Ski Canada
Vol. 42 Issue 3 out December 2 - including my story on "The British Invasion"
How do you feel when the
best assignment of your year literally falls onto your desktop? Jubilant,
terrified, awed and excited beyond belief!
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| Sunshine Village by Paul Zizka/Banff Lake Louise Tourism |
This was me a few months ago when I was asked to write an article for hallowed editor, Iain MacMillan. His glossy magazine, Ski Canada, is the highest profile dedicated ski publication in Canada and seems to get bigger while other mags fold.
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| Banff Mt Norquay by Paul Zizka/Banff Lake Louise Tourism |
The story he
commissioned was a Brits’ eye view of Banff Lake Louise, my home ski area.
As a Brit myself, I had a heads up on what the average British skier thinks of
Alberta’s Big 3 but it was still fascinating to get very varied viewpoints from a
hodge podge of fellow countrymen who ski, live or work there. The story took me
50 hours to perfect and I loved every minute! I almost self-combusted waiting
to hear if it had made the grade. It did!
MacMillan – known by
those who dare as Mac - has been the enthusiastic editor of Ski Canada since
1995. As well as vetting articles and equipment guides, Mac writes ski epics
himself both for Ski Canada and other publications such as Canada’s Globe and Mail.
Mac started skiing in
his infancy: “I don't remember but I'm told I was in nappies when I was put on
skis,” he told me recently. Growing up near Hamilton, Ontario, he skied Ellicottville,
New York, with his family and still skis at Holiday
Valleyhttp://www.holidayvalley.comon wintry weekends.
Each season he notches up around 40 or 45 days on snow: “half in the
east here and half in the real mountains”. Having skied in dozens of top
destinations, he still has a burgeoning bucket list including Armenia, Georgia,
Norway, Morocco, New Zealand and Alaska.
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| Holiday Valley Resort |
Co-raising three kids and the occasional French exchange
student keeps him young enough to measure up to 20-something rippers when skiing
on assignment. “My knees are the only old joints in the group,” he joked. “That
said, the best ski group isn't about being the same age, it's more
about similar abilities. It's at après ski where I get behind the young knees.”
On the Ski Canada website, Mac notes that their combination of passionate printed and social media
ski news creates “a club-like loyalty among readers”. And, despite the
distraction of other “noise” online, readers remain faithful. Amid the
widespread erosion of print journalism by social media, Ski Canada has
outlasted all competition. Mac puts this down to inclusive, informative and
entertainment factors. “Lots of publications have come and gone trying to serving
one specific niche only, while forgetting the vast majority of skiers going
through the liftline,” he explained. “We also try to never take ourselves too
seriously.” With a publication as established as Ski Canada, he said, future
fears are more likely to focus on “climate change, and sore knees and whether
my new jacket will match my ski pants…”
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| Ski Canada's Annual Buyer's Guide |
After 18 years on the job, he remains as motivated as
those days in diapers: “There are so many untold stories the file is always
overflowing; I just wish we had more pages to tell them!” I know what he means:
for me, reading a new issue of Ski Canada is like hanging out in a vibrant
après ski bar with dedicated skiers full of tantalizing tales and anecdotes straight off the slopes.
Based from Toronto, Ski Canada
magazine publishes an annual gear guide, results from its alpine ski tests,
reviews of international ski areas, features and ski tuition tips from a pool of 100-plus
professional writers and photographers – now including me!
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| Lake Louise by Paul Zizka/Banff Lake Louise Tourism |
Issue 3 Vol. 42–
including my colonial contribution - is available to subscribers next week and on newsstands from Dec 2. It also features an equipment powder test at Mike Wiegele’s Helicopter Skiing as
well as improvement tactics from Whistler’s Extremely Canadian coaches. VailResorts, Quebec and the Yukon are also highlighted in what is, to many, the
skier’s Bible.
Ski hills opening up over the next week include:
Lake Tahoe:
Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood on Fri Nov 22
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| Aspen Snowmass by Jeremy Swanson |
Vail Nov 22
Eldora Nov 22
Aspen Mntn/Aspen Snowmass Nov 23
Beaver Creek Nov 27
Crested Butte Nov 27
Steamboat Nov 27
Jackson Hole Nov 28
Telluride Nov 28
Utah:
Snowbird Nov 20
Alta Nov 22
Park City Mountain Resort Nov 23
Powder
Mountain Nov 27
Snowbasin Nov 28
Stowe, Stratton, Jay Peak, Sugarbush and Smugglers' Notch Nov 23
Sun
Peaks, BC Nov 23
Silver
Star, BC Bonus Weekend Nov 23/24
Monte-Sainte-Anne, Quebec Nov 23
Big White, BC Nov 28
Mt Norquay - Big Chair opens Nov 23
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| More terrain open this weekend at Marmot Basin |
Also, check out my article about Big White, British Columbia, on UK travel site Silver Travel Advisor at:
