Call it Olympic aversion or the Whistler skier spinoff, but what ever the phenomena, other British Columbian ski resorts are happy to help out skiers who want to avoid the Olympic hoopla in Whistler next year.
Several B.C. ski resorts say their bookings have increased for before and during the 2010 Games where Whistler, B.C., will host alpine ski events.
It’s a double-digit benefit for the ski mountains of Big White and Silver Star in the Okanagan.
“We’re seeing it in increased Christmas bookings, February inquiries are way up,” said Michael Ballingall, senior vice president of both mountain resorts.
He said thousands of skiers who usually go to Whistler to ski every day are going somewhere else because of the Olympics.
“Those people aren’t going to the Olympics, there’s a whole new crowd coming in. They’re displacing those skiers, they’ve got to go somewhere.”
Dave Brownlie, president and CEO at Whistler Blackcomb, agreed ticket sales are down, but he doesn’t begrudge the benefit for other resorts.
“It’s not about the 17 days, it’s about the 17 years afterwards,” Brownlie said, pointing to the infrastructure improvements and long-term publicity the Olympics will generate.
Brownlie said people do have the misconception that the mountain is closed, when in fact, 90 per cent of the mountain will be open during the Olympics.
“If you can get here, it’s going to be an amazing time to ski and snowboard,” he said.
Brownlie said the barrier is getting access and parking to the mountain and he said that’s still being worked out.
Whistler has worked out a compensation agreement with the Vancouver Olympic organizing committee, but he wouldn’t discuss details of the agreement.
Sun Peaks Resort, north of Kamloops, B.C., is also expecting more skiers.
Resort spokesman Christopher Nicolson called it the “aversion effect” associated with the Olympics as people bypass Whistler.
“There’s obviously a concern about the hustle and bustle, the security checks, the parking problems, all that kind of stuff associated with the Games.”
Mark Dobson, director of sales at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, said this year will be good and next year will be even better.
“There’s going to be greater awareness around the Canadian product to the international product because of the Olympics,” Dobson said.
The Kicking Horse Resort is also planning a week of celebrations as the Olympic torch passes in the nearby town of Golden, B.C.
“We’ll light the torch and welcome the world.”
Erik Kalacis, general manager of Red Mountain near Rossland and close to the Canada-U.S. border, has been involved in three Olympics and will be a ski-cross official during these games.
He said he’ll be waving the Red Mountain flag while working at the Games.
Red Mountain’s bookings are up by about seven per cent over last year and Kalacis hopes people going to Olympics will explore other parts of the province.
“Just give us 10 per cent of those two million visitors, we’d be really happy,” Kalacis laughed, referring to Whistler’s annual ski and snowboard visitors.
Mount Washington’s resort hasn’t recorded an increase in bookings yet, but anyone who goes to the Vancouver Island resort will certainly see an increase in Olympic athletes.
Olympic teams from 10 countries will be on Mount Washington leading up to the 2010 Olympics, said the resort’s public relations director Brent Curtain.
“I think what they’re looking for is time on snow,” he said. “They want to be out of the pressure cooker of the Sea-To-Sky area.”
Teams from the United States, Russia, Germany, Sweden, France, Switzerland and others will be adjusting to the time and getting used to the snow, which is similar to that of Whistler, Curtain said.
The resort also plans to use it as a selling point to get the local skiers on the hill.
“It’s a perfect way to see world-calibre athletes before the Olympics,” Curtain said.
“All you need is a lift ticket.”
By Terri Theodore (CP)
