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The Best of Whistler 2010

As chosen by our readers
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We'll admit it - there was a moment of uncertainty, thankfully short-lived, in the newsroom at the conclusion of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. After covering the Games week in and week out for more than eight years, from the bid to the closing ceremonies, from the first tentative public meetings to the final published plans, poring over every dollar and detail, the question on everyone's minds was "now what?"

There might have been a moment of post-Games depression, like that moment at the end of Christmas Day when you realize it's going to be a whole year before your next opportunity to open presents and gorge yourself on shortbread, but then life in Whistler was pretty good before the Games came along.

Life as we know it returned to normal, or what passes for normal in one of the world's most renowned mountain towns. We were told that some three-and-a-half billion people tuned into the Games, half the people on the planet, and that hundreds of millions of people who didn't know about Whistler before last February most certainly know us now. And they like us. They really, really like us.

No question the town has changed a lot as a result of the Games. More locals than ever own homes through conversion of the athletes' village into the Cheakamus Crossing employee housing neighbourhood. We have Olympic legacies like the High Performance Centre, Whistler Olympic Park and the Whistler Sliding Centre, that are learning to stand on their own without VANOC, Olympic sponsors and funding from provincial and federal governments. It isn't going to be easy, but it's exciting.

And, as in the past, Whistler has issues to resolve. The controversy over the asphalt plant, for one. Budgetary and property tax pressures as the resort reaches build-out. A pay parking implosion. Increased transit costs. Less provincial money for our library. A community forest that must be logged in order to protect it from one day being logged more aggressively. A school that must balance a budget. A persistent shortage of daycare spaces. A never-before-seen abundance of rental properties and shortage of high-paying and full-time jobs. Longer lines at the Food Bank.

On a larger scale, there's a global recession to deal with and high unemployment on both sides of the border. There's an economic crisis in Europe. Higher gasoline prices around the world. Higher travel costs. A higher Loonie that discourages travel to Canada. Passport and visa regulations that make it harder and more expensive for Americans, Czechs, Mexicans and others to travel here. Intrusive airport body scanners that can tell if you're circumcised or not.

Yet, through it all, Whistler remains a great place to live, work and play. Though they seem large to us our troubles pale in comparison to the troubles facing the rest of the world. Look at Haiti, post-earthquake and cholera epidemic. Look at Pakistan, post flooding and in the middle of a war against terrorists. Look at Afghanistan, nine years after the world invaded. Look at Iraq.

Hell, look at Vancouver, where Translink is going belly up and their athletes' village is in receivership with taxpayers on the hook for $450 million. We live an hour-and-a-half from the city with the highest murder rate in Canada, thanks to an ongoing gang war, and we're relatively peaceful and crime-free.

And while we may not have as much money as we used to, we remain a generous community. Whenever the Food Bank is in need, we step up with food drives and donations. If a local is injured or robbed, we step up with money and gear. Local charity events support the B.C. Children's Hospital, cancer research, at-risk youth and countless other causes - including the excellent Playground Builders organization that has constructed more than 70 playgrounds in war-torn countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, the West Bank and others. (See Leslie Anthony's excellent feature in our Dec. 16 issue for more information).

Most of us are here to recreate, and on that front we're in good shape. The 2009-2010 season was the second-biggest on record in terms of snowfall. Our local mountain bike club, WORCA, again surpassed 1,500 members and set a new record for involvement. The inaugural Whistler GranFondo ride up the Sea to Sky Highway sold out 4,000 spots within weeks and the 2011 edition is set to sell-out 6,500 spots. The B.C. Bike Race, which finishes in Whistler, is bigger than ever and sells out well in advance. And, new for 2011, we'll be playing host to the first annual Whistler Half Marathon on June 4.

The Olympics were huge, probably the busiest and most animated the Village has ever been - and that's saying something, considering how huge our festivals like the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival and Crankworx have become. But now the Games are in the rearview mirror we can get back to doing what we do best - enjoying life, and sharing that enjoyment with guests from all over the world.

This year's Best of Whistler was our biggest yet in terms of participation. A big thanks to everyone who voted and congratulations to all our winners.

 

Quintessential Whistler

 

Best Olympic Moment

Hockey Gold - On February 28, 2010, Vancouver and Whistler stood on the edge of a riot. The Canadian men's hockey team had endured the toughest possible route to the gold medal game and with seconds remaining it seemed like it was ours. Then Zach Parise put a goal past Roberto Luongo and the nation was left chewing the nails off its fingers in sudden-death overtime. Just under eight minutes into the fourth period, Sidney Crosby converted a beautiful pass from Jarome Iginla into the most anti-climactic goal in hockey history, popping a soft one through Ryan Miller's five-hole to secure the win. Whistler had a lot to celebrate during that fateful two weeks last February: Ashleigh McIvor and Maëlle Ricker's wins on home turf; Jon Montgomery popping back a pitcher in full view of the CTV cameras; Alex Bilodeau claiming Canada's first gold medal on home soil. But nothing, it seems, can eclipse the magic of hockey gold.

 

Best Olympic/VANOC Moment of 2010

Hockey gold - Some would say the best moment was VANOC leaving town, but once again Whistlerites thought the best moment of the Games was Canada winning the gold medal at Canada Hockey Place in Vancouver. In Whistler, where the game was broadcast in Village Square and four other village screens, it was extra special as locals were treated to a post-Game performance by Blue Rodeo, a great Canadian band if ever there was one.

 

Best Example of Whistler Architecture

The Whistler Public Library - Is there a building in the world more divisive than the Whistler Public Library? It's been alternately called the best use of public money and the worst. But opinion is unanimous when it comes to the building's architecture. A wood-paneled, glass-strewn, heat-pump-powered facility, it has grown into a gathering place for local literati and anyone who can't afford to rent a movie at Rogers. And it continues to be divisive. The Resort Municipality of Whistler is considering cutting library hours to save operating costs. Hours will be shortened during the week and it won't be open on Sundays anymore because of a shortfall of between $22,000 or $54,000. In other news, salaries at the municipality are going up another four per cent.

 

Best Excuse for Being Late

Pow day - Honestly, who needs an excuse? It's Whistler, for crying out loud. Some people work four shifts a week instead of five. Others get Flex Fridays, and every second Friday off. Cooler work environments have a 30 centimetre rule where no excuses are required. It seems that every weekend is a long weekend here, and three-day weekends can easily turn into four when Ullr serves our slopes with a healthy helping of snoweaters' nectar and ambrosia. You don't have to feign an illness or a death in the family as long as it's snowing.

 

Best Inukshuk

Peak of Whistler Mountain - The inukshuk at the Whistler Peak is like the community's own weather vane. When it's covered in snow, you can safely say the conditions are good. When the inukshuk is covered in snow and it looks like it was captured running at top speed by a camera with slow shutter speed, it's safe to assume it's a little windy at the peak. In any case, there's lots of inukshuks in Whistler to choose from, despite them being an Inuit symbol with no particular cultural relevance to this region, and the man at the peak takes the cake.

 

Best Neighbourhood

Alpine Meadows - When you meet a real Whistler pioneer, somebody who's been here for 40 years, it's almost a stupid question to ask them where they live. Most of them will tell you one of two places - Creekside or Alpine Meadows. Alpine, quiet and serene, was chosen as Whistler's best neighbourhood this year. It's the home of many a Whistler hardcore. Like Vincent "Binty" Massey, the local potter and author. Or Cathy Jewett, one of Whistler's quintessential volunteers and veteran patrollers. It's there you'll find some of the community's oldest and most rustic homes, little A-frame huts left over from the days that squatters laid claim to this valley. It's also surrounded by forests, far from the hordes that roam the Village and has nary a streetlight to guide you home at night. Unsafe, to be sure, but it's also one of few neighbourhoods where you can look up at the vast canvas that is the night sky. And It's easy to access bike trails and Rainbow Park, and Meadow Park is always handy.

 

Best New Business

Fuji Market - Whistler's burgeoning sushi industry got some major competition this year, and no, it's not an expensive new joint opening up in the Village. The real competition that places like Samurai and Sushi Village are facing these days comes from the new Fuji Market overlooking the parking lot at the Whistler Conference Centre. In short, the place is awesome. You can get octopus tentacles, tempura batter, teriyaki marinade - anything you need to make a great Asian dinner at home. And if you don't feel like cooking, they also have pre-made sushi available to take home with you. The food selection is good, but the design of the store is clever too, reflecting the back alley of a major Japanese city with clotheslines going over your head and boxes stacked up next to you while you eat. No wait - that's real storage.

 

Best Performance by a Local Politician

Ken Melamed - What a shift there's been in Whistler. Fortress/Intrawest and chain stores used to be Satan in this town, but now the corporate officials can sit back, put their feet up and watch the Resort Municipality of Whistler take over as our local scapegoats. For all there is to be said about Ken Melamed's role as the lightning rod in all this madness, one cannot fault him for breaking down or tapping out. He sticks to his guns and his principles, even if it makes him unpopular. Despite all the criticism the man demonstrates the resolve of an ox, facing down a torrent of criticism from a band of Cheakamus Crossing residents out to bring down the asphalt plant; or a horde of environmentalists demanding that the municipality immediately cancel its plans to log old growth forests. Whether you think he's right or wrong, he never gives up.

 

Best Place to Hang Out in a Blizzard

Home - Home is where the hearth is, as they say. Actually no one says that. (That's just a stupid play-on-words made up on the spot.) But staying home, it seems, is the best thing you can do when there's too much snow outside, although that doesn't explain all the cars slipping around and holding up the plows. You can brave the extremes to squeeze in a skate ski or a trip to the village, or you can stay home, warm up with a hot chocolate and watch your stories. Always a good plan when you can't see two feet in front of you.

 

Favourite Whistlerite

Matt Perrier - Chasing down this year's favourite Whistlerite proved to be as challenging as securing an interview with Banksy. It was Matt Perrier. All we could learn about the man is that he likes biking, snowboarding and other extreme sports. Also, that he's an avid climber, taking on heights such as the Grandes Jorasses, a two-day climb from Pointe Helbronner over the Rocheford Arete in France's Mont Blanc massif. Pique tried to secure an interview with the man, possibly "the Second-most Interesting Man in the World," but at the time we tried to contact him he was skiing in France. In an e-mail he only said that being named Favourite Whistlerite was a "quite the surprise."

 

Idea for a New Olympic Event

Women's ski jumping - It didn't take much imagination to detect a chortle in John Furlong's voice when he said at a news conference that he respected the women's ski jumpers. They had, after all, dragged him and VANOC through a lengthy and costly court battle for the right to compete at the Olympics, using pro bono lawyers who believed very passionately in their cause. Court battles at the provincial and appeal levels didn't garner the jumpers much success, nor did an ill-fated application to have the Supreme Court of Canada hear their case. Women's ski jumping is nothing if not a prospective Olympic event with plenty of passion behind it and the International Olympic Committee looks upon it with scorn.

 

Most Sustainable Thing Whistler's Done this Year

Cheakamus Crossing - The most sustainable thing Whistler did this year, located right next to the least sustainable thing Whistler did this year. How ironic. Cheakamus Crossing, the conversion of the Whistler Athletes Village into resident-restricted housing, is sustainable mostly because it allows Whistler's workforce to live in relatively affordable housing. In a way it helps turn Whistler into a real blue-collar town.

 

Least Sustainable Thing Whistler's Done This Tear

Asphalt plant - Where do you begin with this one? How did a municipality touting its sustainable credentials worldwide, fail to relocate an asphalt plant located next to its newest residential neighbourhood? And how in the world does a bylaw that does not allow for asphalt production somehow allow it to keep operating? People are falling over themselves trying to comprehend why this plant is still there. The only explanation we've been offered, the basis of a legal opinion obtained by the municipality, remains confidential.

Lie to Tell Tourists

Dual Mountain - There are lots of lies you can tell tourists. Like the Symphony zone offers the steepest, most extreme terrain on both mountains. Or that only the real hardcores ski Upper Whiskey Jack. By far and away, the funniest lie to tell tourists is the old "Dual Mountain" story. It's been a long time since we've seen a pass that reads "Dual Mountain" on it, but it was always fun telling point confused tourists in the direction of the local drycleaners. We hear the cleaners in Function Junction are the best.

 

Little-Known Whistler Factoid

Tom Thomson - He's as fundamental a Whistlerite as they come. One of our most active seniors he normally dominates the "Favourite Whistlerite" category thanks to his volunteer work and his natural charm. But what you may not know is that he was the Canadian Football League's first top overall selection by the Edmonton Eskimos in the league's inaugural draft. He went on to play for the Calgary Stampeders and once he was finished with football he obtained a teaching degree from Simon Fraser University. These days he catches passes from municipal staff as a member of Whistler council.

 

Most Extreme Thing To Do

Snowmobiling - Far from the safest or most sustainable thing to do in Whistler, snowmobiling figures as the most extreme. It's a fun activity that allows you to drive up and around areas like Sproatt in the Callaghan Valley, Powder Mountain, the Soo Valley and the Pemberton Ice Cap. But just riding snowmobiles isn't all that extreme, it's what the riders do when they get up into the mountains - the cliff drops, the high marks, the powder turns and all the terrain features that push the machines and their riders to the limit.

You also need to develop thick skin: Whistler's backcountry skiers and enviros tend to look upon the activity with contempt.

 

Best Party of 2010

Olympics - The Olympics are a rather broad response to the question, and were essentially 17 nights of parties rolled into one. There were the medal ceremonies; marquee DJ's at Garfinkel's; and a VIP section at Whistler Canada Olympic House. The best party for most was the vast outdoor party that accompanied the Canadian Olympic Hockey Team winning a gold medal on home soil, outlasting the Americans by a single goal in overtime.

 

Thing Whistler will be Known For after the Games

Party town - It took the Olympics, it seems, to solidify Whistler's reputation as a party town. That's funny, considering the police presence, the private events, the hours of operation at local bars and restaurants. Perhaps, then, it was the worldwide television exposure that helped promote Whistler as a party town. Perhaps it was a victorious Jon Montgomery chugging a pitcher on the Village Stroll. Perhaps it was the vibrant atmosphere that accompanied the Games and the massive crowds. Either way, Whistler is now known as party central to a much wider audience.

 

Worst Use of Money

Pay parking - Pay parking has proven to be one of those rare situations where the people really do know better than their government. Whistlerites spoke out against pay parking at council meetings; they said the rates were too high, that it would fail, that it would hurt business, but our local representatives persisted anyway. Now, we're learning that it has earned far less than projected, about 46 per cent of the revenue expected, and as a result the system will likely change in the future - lower rates, but fewer free stalls. The RMOW shows, again, its propensity for overestimating revenue projections.

 

Food & Drink

 

Best Appetizers/Tapas

For the fourth year running, Elements has beat out all others in the "small plates" category. Little wonder: since opening in 2005, this "Urban Tapas Parlour" has offered up an impressive and diverse selection of appies to share (or not) ranging in price from $5 to $16. Personal faves are the lettuce cups, loaded with prawn and avocado, julienned veggies, rice noodles, cashews and Nuoc-cham dipping sauce

 

Best Atmosphere in a Restaurant

The voting public has decided that the party-hard ethos of Sushi Village is absolute tops in town. Which really kind of makes sense, given the free-flowing pitchers of strawberry sake margs, big-ass booths (that are very well-suited to large parties), incredible canvases from none other than Whistler artist Chili Thom and laidback, friendly service. Throw in the "wall of celebrities" at the start of the eternal trek to the washroom (hey, look, they've even thrown exercise into the dining experience!) and you truly do have the makings of some awesome atmosphere.

 

Best Beer Selection

Boasting Whistler's "true 20-ounce pint," the Dubh Linn Gate Old Irish Pub has once again been crowned our king of beer. Considering the fact their draft list alone includes six lagers, 11 different ales and two types of stout, and according to their bartender, they have the "most taps in town," it's not overly shocking that this traditional Irish pub has retained its reign.

 

Best Breakfast

It's the most important meal of the day, especially in a town like Whistler where you've likely been up all night and are just about to head up the mountain: you need fuel! And if you want to do brekkie right, you'll head to one of the Wildwood locations. Winning this category by just a hair (coming in just ahead of Elements), the Wildwood offers up an assortment of traditional breakfasts, bennies and omelettes alongside faves like banana bread French toast.

 

Best Burger

Sweeping this category for an impressive eight years running is Splitz Grill. While there may be lots of other places in Whistler that feature burgers on their menus, this is the only just-burger joint in town, which just goes to show that if you focus on doing one thing, you'll probably do that one thing right! Options include (but aren't limited to) the Legendary Splitz burger, Grilled Chicken, Spicy Lentil, Saltspring Lamb and Italian Sausage, which you can customize with an array of homemade sauces (we recommend the Splitz Sauce) and fresh veggies, and round out with a side of house cut French fries. Side note: a couple Olympic athletes fuelled up at Splitz when they were in training mode - check out the bulletin board to see the monster meals they scarfed down.

 

Best Chef

Most diners don't know the name of the person preparing their meals, but R.D. Stewart , Executive Chef at La Rua Restaurante, has certainly made himself known to Whistler diners. According to www.chefdb.com (kind of like imdb.com, but for the culinary world), Stewart has been the manning the helm at La Rua's kitchen since 2000, dreaming up contemporary seafood, steak and game dishes that will leave you scraping your plate for the last, delicious morsels.

 

Best Dessert

The best things in life are often the simplest. Well, the Rim Rock Café has simple perfection down to a science with their infamous sticky toffee pudding. Minimal sleuthing (it's published in the Savour Whistler cookbook) revealed that this dish contains brown sugar, unsalted butter, whipping cream, pitted dates, baking soda, boiling water, vanilla, egg, flour and baking powder. Served warm with a dollop of rich vanilla ice cream, this dessert is a bit of heaven in a dish.

Best Latte

Coffee lovers know that not all lattes are created equal. Apparently, The Lift Coffee Company knows this, too, and has been putting a little extra love - and top-notch JJ Beans coffee beans - into their lattes. According to general manager Margie Barnard, the company's coffee guru Izzy has been instrumental in passing along her secrets and tricks (is she the barista-whisperer of Whistler, perhaps?) See what all the fuss is about: small lattes are $3.70 and large are $4.25, and they're located mountainside, right by the Whistler gondola (grab one on your way up!)

 

Best Martini/Cocktail

Whistler likes to party (that kinda goes without saying.) But Whistler also likes to sip cocktails at The Mix by Ric's , where they have a talented team of mixologists at work at their beautiful glowing bar (in fact, one of those mixologists, Tia Stonier, recently won the inaugural Smirnoff Premium Spirit Mix-Off.) Try their "Goose Me" (muddled gooseberries, Hypnotiq and pomegranate liqueur, and ginger beer) - or their "Indian Summer" martini (mango vodka, Ginger of the Indies liqueur, Patron Citronage, fresh lime and pineapple juice). We'll drink to that...

 

Best Nachos

One person actually wrote, "Nachos are SOOO 1990's, get rid of nachos." To that person, we ask, "What is WRONG with you?" Nachos are all things good: crunchy, salty chip; gooey cheese; fresh veggies; guacamole... Especially after a day on the mountain! Well, one mountainside locale has again captured voters' hearts (or rather, their stomachs) with an awesome nacho platter. Merlin's nachos for two are piled high with mild cheddar and monterey jack cheese, olives, jalapeños, tomatoes and sweet red onion, served with a dish of sour cream and salsa (you can add roasted chicken or pulled pork for an extra four bucks.) Or, go for the "Nachos For Too Many," which are fully loaded.

 

Best New Restaurant

While they aren't technically the newest new joint in town, Creekbread takes the cake - er, pizza pie? - in this category. The natural flatbread company set up shop in the former home of Uli's, Setebello, Anasazi and Las Margaritas, to name just a few, and has apparently won the masses over with delicious specialty pies like Mopsy's Kalua Pork (pulled pork), the rich and creamy Pemberton Potato Pie and Coevolution (a lighter take on the traditional Greek pizza). They source many of their ingredients from the surrounding region and bake their pies in a "primitive wood fired" clay oven, resulting in a chewy, delicious crust that even a non-crust-eater will truly enjoy.

 

Best Pizza

We have a bit of an upset here, folks! The after-hours crowd-favourite Fat Tony's has been beaten out by relative newcomer Creekbread . Apparently, natural flatbread topped with locally-sourced ingredients beats even the best blue cheese slices?

 

Best Quick Lunch

You voted... peanut butter and jam in the pocket. Just kidding! That's our favourite, because our salaries are dismal. Kidding again! We're gloriously overpaid. Anyway, Pasta Lupino is the best quick lunch in town, beating out town favourites McDonald's and KFC, likely due to the quality of its homemade pasta and sauces that will you over every time you drop in there. Also, those $10 lunch menu deals are probably the best value in town, but we'll save this discussion for three categories down.

 

Quintessential Whistler Dish

Sushi , which is weird because it's a quintessential Japanese restaurant dish, and we do have a good number of Japanese skiers milling about, but many of them are just learning to speak English and, it's safe to assume that they're probably not voting for this contest. Anyway, second place goes to the Caesar, because even though it only received one nomination Pique understands that this zesty alcoholic beverage will supply you with all the necessary nutrients and intoxicants to carry you through your day.

 

Best Restaurant Overall

Nine years straight. Nine years, folks. That's an accomplishment. To fill the bellies of the local community and blow their minds year in and year out, you know there's some kind of magic at work from the culinary fingers of owners Rolf Gunther and Bob Dawson. Yes, the Rim Rock Café is dining at its finest, and even if you must eat Raman noodles for three weeks straight just to save enough money to eat there one night, we highly suggest you do it. Or wait for the spring and fall specials to arrive.

 

Best Restaurant for Value

Buy cheap pizza dough! Mix and match your pasta!  Drink reasonably priced espressos that will have you good and wired for a half hour at least! Are you interested? Then go to Pasta Lupino , especially at lunch when they offer hearty pasta dishes for under $10.

 

Best Scotch

The Mallard Lounge in the Fairmont lobby is a scotch-drinker's paradise. Their selection is vast and varied, and if you have a few bucks to spare you can get it rare and aged as well. Yay scotch!

 

Best Server

Okay, well we don't know who she is, where she's from, what she looks like or what her favourite colour is but we'll applaud Dana Friesen-Smith for keeping the soup out of our laps, and thank everyone else in town for getting to know their servers. Good on ya, Dana - you serve the town with pride.

Best Service

"A team that works together is a team that wins." A wise man once said that (and that wise man is Pique reporter Stephen Smysnuik). And the best team is at the Rim Rock, slinging fish and booze for the cultured masses. Go Rim Rock ! How many more awards can you win?

 

Best Steak

The Hy's in Toronto is located on the ground floor of a massive skyscraper on King St. West. The doors are made of solid pine or some other precious wood and it takes all the effort of a well-muscled man just to open them...but once he does, he feels just like Bruce Wayne entering his own personal dining room with a score of beautiful hostesses waiting to take him to a table in a room suitable for some 18 th century European monarch. The Hy's in Whistler is a lot more relaxed, and amen to that, but the steak and prawns are the tops.

 

Best Sushi

Sushi Village won this category by an absolute landslide. Why? Well...the sushi is good. And it's conveniently located. And it has the words "sushi" and "village" in it, which makes it easier to remember than Sachi or Nagomi. This is not the first time that Sushi Village has won a "Best Of award." It won't be the last.

Best Takeout

With locations at Nesters and in Creekside Samurai Sushi takes the kasutera for best takeout, which must have something to do with its reasonable prices and two convenient locations. Pasta Lupino was a close second. Don't feel bad guys, you've already won two categories this year.

 

When Someone Else Pays

Um, Rim Rock Café , obviously, although with their off-season specials in the spring and fall a trip to Whistler's top restaurants doesn't have to break the bank.

 

Best Wine List

The Bearfoot Bistro has a huge wine cellar, down a set of circular stairs from the main dining room. For a wine lover, a trip down those stairs is nothing less than a descent into heaven.

They have no less than 2,100 different labels of wine and champagne from the world's richest wine regions, some so rare and aged that it can't be uncorked for less than five figures.

 

Clubs, Pubs & Bars

 

Best Apres

"Apres" may be the most annoying word adapted from the French language for English usage, but the act itself is glorious -and what better place to baste in the glory of mini burgers and beer and the inevitable bloat than at the base of the mountain after a hard day of riding or rolling. The GLC , with it's wide beer selection, decent pub fare and views of skiers and snowboarders weaving down the slope - or mountain bikers crashing off the GLC 1 drop - is a plum choice.

 

Best Bartender

This is for Jimmy Button, who also happens to win "Best Bartender Name" of the year as well. Who is he? We don't know! But according to his Facebook profile he has an affinity for cigars, cowboy hats and fire breathing, all of which are cool enough. George Skoupas from Citta' came in a very close second and would have tied for first but two of the votes were for "Cittas guy," which could have been for one of the other Citta' bartenders. Sorry Skoupas. We like your name too.

Coolest Staff

The crew at the GLC blew the top off this category. No other bar came close. They rule the cool factor, so take note other you other bars. Be nicer to your patrons. Laugh at everyone's jokes, even if they're not funny. If patrons have lost or forgotten their ID, and are clearly over the age of 19, let them in anyway and tell them, "I'll only do it this one time, for you, because you're special." You'll be noted on your cool factor for next year.

Best DJ

According to Mat the Alien 's MySpace page, Outer Space is located somewhere in British Columbia. This can mean one of two things: 1) he lost himself one year at Shambhala and truly believes the snow-blanketed mountainsides of our beloved province are located in the deep recesses of the cosmos, or 2) he's playing coy.

We prefer to think the former. That way, when watching him spinning dubstep on Tuesday nights at Maxx Fish, when he's all concentrated on the task at hand, somehow ignoring the writhing and grinding 19-year-old DJroupies all around him, we can imagine that he thinks he's lost in a strange corner of the universe and the knobs on his turntable are the controls of a spaceship that he fiddles with to point him in the right direction home.

Best Local's Hangout

Citta is the place to be. The patio juts out and points at you like an arrow when walking across the Village Square from Village Gateway loop, beckoning at you with it's variety of alcoholic beverages and gaggle of Whistler locals - some you know, some you'll get to know in the easy, friendly atmosphere.

 

Best Patio

People-watching is totally underrated. There's nothing better for people-lovers (and people-haters alike) than to sit back, sip a cold glass of something, and watch a steady stream of humanity roll right along past you, with their quirks and peculiarities, and little dogs, and love or judge to your hearts content. There's no better place in Whistler for patio life than at Citta , where all points converge and people from all over the world are meshing and mingling in Village Square.

Best Place to See a Live Act

People complain there's no good stage in Whistler, but I'll argue the GLC is a great place to see a show. It's no CBGB or Richard's on Richards (R.I.P.) but it's wide, it's open and there's plenty of space to dance and spin to your hearts content. Plus, the lineup of live acts has been extraordinary over the years.

 

Media, Arts & Culture

 

Best Artist

Chili Thom is pretty well known 'round this neck of the woods for his vibrant, saturated and stylized landscapes: these acrylic paintings are a ubiquitous feature in Whistler, found on the walls of many local businesses and homes. But on top of his visual arts accomplishments, Thom is also a musical man, a DJ who goes by the moniker Doctor Awesome. Either way, whether its for his visual or auditory arts, this adaptable artist has ruled the category of "Best Artist" for seven years running.

"It is a total honour to be selected again by the amazing people of Whistler," Thom wrote in a recent e-mail, "Whistler is my home and the reason I want to stay and love it so much is because of our amazing community and the support therein. I always do what I can to support the community and it feels great that they support me in return."

2010 was a big year for Thom: on top of opening his own gallery space, he was a headlining DJ on the medals stage during the Olympics; he was creative director for the Paralympic closing ceremonies parade and was featured on CTV and NBC.

So, what's in store for 2011? Thom is working on a few painting projects, has a bunch of DJ tours in the works, and plans to get his sound studio set up ASAP to start producing tracks again. I guess we can expect to be hearing a lot more from this multi-faceted local artist.

 

Best Band/musician

The Hairfarmers - Greg Reamsbottom ("Grateful Greg") and Doug Craig ("Guitar Doug") - have been making beautiful music together for 11 years now, and they've been named Whistler's favourite band for ten of those.

"Hairfarmers fans (also known as Farmhands) are the best you could ever hope for," Reamsbottom wrote in a recent email. "We get to be the soundtrack to so many amazing moments in peoples' lives...weddings, birthdays, annual celebrations...hell, even après ski! These moments are important to people and we always try to give them the very best show we can, and in return, they include us in these moments and treat us like family... it's a symbiotic relationship."

As you can imagine, these guys were pretty in-demand during the Olympic and Paralympic Games: in fact, they played a grand total of 44 gigs in 28 days. A few highlights from the Olympic period include playing Whistler's opening day ceremonies, partying with the president of the IPC, playing a private gig with royalty in attendance, Mike Wiegele Heli Skiing's 40th anniversary, shows in Australia and the UK, as well as Payday Fridays at Merlin's and Afterburn at the GLC, of course!

"Hell...the whole year feels like a highlight!" said Reamsbottom.

It doesn't look like they're slowing down any time soon, either. For 2011, on top of all their gigs for the winter season, they're also looking into the possibility of writing and recording more, and heading to Scotland to play a summertime gig.

 

Best Public Art

Whistler has boasted a series of impressive pieces of public art since the RMOW created the community's Public Art Program in 1996. This year, we saw the addition of Mike Tyler's bear sculptures near Millennium Place and the completion of the sensory wall at the Whistler Olympic Plaza, but it was the Whistler Arts Council's annual ArtWalk that won folks over.

Whistler's ArtWalk was started in 2004, modeled after similar annual events held in communities throughout British Columbia.

"There are other communities around B.C. that had very, very successful Artwalks, and I thought it was a great way for Whistler visitors to see local art and for us to create partnerships with local businesses," recalled WAC's executive director, Doti Niedermayer.

Starting an ArtWalk in Whistler was a strategic move to help WAC develop relationships with local businesses, while making up for the fact that the community lacks a public art gallery. And the best part is, aside from a small investment in staffing, printing the program and hosting an opening party, the event is very low-cost and low-maintenance for WAC.

"The challenge is getting the space in the store, because the rents in Whistler are a bit high, and so a lot of the retail outlets maximize their retail space," Niedermayer said, "So sometimes its a bit of a challenge to get the space we need to properly showcase the art."

This year, they organized a very special winter-version of ArtWalk, just for the Olympics.

"It went really well. Again, it was our only way to showcase visual art during the Olympics because Millennium Place was closed to be the Whistler Media House, so we didn't have our usual Millennium Place as a venue, and so we decided to try this Artwalk to try and include visual arts, and it was very successful. We actually sold more art in the winter Artwalk than we ever did in the summer."

 

Best Event of 2010

From February 12 to 28, Whistler was transformed into the land of blue smurfs, cowbell-toting tourists and elite athletes as the 2010 Winter Olympics rolled into town. It's kind of a no-brainer, but this little affair was selected as the best event of 2010, boasting 17 straight days of sport competitions, concerts and outdoor animation: basically, the biggest party that Whistler has ever seen. A few of the highlights, for your reminiscing pleasure: Canada's gold medal win in men's hockey, live performances by Blue Rodeo and Barenaked Ladies, Alexandre Bilodeau becoming the first Canadian to win gold on home turf, Jon Montgomery skulling a pitcher of beer on Village Stroll... the list goes on and on.

 

Best Film

Beating out major Hollywood blockbusters like Inception and Avatar was Whistler's very own 6 ½ Pieces made by Conrad Schapansky, which screened at the 9th annual B-Grade Horror Fest. Schapansky was the runner-up at this year's Horrorfest and the winner of the 2009 competition. In the words of organizer Feet Banks: "He is an adult child-prodigy. One day he just decided to become a filmmaker and he has been killing it ever since with a great eye and natural fearlessness."

Schapansky first ventured into the filmmaking world under the watchful eye of mentor, Angie Nolan, who gave him the lead in "For Never After" four years ago. He had so much fun on that project that he decided he wanted to cultivate his own creative visions.

6 1/2 Pieces came to me naturally," Schapansky said in a recent email, "I have always wanted to cut people into pieces but really don't think I could handle serving time, so I put my thoughts onto the big screens!"

He wrote, produced and directed, while a small crew of locals including Wade Iley, Sharai Rewels, Magdalena Regdos and Gina Middleton acted, Rowan Grant edited, and Gabe Langlios, Kevin Hardiman and Adam Poel filmed. Tim Livingstone created all the music for the project, Heather Dufty handled props, and Katt Charbonneau made everyone look amazing as make-up artist.

"I want to thank all the Pique voters for giving me this win, it's so awesome to have such local support......Hollywood can eat it."

If you haven't already had a chance to check out Schapansky's killer creation, head to Vimeo or YouTube and search "6 1/2 Pieces."

 

Best Photographer

Since 2006, Blake Jorgensen has nabbed the title of best photographer in Whistler four times, which is no mean feat, considering how many amateur, novice and pro shooters call this community home.

"Local support is so important to me," Jorgensen said in an e-mail, "I think as you get further in your career you become less competitive and more supportive of your peers and community. We have really tried to contribute to the photographic and arts community over the last few years and we have more ideas coming up in the near future to make it even better for everybody."

2010 was the year of "non-stop work" for this accomplished action sports photographer: he continued to operate his self-titled gallery space in the Westin, shot for the official Olympic book, "With Glowing Hearts," and had to keep his regular clients happy as well.

"Trying to have a full time shooting career and running the gallery is really tough," Jorgensen reflected, "Especially during the Olympics where I shot 24 days in a row and we hosted 15 events in the gallery. It was an amazing success. Then straight back into shooting skiing the next day for another two months."

In the coming year, Jorgenson hopes to dedicate more time to shooting "on a creative level:" "Hopefully some being a part of more photography events and spending more time taking photos for myself. We are also making a big push in the fine art world and could see some very exciting things happening in 2011."

 

Best Quote

While there were a few consistent themes that were popular with voters in this category (many related to the pay parking fiasco), there wasn't one overwhelmingly popular quote. So instead, for your amusement, here are some of the most amusing submissions: "Who saw Bieber coming?" (attributed to municipal councillor Ted Milner), "Ken Melamed's one about us being 'whiners,'" and "If Russia is not ready we are getting Olympics back in four years!" We're not really sure about that last one, but we're pretty sure that most B.C. taxpayers would draw the line at one $3 billion event for the decade...

 

Best Use of Cultural Capital funding

Most voters seemed a bit confused about this mysterious "Cultural Capital funding," so here's a quick rundown: Whistler was designated a 2009 Cultural Capital by the federal government and given $500,000 to help enrich our arts, culture and heritage offerings. Most of that money went to augment existing programs, and some was set aside to create a long-term cultural plan for the community. But now, our heyday as a Cultural Capital of Canada has run out, and the funding has evaporated along with the title.

"For us, a significant portion of it went to the Children's Art Festival, so we've seen even this year, in 2010, we saw a big difference in the programming at the Children's Art Festival," explained WAC executive director, Doti Niedermayer. "It still was a very vibrant, great festival, but we did have a lot less money this year for that."

A few of our more informed voters seems concerned that local artists wouldn't be supported now that we don't have the additional $500,000, while others were worried we wouldn't get outside acts coming in. According to Niedermayer, it's more likely that things will simply return to status quo, pre-designation days.

"I guess it's just a scaling back of a lot of our programs, because we allocated our Cultural Capitals funds to existing programs, so ArtWalk and the Art Workshops (On the Lake) and Children's Art Festival and the Whistler Winter Arts Festival, and so what we're missing is that injection that just took everything up a notch, and it's kind of sad for me to go up a notch -and we exploded during the Olympics - and now we're really back to 2008."

Now, groups like WAC are trying to keep Whistler's cultural landscape exciting, new and different, but are working with far fewer resources.

"So we really have to be strategic now in how we allocate those funds, because there are a lot less of them."

"I'll tell you, that half a million dollars in Cultural Capital funding was just magnificent for the community."

 

Biggest Local News Story

It's Whistler's smoking, stinky neighbour, the asphalt plant in Cheakamus Crossing. The facility has been operating across from Function Junction and the landfill for decades, but folks only started kickin' up a fuss when they realized they were actually moving in next door to a functioning industrial plant. The NIMBYs came out in full force to fight council and have the plant moved, and prompted council to reject the compromise plan of relocating the plant 150 metres away from its current location. Meanwhile, the plant is closed for the winter, council isn't doing anything until it reopens in the Spring and the saga continues. Stay tuned.

 

Best Use of Cultural Funding

Even though it actually opened in the summer of 2008 , the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre has again been named the best use of cultural funding.

Josh Anderson is a member of the Lil'wat Nation and Frontline Operations Coordinator at the SLCC. He explains that the facility helps to showcase the arts, culture and heritage of the Squamish and Lil'wat people to the world, and show that "our cultures are still alive and well today."

2010 was a huge year for the facility: on top of all the thousands of international Olympic visitors that came through their doors and the special torch ceremonies the centre hosted, they were also awarded a Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) award.

"It's actually really a big deal to be recognized and make such an impact, not only in the community, but to be recognized also nationally," said Anderson.

The centre also saw the return of three important historical artifacts: Chief Joe Capilano's blanket, a lost and forgotten totem carved by Chief Joe Matthias and the Charlie Mack canoe.

"It's been a really great year, and we look forward to even bigger and better things to come in 2011."

In the spring, they'll be rolling out the full "Cultural Journey" exhibit in the contemporary gallery space.

 

Best Website

According to an Ipsos Reid survey from earlier this year, Canadians are now spending more time each week online than watching television (an average of 18 hours/week on the web compared with 16.9 hours/week watching the tube.) While Whistler residents are usually pretty busy playing outside, many have been online enough checking the snow report to notice that Whistler Blackcomb has seriously upped the ante when it comes to their website, whistlerblackcomb.com .

Karla Grenon, interactive marketing manager for WB, explained that all of the company's creative materials were redesigned by local company, Origin Design, this winter, so they decided to change the website to match up. All told, it was a three-month process to get the new site ready to launch, but our readers think it was worth the work: it now features thousands of web pages, including some cool new features like "The Movement," where all online Whistler video, photos and stories are aggregated and shared, plus better flow for use on mobile devices and much faster loading.

 

Best Writer

The Sea to Sky region is full of talented scribes, but snowboard journalist Natalie Langmann has been selected as this year's favourite. A native of Aldergrove, B.C., Langmann first arrived in Whistler in 1994.

"I was going to stay for a year, shred pow, and then go figure out how I was going to write for Rolling Stone magazine," she wrote in a recent email, "Instead, I landed smack dab in the middle of the rise of snowboarding and decided that writing for Snowboard Canada was going to be my future dream job. I took a few year hiatus to Chamonix in the late '90s, only to realize that nothing in the world beats Whistler, and moved back. I got my first big break in writing ( Bralorne: Breaking the Code of Silence ), where I had purchased a haunted cabin, and took a bunch of pro-shreds to ride lines up there."

She actually comes from a long line of word nerds (her father and grandfather were both editors, and started the newspaper in her hometown,) so it should come as no surprise that she was hooked on writing at an early age.

"...When I was in grade four I entered a writing contest on why I should meet the Canucks and won: they read my tale on the radio, gave me a jersey, took my dad and I down to the change room to meet them, and gave me a hundred tickets to one of their games - I took a couple grades from my elementary school - and put my name congratulating me on the score board. The other is my rejection letter from Seventeen Magazine when I was 11. I still have it."

Since then, Langmann has been gone on assignment to locations that would make any powderhound drool.

"I've ridden and travelled with some of the best snowboarders in the world, but nothing beats riding every day in Whistler. These people in the articles I write live in our backyard. Doing Peak laps with them on a daily-basis is all-time and the story of our lives."

 

Sports & Recreation

 

Best Adult Ski Pro

For exposed big mountain lines, huge drops and steep powder turns, you really can't beat Dan Treadway , defending his title in this year's Best of Whistler for Best Adult Ski Pro.

The 34-year-old from Kenora, Ontario has been in the spotlight for over 15 years now, since he first arrived in Whistler in 1994, and he's still at the top of his game. He made the front page of the November issue of Freeskier . He also won the 2010 Powder Magazine award for Photo of the Year with local photographer Eric Berger, a shot that featured Treadway airing out over an ice cave. That imagine also won the Red Bull Illume award.

He has been featured in countless films and magazines, and occupies the top slot in the Rossignol Ski's International team.

In recent years he's also been featured for his backcountry snowmobiling. Like many skiers he started to use a sled to access more backcountry powder, but then started to get hooked on the ride. His specialty is big mountain lines, top-to-bottom sled runs that features steeps, trees, drops and other obstacles.

Treadway has actually been banned for skiing permanent out of bounds lines on Whistler Blackcomb and dropping cliffs that most people wouldn't look at twice.

Local ski cross gold medallist Ashleigh McIvor was second in this category by a few votes. While there's no question she can handle herself on a ski cross course, she's no slouch in the powder either and could probably pass you on any terrain on the mountain.

Third place went to Sean Pettit. While Whistler doesn't get to see too much of Sean as he travels the world competing and filming, the 18-year-old did take part in the Orage Masters during the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival, and has helped his team at K2 win twice - including the 2010 title.

Tim Cull came within a vote of Pettit, and deserves a mention - although a Google search doesn't turn up much in the way of skiing credits.

 

Best Adult Snowboard Pro

Maëlle Ricker ran away with this category and for good reason. She won the gold medal in snowboardcross at the 2010 Games, which was incredible given the level of the competition and the difficulty of the course. But what was more impressive was the way she won. Ricker crashed in the first qualifying run, and at the time there was a possibility that the second qualifying run wouldn't be held because of the fog. Things cleared up slightly to the relief of spectators and Ricker easily qualified for a spot in the brackets. Then, run after run, she dominated and seemed to get faster while the top girls in the world struggled on the big, fast course at Cypress Mountain, at last capturing the gold medal with a huge lead on the competition.

Ricker literally sacrificed everything for that medal, with extensive surgery on both of her knees.

Ricker went on to win the women's World Cup snowboardcross globe this season and then the overall snowboarding globe. For the second globe she entered a single halfpipe contest purely for the points, and did fairly well considering that she hasn't competed in halfpipe in the previous four years.

Ricker has now won everything there is to win her sport - World Cup medals, World Cup titles, and Olympic gold medal, X Games gold medals, national titles - except for a FIS World Championship title. She'll get her shot at that this winter.

Number two on the snowboard list is Devun Walsh. While he'll never win a gold medal in the backcountry he's one of the top names in snowboarding for the past 15 years. His picture sells magazines and promises of "Devun Walsh" segments sell movies. In 2008 he was named as one of the Most Influential Riders of All Time by Snowboarder Magazine .

 

Favourite Olympic Athlete and Favourite Whistler Athlete

It made sense to combine these categories this year, as there was a common winner for both - Olympic gold medallist Ashleigh McIvor . While she's best known for her skiing, she's also a skilled mountain biker and pretty good on a surfboard as well. If there is a potential for getting some air, she's in.

The Pique caught up to McIvor by e-mail in Italy in early December, where she was preparing to kick off her World Cup ski cross season.

"I am so incredibly honoured by this; words can't even explain my appreciation," she said. "We live in the best town when it comes to action sports, and there are so many amazing athletes who call it home. I had no idea lots of people would actually vote for me - I voted for Julia Murray, just for the record."

McIvor credits growing up in Whistler with her success.

"Growing up in this community I have always been surrounded by extraordinary people who are constantly raising the bar. Just having that kind of energy around me... it's always felt natural to push the limits and go all out. I really hope all of the people I get to shred with at home realize how much of an effect they've had on my success as an athlete. I feel like each and every Whistler kid could go and do what I've done, given the environment we've grown up in. Thank you SO MUCH for the support, Whistler!"

Kind of says it all.

In the Favourite Olympic Athlete category McIvor was seconded by Maëlle Ricker by a handful of votes. Sydney Crosby, who scored the overtime winner to give Canada the gold medal, was third in the votes, with skeleton athlete Jon Montgomery - who provided one of the best Whistler moments of the Games with his stroll through the village, pitcher of beer in hand - sitting a close fourth.

Ricker also finished a close second to McIvor in the Favourite Whistler Athlete group, followed by a list of dozens of other local athletes (in no particular order): Britt Janyk, Mike Janyk, Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Robbie Dixon, Rob Boyd, Richie Schley, Dan Treadway, Dana Flahr, Devun Walsh, Matty Richard, Mercedes Nicoll, Phil Chew, Tyler Allison, Austin Ross, Lindsay Debou, Brandon Semenuk, Mark Abma, David Higgins, Katrina Strand, Mark Abma, Sean Pettit, Sylvie Allen, Will Routley, Christine Suter, Chelsea Henitiuk, Dave Murray, Julia Murray, Sam Danniels, Stacey Kohut, Shane McConkey... and that's just the athletes with multiple votes.

 

Best Kid Ski Pro

Although he's now 18 years old, Sean Pettit was 17 at the start of the season and won this category hands-down. Not only did he help K2 win the Orage Masters title for the second time in three years, he also earned several awards at the Powder Video Awards this year, like "Breakthrough Performer," "Best Male" and the "Full Throttle" award for his performance in Matchstick Productions' In Deep . During the summer months he can be found on the glacier coaching the Camp of Champions, cultivating the next "Kid Ski Pro."

At the Orage Masters last year, Pettit told Pique that the best part about being a professional skier is all the skiing he gets to do.

"It's definitely a shocker for sure (to be a pro) but I try not to let it get to me," he said. "It's just me skiing as I would if I wasn't competing or wasn't filming. Anyone could do that if they really tried."

 

Best Kid Snowboard Pro

In the last few years local rider Dan Stubbs has garnered quite the following with 10 times as many votes in this category as any other athlete. For samples of his work, filmed by the Whistler Valley Snowboard Club, I'd check out the You Tube, starting with the 2007-2008 season when he was just 15 years old.

 

Best Run on Whistler Blackcomb

During the Olympics, the biggest sporting event in the world, you could still ski out to Creekside. Consider that. On any given day there could be 10,000 spectators, athletes, coaches, course workers, journalists and so forth at the timing flats, but anybody with two skis or a snowboard could bypass all that and take the Peak to Creek run to the Creekside base.

Peak to Creek , the winner of this category for the third year in a row, is quite a run. It's technically a blue run, but with seven kilometres of snow and a drop of 1,600 metres from top to bottom - not counting the drop down Frontier Pass from the Peak Chair to the entrance - it's no cruiser.

In fact, Peak to Creek is one of the longest continuous runs in North America, if not the world. And you can straight-line it the entire way on a powder day.

Tree runs were second and third on the list this year, with the Christmas Trees area in second and Million Dollar Ridge in third. Flute Bowl placed fourth, edging out the Lower Dave Murray Downhill. Corona, outside of the boundary, beat Bagel Bowl, Bagel Bowl tied with Whistler Bowl, Whistler Bowl topped Catskinner, and Bear Paw tied with Cockalorum, Jersey Cream and West Cirque. Big Timber and West Bowl tied for 10th with 10 votes apiece.

 

Best Coach

After more than five years coaching with the Canadian Alpine Ski Team, Whistler's Rob Boyd stepped down after the Games in order to spend more time with his wife and two kids in Whistler. He is back coaching with the Whistler Mountain Ski Club this season, the club where he launched his coaching career in 2002 and spent two seasons before making the leap to the national stage.

It's the perfect place for the former World Cup racer. The WMSC club cabin in Creekside is located just metres from the home where Boyd grew up, learning to ski and race with the local club before joining the national team for a dozen seasons. He has three World Cup victories to his credit - including a win in Whistler in 1989, which is still remembered as one of the best parties ever hosted in this town - plus six other podium appearances.

His work with the national women's speed team really showed in recent years, with athletes like Britt Janyk, Emily Brydon and Kelly VanderBeek reaching the podium several times.

Other coaches to get more than two votes include Katrina Strand, Jordan Glasser, Cat Smiley, Jen Ashton, Christine Suter, Maria Lundgre, Willie Raine and Cole Manson.

 

Best Bike Trail

A moment of silence for the winner of this year's Best Bike Trail award.

In the fall, following heavy rains, Rainbow Creek burst its banks and demolished the river bridge on A River Runs Through It . You could still cross the bridge, but it was considerably less safe than it was in its previous form.

The water has been trying to break the banks for years, prompting a massive effort to redirect the water around the point, but in the end the creek could not be denied.

Rather than abandon Whistler's favourite freeride trail, tens of thousands of dollars worth of wood bridging and thousands of hours of work, paid and volunteer, the Resort Municipality and Whistler Off Road Cycling Association are going to work together to relocate the river crossing next spring.

Second on the list was A-Line, still one of the most popular trails in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park. The Lost Lake trails, sometimes called the Zappa trails because of the tendency to name trails sections after Zappa songs, were third.

Also earning multiple votes were Comfortably Numb, Danimal, Dirt Merchant, Kill Me Thrill Me, Sea to Sky Trail, Valley Trail, High Society, Cut Yer Bars, Train Wreck, Tunnel Vision, B-Line, Crank It Up, Freight Train, Hey Bud, Ride Don't Slide and Schleyer.

 

Best Indoor Sport

The good ol' hockey game was the best game Whistlerites could name. And the best game Whistlerites could name was the good old hockey game. With three adult leagues, a thriving minor hockey association, and probably two weeks of the best pond hockey conditions seen here in years last winter, it was a great year for anybody with skates. Wining a gold medal in the Olympics also helps.

Yoga, the only thing we do here that keeps us out of the clinic, ranked second, followed by indoor climbing at The Core.

 

Best Outdoor Sport

Although skiing has no doubt captured a little market share back from snowboarding in recent years, this was the closest vote for Best Outdoor Sport in the past 10 years - a virtual tie between two plankers and knuckle draggers.

Skiing was victorious once again but the margin was just two votes.

Mountain biking was third, followed by golf.

 

Best Loonie Race Sponsor

The Whistler Real Estate Company and Race and Company hosted a great Toonie Ride this year, with a course that wound up and down the flank of Blackcomb and through Lost Lake Park. It was the apres that really stood out, however, with a party at Merlin's featuring the Hairfarmers.

Whistler Brewing was second in votes, and deserves a special mention for co-sponsoring several WORCA events this year as well as the West Side Wheel Up and the Halloween Toonie Ride.

 

Best Bike Tech

There are a few people that everyone in Whistler needs in their life - a good bartender, a good physiotherapist, a good chirpractor and an ace bike mechanic.

With a wide range of bikes that are used to the limit, Whistler's bike mechanics are probably among the best in the world. There's nothing they haven't seen. And thanks to them, we have the confidence in our rigs to ride trails that anywhere else in the world would have been closed down as a public health risk.

This year Kevin Freeman earned the most votes in this category, followed by James Barrett at The Fix and Kevan Kobayashi at Fanatyk Co.

 

Best Adventure Tour

ZipTrek Ecotours' Whistler operation (they're also in New Zealand these days) now boasts 10 lines measuring a total of 2.3 km, all of which can be zipped in an afternoon on their Mammoth Tour.

ZipTrek also played a huge role in the Olympic animation in downtown Vancouver, offering a free 170 metre zip line over the GE ice rink at Robson Square. People lined up for four hours or more for the experience, and all of them came away happy.

Canadian Snowmobile Adventures, which offers tours on Blackcomb and the Callaghan Valley, and recently added dogsledding to their tour lineup, were second in the voting, followed closely by WildPlay at Cougar Mountain. Activities there include the Whistler Zip Line and Monkido Tree Course.

 

Best Heli-ski Run

With near-record snowfall last winter, Rainbow heli-ski drops - mostly self-guided - were a big seller last year. Mt. Currie, which also allows self-guided tours, was second.

 

Health and Fitness

 

Best Chiropractor

The evolutionary processes that allowed man to walk upright could never have taken into account how much time we would spend hunched over on skis, snowboards and mountain bikes, (and computers for that matter) or the forces at play when mass, gravity and speed win the battle.

As a chiropractor in Whistler, Keith Ray has seen it all and has helped countless clients get back to the things that they enjoy, whether it's going downhill on skis or being able to sit upright in a chair.

"On behalf of all of us at Whistler Chiropractic I would like to thank all our

patients for their continued support," he said. "We feel privileged to have been able to live and work in such a special place for the past 14 years. We are very excited this year to have a great team providing chiropractic, acupuncture, massage therapy and nutritional counseling. We look forward to many more years of helping Whistler locals stay healthy and active."

 

Best Physiotherapist

Allison MacLean at Peak Performance has won this award so many times that the category should be renamed "Best Physiotherapist other than Allison MacLean."

Chiropractors can realign our bones and provide instant relief, but physiotherapists provide therapy - helping people to recover from injuries, treating chronic injuries and pain, strengthening weaknesses, stretching out tight areas, and correcting the things that make us sore by emphasizing the right posture and movements.  For that reason they're the unsung heroes in Whistler, and sports in general - behind every great athlete, you'll find a great physio.

MacLean is that great physio for a lot of Whistlerites.

"I have to thank my patients and the community," said MacLean after being told she won the Best Of award for this year. "I'm very fortunate to work with all the amazing therapists and crew here at Peak Performance - it's not just me, it's all of us. And I should thank my father. Dr. John MacLean passed away recently, and he was my mentor. And I would really like to dedicate this award, if that's what it's called, to him."

Bianca Matheson, also from Peak Performance, placed second in this category, followed by Jeremy Souchotte, Lorraine Fawcett-Grills and Nicole Heisterman in a three-way tie for third.

 

Best Doctor

Dr. Cathryn Zeglinski was your choice for Whistler's Best Doctor this year, although she's been doing a lot more than practicing medicine. As a mountain biker, she competed in pretty much every local event this year from the B.C. Bike Race to the Cheakamus Challenge, always winning or placing in her category. As an advocate for her patients, she's taken on the regional health authority regarding the high rates charged to out-of-country workers and guests to see a doctor or to get necessary scans like x-rays.

As a doctor, she's all about modernizing, and keeps electronic records of her patients that can be easily shared with other medical offices, and she works with accredited athletes from the region that need to have that information handy.

"I am honoured to be voted Best Doctor as I truly love and am passionate about our community and the infinite possibilities that still exist within Whistler," she said. "I have a vision of improving our medical care to the community to allow more access locally and less reliance on accessing medical testing and care externally in Vancouver. I accepted appointment to the board of the Whistler Health Care Foundation to be able to assist with the next phase of medical development. With a burgeoning rate of births, many newborns and new families in Whistler, and many more seniors aging in place, we need to look beyond the acute trauma model of provision of care and create a plan of health care for the future. We have the potential to be a high performance sports medicine and orthopedic centre, which will assist in allocating resources and attracting skilled health care workers to improve access to care for all the injured in our community. The community has such amazing and talented individuals and so much potential exists as most individuals have made a very conscious decision to be here and truly reflect the idea of community - looking out for each other."

While Dr. Z was the winner in this category, pretty much every doctor in town got multiple votes. Dr. Karin Kausky was the runner-up, followed by Dr. Kristin Johnston, Dr. Lauren Shaw, Dr. Ian Tamplin and Dr. Janice Carr, all separated by a handful of votes.

 

Medical Clinic

Whistler Medical Clinic , with occupies part of the second floor of the Whistler Health Care Centre, won for best clinic this year. They definitely have the biggest and best waiting room area, especially if you have kids, and if you need a scan or a test you don't need to pick up a coat.

The Northlands Medican Clinic was a close second, followed by Town Plaza in third.

 

Best Dental Clinic/Best Dentist

Creekside Dental again topped our list of tooth jockeys once again, and Dr. James Mackenzie is more or less our local "Best Dentist" for life. Dr. Phil Gaudin was second and Dr. David Perizzolo third in the voting for Best Dentist, while Whistler Dental and Aarm Dental were second and third for dental clinic.

 

Massage Therapist

Magdalena Regdos has the magic hands this year, edging out Lesley Byford, ourtney Edy, Andrea Moore, Lori McGee, Colleen Fraser-Wight, Nicola Temple, Kathryn Lord... and that's just the massage therapists with over 20 votes.

 

Best Esthetician

Husbands take note: for hair care, hair removal, nails and other beauty treatments , Lindy Campbell/Scott took the most votes in this category, one vote ahead of Stacey Graf.

 

Best Hair Stylist / Hair Salon

Sarah Williamson at The Loft took the top tonsorial honours this year by just one vote over Carlos Marquez, also from The Loft. In a related story, the winner for Best Hair Salon was The Loft.

The Loft Salon, which provides hair salon, tanning and nail services, is located on Main Street, and may be the only Whistler salon with a mission statement: "To provide both men and women with professional and skilled expertise, affordable service and complete satisfaction in an atmosphere that is relaxed, comfortable and inviting."

 

Best Health Trend

Whistler became something of an international yoga hot spot this year, hosting the first Whistler Yoga Conference, inviting yoga instructors from across North America to participate in workshops. It was the natural next step for a trend that's becoming more mainstream every day.

Yoga has been the Best Health Trend in Whistler almost a decade now, and shows not signs of slowing down. And why should it? Yoga has been shown to reduce stress, increase your mental well-being, increase your core strength and muscle tone, increase your flexibility, loosen and lubricate your joints, and - this is the big one - reduce your chance of injury.

Some of the other trends to get multiple votes include CrossFit, pilates classes, relaxing at the Scandinave Spa, BodyStorm, biking, eating organic and eating locally.

 

Best Fitness Facility

You can literally spend a day at Meadow Park , with activities ranging from drop-in hockey to fitness classes to swimming to squash to quality time with your muscles and lungs in the weight and cardio rooms.

The facility also gets high environmental marks. A new system is reducing the amount of chlorine in the pool, while a mix of geothermal, solar and natural gas warms the water for the pool and changerooms. Altogether, these improvements are expected to reduce costs for Meadow Park by over $200,000 per year, once the capital investment is covered.

Other fitness opportunities to get votes include The Core gym and climbing centre, the Whistler Creek Athletic Centre, the new Oros Whistler Gymnastics facility, the Canadian Sports Centre gym, CrossFit, and Innovative Fitness, to name just a few. In a town like Whistler you have to work hard to avoid getting healthy.

 

Shops & Wares

 

Best Place for Deals

Re-Use-It Centre - There's just something about brik-a-brac that's hard to resist. Kitty teapots, Scottish wineglasses, sweaters for every season, party, and mood - the Re-Use-It Centre has everything you'll ever need and everything you don't. It's impossible to imagine any other business that could match it, not with $10 TVs, high-waisted ski pants in classic neon colours, and bargain prices for everything. Just keep in mind that the Re-Use-It Centre is run by the Whistler Community Services Centre and they do good things for people in our community, so keep a lid on it if you're the type to bargain over $2 ski poles.

(Note to readers: It's hard to beat the Re-Use-It Centre for deals but Evolution managed to come second - clap, clap, clap!)

 

Best Bike Shop

Fanatyk Co - These guys could have won based on the bad-assness of their name alone. But their knowledge of the all-so-crucial velocipede ( noun: a vehicle, usually having two or three wheels, that is propelled by the rider ) gear is stellar too, whether it's a hipster cruiser or a knarly Knolly.

"I think visitors and locals recognize that, they recognize staff that are excited about what they're doing, they're fanatic about skiing and biking and that comes through," says co-owner, Kevan Kobayashi. "I think it's also that on any give day myself or Scotty are in the shop, I think that goes a long way with both staff and visitors."

 

Best Ski Shop

Fanatyk Co - We here at Pique think winning this category in a SKI town is a strawberry honour, what with all the picky snow junkies who like their stuff just-so. All the Whistler ski shops cover their bases when it comes to quality equipment, but a major selling point at Fanatyk Co is the staff.

"I think the reason people keep coming back is that we've had the same staff almost since the day we opened, we have a lot of real characters in the shop," said co-owner Kevan Kobayashi. "We're staffed by locals who live in town, who live in Squamish, who live in Pemberton. They've been here for years and understand what it takes to operate a real ski shop, and likewise with the bikes.

 

Best Snowboard Shop

Showcase - Whistler Blackcomb (WB) knows a thing or two about retail, and they should - it is their job to keep a finger on the pulse of cool. That's why people like to snowboard here, for the big mountains and excellent mountain culture that's been shaped by WB. Showcase (owned by WB), with its snowboard-specific gear, stance know-how and excellent service, pushes it to the top of the pile of snowboard shops working to smooth every rider's experience.

"Thanks to all locals out there that voted Showcase "Best Snowboard Shop," said Graham Turner, the man behind the Showcase scene. "Showcase has been in the valley since 1989 and (we have) really enjoyed watching groms become teenagers, teenagers becoming adults and the old dogs getting younger. We hope you all enjoy our product, services and events for many years to come."

Awwww!

 

Best Shop for Women

Evolution - There is NOTHING a woman hates more than splurging on the perfect outfit only to see it across the room on another girl - especially if said bird wears it better than you. The thing about Evolution is that most of their merchandise is unique and they support local designers, which can help you feel local, even if you're not.

"It's probably our vast selection and because we're a unique boutique and we only have one of each so if you shop here you know you're getting something that no one else is going to have on," said Evolution's Lauren Ritz. Props to Evolution for keeping scrappy girl brawls from taking place on local dance floors.

 

Best Shop for Men

Evolution - The men have spoken. Or their girlfriends have spoken for them. Same difference. When it comes to style-y man-threads, Evolution landed at the top of the heap. Labeled best of the bunch for its ability to cover broad shoulders and small bums of Whistler's hairy-set, Evolution has been helping folks look good on (and off) the hill for 15 years.

"You feel like you're walking into a place where everyone knows you," said Evolution's Lauren Ritz. "We have great music too, always. Luckily we all have good taste so at the end of the day it doesn't really matter."

 

Financial Institution

Royal Bank - The Royal Bank of Canada - or RBC to be brief - nailed customer satisfaction to the wall and framed it. The tellers are shiny, the bank notes crisp, the loonies not chocolate and the wait times low. It's hard for a bank to be popular these days - as with cell service providers, folks are quick to bolt when the going gets tough . Bank service is literally about your time and money, which is as critical as it gets when you live in a hip mountain town with loads to do and no money to do it. To top it off they have finally developed smartphone apps for iPhone and Blackberry so you can do your banking from the chairlift. Thank you Royal, for being truly Canadian and letting us get ahead in line.

 

Best Grocery Store

Nesters - Everybody loves Nesters, it's almost like a cult. Upon entering the store people's eyes glaze over. They wander down the perfectly-lit isles squeezing ripe fruit and pretending not to notice the beautiful girl in the furry hood selecting pomegranates. In one fell swoop, Nesters harnesses the joys of cooking and eating - even if you leave with a bag of chips and some chocolate milk at least you were momentarily inspired to chef up a five course meal using organic pork tenderloin and delicate, Pemberton grown carrots.

 

Best Lawyer

Sholto Shaw - We wondered if the category for a town's favourite lawyer is an oxymoron. But Sholto's done it, charmed the pants off a cynical public with his Latinized legalese. Though we're sure he's a really good lawyer too.

 

 

Best Mortgage Specialist

Chantal Jackson - Besides being great at her job, Chantal was chosen for her understanding - she knows exactly why people want to live here. For example, when Pique called to share the good news the first thing she said was, "I was debating whether to answer because I'm on a chairlift right now..."

Yes Chantal, you can have our business because you're living the dream and can help us achieve ours, too - hopefully from the chairlift.

 

Photo Supplies

GS Photo - No all prints are created equal, and in Whistler GS Photo's are the best. Owner Kym says the key to his success has everything to do with his staff.

"The two girls that run it are great, they make it happen," he said. "They do a lot of stuff there, it makes a difference."

So Christina and Ashley, you girls make the difference - take a bow.

 

Best Realtor

Donnie Carmichael - It's easy to feel pressured or ignored when you're buying a house, even though it's the highest singular expenditure most of us will ever make. Donnie gets this, and will hold your hand through the entire, nerve-wracking process.

 

Best Store for Browsing and Exploring

Evolution - Sometimes it's just nice to poke around and dream of all the things you'll buy one day, without actually doing it. Some like to window-shop, but it's even more fun to go in and aimlessly try on clothes with no intention of purchasing. Evolution offers lots of browsing potential, probably because they have so many local products that can't be found elsewhere. And they'll probably get you pretty close to buying something, 'cause they're good like that.

"We've been really trying to push that we give deals lately and it's nice to see that locals know that now, they can always find things that are cool and affordable," said Ritz.

 

Video Store

1) Rogers or 2) Rogers . There was a time where a small ski town couldn't function without a movie store, and even in the age of the Internet it seems Whistlerites still appreciate their flick picks in hardcopy. Congrats, Rogers - we'd call this a shutout if you weren't the only video store in town!