Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, the host site for the 2010 Winter Olympic downhill skiing events, is one of the preeminent destination ski resorts in the world. The resort's owner, Intrawest, operates 10 ski resorts, including Winter Park, Steamboat and Copper in Colorado, and Stratton in Vermont.
History
Originally called London Mountain, Whistler opened in 1966 and Blackcomb opened in 1980. When looking at the mountains from Whistler Village, Whistler is on the right. The two resorts competed for more than a decade, then merged in March 1997.
Vertical
Both Whistler and Blackcomb have vertical drops of more than 5,000 feet. Blackcomb has a slightly longer vertical drop of one mile, while Whistler's vertical is 5,020 feet.
Terrain
Combined, Whistler Blackcomb offers 8,171 acres of skiing on more than 200 trails, which is almost 3,000 more acres than its closest competitor, Vail. Whistler has 20 lifts, Blackcomb 17. Whistler has two terrain parks, while Blackcomb has three terrain parks, one super pipe and a snow cross.
Snow
Whistler Blackcomb averages 402 inches of snow annually. Its snow-base record is 197 inches (1974). In addition to the snowfall, Whistler has snowmaking on 215 acres of terrain, and Blackcomb has snowmaking on 350 acres.
Restaurants
Along with the many amenities in Whistler Village, Whistler Blackcomb has a total of 17 slope-side restaurants.
About The Author
Candace Horgan grew up in New York and moved to Colorado in 1994. She has worked as a freelance journalist for 12 years, and contributes regularly to the "Denver Post," "Mix," US College Hockey Online, and other publications.
