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What a difference a decade makes!

As the writer who was fortunate enough to be assigned by editor Bob Barnett to do the very first story in Pique magazine 10 years ago, it was interesting to have another journalist revisit that article in the context of where Whistler is today.

As the writer who was fortunate enough to be assigned by editor Bob Barnett to do the very first story in Pique magazine 10 years ago, it was interesting to have another journalist revisit that article in the context of where Whistler is today. (After the gold rush, Pique Nov. 25).

The sense that I come away with after reading Cindy Filipenko’s article is that between now and 2010, Whistler’s in a bit of a tough spot. Back when I wrote that story in 1994, Whistler was coming off this remarkable "three-peat" victory in reader’s polls in Snow Country magazine, as well as a two-year consecutive ranking in SKI magazine. The ’90s were a different time for travel – Americans were more adventurous (where the hell is this Whistler place, anyway?), the exchange rate was stratospheric (one friend told me "they gave me all of this extra money at the bank, so of course I’m going to spend it!"), the kind of people made rich by the whole dot-com boom were exactly the demographic that Whistler was looking for, (how many of us have ridden the chair with Microsofties or others who "cashed out" at a pre-retirement age to buy a place at Whistler?). These events are not likely to repeat themselves again in our lifetime.

Remember, too, that Whistler had a unique story to tell back in the ’90s, when new lifts were being added on an almost yearly basis and the international press was giddy at "discovering" this new Canadian gem. Now, most skiers and snowboarders have heard that story and written their own by visiting here. Not that anyone should take it personally, but most of the skiers and snowboarders whom I know are pretty adventurous – one unforeseen problem with the higher Canadian dollar is that I’m sure it won’t take long for tour operators in, say, Toronto, to start offering attractively-priced packages to places like Vail, Aspen, Jackson Hole, and Utah. I’d bet that there’s a pent-up demand by a lot of skiers to try destination resorts in the United States simply for a different experience – in the same way the hard-core Whistler skiers might decamp to the Austrian Alps, Chamonix, or Verbier for a holiday. (Last year at Monashee Powder cat skiing, I met a Vancouver lawyer who once owned a place in Whistler but who now spends two weeks each winter skiing in St. Anton – how bizarre is that?)

Having skied at resorts in Colorado in the last three years (Telluride, Vail, and Crested Butte), I can honestly say that the value for the dedicated skier is still there in Whistler, but the key word here is "dedicated." Whistler has never sold itself on being "all things to all people" and has flourished on selling an ever-youthful vibe and image that maybe some aging baby boomers are feeling somewhat disconnected from. Skat Petersen at Red Mountain once told me that "it’s what’s under your skis that counts," and as a hard-core skier, I wanted to believe him. Now, I’m not so sure.

At Big White, for instance, one of the first questions that would-be guests pose to the reservations agents is "does our unit have one of those hot tubs on the deck?" The people asking these questions aren’t swingers, they’re parents of kids looking to keep the family occupied and spend some relaxing down-time snuggling into a luxury condo unit where the ski run is outside the door. They might pop $30 for an Australian pinot at the town liquor store to help wash down their home-made pasta. I don’t know if that’s a demographic that Whistler is really pursuing. You can’t beat that slopeside convenience, and a lot of vacationers just want to be "left alone" these days.

Telling any of the marketing folks in 1999 that "value" would be creeping into the vocabulary five years later would likely have been met with derision and disdain. As someone who always chafed a bit at the arrogance surrounding Whistler’s so-called supremacy, having to eat a bit of humble pie would seem to be a good thing. I also think that bridges need to be built with the Vancouver skier, who was pretty damned near taken for granted for the past two decades. You find a lot of former Whistler skiers schussing at Sun Peaks and Silver Star on spring break. And while it’s great to show images of skiers and riders ripping it up on Spanky’s or Flute Basin, the sad fact is that most aging baby-boomers are only doing this kind of skiing in their dreams. (Note to marketing dept: keep those Paul Morrison powder shots, though. It keeps the stoke alive.) The story did not mention the impact of weather, but I rather suspect that skiers and riders who’ve experienced one or two bad days might be wanting to head for sunnier skies, for at least one vacation.

The success of Whistler has driven an enormous amount of winter business into the B.C. Interior as well. No-one in their wildest dreams would have guessed that Big White would have slopeside accommodation for over 15,000 guests even five years ago, let alone 10. Then there’s the fact that real estate projects at Sun Peaks sell out just as quickly as they do at Whistler. Add in Kicking Horse, Fernie, new ownership at Red Mountain and even Mount Baldy, and you’ll see that the success of Whistler has truly kick-started a provincial winter vacation economy that has gone well beyond what has occurred up and down the Sea-to-Sky corridor. Where Whistler truly has a leg up on these resorts is in off-season activities – between the golf courses, the mountain bike park, the fabulous hiking, and the summer festivals, the infrastructure is obviously there for long-term viability. In my travels throughout the province to other resorts, I seriously question whether the "four season" trade is really there or not.

The businesses in Whistler that are modelled on consistent revenues and realistic growth expectations are the ones that will succeed in the long run. When you look at Araxi’s and La Rua, the two high-profile restaurants mentioned in the story, their success in a business that is surely one of the easiest ways of turning a big fortune into a small one is remarkable. Independent shop owners are the backbone of any vibrant community, otherwise, you might as well just go down to the mall for your vacation.

I have lived in Kelowna for the past three years, and many of the same challenges that Whistler faced in the ’90s are being felt here. There’s a plethora of minimum wage jobs, but rents are by far the highest in the Interior. The tourism economy is dependent on reliable, high-calibre servers and staff, yet there’s nowhere to live. The fact that Whistler and its "company town" employer have at least attempted to address these problems shows a far sightedness that could guarantee Whistler’s future success where other resorts fail. It’s pretty amazing to look at the turnout for things like the Whistler-Blackcomb job fair, for instance. Somewhat amazingly, Whistler is still very popular with people who actually want to move there and make a living.

Finally, I have to mention the incredibly good job that Bob and Kathy Barnett have done in producing a high-quality newsmagazine that is topical, well-written, and offers articles and insights that are of interest to both locals and visitors alike. Noted former magazine editor Paul Sullivan once said that "a magazine should be like your best friend‚" and every time I’m in Whistler, or even in Vancouver for that matter, I pick up Pique to find out what’s really happening in your robust, ever-changing community. In my travels throughout the province, I see dozens of daily and community newspapers and, aside from perhaps Georgia Straight, few can touch the Pique for accurately reflecting the issues and controversies facing their community. As a former co-owner in Coast magazine, I’m well-aware of the difficulties and challenges in finding the financial backers, advertisers, designers, writers, and photographers to put out a publication on a regular basis. Well done, Pique gang – here’s to another 10 prosperous years!