By Greg Lister

Since returning to Ottawa from Whistler-Blackcomb I've been asked by numerous people, both on and offline, about tips for getting planted in Whistler and ways for seeking out the best value for your hard-earned money while living on the kind of budget that an average student (like myself at the time) can afford. Some of the most frequently asked questions include:

„h Where and when to acquire lodging and what are the costs?
„h Where to find a decent ski town job?
„h About general cost of living
„h About Whistler's nightlife atmosphere

So I've prepared an insider's guide for all you aspiring ski bums out there. I've dubbed it Skibumology101. The pre-requisite for this crash-course is a deep-down yearning for mountain life, a break-even financially mindset, a couple grand in cash to get set up and completing school (ideally at a post-secondary level since it will help you land a ski town job as employers in Whistler are hungry for educated mountain enthusiasts, and it's a nice way to indulge thyself after such a feat).

On acquiring lodging:

The old adage that "beggers can't be choosers" is probably the best way to describe the housing search process in Whistler. My best piece of advice is to start searching early and with persistence. I secured a place a month before my departure but it took at least two months of searching part-time on various Whistler Internet sites. An old high school comrade of mine who had been living there for several years told me that there was a severe housing shortage in winter at Whistler and that employers would not accept any resumes for consideration without an applicant first having a permanent local address. This is due to past frustrations that had resulted when employers hired newly arrived hopefuls who were then unsuccessful in finding a place to live, and so disappeared.

This added considerable urgency to the matter of finding a place fit for four qualified ski bums. We put classified ads into the community newspapers and spread the word through our Whistler contacts. But nothing transpired. The demand for housing outweighed the supply so much that there were numerous rewards being offered by prospective ski-bums to anyone who could find them a place.

It came to the point that I was prepared to accept virtually any place that was within reason to get a start. It was my intention to then look around for other housing options after the dust had settled. There was only one place that we came across that offered a rental rate that was under $700 a head, and that was in Whistler Creekside, a village a couple of kilometers away from the main Whistler village, but served by a ski gondola. We found this place in the Whistler Pique newsmagazine's classifieds. Based on what others ski bums had said, it was one of the priciest of all the other places being rented in Whistler. But we bit the bullet with the realization that this might be our only shot. Four of us shared this one-bedroom condo. As it turned out, I stayed at this lodging throughout my stay, playing musical roommates most of the time. More about that later.


In the winter of 2001 Whistler Creekside had without question the best mountain access with it's own dedicated gondola that runs half-way up Whistler Mountain. It lacked the early-morning congestion of Whistler village, even on powder days when skiers go mad to get to the powder. Whistler transit was also a reliable and efficient system to and from Whistler village and for a fraction of the cost of an Ottawa Transpo monthly pass.

If you're able to get a job with the mountain itself (owned by Intrawest), rather than with one of the adjoining restaurants or sport shops or other local businesses, then you are eligible for Staff Housing on the mountain at a much more economical price. Intrawest has limited lodging available for first year employees as does the Chateau Whistler and Westin Resort Hotel. However a word of caution on Staff Housing: be prepared to live in a party-your-brains-out- sleep-deprived dorm environment. Nonetheless, ski bums residing in Whistler consider sleep to be an overrated thing anyway. Enough said.

Useful links to use when starting your housing search:

The Whistler Housing Authority (WHA) (http://www.whistlerhousing.ca) has online listings that are updated on a weekly basis with postings that are given to the WHA by landlords requiring tenants. In addition to the links displayed here, their websites' "arrival" section provides helpful tips on where to find additional listings should you take a leap of faith and see what accommodations become available when you roll into town. The Other resources are the Whistler Pique and Whistler Question. Both are weekly local newspapers with rental classified sections on their respective websites: www.piquenewsmagazine.com and www.whistlerquestion.com. www.whistlerjobdepot.com
is another such repository of rental housing related postings, job placement programs and a free resume posting service among other things.

Since Whistler is a resort town, seasonal employment is the norm, and winter undoubtedly is peak time. As such, the turnover rate for jobs is relatively high since dwellers come and go all the time. So your chances of finding a job, especially by mid-season, aren¡¦t bad, but as far as the rental situation goes, be prepared to play "musical roommates" with little or no heads-up notice, and to play the game of seeking out a "roommate of the month", an epidemic that just about every ski bum will experience at some point.

On supporting the ski bum lifestyle (getting a mountain town job):

If the idea of a 'free' dual-mountain ski pass is what you're hoping for, then shoot for employment with the mountain. There are however some strings attached to that 'free' pass ie. you need to stay employed! My employer at the time was Base II ski rentals on BlackComb Mountain where I served as a rental technician'. It was my job to preset ski bindings for the next day's young skiers and riders when the heaps of school groups arrived. Having a free mountain pass helped to smooth the transition in many ways. Not only was it a savings of $1600 off the get-go, it also included 50% discounts on all on-hill food, which helped lessen the backpack load (your back will love you for sparing it). It also included a generous discount on some ski hardware (merchandise). 'Ski breaks' are another common perk for the mountain staff allowing its employees to bugger off for a few hours during down times while at the same time garnering a better 'work and play' balance. According to SKIER Magazine's September 2003 issue, Whistler-Blackcomb expects to hire some 1500 full and part-time staff in the 2003/04 ski season and they're likely to be your best bet for seasonal employment.
To get an idea of types and availability of mountain jobs and others within the Intrawest family of resorts check www.wework2play.com.

It was in early January when I arrived and I immediately dropped off all the resumes that I had brought with me to several local hotels and shops. As stressed above your local residence address holds the key for getting the attention of prospective employers. It will be in your best interest to bring several printed copies of your resume with you as well as a soft copy on disk to make updates. The Whistler Public Library and local Internet Cafes offer computer terminal rentals at a nominal fee.

On cost of living:

Leaving for Whistler with the intention of breaking-even is probably the approach to take. To realize a profit would require either 3 jobs as some do, or hitch hike every day from a town several kilometers down the Sea to Sky Highway 99 where housing is cheaper but less convenient, making your powder skiing ops and social life rather sparse. It's a no-brainer that the cost of living in Whistler, in general, is expensive. The staples (every day groceries) were typically double to triple the amounts I would normally pay for such products back home. My goal wasn't really to "make" heaps of money, but rather to work only as much as was necessary to support my lifestyle, since my time there was limited.

On nightlife atmosphere:

When the lifts have been shut down for the day and the sun has set, the nightlife heats up in Whistler. There's no question that the apr?-ski and nightlife scenes are alive and thriving, especially during the winter.

There's always something refreshing for everyone, no matter what your idea of nightlife is. The burning question is will you have enough left in your finite energy tank to stretch the day into night after a hard day spent on the mountain? Your second wind should be enough to stoke 'er.

But wait - a coastal mountain blizzard has blown in and they're calling for 25+ centimeters of 'freshies' in time for morning. Chances are good the only access from Vancouver to Whistler will close leaving you with more personal powder space. This anticipation is when Whistler's nightlife goes howling at its nuttiest. The late night vs. early morning ski bum 'dilemma' isn't uncommon and may be among the toughest of decisions you'll ever face as a ski bum. But then again, sleep is an overrated thing for ski bums in Whistler anyway. And besides, you're only there for a "good time, not a long time", right? Another dilemma you may struggle with is which of the two mountains to ascend for first tracks? Up to you, but know that the weight of your fate the next day may rest heavily upon the shoulders of such opportune outcomes. If you thought you could lay to rest any such 'mind-boggling' decision-making when you were out of the realm of education to become a ski bum, then think again - this lifestyle isn't for the
faint-hearted and it certainly isn't a perpetual vacation.

Within my few first weeks on the scene I could appreciate the laid-back western lifestyle and camaraderie of the inhabitants of the Whistler-ites that I had previously only heard about. Right out of the gate I felt in
good company among the many other ski bums who had trekked to the ski bum capital of Canada from far away lands for many of the same reasons as myself - to make the most out of a ski season in the mountains. Nearly every denomination and walk of life was represented there. There were people to meet from all over Canada and the world. My lodging arrangements crossed paths with other Ontarians, Quebec Anglaphones and Francaphones, and numerous Australians. The blend of cultures represented in Whistler is one of the beauties of such high profile mountain resort. It's a great way to learn about other cultures and areas of the world and to meet people elsewhere in the world with whom you might be able to visit, crash and ski in the future.

Live large by volunteering:

A way to realize great value and see all the action up close and personal while meeting personalities in the community and all over the world is by getting involved with volunteering initiatives for the various world-class events that take place on and around the mountains during the ski season. Each year in April the center of gravity of the snow sports Universe shifts to Whistler where many of the best awe-inspiring action-sports athletes and photographers in the world converge to the beat of live rocking music artists from an array of cultures and genres for Whistler's signature event - the World Ski and Snowboard Festival (April 15-26, www.livelarge.ca). This is arguably the biggest display of its kind in the world and the apr?-ski party opportunities are phenomenal. Volunteering will get you backstage access and a vantage point from the best seats in the house to catch all the must-see events in all their glory. The festival is entering its 9th year of taking over Whistler by storm and its booming. Also check-out any FIS world cup and non-FIS sanctioned competitions during the winter. The draw-dropping action will surely send shivers up your spine. As if that weren't enough, the sponsors of these events tend to be generous to their faithful and it isn't uncommon to be given parting gifts such as uniforms and quality gear to add to your ski wardrobe in their appreciation for your efforts. Ensure that you register for these events early since they tend to fill-up quickly. More event info at www.whistlerblackcomb.com/calendar/

A sweet bargain:

A definite highlight of my Whistler-ite experience was the day I spent with a member of the Whistler/Blackcomb Freeride team. The mountain offers free ski and snowboard clinic opportunities, known as "Freeride Days", with a team of some of the most influential and accomplished skiers and riders in the world. I had the thrill of crossing my tracks with former Olympic mogul skier John Smart for an action-packed awe-inspiring day of full-contact mogul skiing involving group coaching opportunities and one-on-one tip sessions for self-improvement. This all coming from a guru of the sport that I had looked up to for several years. So go on and take a freeride! This event also requires pre-sign-up due to its increasing popularity. More information at www.whistler-blackcomb.com/freeride

Keep a journal - you'll be glad you did in the future. The least it will do is collect dust on your shelf afterwards as a time capsule and in the end will serve as an indispensable tool for capturing and preserving your true memories of the experience and the way you want them remembered, be it putting words to the photos or vivid detail to your daily adventures and near-disasters. I have been living vicariously through mine ever since.

It is my hope that this information has been helpful and will facilitate the process for aspiring ski bums. The Whistler-Blackcomb website (www.whistler-blackcomb.com) is a valuable resource for getting the dope on the latest snow reports, events and 2010 Olympic developments. Good luck in your search, carp?powder-ski-em (translation: seize the powder skiing) and have the ride of your life!

About the writer:

Greg Lister is a 26-year-old Carleton U. Commerce grad and ski travel enthusiast who spent 5 months and 61 glorious days of skiing in Whistler. He is now residing in the Ottawa valley working in a software testing career at a major telecommunications company. He represents Stuntwax.com "huknfast premium ski and snowboard wax" across eastern Canada with annual jaunts to the west. A complete recap of Greg's Whistler ski bum story along with photos can be viewed on his website at "Greg's Snowriding Zone" at www.geocities.com/greglister. He'll be corresponding on his ski adventures throughout the ski season. Email Greg @ bigmtn@hotmail.com.