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Happy Stinking Campers
Or How to Hit on the Coach

Every summer we are forced into reading stories about sweet summer session camps or southern hemisphere adventures we can only dream of — always knowing full well that our best chance at making turns involves prolonged drives followed by painful, sweaty, hikes ending in turns that could reward the mind and soul if our legs weren't burning so horribly and failing from lack of use.

Then there's the occasional magazine flip-through on the local rack. It's almost nauseating to feel so distanced from that love of snow under your feet, that cold wind in your face. You try to remind yourself of the sound your board makes when you carve. You bring the magazine into the freezer with the hopes of recalling a glimpse. All to no avail. You're wearing sandals, shorts and shades and you couldn't be further from snow. What's a rider to do?

"Blackcomb's upper mountain was open to riding including Seventh Heaven down to the top of Solar Coaster. The camps were bumpin'..."

You can always go hiking, keep hiking, and call yourself a hiker. It's not a bad life, but doesn't offer a lot of interaction. Or you could shave your body, bust out your Speedo and join the water polo team or steal a car and drive it to Argentina. All highly unlikely. The only true way to keep your legs fresh and edge control sharp when you don't live in sight of the mountains is to sign yourself up for camp.

The good news is that boarding camp ain't no boot camp and it ain't all about boarding. I checked out Mount Hood's summer fun last year so this year I weaseled my way up to Whistler (under the excuse of possible personal sponsorship of Kokanee) to see how the glaciers and camps were holding up.




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Tara Teigen Video Interview

"Summer camp's a great opportunity, it's all up and comers and little rippers riding around... It's so much fun..."


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Sure enough, the snow still encompassed so much of the top of both Whistler and Blackcomb that the high hiking trails remained closed and all of Blackcomb's peak was open to riding, including Seventh Heaven. The camps were bumpin'. Mogul fields, gates, parks, kickers, pipes and rails for all to enjoy. Well, not really. The skiers did get a bit upset when I tried to point it down the moguls.

The camps are a-plenty and cater to every discipline possible. Each camp keeps pretty much to their one little piece of the glacier for their session. I checked out the big 'ol Camp of Champions, which included skiers and snowboarders for the first time this summer, and found them all launching in perfect harmony. The other boarding camps include Glacier Snowboard Camp and Whistler Summer Snowboard Camp each with its own staff of ripping pro riders.

They all get grinding in June and end by mid-July. The snow only stays slick in the morning so pack your nugz and get on the bus early. Oh yeah, the bus. It'll remind you of summer school. That is, as long as you got out of summer school this year. Yeah, like you don't know what I'm tawkin' bout, eh?



Brian Savard Video Interview

"Very interesting summer for the fact that we had skiers this year... it's pretty interesting to watch these guys chuck all over the place..."



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The glaciers are high on Blackcomb so you can pack all your gear and ride the lifts in sneakers. We were lucky enough to enjoy the bitsy black bear cub beneath us crying for breakfast as momma bear slumbered back with the "do we have to go through this every morning" look. Then it's time to get on the bus. The bus brings you to the base of Seventh Heaven and then your final ascent to the infamous Horstman Glacier.

Here the T-bars take over and each camp has its own piece of the pie. I jibbed on down to meet up with local Glacier Camp coach and boardercrosser extraordinaire Drew Neilson for a little summer reflection and survey of the situation. When the opportunity to whack a few golfballs at the lift shack below became a thing to behold, our converstaion was cut very short. But after ski patrol put a halt to our fun, the U-trench and the quarter pipe began boosting up hungry campers. So Drew excused himself because he couldn't resist the big booter.


I did a bit of spinning, but my summer legs were thinking more along the lines of surfing than snowboarding, so I stuck to schmoozing and checked up on the cutest coach in the bunch, Tara Tiegen and K2 cowboy and big mountain legend, Brian Savard. Lastly I hooked up with the Playahz boardercross captain Omar Lundie. I stuck a camera in all their faces while bonking a mic upside all their heads just to bring you a little closer to the lifestyles of the fun-lovin' and freeridin'. Click on their heads to hear what they're up to and get a glimpse of the good life, BC style.

Then, as if the young happy campers showing me up at every hit wasn't enough, I opted to get the bike beat outta me along some of Whistler's fine bike trails. The kids made me bleed and laughed as I ate dirt and whimpered. Being camp and all, they waited and cheered as I got back in the saddle and tried to remember what it was like before I knew pain. Biking, however, is only a piece of the freewheelin' fun to be had at camp.


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Omar Lundie Video Interview

"We had a record breaking winter and we had tons of snow pack up here so we've been up here for five weeks, it's been absolutely beautiful, the best snow I've ever had on the glacier."

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First things first, it's Whistler. This place is like Disneyland in the mountains. So there's skateboarding, rafting, basketball, street hockey, golf, trampoline, paintball, rock climbing, swimming, alpine slides, trapeze training, and hiking. The slew of shops in the village is more than enough to last you a full stay. Campers stay at nice hotels and get fed phat lunches on the glacier. The atmosphere is all about pushing yourself to perform. There's no attitude here because the mix is so diverse. It's mainly a teen-aged crowd, but they easily accepted my aging ass into the group with a smile and a nod.

Since the board companies all sponsor the summer fun, there's plenty of equipment to demo and plenty of swag to pass along to the happy campers for any reason, from good attitude to best crash off the quarter pipe.

All in all, it's a great way to spend your paper route money, gain some skills and make some lasting friendships.


Hans Prosl, feeling old and brittle in Whistler for MountainZone.com


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