I gave up downhill skiing about 30 years ago. Living in Whistler, driving cabs, and having to hear about how deep the powder was or what a fabulous run that "Buddy" sitting in the back seat of the 1982 K-Car had pretty much sucked any enthusiasm I had for the sport right out of me.
And I had enthusiasm. Skiing was my passion for 12 years, and I had fully expected to continue with it throughout my life.
I tried skiing again a few times after that season, but every time I went, I came away with a vaguely unsatisfied feeling: I kept thinking, "I spent how much to stand in these lines and sit in these chairs?" Like B.B. King sings, "The thrill was gone."
About the same time that my passion for downhill was waning, I got my first cross-country ski gear. It was a "classic" package that included a pair of Solomon boots, Trak skis and astonishingly long pair of poles.
I didn't fall for cross-country skiing like I did for downhill (not quite so often nor so hard), but I did enjoy it. On those times when there was enough snow, it always felt good to strap on the skis and blaze a path along the dike or through some wooded trail.
On occasion, I'd pay a few bucks and head to Cypress or Lost Lake. All the things that frustrated me about downhill skiing - the lineups, the crowds, the noise - were nowhere to be found. This pursuit seemed, somehow, more authentic if a little less exciting.
Last year, though, I fell in love once again. This time it was with classic skiing's somewhat saucier little sister, skate-skiing.
Skate-skiing, it seemed to me, offered everything I was looking for in a winter sport: speed, tranquility, and an amazing workout. And having a facility like WOP (the Whistler Olympic Park) in my backyard made the affair oh, so convenient.
But I worry.
I don't know what it costs to run a facility like WOP. I have no idea what the "break even" point is, but I do know the venue is sorely underutilized.
I've stood under the Olympic Rings on a Wednesday night (the only evening WOP is open) and looked down at a nearly empty parking lot and vacant trails. On one hand, I feel fortunate to have all that space to myself, but on the other I question how sustainable the whole thing is. How long does that $120 million Olympic Legacy fund last?
According to the Whistler Sport Legacy website, season pass sales increased this year, and that's hopeful. And The Chief reported that more than half of those season pass holders are from Squamish.
Although Squamish lost its claim on the facility when Whistler demanded it be re-branded from the Callaghan Olympic Park to the Whistler Olympic Park, it's pretty clear that that is in name only; in reality, it's a Squamish venue. Go up anytime, and you're sure to bump into someone from your neighbourhood.
I don't know if Squamish's passion for the facility will be enough in the long-term, but we certainly seem to have the spirit to will it to survive.
In Whistler they may enjoy all things downhill, but here in Squamish we're willing to do a little uphill slogging.
