celebrations, making the 2010 Info Centre the best place to get a little dessert on some days.

"Perhaps we need to cut back on the sugar in our cakes," mused Vancouver Organizing Committee spokesperson Maureen Douglas when she heard the news that Olympic hype was the worst Whistler trend. In fact, the hype tied for first place with pay parking, the bane of every driver just popping in to do some quick banking, or grabbing a fast lunch in the village.

Fashion conscious Whistlerites also had some things to say about fashion trends in the resort. Third place in the worst trend category goes to "fur anything." But the fashion comments don’t stop there. Fashion victims take note – voters put in their two cents about the one piece snowboard suit, pants tucked into knee-high boots, pants that hang low, pants hanging off your butt, baggy pants, dressing like a bum and apparently the Australian imported Ugg boots are still raising the ire of many Whistlerites.

Best New Business

After opening its doors two and a half months ago, the Northlands Medical Clinic has won the honours of the Best New Business in Whistler. The clinic, which provides general family medicine, urgent care, travel, occupational and sports medicine is the brainchild of Dr. Cathryn Zeglinski, who has been a sports medicine physician in Whistler for the past seven years.

"I think we really answered a need in the community for more medical services," said Zeglinski, upon hearing the news that her clinic was voted best new business.

Second place in the best new business category goes to Elements, the new restaurant/bar in the same building as Northlands. Elements brings a trendy city ambiance to Whistler.

And third place goes to showcasesnowboards.com the new online snowboard shop.

Best Gift or Present

The ski pass was voted as one of the best uses of money. And apparently it’s even better when it’s someone else’s money buying it for you! A ski pass topped the list as the best gift or present this year. The pass goes hand in hand with the second best gift – new thermals. They’re essential for any skier or rider. And it’s always nice to get new ones every year, considering we wear them every trip up the mountains or walking the dog or cross country skiing or basically any time we want to stay nice and toasty warm.

We couldn’t help but mention that a good ole’ fashioned Whistler hoodie also garnered a few votes. And a special note goes out to the readers who asked for "a day off work" and a "home cooked meal" as best gift. Some feeling extra generous this year would do well to take heed – a ski pass, new thermals, and a hoodie – the quintessential Whistler gift package.

Least Like Whistler

Get it together Whistler! You vote them in first place for the best lattes and a few clicks of the mouse later you vote them as the place or thing Least Like Whistler. What is Starbucks to think? With three locations in town (and whispers of a fourth location pending) Starbucks is nothing if pervasive. From its humble roots in Seattle’s Pike Place Market where the first store opened in 1971, Starbucks has become a coffee empire. There are now more than 9,600 stores worldwide. Maybe that’s why it’s least like Whistler. We do like to be unique.

But there is a common theme in this category – other answers in the Least Like Whistler category are: "big corporations," "commercialization," and "corporate business." It comes as no surprise then that London Drugs, which took top place last year in this category, got third place this year. The company has submitted a formal rezoning application to municipal hall but it is on hold pending the outcome of a resort-wide retail survey. In a somewhat strange twist, there seems to be an inordinate number of people concerned about "Tuscan inspired architecture." So many so that this took second place this year in the Least Like Whistler category.

Best Mountain View

Everyone’s got their favourite local view but confusion again abounds in the category. Is it the best mountain view or the best view from a mountain? One way or another Wedge was the view to beat this year with its distinctive peak. Blueberry Trail took second spot this year and third place goes to the unique Black Tusk. Perhaps one reader summed it up best with a vote for "everywhere." We agree! It’s hard to pick the best in this panorama.

Best People Watching Spot

Ever since the vision of turning the town dump into the resort village was dreamt up, the hub of that vision has always been around Village Square. Back then it was the spot of a neighbourhood pub, grocery store, pharmacy, liquor store and other businesses – a place where you could get all your essentials. It’s still that spot today. And that makes Citta’ Bistro one of the best places in Whistler to take in the traffic, to do your people watching, raise your eyebrows at some of the more questionable outfits, say hello to passing friends as you drink a beer on the patio. Nothing beats a much sought after seat at Citta’ on a summer’s afternoon. Citta’ wins this category again by a landslide.

And Village Square, the area around Citta’, takes second place. Whistler’s master planner Eldon Beck was onto something good when he envisioned a gathering place where the road meandered up to the mountains.

In an interview with Pique Newsmagazine earlier this year Beck reminisced about his vision: "… as the design evolved, it was then realizing (the importance of) sunlight in mountain places. When you have the sun shining on you and the wind sheltered, you have just a wonderful comfort that you often don’t find in other places."

It doesn’t get much more comfortable that Citta’ patio.

Favourite Whistlerite

He believes his friends are playing a trick – voting him as 2005’s Favourite Whistlerite. But 29-year-old Joey Houssian meets all the criteria and more for that distinction. He is a businessman, an environmental advocate in a resort dedicated to sustainability, and he has been weaned on the local mountains as the son of Intrawest President and CEO Joe Houssian. In just a brief conversation with him it quickly becomes clear that Houssian is passionate about Whistler. His job, as owner of Outdoor Adventures At Whistler, allows him to meet guests from around the world. They come to him for snowshoe tours, hiking tours, canoe tours, ATV and Hummer tours and new this year, snowmobile tours too.

"One of the things that I enjoy the most out of my job is just being a host and a guide for people," said Houssian. "I think it’s such a special place we live in. I just take so much pride and honour in showing people around our backyard."

He knows too how vital it is to protect that backyard as a student and a teacher of The Natural Step. And while Outdoor Adventures At Whistler burns fossil fuels in its ATVs and snowmobiles, Houssian is committed to carbon-offset programs to make up for the emissions burned through his business. The new snowmobiles are all four-stroke engines, which have less noise and pollution than their traditional counterparts.

When told he got the most votes in the Favourite Whistlerite category, Houssian was flat-out surprised but said it was a very kind honour. He joins a distinguished list of former Favourite Whistlerite winners. Last year man-about-town Rick Clare took the honours and before that the friendliest road worker in Canada, Ben Richardson, got the most votes – no matter that he actually lived in Squamish!

Best Make out Spot

If you were going to make out anywhere why not do it high in the air in a glass encased bubble getting foggy quickly from your steamy breaths. The question is: how many people who voted for the gondola as the best make out spot in Whistler have actually gotten it on in there?

Hot tubs took second place and the titillating comforts of you own home got third place. Here some other suggestions from Pique readers if you happen to be feeling a little romantic in the New Year: office closet, off piste Whistler Mountain, underground parking at the conference centre, village benches, the bobsled at the Olympic Info Centre. And for the reader who wrote "can’t get a date, much less make out" we wish you best of luck getting lucky in the New Year, wherever you choose to make out!

Best Late Excuse

No matter which way you wrote it, there was definitely one clear winner for the best late excuse – "powder" "20 cm" "snow" "30 of fresh" "pow day" "pow, pow and more pow" "the Snow Phone said ‘45 cm’," "couldn’t get off the mountain." Employers beware – employees are itching for a powder day. It’s been too long. Expect the late excuses when it comes. And while we’re not condoning blowing off work to ski powder, Whistler employers tend to be fairly lenient when it comes to the 20 cm rule. It is a rule after all. And it wouldn’t be uncommon to run into your boss standing in lift line. It’s an excuse unique to Whistler. Just like another very common excuse of blaming lateness on a local bear.

The train and the bus also got their share of the blame, taking second and third place respectively as Best Late Excuse. And an honourable mention goes to the worker who called in blind – "I just can’t see myself coming in today."

Best Neighbourhood

Judging by your responses everyone believes their neighbourhood is the best. Every section of town got at least one vote. And Pemberton got a few votes too. But there is one bucolic nook of town that stands out time and again. Maybe all our local athletes vote for Alpine Meadows as the best neighbourhood because of the Meadow Park Sports Complex. Maybe the local kids add their two cents because they can cool off in the mini water park and playground. Perhaps it’s all the dog owners in town who can let their pooches off leash and run the length and breath of the fields to their hearts’ content (when baseball games are not in play!). One thing most definitely in Alpine’s favour, the convenient combination of a cozy coffee shop/grocery store at the entrance to the subdivision. Let’s face it: Alpine residents have the ultimate convenience of walking out of their homes and settling into Gone Bakery for a steaming mug of coffee. They can meet friends at the picnic benches outside for an evening’s glass of wine. And when they run out of milk or bread in the morning the Alpine Meadows Market is just a stone’s throw away for all your last minute needs or after dinner chocolate bar cravings! Alpine is the perfect mix of employee housing, older townhouse condos, gothic arch ski cabins, and newer multi-million dollar mansions on the hill. It is a special little community unto itself and for the second year in a row it takes the top place by a landslide for Best Neighbourhood in town. Creekside and Whistler Cay get honourable mentions for second and third place respectively.

Best Lie to Tell Tourists

There was no shortage of creative suggestions here for having a little fun with our dearly appreciated visitors. The one that takes the cake is the little white lie that we in Whistler hand mould the moguls for everyone’s knee grinding pleasure! But other suggestions for catching tourists a little off guard were: "all the hot tubs are public," "yes, it is in U.S. dollars," "groomed runs are better," "the lifts open at 10 a.m.," "there’s an hour time difference at the top of the mountain," "yes, the Canadian flag does come in blue," and "the bears only maul one or two tourists a year." You can’t blame locals for wanting to have a little fun sometimes, although there were some votes too for not lying altogether.

Best Blizzard Hangout

Oh, that the rain leading up to Christmas was snow, that we were in white out conditions down to the valley, that it was snowing so hard we were all forced to take shelter from the storm and wait it out. Most of us would give anything for a good old fashion snowstorm, a true face stinging, blinding blizzard.

Next time that happens, and have a little faith that it will, most of the Pique readers will be… at home. That was voted the best place to wait out a blizzard. During the next blizzard we’ll be wishing we were at one reader’s house "cooking delicious cookies and white hot chocolate" too. If there’s not enough room we could also try the reader "at home with Bailey’s and hot chocolate." The second place to be was by the fire, getting warm and toasty. And though there were votes for many local watering holes, the GLC took third place. Perhaps it got the most votes because of its location – you don’t want to be too far away from the gondolas when the storm breaks and leaves a load of powder.

FOOD AND DRINK

Restaurant Overall

Rimrock Café has taken top spot again this year as the best overall restaurant in Whistler. That’s four years in row for the eatery, which is consistently rated as one of Whistler's top restaurants and fine dining establishments. From fresh seafood such as salmon, sea bass and oyster plates to rack of lamb and steak, the Rimrock, now in its 19 th year, offers fine dining in a casual yet elegant atmosphere. Manager and co-owner Bob Dawson, while thrilled to have won again, admits to being a bit surprised to be tops again. "I think it’s due to our consistency," he said. "People are never disappointed, that’s the secret." Dawson said many of the staff out front and in the kitchen have been with the Rimrock for years and that allows for a level of excellence in service and dining.

Chef and co-owner Rolf Gunther keeps the food fresh and interesting. "Without him we wouldn’t have a restaurant," said Dawson.

Sushi Village moves up to second place this year, from third last year. It can always be counted on for the freshest in sushi and its excellent service.

And in the top three for the first time is the Aubergine Grill in the Westin Resort and Spa. The elegant eatery has been quietly winning over diners with its show kitchen restaurant, where you can watch culinary masters prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

New Restaurant

The funky new Elements Urban Tapas Lounge in the Summit Lodge has taken top place this year as the best new place to eat. The sophistication of the earth-tone décor feels wonderful – like you are about to be spoilt, and the excellent service and affordable menu do nothing to alter that perception. Diners can eat until midnight, sharing tapas inspired by flavours from all over the world. A martini float is a try, as are some of the rare wines. Upwards of 16 wines are available by the glass, with a 65-bottle wine list orchestrated by Elements manager April Solonyka. "I am unbelievably excited as are all my staff," said Solonyka.

There’s no doubt that pizza remains one of the staple foods of Whistler and second place in this category this year goes to Nick ’N Willy’s at Creekside. The franchise operation focuses on making the best take-and-bake pizzas they can with dough made fresh everyday and home-dried herbs.

In the third spot this year is the Fifty Two 80 Bistro at the Four Seasons resort. Named after the number of vertical feet that Blackcomb Mountain towers above it, dining at the bistro is an adventure in seafood. Freshly shucked oysters and market-fresh crab, lobster and prawns are offered daily. Other inspired dishes feature spit-roasted specialties and Canadian prime beef off the grill. A carefully selected wine list offers a collection of boutique British Columbia wines.

Honorable mention this year goes to SoMo, an off-shoot of the Mongolie Grill, found in the Village 8 Cinemas.

Atmosphere

Rimrock Café takes top spot in this category. It’s definitely a favourite with residents and visitors alike as diners enjoy this upper floor restaurant, which is warmed with hardwood. The roaring stone fire place and a decor of mountain colours can sooth even the most exhausted outdoor enthusiast – whether from the slopes or shopping. And with the room broken into small sections it also offers an intimacy hard to find in the busy resort.

Runner up this year is the Bear Foot Bistro. With its high back black leather chairs, colourful show plates and the enticing Champagne/ Caviar/Martini trolley cruising by your table to tempt you with life’s more decadent side it’s hard to imagine anywhere more enjoyable to spend time. And adjoining the Bearfoot Bistro is The Champagne Restaurant & Bar which features a frozen rail & fiber-optic illumination to go along with the stylistic pewter, copper, and native stone finish.

In third place this year is last year’s winner, the Trattoria di Umberto. There is no doubt that this alfresco, tiled dining room decorated with warm Tuscan colours and interesting art offers elegance without ostentation. And the staff has that rare serving savvy so they can see when cozy couples only have time for themselves or families need all the help they can get.

Steak

Hy’s Steakhouse wins again this year, that’s year three, and its no wonder. Even people walking past on the street can’t help but turn their noses in the direction of the succulent smells emanating from this kitchen. The steak melts in your mouth sending your taste buds into frenzy. Hy’s created today’s idea of a great Canadian steak meal where the beef isn’t thin and gray but thick and succulent. Hy Aisenstat opened the first one in Calgary in 1956. A former roughneck on the oilrigs, it was his love of good food which led to his partnership with a chef who later bailed out on the deal. "The Only," the famous 14-ounce New York steak, went for $3 in 1956 at Aisenstat’s first second-floor Calgary restaurant.

And even before he got a liquor license, Aisenstat was offering prime steaks and painstaking service in posh surroundings. More than any other single Canadian restaurateur, he was responsible for educating the masses to the delights of fancy dining.

To this day, according to carnivores that know, Hy’s is the place to sit down and satisfy those beefy cravings with their signature New York Strip with Hy’s steak sauce.

Runner up this year again is the Keg, Hy’s sister company, which always offers good quality for a good price. Sometimes at the end of a day on the slopes what you need is a Keg-sized steak, a Keg-sized Caesar and a place to really relax in.

This year third spot goes to Ric’s Grill, Steak Seafood and Chop House, which has been built on the vision of providing superior dining through the highest quality foods in a beautiful restaurant at a reasonable cost.

From the opening of the first Ric’s in Prince George in 1998 to the 12th restaurant in Victoria recently, the chain’s been steadily delivering that vision. The words "housemade" – a sauce made from scratch – appears on the typical menu a dozen times and the eatery serves only Sterling Silver beef, the highest grade of beef available in Canada.

Breakfast

The Wild Wood restaurants have kept the top spot again in this category, garnering 16 times more votes than the runners up. Both the Function Junction location and the restaurant at the Whistler Racquet Club offer early morning risers a yummy selection of traditional breakfasts, banana bread french toast and an array of omelets and eggs benedicts to choose from. Heck, try them all. The popularity of the restaurants has led to the opening of one in Pemberton and another is soon to open in Squamish.

Second this year is Southside Diner in Creekside. It’s got all the regular offerings on the menu and a few unique ones – like the Beltch Sandwich, a bacon egg and yada, yada, yada concoction. Never have been able to find yada, yada at the grocery store. They also have a full-meal deal, the Soon to be Sledneck, where customers can sit and enjoy breakfast then get a bagged lunch to go.

In third place this year is the Westin Resort and Spa’s Aubergine Grill, which not only offers a stupendous buffet but also many tasty choices off the a la carte menu. Popular with kids are the succulent Belgian waffles or pancakes with bananas, blueberries or chocolate chips.

Martini

Top spot once again goes to the Mallard Lounge in the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. If you haven’t tried one yet get there soon and opt for one of their signature martinis, such as the Absolutely Whistler, a creation invented by one of the Mallard Lounge bartenders. It blends the flavors of Absolute Vodka, White Crème de Cacao, Crème de Menthe White and a dash of Blue Curacao.

That’s a long way from the first Martini ever created which some believe was invented by Professor Jerry Thomas. As the story goes, a gold miner stepped into Thomas's San Francisco bar on his way to the town of Martinez and asked him to shake up something special. The recipe called for one dash of Bitters, two dashes of Maraschino, one wine glass of Vermouth, two lumps of ice, one pony of Old Tom Gin and served with a quarter slice of lemon. No matter how brutal this concoction sounds, was it the first "Martini"? Well, the recipe that he supposedly made didn't show up until years later, in an 1887 reprint of Thomas's own bartending book. What is still lost to history is exactly when the olive entered the picture. The original had the cherry, then by 1900 a twist and certainly by the ’20s in England the olive was in place. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the earliest use of the word Martini as 1894 and states that the word comes from Martini and Rossi Vermouth.Vermouth was first created by Hippocrates in 460 BC.

Second place this year goes to Earls. Moving up from third spot last year. It offers a no-holds-barred type of salute to the martini and is generous, fresh tasting and always cool. Third place goes to Fifty Two 80 at the Four Seasons Resort, and Elements at the Summit Lodge took fourth.

Chef

Moving up from second place to first this year is La Rua’s executive chef R.D. Stewart. Since he took over the kitchen in 2001 Stewart has steadily focused on using the highest quality ingredients available to consistently create some of the best seafood, steak, and game entrée’s available in Whistler at a reasonable price.

Second and third place this year go to two newcomers to the listings, Grant Cousar of Whistler Cooks and Jason McLeod of the Four Seasons Resort’s Fifty Two 80 respectively.

Cousar and wife Hilarie started Whistler Cooks in 1999 and also operate a café in Function Junction. The catering company can look after any sized party, from an intimate dinner for two to a splendid party of 2,000.

McLeod came from the internationally recognized Truffles restaurant at the Four Seasons in Toronto. Anything seafood turns to a gastronome’s delight at his hands.

Waiter

It takes considerable skill and experience to recognize the line between meeting customers’ many needs and annoying them with too much fuss and attention, but the top waiters have a sixth sense for it.

Topping this year’s poll for Best Waiter is Hamish Yoshida of Sushi Village. Second place went to Luc Trottier and third was Nicole Wallen of Fifty Two 80.

Wine List

The Bearfoot Bistro is very much about wine. So it’s no surprise that it has once again taken top spot in this category. The wine cellar, located directly below the dining room floor and accessible to all guests by spiral staircase, is home to the bulk of the 20,000 bottle, 1,600 label collection. Highlights of the cellar include: a full vertical of Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Artist Series from 1946 to 1996; a strong showing from all other Bordeaux first growths; a 10-vintage vertical of Guigal’s three single-vineyard Cote-Rotie’s and Chateau De Beaucastel, and an impressive Champagne selection (watch out for that sabre) including Dom Perignon as far back as 1959, Moet & Chandon to 1914, and several vintages of Crystal back to 1977. Wines by the glass change on a daily basis and always include several premium champagnes. And because there are so many selections there are many modest choices alongside the wines for the rich and famous.

Second place this year goes to the Mallard Lounge at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, third goes to Après. The Rimrock Café, Araxi and Fifty Two 80 all tied for fourth place.

When Someone Else Pays

Well, where else would you go to spend someone else’s money but the best restaurant in town: the Rimrock Cafe. Don’t forget to add one of their excellent martinis to the bill, and of course the Oysters Rimrock.

If you can’t get into the Rimrock then the second best place to use up your friend’s loonies is the Bearfoot Bistro, moving up to second place from third last year in this category. It procures the very finest wild and cultivated products, focusing on what is fresh each season. Most everything is prepared ‘À la minute’, without too much fuss allowing the unique flavours of each food to find its own place on your palate.

If these two are both full then head over to Araxi with your friend’s wallet and enjoy a magnificent meal. It’s been voted number one for Whistler dining by both readers and critics of Vancouver magazine for the sixth consecutive year and currently holds Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence. Extensive menus by esteemed executive chef Andrew Richardson deliver the best of the Pacific Northwest with ingredients sourced locally from land and sea.

Scotch

The Fairmont Chateau Whistler’s Mallard Bar takes top spot for this category. Every good glass of scotch has a story to go with it and that is why where you enjoy it is so important. So for the third year imbibers of the national drink of the kilt wearer have chosen the Mallard as "the" place to raise a dram or two.

The Gaelic "usquebaugh", meaning "Water of Life", phonetically became "usky" and then "whisky" in English. However it is known, Scotch Whisky, Scotch or Whisky (as opposed to whiskey), it has captivated a global market. Scotland has internationally protected the term "Scotch". For a whisky to be labelled Scotch it has to be produced in Scotland. Legend has it that St. Patrick introduced distilling to Ireland in the fifth century AD and that the secrets traveled with the Dalriadic Scots when they arrived in Kintyre around AD500. St. Patrick acquired the knowledge in Spain and France, countries that might have known the art of distilling at that time. The distilling process was originally applied to perfume, then to wine, and finally adapted to fermented mashes of cereals in countries where grapes were not plentiful. The spirit was universally termed aqua vitae ('water of life') and was commonly made in monasteries, and chiefly used for medicinal purposes, (hear, hear!) being prescribed for the preservation of health, the prolongation of life, and for the relief of colic, palsy and even smallpox.

Second place this year went to Black’s and the Bearfoot Bistro came in third.

Burger

Splitz Grill: Year after year burger lovers choose Whistler’s only beef-on-a-bun joint as the place to enjoy this American invention. With over 20 toppings to choose from, a host of sauces, great fries and real thick milkshakes this eatery is a little bit of heaven.

Lauded for its convenience and versatility as either snack or entree and labeled as both a cultural icon and a cliche, the hamburger is a meaty, multifaceted phenomenon. The average American consumes nearly 30 pounds of hamburger a year – three burgers per person per week, totaling 38 billion annually, which, placed end to end, would form a heavenly chain of hamburgers 1.8 million miles long.

Second place this year goes to the Wild Wood and third to Citta’.

Latte

Starbucks took first place in this category again this year. With machines and baristas that make as close to perfect foam as you can get it’s no wonder.

Espresso, the basis of any decent latte is a recent innovation in the way to prepare coffee, and originated in 1822, with the invention of the first crude espresso machine in France. The Italians perfected this wonderful machine and were the first to manufacture it. Espresso has become such an integral part of Italian life and culture that there are presently over 200,000 espresso bars in Italy.

Today, coffee is a giant global industry employing more than 20 million people. This commodity ranks second only to petroleum in terms of dollars traded worldwide. With over 400 billion cups consumed every year, coffee is the world's most popular beverage.

Second place this year goes to Hot Box, with Behind the Grind in third and Esquires and Second Cup tying for fourth.

Sushi

It’s top spot again for Sachi Sushi this year. Likely it’s the fresh, creative and just a little bit different twist the Summit Lodge restaurant puts into some of its Japanese cuisine that keeps Whistlerites and visitors coming back for more. This eatery on Main Street is packed nightly as locals and visitors alike lineup to enjoy old favourites and new. The vegetable roll in a soya bean sheet is a hit, as is the House roll, a scallop roll with spicy mayo draped with avocado and salmon. And the Bento boxes at lunch are one of the best deals in town.

Sushi Village, the granddaddy of super sushi in Whistler since 1985, takes second this year. But it is more than just a place to eat. It has become over the years a social icon, a place where you are guaranteed to find great food, great service and a friendly face you know.

Third spot goes to Samurai Sushi, a cheeky little take-out place at Nesters, which is always busy. The sushi is fresh and the portions generous at an affordable price. Next time sit down and stay a while.

Fourth spot goes to Sushi Ya. Always busy this casual and affordable restaurant utilizes the finest fish from the West Coast and Asia to make traditional favorites (e.g.tuna/eel/salmon nigiri), and unique rolls such as the beautiful and scrumptious "Northern Light" roll. It combines scallops, and green bean tempura in rice, then wraps it with avocado and sliced salmon.

Service

First spot goes to a newcomer this year Palmer’s Gallery Bar and Grill. The Whistler Golf Club clubhouse is home to the newly renovated 50-seat eatery with décor that is a tribute to Arnold Palmer’s career, but the atmosphere is a tribute to Arnie’s Army – the dedicated, raucous fans who followed Palmer. The restaurant boasts a spectacular 80-seat patio overlooking the 18th green and Whistler’s surrounding peaks, and features an outdoor bar and barbecue that is fast becoming one of Whistler’s favourite summer après spots. The bad news is you will have to wait until golf season to try Palmers as it is closed for the winter.

Second place goes to Rimrock Café where outstanding service remains one of the key reasons it’s Whistler’s best restaurant. Some of the servers have been with the eatery since it opened its door 19 years ago.

Third place this year goes to the Four Seasons’ Fifty Two 80 Bistro.

Value

The Wild Wood Pacific Bistro takes this category for the third year in a row. Opened by locals for locals it has won the hearts of many with its tasty cuisine and fair prices. Also open for dinner, the restaurant’s seafood specials are well worth tasting.

Second place this year goes to Pasta Lupino a small restaurant which offers fresh pasta at tiny prices – that’s what keeps drawing hungry skiers to this little Whistler Marketplace trattoria. You can mix and match from a choice of pastas of the day with homemade alfredo, Bolognese, or fresh basil and plum tomato sauce, or dig into one of the house specialties: lasagna, ravioli, and spaghettini with meatballs. Vegetarian pastas, decadent desserts, beer, and wine are also available. The eight tables fill up quickly, but there's always takeout.

Third place this year is a tie between Quattro At Whistler and Dusty’s. Now that just shows you the eclectic palette of diners in Whistler. Quattro offers invitingly warm service, contemporary Italian cuisine and an extensive wine list that is not only recognized by Wine Spectator as one of the world's best, but also by locals and visitors alike. Its off-season specials allow everyone to enjoy the fabulous meals, especially the spicy and hearty Pasta Quattro.

Creekside’s Dusty’s offers down-home fare, with generous portions and gregarious service. It’s a great place to end up after a day of skiing or get re-vitalized with a warm lunch.

Pizza

The runner up in the new restaurant business, Nick ’N Willy’s took best pizza this year. Connoisseurs have definitely given this new take-and bake operation the big thumbs up. It’s freshly made dough and flavourful seasonings have made it a hit.

Second place this year goes to Avalanche, with third place being taken by Spanky’s Extreme Take-Out.

Cigars

The Mallard Bar also takes top spot in this category again this year. Tucked carefully at the back of the Mallard Bar in the Fairmont Chateau Whistler is a glass-enclosed cigar-smokers haven. With large leather chairs and a great view of the garden, if this is your passion the Mallard is the place to go.

Second place goes to "The Cigar Shop" (we think voters mean The Whistler Cigar Company) and third goes to Castro’s Cuban Cigar Store.

Takeout

Sushi to Go takes top spot this year. The hopping sushi bar is in the Chamber of Commerce building and helps fuel the souls of those just starting to find their way around the resort. The sushi is conveniently wrapped and ready to go – no waiting necessary and their Miso soup will warm even on the coldest days.

Samurai Sushi, last year’s winner, takes second spot this year. Its generous portions and friendly staff and the hot green tea always on offer make it a popular spot to stop in at on the way home. Third place goes to Nick ’N Willy’s, an excellent take-and-bake pizza joint.

Beer Selection

Dubh Linn Gate: If you can’t beat them join them. This cozy Irish pub has taken top place for years now so if you haven’t stopped by to raise a pint now is the time to try. Not only do they carry a host of Irish and English beers and ales they also offer some unique brews from the continent. If you still want to sip North American brew there are lots of choices. There’s also great pub food to go along with your selection and often toe-tapping Celtic music to put you in the mood.

In second place again this year is Black’s Pub and Restaurant which offers one of the widest selection of beers available in the village. An added bonus is its location. It is just steps from the bottom of Whistler Mountain in the village and has fantastic views of the slopes. Its award-winning outdoor patio is also a great place to enjoy your brew.

Third place goes to the The BrewHouse, opposite Millennium Place. Its in-house brewery produces four different handcrafted ales and two lagers, as well as specialty seasonal beers. It also has the biggest patio on The Stroll, which is great for people watching in the dying sunlight of a winter’s evening. And the pub sports seven 27-inch televisions, a big screen, two pool tables and a cozy two-sided fireplace.

Fourth place goes to Dusty’s.

Nachos

Merlin’s, at the base of Blackcomb, serves an uncontrollably big plate of the crispy treats for a reasonable price, and that’s likely why it came out on top in this category for the second year. On this fiesta food the cheese is sharp, the avocado guacamole fresh and the salsa just hot enough to make ordering another bevy a must.

Rumors vary as to exactly who invented them, but everyone agrees that nachos were born in one of the Rio Grande border towns, during World War II. At that time soft corn tortillas were quartered, deep-fried in sizzling oil until crispy, and drained (but not salted). Then every chip was spread by hand with a spoonful of refried beans, draped with a layer of cheese (cheddar or Monterey jack), and finally, topped with a juicy round of sliced jalapeño.

Second place went to Tapley’s, a new entrant in this category this year, while third place was tied between the Longhorn and Dusty’s.

Seafood

By a landslide, indeed a tidal wave of voters, the Rimrock takes this category again this year. Imagine Ahi marinated in soy, sake and mirin then grilled with a wasabi beurre blanc melting on your tongue. With a focus on fresh the Creekside eatery strives to bring diners the best fresh catches of the day all year long. And thanks to their local’s menu offered every year the whole town can enjoy succulent seafood hours from the coast.

Second place this year goes to the Crab Shack – with a name like that you’ve just got to place in the seafood category. This family-friendly eatery specializes in fresh seafood and offers a variety of oysters on the half shell. And it’s one of the only places you can find Alaskan King crab, Dungeness crab, Pacific Snow crab and Atlantic lobster all on the same menu.

Third place goes to the Four Seasons’ Fifty Two 80 Bistro, which is an adventure in seafood. Freshly shucked oysters and market-fresh crab, lobster and prawns are offered daily.

CLUBS, PUBS & BARS

CLUBS, PUBS & BARS

Shoot Some Stick

With a handful of pool tables, tourney nights and a live and happening crowd, the Longhorn was voted Whistler’s best place to shoot some stick. The cozy, tucked away Cinnamon Bear at the Hilton Hotel was rated second with the bustling Merlin’s and best-pool-table view at Citta tying for third.

Patio

If you are looking to get up on the local town gossip or get a front row seat to all the goings on around town, a table on Citta’s patio lands you right in the hub of Whistler. Whether bootie cruising, tourist pointing or just hangin with your friends, this local hangout leads to old-friend bump ins and new friend rendezvous. No matter what the weather, winter or summer, the patio heats up day and night for a sunny après ski afternoon with nachos and beer jugs or frosty evenings with killer flat-crust pizzas and a glass of wine. Second in line is the Longhorn’s gymnasium-sized party patio and third the GLC’s high perched nest overlooking the village.

Coolest Staff

Staff in this town put up with a lot. Whether humouring drunks or surviving their own hangovers, working on an epic powder day or pushing through the holiday rush, these frontline employees go the extra mile to make sure visitors have a memorable experience and locals return for more. This year Dusty’s staff got gold for exemplary service. "I’ve never worked in a place where everyone works so well together, ð said supervisor Adrian Dawson, adding staff are knowledgeable, charismatic and always have a goodtime on the job. Second place was a three-way tie between the GLC, Citta and Aubergine Grille.

Après Ski Bar

Dusty’s supervisor Adrian Dawson credits a diverse mixed-drink list, reasonable prices, live music and great menu items for this year’s win for Best Après Ski Bar. The 22 ounce Big Mountain Beer, which promises 40 per cent more beer than a regular sleeve for only 25 cents more, celebrating Whistler’s 40th and Blackcomb’s 25th Anniversary, also makes the Creekside hangout a party favourite. Other Whistler-Blackcomb establishments also get bragging rights, including the GLC in second place and Merlin’s in fourth. The Longhorn took third.

See a Live Act

This is the last year the Boot Pub will be voted Best Place to See a Live Act: Cressey Development Corp. will move forward with housing plans and the local’s living room, the hub of live entertainment in Whistler, will be no more. DOA and Day Glo Abortions were highlight shows this year. The Tragically Hip two years ago may have been the biggest show yet. Get out to a Sunday Punk Night or live music Monday before this great piece of living history becomes something only remembered in history books.

Shows from ex-Sublime members and The Trews led to second place for Buffalo Bill’s, and the Sweatshop Union and Lorin Bassnectar shows garnered third place for the GLC.

Best Place to Cut a Rug

Open the door to Bill’s and automatically you are funneled onto Whistler’s number one dance floor, hopping with both just-turned-legal bar stars and 60-year-old seasoned locals. Cougar bar, local hangout, concert venue and everything in between, whether coming in to pick up or just a pick me up, Bill’s dance floor gets the crowds pumped with veteran DJ Peacefrog stoking the electric vibe. And don’t forget the no-invitation-necessary dance cage to boot.

Coming in second is Garfinkel’s wide-open dance floor with a raised stage for dancer exhibitionists. Moe Joe’s placed third, with live bands, regular reggae from Kostaman and rotating DJs always keeping the dance beats fresh.

Bartender

Chances are if you you’ve had a crazy sake margarita from Sachi Sushi, you’ve sipped the juice of the gods concocted by Best Bartender in Whistler Tannis Ryan. The mixologist of six years formerly ran the adrenalin rush of Moe Joe’s and last year opted for a more relaxed pace at Whistler’s Best Sushi place.

"Here, I take the time to ensure that each drink is made to the highest standards," Ryan said.

Bill’s DJ Gunning, formerly of the Crab Shack, took second and Kenny at the Savage Beagle third.

DJ

With more than 7,000 records in his collection, a passion for the unusual and an uncanny ability to read a crowd, Mat the Alien wins the Best DJ title for the umpteenth time.

"In a DJ set I try to educate people by playing something they know then flipping it to the original and playing tracks they won’t hear on the TV or radio, but still keeping the flow going so they don’t notice," Mat said.

The British-born lad whose accent earned him his name travels the world with his music, spanning hip hop, funk, dancehall, jazz, Latin, breaks, and drum ’n’ bass. However, Whistler is now his main base with shows every Wednesday at Moe Joe’s. Sets in Austria, the Shambhala music festival and the World Ski and Snowboard Festival were career highlights this year, not to mention the release of his newest album, Downtime .

DJ R3, a.k.a. Ryan Rausch, place second and Mr. Fister (a.k.a.) Chili Thom and Peacefrog tied for third.

MEDIA, ARTS & CULTURE

Photographer

If you read any of the mountain bike magazines chances are you’ve come across the name of this year’s Best of Whistler Photographer. This year’s assignments for Bike Magazine, Trek, Rocky Mountain, Manitou, Shimano and Sugoi add to the increasing credits of Whistler’s top dog photographer Sterling Lorence, whose mountain bike images have graced the front covers of Bike, MBR, Single Track and Mountain Biking. Wracking up air miles with shoots in Florida, California, Utah, Hawaii, the Canary Islands, Newfoundland and Morocco, this bike and lens junkie still credits his biggest 2005 accomplishment to his engagement to sweetheart Laura Kenna. Lorence has captured the adrenaline and grace of bike stars Wade Simmons, Dave Watson, Lance Armstrong and Alison Sydor, just to name a few.

Runners up were Maureen Provençal, whose images you’ll regularly find in Pique, and Black Jorgenson, senior photographer for Powder and SBC Skier magazines.

Writer

Voted king scribe so many times, G.D. Maxwell, who publishes his 517 th comical and cankerous ranting column for the Pique this week, has lost track of his wins. Readers can’t seem to get enough of the verbose hippie whose tell-it-like-it-is jabs on Whistler makes Pique the only publication that is read back to front.

"I’m a cranky, creaky, sometimes humorous, sometimes hyperbolic, sometimes bombastic kind of guy," he said. "So is just about everyone else in this town. Only difference is, I have a column and a personal history that always lended itself well to seeing things through slightly warped lenses."

Slightly?

Topics for the New Year are writing about skiing bottomless powder and no more peace on earth good will to men epics – he hopes to continue to disturb Pique’s most delicate readers. Look out Paul Martin, Zippy the Dog, Valentine’s Day and motherhood?

Other letter bashers hot on Maxwell’s pen were From the Back Row movie columnist Feet Banks and Whistler Writers Group fan Nicole Fitzgerald.

Event of the Season

Sports, photography, filmmaking, art, live free outdoor concerts and the biggest dance parties of the season. It was no wonder the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival won Best Event of the Season yet again. Now having the best snow of the season – with eight feet falling in the month leading up to the April festival – might have helped, but new cultural events like the urban art showcase Brave Art and fresh spins on yearly favourites like Words and Stories leaping off the page into spoken word raps and comedic personal tales keeps crowds coming back year after year. While the Black Eyed Peas with a surprise performance from Justin Timberlake in 2003 can’t be topped, the 2005 festival’s lineup of Finger 11, Toots & The Maytals, Xavier Rudd and The Tea Party made the arts-sports extravaganza the most memorable 10-day party in Whistler.

The wine swirling, MasqueRave craziness of Whistler’s biggest food and wine festival placed Cornucopia second and the ever-growing, celeb-watching Whistler Film Festival reeled in third.

Band/Musician

Only Whistler legend, Daddy-O of the Patio Guitar Doug could reign both first and third in the favourite band/musician section. People love him so much they’ve got to vote him in twice. First as the all-star solo après-ringmaster he is and third as the other half of the Hairfarmers dangerous duo of Guitar Doug and Grateful Greg. You haven’t experienced Whistler until you’ve witnessed a Doug sighting. The former Armani model always leaves the crowds screaming for more of his longhaired, beer-swilling sets. Among the covers, you might catch the odd original such as Gone Down, written after an inspiring night of hot tub mania. Doug’s highlights for the year include playing at a suburb pool party, alligator wrestling and airing on Rock 101 all in one night, as well John and Penny Ryan’s backyard party.

"The cops liked the music so much we could finish the set," Guitar Doug said.

The New Year includes tours in New York, Seattle and Calgary for Doug, along with his must-survive escapes to Thailand beaches.

Second this year was the good vibrations of reggae guru Kostaman who just released his first album last week, Setting Roots . Catch him every Thursday at Moe Joe’s.

Local Hangout

This year’s winner of Best Local Hangout is all that its name implies. Citta’, pronounced cheetah and yes with no "s", is Italian for "city or village". Whistler’s best bootie look out point, Citta’s crow’s-nest patio offers a raised front row seat to all the comedy and chaos of the Village Stroll for the price of a pint. The former dance floor now kitchen serves up casual burger and pizza fare to match a setting harkening back to a less wound up and commercial Whistler. Even in winter, friends bundle up with their pints for people watching with intermittent DJ shows and live concerts in the summer. North, south, east, west, whether upstairs playing pool or downstairs catching up on gossip at the bar, Citta’ watches Whistler from every angle, so look out.

The laid back Dusty’s and hopping Merlin’s were second and third runners up with local watering hole Tapley’s and the mountainside GLC tied for fourth.

Local News Story

With a colossal seven Whistlerites running for mayor and 17 running for council, how could the 2005 municipal elections not take the number one spot on the local news story category – one council nominee was even a burlesque stripper. Now why didn’t he win? Nominees did everything they could to curry votes. Our now mayor Ken Melamed literally won with a song and a dance. Well maybe not a dance, but he sang a great rendition of Jelly Roll Morton’s If You Knew at the Arts, Culture and Heritage All Candidates’ Meeting.

The runner up story was former Mayor Hugh O’Reilly bowing out early to sun himself in his new job in Hawaii. Third was London Drugs’s to be or not to be jousts between corporate officials and local business owners. The Paralympic arena, another decision postponed, was fourth in this category.

Artist

Whistler’s third best DJ, male burlesque dancer, graphic artist for Atomic Skis and Salomon, co-founder of the B-Grade Horror Fest and filmmaker showcased at the Whistler Film Festival: Artist Chili Thom not only paints, but truly lives the artist way.

His imagination spilled into the founding of the Creation Station this year, a creativity hub and local artist showcase.

"Having the station has given us the opportunity to create large pieces, host events and help showcase artwork that otherwise may not be seen," Thom said.

His creative zeal will mobilize next year across Canada when he and his wife/artist KLC transform their motor home into a mobile DJ/drive in movie theatre, fashioned to the likes of Mr. Dressup’s tickle trunk.

Runners up were Vanessa Stark, currently showing at BBK’s, Cori Ross and Binty Massey.

SPORTS & RECREATION

Best Run on Whistler-Blackcomb

There are literally hundreds of runs on Whistler and Blackcomb that are on the trail maps, and probably an equal number of lift-accessed secret stashes. It seems like most of them got votes this year, but there were still a few clear winners – keeping in mind that the winners are typically decided by the snow conditions from year to year. For example, Peak to Creek is usually in the top-three but it was only skiable for about five days in total last year so it ranked pretty low on the list.

This year the choice for Best Run was Harmony Piste on Whistler, which for about six weeks there had some of the best (and only!) skiing on the mountains. Second was Ridge Runner on Blackcomb, a fast fun run with lots of twists, turns and bonus features on the side. Third place was a tie between Enchanted Forest, the Dave Murray Downhill, Flute Bowl and Whistler Bowl.

It’s a slow start, but let’s hope they’re all favourites after this year.

Best Outdoor Sport

Skiing still reigns supreme in this category, followed by snowboarding, followed closely by mountain biking. Other outdoor pastimes to get votes include hiking, cross-country skiing, running, trail running, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, skateboarding, disc golfing, dog walking, fast walking to catch the bus, regular golf, dirt biking, dirt jumping, kayaking, slo-pitch baseball, soccer, surfing, ultimate, and, as usual, sex.

We know, sex isn’t a sport, but then neither is curling and it’s in the Winter Olympics.

Favourite Indoor Sport

On the subject of sex, the results of this year’s Best of Whistler Indoor Sport category were troubling. For years sex has ranked in the top three of indoor sporting activities, right up there with hockey, climbing and swimming, but it took a pronounced dip in the polling this year. Are our collective libidos dwindling, or is our love of actual indoor sports growing to the point where we’d rather be whacking a little ball than – but we digress.

Squash, as we’ve hinted, was the winner this year, followed by yoga (not a sport but neither are sex and curling), followed by hockey. Rock climbing and swimming were fourth and fifth, leaving sex in a three-way (no pun intended) tie with spinning and volleyball.

Other sports to get a mention here are floor hockey, gymnastics, Body Storm, hot tubbing, drinking, shooting pool, euchre, pole dancing, PS2 and table tennis.

Somewhat surprising is the fact that Texas Hold’Em or poker did NOT make the list this year, despite the fact that there seem to be tournaments popping up every other night. Could this strange gambling fad finally be on the way out? And if so, when can we expect the sports networks to replace the endless poker championship coverage with actual sports?

Best Snowmobile Tour

Canadian Snowmobile Adventures once again won this category, just one vote ahead of Outdoor Adventures at Whistler. Cougar Mountain was third, followed closely by Blackcomb Snowmobile Adventures.

Rather than rank our local companies a number of voters cast their ballots for their favourite snowmobile areas. Most of those votes went to the Callaghan Valley, which offers some of the most accessible sledding as well as a way into the Pemberton Ice Cap.

Best Heli-Ski Run

"I wish" and "If I could afford it" were clear winners, followed by a helicopter drop on Rainbow. Last year’s snow conditions didn’t allow for much of this, but when we have enough snow to the valley it’s pure magic. Heli-drops on the front side of Mount Currie also got a few votes.

Coast Range Heliskiing, which has a huge tenure area surrounding Pemberton, also got a few nods.

Favourite Whistler Athlete

As a former champion big mountain freeskier, Whistler’s Jenn Ashton skis some of the gnarliest terrain in the world. She’s also busy downhill and freeride mountain biking, and is one of the top riders locally, provincially and even internationally. This past summer she won the overall Phat Wednesday Downhill Series hosted by Whistler-Blackcomb and WORCA, and during the Crankworx festival, racing against World Cup athletes; she was second in the Air Downhill and fourth in the Nissan Biker Cross.

Ashton said she was shocked to get picked as Whistler’s Favourite Athlete this year.

"I’m just super surprised. I figure there’s some way better athletes in this town. It’s totally unexpected," she said.

Ashton did not compete on the International Free Skiers Association world tour last year, but is planning to enter a few events this year, "to see how it goes – if it goes well in those events, I’ll do a few more."

She also coaches skiers in the winter and mountain bikers in the summer; something she loves and says keeps her close to home. "I’d rather be doing that than travelling across the country."

Some votes probably came from her work with the Women Wednesdays events hosted in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park that offered tips and instruction to female mountain bikers of all levels. Others probably came from a mountain bike community that was so excited to see her do so well at Crankworx.

When asked who she would have voted for, she asked who else got votes. After listing off about 25 names she said: "I don’t know, there are so many athletes who could have got this. Richie Schley helped me out a lot, but otherwise I would vote for anybody on that list."

There was a tie for second place this year with Canadian Alpine Ski Team member Britt Janyk and former downhill star Rob Boyd getting the same number of votes. Behind them there was a three-way tie for third place, with Hugo Harrison, Maëlle Ricker and Richie Schley getting their props.

Other vote getters include fitness instructor Cat Smiley, ski racer Chris Kent, Britt’s younger brother and Olympic hopeful Michael Janyk, freeski "godfather" Mike Douglas, snowboard pro Devun Walsh, snowboard gold medalist Ross Rebagliati, disabled skier and mountain biker Stacey Kohut, skier cross stars Aleisha Cline and Ashleigh McIvor, skiers Ben Thomas and Ben Thornhill, multisport enthusiast Bob Allison, disabled skier Brad Lennea, distance athletes Christine Suter, Dawn Weberg-Titus, Paul Nicholas, and Brandi Higgins and David Higgins; freestyle skier Dale Begg-Smith, national team snowboarders Dan Raymond, Crispin Lipscomb and Mercedes Nicoll; downhill mountain biker Jeff Beatty, snowboarder Jesse Fox, freeskier Mark Abma, road biker Will Routley, adventure racer Jen Segger, and the list goes on.

"Me" also grabbed a handful of votes this year. Go Me!

Best Bike Trail

The winner and still undefeated in this category is River Runs Through It. Built by Dan Swanstrom, with additions by Sean Dickson, Chris Markle and municipal work crews over the years, there’s no question this is a popular trail. Thousands of people ride it a month, and for mountain bike tourists it’s a must do.

For all of its popularity, we almost lost it this year. During the spring rains and flooding, part of the bank on one side of the river bed washed away, flooding whole sections of the trail. WORCA trail contractor Chris Markle was in there right away, building new bridges and opening up a few new channels to let the water out. Then, with the help of some volunteers, he redirected the flood back into the river by cutting a new channel and building a dike from logs, dirt and stones.

If you ever wonder what your WORCA membership gets you, take a look at Markle’s work next time you’re on River.

Second on the list is A-Line in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, the most ridden bike trail in the world. With more than 90 features from top to bottom, including berms, table jumps, step-up jumps, and drops, this trail essentially created a whole new kind of downhill mountain biking. For the past four years it’s been featured in summer mountain bike festivals as the Air Downhill.

There was a tie for third and fourth this year between Comfortably Numb and Kill Me Thrill Me. Both trails are by Chris Markle, and offer some of the most epic intermediate-to-expert riding anywhere.

Comfortably Numb is Whistler’s longest continuous singletrack, weighing in at about 24 km. It takes the top cross-country riders in town about three hours at full speed, and even strong intermediate riders can expect to be out in the woods for about five hours. It has long rock sections, twisting switchbacks through old growth, technical climbs, technical descents and some of the most breathtaking views of Whistler Valley.

Kill Me Thrill Me recently got a huge facelift with Markle adding features and new sections designed to improve the flow. There’s a lot of switchbacks and climbing, but the payoff, a series of challenging rock faces, is well worth the effort.

Best Municipal Park

With its sweeping views of Blackcomb and Whistler, its green grass and volleyball courts, its beaches and dock, its swimming and water sports, and its unparalleled people watching and ogling, Rainbow Park is the place to be on sunny days from May through September. The only drawback is that everybody seems to know it, to the point where the lot fills up and you may have to park a couple hundred metres down the road. Get there early!

Meadow Park was second this year. There’s no beach or lake to swim in, but there are a couple of nice baseball diamonds, a tennis/basketball/street hockey court, and the best playground in town with an awesome water park for those hot summer days. There are some great picnic spots by the River of Golden Dreams, and endless expanses of grass to fly kites, throw footballs or lay back and do nothing.

Third on the list was Lakeside Park, kitty corner to Rainbow Park on Alta Lake. In addition to the dock, beach and tanning areas, you can rent canoes and kayaks to explore the lake, or book a tour down the River of Golden Dreams – a must do for everyone.

Other parks to get nods are Lost Lake Park, Rebagliati Park, Wayside Park, the Skateboard Park, the improved dirt jump park, and Millar’s Pond.

HEALTH AND FITNESS

Best Fitness Facility

Next year this category should be "Best Fitness Facility OTHER than Meadow Park" because the RMOW’s facility is really hard to compete with. It’s our only ice surface (at least for now), and also boasts an aerobics studio, cardio centre, weight room, squash courts, swimming pool, children’s pool, sauna, steam room, hot tub, and classes for everyone and everything. They even have the best collection of gumball machines and a concession that serves both regular and veggie hot dogs. Now that’s progressive!

There were a lot of other fitness centres nominated, like the Whistler Creek Athletic Club, the Great Wall Climbing Centre, yoga studios, the dance school, but none of them can rival Meadow Park, which received more votes than all of the other entries combined.

Competition is on the way, likely in the summer of 2010 when the Winter Olympics are over and out and the Athlete’s Training Centre in the proposed Olympic Village is open to the general public. The exact details are being worked out, but we likely won’t see another full Meadow Park in the south of town, but whatever they build could have some features that nobody else has. The RMOW is promising more details in the New Year.

Best Spa

Believe it or not, some people actually take vacations to relax. Weird yes, but apparently, outside of Whistler, people like to do something called "winding down" and "taking it easy," which means to relax both mind and body. Many of these people, as well as the people who recreate until they get sore, like to go to "spas." Some of those people like to look better going out than coming in, and get treatments like pedicures, manicures, and facials.

Whistler is filled with dozens of these places, located in the Yellow Pages between "Bearings" for electric motors and "Bed and Breakfasts."

This year the winner for Best Spa is The Spa at Four Seasons by about 20 votes, although the runners-up were all pretty close.

As Whistler’s newest full-service spa, the Spa at Four Seasons is also one of the most decadent. They offer men’s and women’s locker rooms, and 15 treatment rooms including a Vichy shower room where customers are blasted with soothing water from seven different shower heads. Other features include two couple’s rooms, massage rooms and a manicure and pedicure room.

The list of treatments available include 10 different types of massages, 12 types of facials, and a long list of other treatments like sports treatments, glacial clay wraps, a fruit crush, a spicy sugar cinnamon wrap, and a marine body polish.

The Spa at Four Seasons was also no doubt helped in the voting by the great locals deals they offered in the off-season last year. For more information check out www.fourseasons.com/whistler/vacations/spa-services.html.

Second on the list this year is the Avello Spa and Health Club at the Westin Resort and Spa, which offers massage, holistic treatments, esthetics, hair care, herbal baths, hydrotherapy, spa cuisine and other spa treatments. Visit www.whistlerspa.com for details.

Third on the list is the Vida Wellness Spa at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. A full list of their services is at www.vidawellness.com .

Best Hair Salon

Even if most of Whistler’s hair is tucked under hats and helmets for much of the year, it’s still great hair for the most part. A big thanks to our salons for making us look so good.

Give credit once again to Good Hair Day in Function Junction for mobilizing their core of regular customers to vote in the Best of Whistler contest. This is the second year they’ve won this award.

Second on the list is The Loft Salon on Main Street, while Farfalla Hair and Body Spa on Sundial Place was third.

Best Hair Stylist

The best stylist this year is from the Best Salon, Jenn Parks from Good Hair Day, followed by co-workers Emily Ng and Sarah Brown.

Best Esthetician

It’s not always glamorous work making people look glamorous, so kudos to Whistler’s hard working estheticians for all their filing, exfoliating, clipping, picking, plucking, waxing, trimming, slathering, dabbing, moisturizing and massaging.

This year voters narrowly picked Nancy Kettering from Good Hair Day as the top esthetician for 2005. The runner up was Nola Haelmeyer at Farfalla. Barbara Bates from The Spa at Four Seasons, a past winner of this award, ranked third.

Best Massage Therapist

Worth every penny, providing you’re not ticklish or have aphenphosmphobia (fear of being touched).

Topping a long list (three pages worth) of nominated candidates this year was Courtney Edy, a registered massage therapist who sometimes works out of (surprise!) Good Hair Day. She won by just two votes over Nola Matheson of The Spa at Four Seasons. Lesley Byford of Peak Performance was third.

Best Dental Clinic

The powerful north-south struggle that has existed between Whistler Dental Clinic and Creekside Dental since the dawn of the Pique’s "Best Of" awards, swung back in Whistler Dental’s favour this year by just four votes. The newcomer to the fray, the Aarm Dental group, was once again third but gained a larger share of all votes cast compared to last year.

Will Whistler Dental build its rabid following by giving customers two packages of floss to go with the toothbrush? Will Creekside Dental again supplant Whistler Dental for supreme (though non-scientific voting) domination? Or is Aarm just biding its time, awaiting the day when it will be triumphant for oral domination?

Stay tuned, and don’t forget to brush three times a day, floss at least once a day, and visit your dentist every six months.

Best Dentist

Keeping teeth healthy is one thing, but Whistler’s dentists are more like doctors at times because they’re there to fix all the broken and lost teeth that result from extreme activities. They’re also the first to recommend the use of mouth guards for many sporting events, and have probably saved a few teeth that way as well.

Showing just how many Whistler residents have moved to Squamish recently in order to afford a home, Dr. Jake Bessie of Diamond Head Dental took the most votes this year. The top Whistler Dentist was Dr. Jay McKenzie (no relation to Bob and Doug McKenzie) from Whistler Dental. There was a three-way tie for third with Drs. John Roberts, Shawn Gosnell and Murray Dehkordi of Creekside Dental tied for third.

Best Health Trend

Whistler is the kind of place where you can get passed while running a personal best 42 minute 10K like you’re standing still. Mountain bike races can get up to 400 riders some weeks, and 200 riders will come out if it’s raining. It’s also the kind of place where the hardest contests going, like the Samurai of Singletrack, Peak to Valley, and Rubble Creek Run, are the hardest to get into. There are literally competitions here every single week.

The result of all this is a town where health is taken fairly seriously, and health trends that work are embraced in a big way.

After six years of being named Whistler’s favourite health trend, yoga took a slight drop in popularity this year as Body Storm was named the Best Health Trend. Body Storm combines a lot of different trends into one circuit, from yoga and pilates to cardio work and core strength training.

Yoga was second this year by seven votes, with nods going to most of the centres and instructors in town. Third went to Cat Smiley’s award-winning Boot Camp program.

Other votes went to pole dancing, the Slow Food movement, kick boxing, herbal detox programs, spin classes, pilates, and quitting smoking.

Best Physiotherapist

People in Whistler feel more strongly about their physiotherapists than they do about Coke or Pepsi, Canucks or Leafs, and most mainstream religions – probably because they can and do work miracles. Most of us are walking testaments to the good works they do each and every day.

And it’s not an easy job. There are people in this town that have set records in trail running ultra marathons, who spend four hours a day hunched over bikes, ride bikes downhill at 90 km/h, who jump 60 foot tables and drop 80 foot cliffs on their skis and boards, some of them even representing Canada in the process.

This year the award for Best Physiotherapist goes back to Allison McLean of Peak Performance, her third win in four years. Second is Bianca Matheson, last year’s winner, and also of Peak Performance. Marilyn Hellier of Whistler Physio was a close third.

Best Chiropractor

The only reason some people can get out of bed in the mornings is the fact they have a good chiropractor around to readjust and realign our joints, bones and backs. Some people come out of their appointment standing a couple of inches taller.

The winner this year for Best Chiropractor is Dr. Peter Drysdale of Village Centre Chiropractic and Massage by just three votes. Keith Ray of Whistler Chiropractic, last year’s winner, was second, while his partner Jacquie Brusset was a close third in the voting.

Best Doctor

Newcomer Dr. Fern von der Porten won this category, one vote ahead of Dr. Karen Kausky. Dr. Adam Kendall was a close third.

Pretty much every doctor in Whistler, Squamish and Pemberton got a few votes as well – so you’re probably in good hands, wherever you go.

SHOPS & WARES

Photo Finishing

Teruyuki (Terry) Higashi was more than happy to hear his shop 28-Minute Photo reached first place this year, after placing second last year. "I’m really happy, that’s pretty good," said Higashi, who emigrated from Kyoto, Japan 10 years ago to open the shop in Whistler.

Higashi credits the high quality of photo finishing he does for his customers and the fact that he’s always in the store. "I work six days a week, sometimes seven – I’m never away," Higashi said.

Higashi and his wife, Chizuko, have other reasons to be happy – they are the proud parents of one week old daughter, Kona. Higashi says he chose Whistler to immigrate to because he loves to ski, and does in the time when he does slip away from his shop in the Tyndall Stone Lodge.

Whistler’s Foto Source finished second in voting, followed by GS Photo and The Hub.

Women’s Clothing

The GAP topped this year’s poll as the place to buy women’s clothing, which showed a strong trend toward some well-known names in the clothing business. Runner up was Le Chateau and third place went to Guess. Evolution was fourth.

Men’s Clothing

Are men and women that much alike in their shopping preferences, or does one gender do most of the shopping for both men and women?

The GAP was also top of the polls for men’s clothing, followed by Eddie Bauer. Evolution and Showcase tied for third.

Ski Shop

Wild Willies’ dominance of this category ended this year with Whistler-Blackcomb-owned Can-Ski the top choice of readers. Wild Willies dropped to second, just ahead of McCoos. Snowcovers was fourth.

Snowboard Shop

Showcase is Whistler readers’ favourite snowboard shop this year. Westbeach is number two in the polls, followed by Evolution.

Video Store

Movie Gallery came out on top for movie rentals. Rogers Video was second.

Lawyer

Peter Shrimpton thought it was a joke when the call came he’d been voted best lawyer by Pique NewsMagazine readers.

"You sure you’re not calling from Nick Davies’ office?" he asked. Davies was last year’s winner.

"I’m stunned, honoured," Shrimpton said from his Vancouver office early Thursday morning.

But Shrimpton, who also acts as Whistler’s only notary, said it is perhaps the moderate nature of his practice, centred on real estate, commercial and estate law that contributed to his number one placement.

"Lawyers who go to court are loved by their clients if they win, but not at all loved if they don’t," he said.

The father of three said he actually voted for lawyer Greg Diamond in the Pique’s annual online survey of the best of Whistler, adding that he was both embarrassed and pleased to be selected.

Shrimpton has been a full-time lawyer in Whistler for 12 years. "But I’ve skied Whistler for 30 years," he said. He and wife Susan decided to make the move and raise their children here after Myrtle Philip Community School and the high school were built.

Shrimpton works in his Vancouver office two days a week, and the rest of the work week in his Function Junction office.

Ian Davis was second in this year’s poll and Greg Diamond third.

Realtor

Jan Simpson thinks she might have been voted number one realtor because she’s been around the longest.

"Maybe readers felt I was deserving after all these years," she said on first hearing the news. This was the first time the realtor had been named most popular and she was delighted.

Simpson says she believes the market is turning for the better. "I think people are over the shock of the strong Canadian dollar and are starting to travel," she said.

Simpson has lived in Whistler since 1966, has two sons, four grandchildren, and works for Sutton West Coast (Whistler) Realty. A realtor for 26 years, she says the biggest change she’s seen was the village being built on the former garbage dump. Those kinds of historical gems are what she thinks people like about her as a realtor. "That I can provide them with local history and colour," she said.

Betty Jarvis was second in this year’s voting. Rob Palm was third.

Financial Institution

It’s not often banks appear on any popularity poll, so Royal Bank manager Cecilia Lawson was extremely pleased to hear RBC had been named most popular bank in Whistler. So pleased on hearing the news her first reaction was to tease TD branch manager John Nadeau at the chamber luncheon last week.

"But seriously, the bank tries to create a positive client experience, one in which you don’t feel like a number." Lawson said. Whether it’s providing dog treats for the many clients that come in with canines or remembering to call customers by their first name, Lawson says her branch does its job to distinguish itself.

The North Shore Credit Union, Whistler’s first financial institution, was second this year, followed by the TD Bank and Scotia Bank.

Grocery Store

Pique readers may not get excited about where they buy their clothes in Whistler, but they sure do care about where they buy their groceries. For the fifth year in a row Nesters Market is the most popular grocer in town, with almost double the votes of their nearest competitor, and in a category that got more voter participation than any other.

"Not everyone skis, but everyone has to eat," says Bruce Stewart, general manager of Nesters, by way of explanation.

"Customers create the culture in our store," Stewart said when asked about what makes Nesters unique. "Whether it’s a special cut of meat or a type of mushroom, they seem to really appreciate it when we try to find it for them."

Stewart has been with the family-founded business, which was bought out by Jimmy Pattison’s By-Low Foods two and a half years ago, for many years. He said one trend he’s seen is more people are asking for wheat- and gluten- free items. "They’re not big sellers but customers are asking for them."

Runner up in this category was the Marketplace IGA. Creekside Market was third.