THE WHISTLER BLACKCOMB STRATEGIC ALLIANCE TEAM

GMC has been a valued partner of Whistler Blackcomb for over 25 years and we’re thrilled to continue the partnership! GMC supplies us with trust-worthy precision built vehicles that are essential for the daily operations of our business, both on and off the mountains. With their tracked out All-Mountain trucks, professional grade GMC Race Center on Blackcomb Mountain and the GMC Pump Track in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, GMC continues to deliver experiences of a lifetime to our guests. With a chance to participate at the GMC Pump Track Challenge on July 20th or going head to head in a dual slalom at the GMC Race Center in the winter, there is a lot to look forward to with this esteemed partnership.

For the first time ever, Whistler Blackcomb hosted the Canadian National Finals for Diageo’s World Class Bartending Competition. The competition takes place annually in 60 countries around the world, with the winners from each participating country competing in an epic week of challenges, which culminate with the World Class Bartender of the Year being announced.

The Canadian National Finals took place from June 2nd to 4th in Whistler Village and at the Summit of Whistler Mountain. The ten Canadian finalists took part in a variety of amazing race style challenges atop Whistler at Steeps Patio, Umbrella Bar and on the PEAK 2 PEAK gondola, all in hopes of being crowed the champion. It was Vancouver’s, Jeff Savage that was named Canada’s Bartender of the Year and who will represent Canada on the world stage later this year.

Following the competition, the GLC opened its doors for the official after party which included sampling of both Bulleit Bourbon & Don Julio.

The ever-popular race series, Phat Wednesdays, returned for another season with the first race on May 29th. The nine week series invites bikers to put their skills to the test on a different trail every week. With 8 categories, the race celebrates the best in biking every week and is complete with an awesome après at the GLC and loads of cool prizing from Kokanee. Missed the race? Catch the recap every week on PINKBIKE.

Through our wonderful partnership with Arterra Wines Canada, we are grateful to offer employees of Whistler Blackcomb on the Food and Beverage team the opportunity to participate in two courses through the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET). Early in the New Year, eligible employees began the online, self-guided WSET 1 course, which provided them with the fundamental knowledge to understanding and selling wine including, how to taste, grape growing, wine making and more. Come spring, we congratulated 22 graduates of the course!

As we approach the next winter season, graduates of the WSET 1, from this year and previous years, will be invited to participate in WSET 2, which provides further in-depth knowledge of major wine regions, grape varieties, tasting and spirits. This includes 16-20 hours of class time and self-study. It is because of opportunities like this that we are able to grow and develop the F&B team and offer exceptional service to our guests. A special thanks to Arterra for this wonderful continuing education experience.

Last season saw the closure of the Ascent Trail due to the construction of the Blackcomb Gondola. The much anticipated re-opening of these trails kicked off on June 8th with the opening of Little and Big Burn trails. The Blackcomb Ascent Trails are three interconnected uphill hiking trails that meander through beautiful old growth coastal rain forest terrain on Blackcomb Mountain. The trails total 6.2km in distance, with an elevation gain of 1,200 meters. July 6th will see the opening of the top section, famously named Heart Burn, and for those who dare to take it on, and whose legs can handle it, will find themselves stop Blackcomb at the beautiful Rendezvous Lodge – and what better way to celebrate your accomplishment than with a drink and snack at Christine’s.