More skiing, less shopping this Christmas!

                                                 Sun Peaks Resort, Canada - Photo by Kelly Funk

Snow is accumulating, Christmas is coming, and the ski season is up and running! There have already been two issues of Ski Canada magazine out, inspiring us all to get into the snowsports mode. In the 2026 Buyer’s Guide edition (Vol 54 #1), I had my first article of the season published. “From Mountain to Masterpiece” - in the Short Turns section - looks at upcycling resort raw materials into useful and collectible items such as this clock, created from parts of a decommissioned Sun Peaks chairlift by metal artist Will Dallimore. 

Photo by Louise Hudson. Artist Will Dallimore. Clock on display in Vertical Café Sun Peaks

Although December décor and delicacies liven up our lives at this time of year, the gift shopping process can drain our energy - and our bank accounts! 

             Men’s Spa Robe in Autumn Green - also available in antique silver, navy, black. Ideal for après-ski relaxation, warming up by the fire after a dip in the hot tub. 

One Stop Shop

So, rather than pounding the pavements in pursuit of perfect presents, online shopping has an attractive allure at this time of year. One of my favourite companies, Heat Holders has made gifting even easier this season with specific sections on special collections, activity-related gifting, and items suitable for different age groups and genders. And there are Heat Holders sites in the UK, USA, and around 40 other countries making delivery where you live easy, too.

              Cable knit Heat Holders® Women's Neck Warmer with HeatWeaver® thermal lining - the warmest and softest way to keep your neck warm while skiing, snowboarding or strolling around the resort

‘Deck the Smalls’

From long underwear, to socks, slippers and PJs plus outerwear, mid layers, gloves and scarves, Heat Holders’ has you covered. Products engineered for long-lasting warmth are crafted with comfort in mind, adapting adapt to snowsports, winter walks, and year round outdoor activities. Heat Holders caters for everyone on the list with its wide range for men, women and kids. And, once worn, never forgotten - there’s nothing more heart-warming for the holidays than a Heat Holders hug!

                        Men's Eddie Santa ULTRA LITE® Ho Ho Ho Crew Socks

Slick Click

Just click on the Gifting tab at the top of each website and it will give you choices based on different categories including Budget, Relationship and Activity. 

There’s a section dedicated to snowsports gifts - https://www.heatholders.com/collections/gifts-for-snowsports-lovers. 

And an easy link to Christmas-themed products - https://www.heatholders.com/collections/christmas-gifts

                                         Men’s Heath Hybrid Vest by Heat Holders

Save Yourself Bundles

….by buying multiples - https://www.heatholders.com/pages/deals - such as 3-piece matching sets, several pairs of socks or a baselayer top & bottom combo. Heat Holders products are made even more affordable with the 10% discount for first time purchasers.

 

                                            Women’s Sock Drawer 3-Pack Bundle

The Non Skier

For those who’ve had to hang up their skis or prefer indoor activities, there’s the Heat Holders Home Spa Line: https://www.heatholders.com/collections/gifts-for-the-home-spa-lover. As well as the luxurious robes pictured above, there are plush throws, blankets, slipper socks, lounge pants and cozy cable-knit drawstring slippers. 

Winter Warmth

New this winter, Heat Holders® men's & women's thermal underwear is benefiting from cutting-edge CeraCore® insulating technology. An innovative lightweight product, Heat Holders® Ceramic Base Layers offer warmth without bulk, perfect for layering.

                                        Women’s Ceramic Base layer top 

Made from a revolutionary ceramic-infused fabric, these thermals bake in the warmth. They strike the balance between the thicker ORIGINAL™ base layers while being almost as thin as ULTRA LITE™ garments.

The Ceramic Base Layers have all-way stretch for full range of motion and fit, made with flat seams for comfort and easy layering. The fabric is also brushed during the manufacturing process for softness, resulting in the ultimate warmth, softness, and comfort.

Read more about the Heat Holders’ trajectory since it launched in 2008 at: https://www.heatholders.com/en-ca/pages/our-story

                                    Simon Hudson wearing the Heat Holders Puffer 

BIG NEWS FOR SUN PEAKS

This month saw the launch of the Netflix film, “My Secret Santa”, starring the suitably named Alexandra Breckenridge. Filmed primarily at Sun Peaks Resort, the rom-com could be an enduring showcase for the village, resort and ski slopes. Check out the movie over the holidays and read about it in publications like Entertainment Weekly and AOL. Bearing in mind the value of ‘film tourism’, perhaps this film will persuade you to visit Sun Peaks, Canada’s second largest ski area. The resort has leveraged the film with community showings as well as a movie set experience included in the Holiday Kick-Off Schedule. 

Alchemy of Ride Back in Sun Peaks March 1 and 2!!

Alchemy of Ride Returns to Sun Peaks BC

When: March 1st and 2nd

Where: Morrisey’s Public House Sun Peaks

Times: 1pm - 4:30pm

Links: https://alchemyofride.org/

Events Calendar: https://www.sunpeaksresort.com/events-things-to-do/events/alchemy-of-ride-pop-up-sale

                 Six different Alchemy of RIDE shirts - ideal for bike, ski, gym, golf, or everyday wear 

                                                            (Photo courtesy of Dan Matte)

A head-turner in lift-lines and high visibility even in a whiteout, Alchemy of Ride’s dazzling ski collection is coming to Sun Peaks for a Weekend Pop Up Sale on March 1 and 2. Morrisey’s Public House will come alive as a vibrant activewear boutique from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, offering a chance to meet artist and AOR designer Lynne Harrison and explore the bold, colourful collection. Your opportunity to try on Lynne Harrison’s designs, created from her Canmore home. Yes, they are available online, but nothing beats being able to try on the whole collection, feel the fabrics, compare all the colourways, and see which ones suit you best. 

      Wearing The Sky The Sky Technical Jacket at the iconic sign at the top of Sundance Chairlift at

                                                                  Sun Peaks Resort

Sun Peaks has one of the biggest followings for Lynne Harrison’s amazing AOR skiwear brand. So much so, that when a group of amateur filmmakers were planning their movie for the ArtZone Sun Peaks Locals Filmmakers’ Contest, they decided to dress their actors in Alchemy of Ride apparel.

On the major day of outdoor filming, when the cast was tackling the challenge that forms the centrepoint of the plot, the day was clear and sunny with beautiful blue skies setting off the bright hues of Harrison’s handwork. 

Their movie, Girls in Gils, was submitted for the 2025 Third Annual McSporties Locals Filmmaking Contest which was part of the Fifth Annual Sun Peaks Film Festival, put on by Art Zone Sun Peaks. It won the Fans’ Favourite Award, voted the best by the majority of the audience at the premiere in January. 

In the context of mountain film festivals, the Sun Peaks Locals Contest is unique. Banff and Whistler may have the edge in terms of international festival fame, but no-one else features home made movies conceived and created by locals and regulars at the resort. Their movies are a marketing marvel, showcasing the best that Sun Peaks has to offer in a truly authentic lifestyle perspective. This aspect caught the eye of Ski Canada Magazine which featured the concept in a Short Turn article in The Best of Skiing Awards 2025 edition written by yours truly. And since then Sun Peaks Resort has used clips from Girls in Gils in its social media posts. As of now, there have been 1044 views on YouTube. 

 Girls in Gils star, Pippa Crane - at the top of Gils where the arduous climb and the terrifying terrain ahead led to a dramatic collapse! Luckily, her Alchemy of Ride ski suit kept her cosy. Watch the film to find out what happened next…..

You can see the 10-minute mini movie here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4sW0cOJFhU 

A still from the après ski scene towards the end of the Girls in Gils film, featuring AOR shirts (and a Shotski made by Kelly Brown). Great as base layers, these eyecatching shirts really work well for après and cross over to bike season and beyond.    

Hailing from Canmore now - but Kamloops and Whistler previously - Lynne Harrison has been creating sportswear since 2016 when she took her mountain-inspired art off the wall and transferred it to technical bike shirts and shorts. The immediate success of the clothing line led her to turn her attention to skiwear, which she designed in collaboration with her partner, Dave Irwin, the celebrated Crazy Canuck Olympian. Her men and women’s collections now include ski jackets, vests, pants, bibs, base layers, après shirts and neck buffs as well as bike and surf gear. 

Australian Sun Peaks homeowner, Glenys Ambe has been sporting Harrison’s designs since 2018. “I found AOR on line after being prompted by a friend who thought the ‘out-there’ colours and styles of AOR would suit my penchant for colourful skiwear,” she explained. She contacted Harrison through the site to help choose the right pieces. “She was so helpful regarding sizing queries and had my new suit in my Sun Peaks post box in a matter of days just in time for the festive season.” 

For Ambe, who volunteers with Adaptive Sports Sun Peaks, the allure is a combination of impactful artwork with high quality durable fabrics and expert tailoring. “Her ski outfits really turn heads. More importantly, my ski suit is very warm,” she said. And the bonus is that the range is not mass produced. She has gone on to purchase eye-catching AOR apparel which she uses for various sports including horse riding and exercise classes. “I have also been the instigator of encouraging my husband and numerous other friends to invest in AOR ski suits and activewear,” she added. “They all love AOR with many of my friends now being multi-purchasers.” This March, she plans to take advantage of having Harrison help her choose a new ski suit in person at the AOR Pop Up Shop. 

Sun Peaks has been on Harrison’s circuit since skiing Tod Mountain in 1982. In the 1990s, she moved to Kamloops from Whistler where she had been working as an artist. “My kids started skiing at Harper and then we skied at Sun Peaks as a family,” she recalled. An accomplished alpine skier, she is also a mountain biker, Ironman triathlete, and has participated in ‘Ultra Marathons’ - grueling seven-day, self-supported footraces through the Gobi and Sahara Deserts. Her experience in all these sports and love of mountain scenery are evident in all her designs. 

Links:

https://alchemyofride.org/
https://www.facebook.com/alchemyofride 
https://www.sunpeaksresort.com/events-things-to-do/events/alchemy-of-ride-pop-up-sale

Some snaps of various Alchemy of Ride items: Ski, Bike, Beach!

                                    Gear for your Groovy

https://www.sunpeaksresort.com/events-things-to-do/events/alchemy-of-ride-pop-up-sale

AOR WALL ART - You can commission an original to brighten up your home or business: mountainimage@shaw.ca for more info or call Lynne on: +1 (403) 688-0697 

Join the Alchemy of Ride Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alchemyofride/

You can submit your photos wearing your fave AOR apparel around the world! Here’s one of my favourites taken on the Rock of Gibraltar:

Mini Mountain Movie Showcasing the Sidecountry of Sun Peaks Resort

Winners of the 2025 Fans’ Favourite Award in the McSporties Locals Filmmakers’ Contest at the Sun Peaks Film Festival

Click on the image or on this link to watch the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4sW0cOJFhU  

Girls in Gils is a tribute to the Polar Bear Ladies’ Ski Group which has played a pivotal part in the Sun Peaks skiing, volunteering, and social lifestyle for decades. 

Our short film involves a daring challenge where several members of the group come together to support one of their own in achieving her dream. A true story, reflecting the essence of this incredibly supportive skiing sisterhood as well as the sensational scenery of Sun Peaks Resort, where we all live during the winter. 

It all started during the interval of last year’s film festival when Dawn Matte asked me if I would come on board as writer and co-producer. After about 10 seconds hesitation, I said yes, although of course I had never written a screenplay before! 

                                                                  Photo of the cast by Harold Richins

Once I had the script written, it was time to cast the actors from among the huge Polar Bear community as well as one or two extras. I say ‘cast’, although it was more like conscription! You know that saying - you’ve been volun-told. First to come on board were Cindie Hryhirchuk (“Care Bear”), Julie Kimmel (“Bubbly Bear”) and Edit Pal (“Sunny Bear”), all members of the Polar Bear Ladies Ski Group. Dawn is “Mamma Bear” and I am “Curly Bear” by the way. 

I had trouble finding my “Baby Bear”, but one day while skiing with the gals, I spotted Pippa Crane, a fellow Polar Bear across the piste, skied straight over and said “Would you like to be in a movie?” to which she said “Yes!!” When I explained the challenge involved - a powder adventure in the Sun Peaks sidecountry - she qualified her yes with: “So long as you all look after me”. So, when you watch the film, you will see that it is indeed an authentic true story. 

                          Dramatic moment during filming for Baby Bear - aka Pippa Crane 

Next was costumes which was easy - it had to be Alchemy of Ride so we stood out against the snow. AOR designer, Lynne Harrison was thrilled to be involved. She also sponsored the Film Festival with an array of sought-after raffle prizes and attended the Locals Filmmakers Contest event with members of her family. 

Back to the movie-making process: As co-producer, Dawn orchestrated and oversaw the family-style filming, roping in her son Josh and husband Dan as well as our good friend Harold Richins. Later, as editor of all the footage, Dawn painstakingly pawed through it all, finessing every detail. Running various cuts by me, she gradually started getting it all into shape, adding a few special effects, honing the continuity, sourcing music etc. You would not believe how much goes into making a 10 minute movie! 

                        Dawn and I being interviewed by CFJC Today Kamloops about the movie

Sun Peaks provided the breathtaking backdrops and scintillating scenery, bathing the ski action footage in glorious sunshine on our filming days - and showing us how lucky we all are to live here. 

With the Attenborough-style narration, this movie is a sort of mountain mock-umentary full of Polar puns, illustrating how fun-loving our ski group is. I hope you all enjoy watching Girls in Gils - and, by the way, there were no actual Polar Bears harmed in the making of this film:

- although Josh Matte, our daring drone operator, almost lost a finger during a malfunction! 

Links

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4sW0cOJFhU 

https://www.sunpeaksresort.com/

https://alchemyofride.org/

https://www.artzonesunpeaks.com/

                    Shot Ski made by Kelly Brown, winner of the 2023 Locals Filmmakers Contest