Spring conditions are out in full force here. Blue skies, slushy snow and patio barbeques have become the standard for the last week or so.

The Friday Race Series held its wrap at Masa’s Bar + Grill last week and I was encouraged to see so many young racers who took part in the year’s events. Who knows where these little speed racers will end up? Sun Peaks has been known to turn out a few high performance models!

Elli Terwiel has gone along way from her home slopes of Sun Peaks. Named to the Canadian National Development Ski Team in 2007 she just finished racing in Lake Placid at the U.S. Nationals and was top 15 in the Nor-Am standings despite not competing in the speed events and 4th in the slalom standings. She will wrap up her season with the Canadian Championships in Nakiska this week.

“I’m feeling really good,” she said. “I’m quite ready and it will be a good way to end the year.”

It’s been an interesting year for Elli, full of challenges, new experiences and emotion. During a 2008 training session in Austria a bad fall left her with a torn ACL among other injuries. 

But she learned to walk again. And she learned to ski –fast, again. Over a year later she won the first Nor-Am victory of her career at Panorama in December of 2009.

“I’m such a competitive person so it was hard to have that year off,” said Terwiel. “But now I feel I’m right where I was before or even better. It made me appreciate everything so much more and really showed me I should keep doing what I love.

“I think it was a big part of my career to have that happen to me and to come back. It showed me how successful I have been and how successful I want to be.”

So in Vancouver last month she joined the rest of the nation in cheering on the athletes and took in everything she could as a forerunner for the Women’s Alpine and GS events.

“It was absolutely incredible,” she said. “It makes you realize how beautiful sport is at that high level.”


Elli forerunning in Vancouver

It also made her realize that when it comes down to it, the Olympics are just another race. She feels by taking part and seeing what went on behind the scenes has given her a huge advantage for 2014.

“The people who were relaxed and weren’t stiff were the ones who were winning,” she said. And Elli wasn’t there alone either. She got to share the experience with her parents, who were on a volunteer crew helping to prepare the course for the races.

“It was such an amazing thing,” she said. “How often do you get to experience the Olympics in your home country with your family?”

But Elli knows the road to 2014 won’t be easy. Her plan to get there is simply to do the work.

“I have to be sure I’m doing all the preparation I can, mentally and physically,” she said. Elli trains hard in the off season as well and works with a sports psychologist.

“It’s a pretty rough game and I’m going to play it well.”

Although she has traveled all over the Europe racing, she still feels Sun Peaks is one the most beautiful places in the world.

Since she began skiing this mountain in 1992 she has forged a strong bond with the community and the terrain.

“I have so many great memories there,” she said. “Like winning the Top to Bottom’s Race!”

Racing this mountain is definitely a family tradition. Her brother Justin is a race coach for the Sun Peaks Alpine Club and both her parents, George and Anne are ski instructors and masters racers.

Elli said she feels she wouldn’t be where she is today if it wasn’t for the huge support system at Sun Peaks.

“They have been instrumental in helping me. Thanks so much to the community.”

This weekend the Sun Peaks racing community will come together again for the TELUS Nancy Greene Corporate Challenge. Teams can register online with proceeds going to Sun Peaks Health Clinic, the Royal Inland Hospital’s Emergency Department and Junior Racing.

All the best Elli!

Brandi

After all the planning and anticipation the 2010 Winter Olympics have begun in Vancouver.  And as Alexandre Bilodeau said after winning Canada’s first gold medal of the games and the first ever at home, “The party’s just starting for Canada.”

And Sun Peaks is no exception. Masa’s Bar + Grill was packed for the opening ceremonies and people continue to gather and watch Canada’s best competing a mere four hours away. Bottom's Bar & Grill spontaneously started singing the national anthem after Bilodeau’s victory and on the slopes people are rocking their Canada gear. The atmosphere around here is definitely buzzing. To be honest, I forgot how easy it is to get so involved watching the Olympic Winter Games.

Masa's ladies show their Olympic spirit

Seeing the Canadian Boarder Cross guys doing so well in all their heats was so exciting to watch. Anything can happen in that sport! Congratulations to Alberta's Mike Robertson on bringing home the Silver. In the post race interview he seemed so calm and humble. He reminded of so many of the great riders I see here everyday; they are just out there to do their thing. You never know where that little grom on the chair ahead of you will end up one day. I wish all the Canadian athletes the best and I hope they know how much we are all behind them.

This week we also have a ton of US visitors as it’s President’s Week and our out-of-country staff will be cheering on their home nations, so in a truly Canadian style, it’s a multicultural event. Sun Peaks is encouraging everyone to wear their home country colours and cheer on their athletes.

Throughout the Olympics, the resort is holding its own 2010 Sun Peaks Games. Yesterday I went out to see how people were enjoying the 3 Peaks Biathlon. It’s one of many Olympic inspired events taking place, including skeleton in the tube park, curling, cross country skiing and others. We all know how life can be stressful at times so it was great to see the families out there enjoying their vacations and each other's company. It is true parents will do anything for their children… even crabwalk around some pylons and shoot Nerf guns.


Set to go at the bottom of Gentle Giant

Intense!

Keeping on the theme of athletic competition, on Valentine’s Day The Garden lit up the Rockstar Energy Terrain Park. Seventy competitors battled it out (but in a loving fashion of course).  Many of the regular competitors moved up from the junior to open categories showing stellar progression. The women’s competition was fierce and numbers were up from last year which is great to see.

Watching these competitors I really got a sense of how hard they work. The timed jams were intense and hiking the park repeatedly is no easy task. Sweaty but loving it, everybody gave it their all. Thanks for such a great show!

Gap!

Local Gordie took second in Advanced Open Board

Sgt Seaby kept the energy high and could be heard far across the mountain

Pluggin the website! 

The results after the final five board took their first run

In the Advanced Open Snowboard, Tyler Clark was first and walked away with Best Trick. Parker Blackstock placed first in Advanced Open Ski. Zuzy Rocka won first in Women's Snowboard and Kelsey Martin took the Women's Ski. Over five grand in prizes was awarded.

Just to let everyone know the comments section of the blog has been reactivated so I am extending last week's contest until February 23. Share your favourite runs to win a Sun Peaks prize pack. 

Go Team Canada!

Brandi

Props to everyone who has been out there braving this cold snap across Western Canada! Monday was Kamloops Toonie Day, and despite the frigid temps people still came up to enjoy the hill and make their donation to the Kamloops Food Bank. Hopefully, everyone took the proper anti-frostbite precautions and enjoyed their ski breaks with some tasty hot drinks. The good news is the weather is supposed to break on Friday so hopefully I will be able to report some fresh snow and more moderate temperatures. 

Food Bank donations ready to go under Guest Service's Christmas tree.

Coming to the hill used to seem rather simple. Strap on board, sit on lift, unload and enjoy the ride down.  I didn’t think about it too much.  But the more time I spent at hills, the more I realized there was a lot more to it.  And now working here I’m really starting to get a handle on how much planning and effort goes into having that wonderfully simple experience.

Groomers are basically a breed of their own. They are night owls, operating the snow cats only by the illumination of their headlights in the pitch winter-black over challenging terrain. While you are snug in your bed, or perhaps up to some other late-night activity, they are working through the night to make sure you can hit that satisfying fresh cord in the morning.

We have 21 groomers operating seven Pisten Bully snow cats in the peak season. We also have one Bombardier winch cat, which can anchor to specific points on the mountain or another cat to groom the blacks or rebuild pitches anywhere on the mountain.  These operators are rewarded by epic sunrises and days off to ride (many of the groomers I know log a ridiculous number of days every season). If you are curious about how they operate or want to see the mountain from a different perspective, the Adventure Center offers evening groomer rides for guests. 

Pic of Bryan Heizner, lead hand, operating a groomer for his fourth season at Sun Peaks. Last season he logged 97 days of riding and this year will groom for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The Pisten Bully above and the Bombardier winch cat below.

At Sun Peaks, the summer trail crew works just as hard. Throughout the snowless months they clear the runs of rocks, bushes and many other potentially dangerous hazards that could hide beneath the snow. Because of this, Sun Peaks is able to open earlier in the season than other resorts, especially if Mother Nature doesn’t co-operate by lending a lot of early season snow.  Our summer crews also work on making the gladed areas some of the cleanest around. Probably the only upside to the Pine Beetle epidemic was the thinning out of trees creating the new Lonesome Fir Glades off Homesteader, one of my favorite places to poach pow. In our other gladed areas the brush is cut down and many potential dangers are removed to open it up for some great tree riding.

http://www.sunpeaksresort.com/winter/trailmaps/wintermap.aspx

I’m not trying to make you feel guilty about enjoying your days on the hill when others are hard at work- just the opposite really. It’s just interesting to think about what goes on behind the scenes and take a little time to appreciate everything that goes into a sick day on the mountain.  But because they are doing such a stellar job, when I’m out there I’m not thinking about anything else but how great the snow feels underneath my board and where my next run should be.

Stay warm this week,

Brandi

My first two weeks here have been unbelievable. I’ve had so many great days on the mountain and it is only the first day of December. At this very moment, big, fat snowflakes are blowing around outside. It’s only the tip of the iceberg, and this season is fully on!

All over the mountain and the village, people are settling into their new jobs and working to prepare for the guests from all over the world who will visit us this season.   

The slight nervousness of the “new job, new people” feeling is being replaced by excited anticipation for the amazing experiences that lie ahead this season. Besides endless days of exploring the mountains, there is so much to do here that I’m actually feeling a little overwhelmed.

But among the array there are definitely some standouts.

The first is the holiday season, which is actually a bit of an anomaly for me.  It’s not that I’m a Scrooge or a Grinch, I’ve just never been a big Christmas person, but I think this year it might be a little different.

People from all over the world come to celebrate here during the Christmas season, and with a ton of Christmas events throughout the village, the holiday amp reaches such a high level that we may as well be at the North Pole itself. While I won’t be home for Christmas, a few members of my family are coming to visit and I’m stoked to spend time with them in a great atmosphere. And then comes New Year’s Eve, one of my favorite party nights of the year. And from what I’ve heard, New Year's Eve at the Peaks is the stuff legends are made of.

Come January, I’m looking forward to the resort’s famous Winter Wine Festival. Those three words alone guarantee a good time. I’m not a huge wine connoisseur, but I have started paying more attention to different wines over the last couple of years, so I’m excited to learn more at the festival. I’m hoping to come out with a couple favorites I can relax with on those après evenings when you really feel you’ve earned it.

February is a big month for all of BC, with the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver and Whistler beginning on the 12th and the Paralympics games beginning in March. I think Sun Peaks is going to be the perfect place to celebrate the games. We are close enough to catch the excitement and feel we are a part of it, but far enough away we will still maintain the laid back Sun Peaks attitude. People all over the resort are planning ways to maximize the Olympic experience, from events to more screens for viewing. You’ll be able to be out on the slopes without missing too much of the action.

Also in February is the Helly Hansen Big Mountain Battle. It’s a competition where teams of two make their way all over the mountain using a GPS device to track them. Points are earned for using as many different lifts as you can, highest elevation, quickest time etc. I missed out last year due to school commitments but this year it is on! My teammate and I have decided to give it our all this year and are preparing for the challenge already. The first place prize, a trip to Aspen Snowmass to compete against winners from other resorts, is great motivation.

Before we know it, spring riding will be upon us. It is hard to beat those sunny, bluebird days accompanied with the great Sun Peaks patio atmosphere. I love watching people huck off the massive table tops in the park as both the jumps and people’s bravery seem to grow in the spring. While my park skills leave quite a bit to be desired, there is no shortage of skilled park fanatics around here. March also brings the Velocity Challenge, the fastest non-motorized sport in the world, which is always exciting to watch. You will get over their outfits once you see these guys in action.

And in between the main events, I hope to take advantage of everything else offered here. I plan on getting out and skiing the Nordic trails and maybe even some snowshoeing. I know there are some great meals with great friends waiting to be had all around the village. And if I’m feeling a little indulgent, maybe even a visit to the spa with a couple girlfriends.

Throw in the annual Top to Bottoms Race and we will call it a season!

Wishing you a great winter,

Brandi

If you have been visiting Sun Peaks Resort over the past couple years you will be familiar with the red and white clad skiers zooming down OSV at warp speed, loading on Elevation Chair in the early morning or even having a beer at Bottoms some après ski afternoons.

They are the members of the Men’s and Women’s Austrian National Ski team who returned last week for their fifth consecutive year using Sun Peaks Resort as their home-away-from-home training hill.

Having the Austrians here has become an interesting facet of the resort and it has become one of things Sun Peaks is known for. In turn, the Austrians have left their own distinctive stamp on the hill. Elevation Chair was built in part to service their training needs and OSV actually stands for Österreichischer Skiverband, or Austrian Ski Federation. During their stay throughout the resort you will see the Austrian flag flapping in the breeze.

According to Elisabeth Goergl, a 28-year-old member of the women’s team who finished fourth in the 2008 Overall World Cup standings, Sun Peaks is an excellent place to focus on training.

“It’s a mellow place with not a lot of people,” she said, adding the conditions are great and the staff works hard for them.

In comparison, if they were training in a place like Colorado where many other nations practice in the early season, they would be competing with other teams for training time and space. Sun Peaks also gives them a break from the international media - here they can train and relax around the resort without anyone paying too much attention.

“It’s a rare and special opportunity to train here,” she said. 

While many of us are hyped about the Olympics these athletes are focusing on the World Cup circuit which begins at the end of this month. The women will compete in Aspen before heading to Lake Louise. If they will be setting a ski on an Olympic race run they have to prove their stuff at the World Cup first.

Only about the top four men and top four women from each nation will make up their country’s Olympic Team. And competition is fierce, especially on the Austrian team, which has long been a dominate medal winner at previous winter Games.

“We have such a hard, strong team,” said Goergl. “It always depends on how other people ski.”

As the competition draws closer the pressure mounts. But Goergl said she is enjoying her time here and is making the most of it.

“It’s good to get ready slowly,” she said. “We have more terrain here and I like to do a lot of free-skiing.

“I’m feeling really good and I hope to [improve further] while training here.”

Through this partnership Sun Peaks has brought part of international ski racing scene to their little corner of the world. We are sharing the slopes with some of the best competitive skiers out there which creates an inspiring and unique atmosphere by being in such close proximity to these world class athletes.

While we will all be cheering for Canada to take the podium at the World Cup and in 2010, it will be interesting to see how our friends the Austrians do in the next few months.

Glück,

Brandi