The Whistler Mountain Bike Park is bringing in Extended Play hours earlier this year, based on public demand and the early season riding conditions. Extended Play - from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. - will be in effect this Saturday, June 6, and then daily from June 13 onward.
As well, the Fitzsimmons Chair will also run early this year. The chair will be turning this Friday, June 5 and through the rest of the summer.
"The park is just in phenomenal condition and we've had a lot of demand for Extended Play," said Jeremy Roche of the Bike Park. "It just made sense to start it up a little bit early."
All of the trails below Olympic Station are open or should be open by the end of this week. Some work is being done, including some maintenance on upper Crank It Up and Fantastic, and crews are weeks away from opening the dual slalom, biker cross and Boneyard areas at the base of the mountain. Freerider John Cowan is once again the brains behind the Boneyard, and is creating a set-up that will be open to the public, but that can also be used during the Monster Energy Slopestyle at Crankworx - with a few modifications.
Crews are already scoping out the Garbanzo Zone, as continued warm weather could make it possible to open those trails early this year as well.
"Patrollers are going to make that call, but if we keep getting the kind of weather we're getting now then it's definitely going to open on time, if not a little bit earlier," said Roche.
