Ski Tips #010 – Focus

Where do you focus your vision when you’re sliding down the mountain? Oe of the things I’ve been noticing when I’m riding the chair lift and watching people skiing is that where they are looking is generally where they end up going. Seems pretty simple and logical doesn’t it? It is actually, but one of the more common traits among intermediate and even advanced skier is that they don’t look far enough ahead. I see a lot of people starring down at the tips of their skis. You don’t look at the hood ornament of your car when you’re driving down the road (I hope not!), watching your skis would be the same thing. Just like driving you want to look down the road or in this case down the slope. Keeping your chin up and your eyes scanning the trail as far ahead as you can will improve your overall balance and allow you to be more proactive in adjusting to the changing conditions. Here’s why; when you’re looking down at your skis it causes your upper body to roll to the inside ski and you lose edge grip. Looking across the slope will do the same thing. If you look down the hill that will allow you to stabilize your upper body and start your turn with your lower body. When you turn your lower body on a pair of skis you turn yourself into balance, when you turn with your upper body you turn yourself out of balance. Looking ahead also lets you anticipate the chances in terrain, snow conditions and even traffic. Being proactive is much better for balance than being reactive.

Dave Zerr Experiences Big White... Again!

Dave Zerr Experiences Big White... Again!

It was with a great deal of excitement and anticipation that I returned to Big White with my two son's after having worked there many years ago. To say that what I found was "unbelievable", would be an understatement!

Savvy Sassy Moms visit Big White

Savvy Sassy Moms recently visited Big White Ski Resort, here's a snippet of what they had to say:

Ski Tips #009 - Stance Versatility

You know there’s a lot of talk these days about skiing with a wide stance. If you’ve taken a lesson in the last few years there’s a good chance that you’ve been told to get your feed apart so that you can get better edge grip. This is a good thing for carving, that’s for sure, but skiing with a wide stance all the time maybe isn’t always the best thing in all situations. What you want/need is versatility in your stance width so that you can be more adaptable and adjust as the situation dicatates.

Bringing Ice Climbing to the Masses at Big White

“Let’s go Ice Climbing!” are not words you usually here coming out of your kid’s mouth but here at Big White this can regularly be heard around the resort. With our impressive 60 foot ice tower located in the Happy Valley Adventure Park it is no wonder. Constructed out of 4 telephone poles this giant ice cube with 3 foot thick ice is something to behold!

Ski Tips #008 - Getting Started

In the immortal words of Warren Miller; world renowned ski film maker, “what you don’t try this year, you’ll only be a year older when you do!” So, with that in mind, now is the best time to give skiing or snowboarding a try! There’s no better way to spend time with your family in the winter and if that wasn’t enough, skiing and snowboarding are life-long sports so if you get your kids started now, the health and fitness benefits are long term and lasting. Our most senior snowboard instructor here at Big White turns 80 this week, no kidding, 80! It’s a life outdoors and enjoying Canadian winters in the mountains that he attributes his wellness to.

February 25th - Big Whites at Big White

The hugely successful 'Big Whites at Big White' is less than a month away and already whispers of excitement is in the air.  Carla Waden from Kelowna has attended the 'Big Reds' for the past five seasons and is thrilled to attend the Big Whites for the first time. "It's such a fun event to discover great local wines and enjoy delicious food," Ms Waden said. The event showcases the best white wines the Okanagan Valley is producing and gives the attendees an opportunity to taste the variety, quality and individuality coming from the area. Trevor Hanna, Director of Food and Beverage commented, "Big Whites at Big White offers the perfect backdrop to entertain our mountain guests while giving the Okanagan wineries another opportunity to show the world how special this area really is." Big Whites will be held on March 23 from 6.00pm - 9.00pm at the Village Centre Mall, featuring a great selection of delicious local Okanagan wines such as Calona Vineyards, Peller Estates, Nk’Mip Cellars, Silk Scarf Winery, Little Straw Vineyards and Cassini Cellars just to name a few.  Tickets are $60 per person and can be purchased at the Big White Concierge Desk or contact them at concierge@bigwhite.com

For more information CLICK HERE

Ski Tips #007 - Tree Skiing

There are acres and acres of absolutely fantastic tree runs at Big White. Everything from easy introductory glades in the Black Forest to the steep and gnarly chutes that can be found off the Powder Chair; there’s something for everyone. I love skiing in the trees because even days after a snowfall you can still find lines of fresh snow, I skied some of that this morning actually!

February 18, 2013 - Record Turnout for Cruz the Blues

 

This weekend Big White hosted Cruz The Blues for the third time this season. Over 1,100 people registered. The youngest being only four years old and the oldest an incredible 89. Saturday's weather tested our participants navigation skills with a thick fog covering the mountains for majority of the day - but no one complained since it was snowing and was much more adventurous! Whilst Sunday's weather was overcast with clear visibility which helped people collect their stamps a lot faster. By 3.30pm, Happy Valley's Day Lodge was completely full with families and groups of friends lining up for their Cruz The Blues t-shirt. The presentation commenced, hosted by the Guest Services Crew, and random participant's names were drawn out and were given prizes. The Crew also threw out prizes such as sunglasses, clothing, stickers, belts and mascot stuffed animals to the crowd who were lucky and quick to snatch them up! Grand prizes included a GoPro, Oakley Snow Goggles, an iPod Shuffle and Nintendo DS Games. It was great to see everyone receiving something. The overall weekend was successful and fun. The next Cruz The Blues weekend will be held 16th to 17th March and is sponsored by Stutters Disaster Kleenup, Wind, Fire and Water Kleenup and Big White.

Ski Tips #006 - Steered, Skidded or Carved?

If you asked most ski racers what the best amount of edge grip is, I bet the fast ones would say, “The least amount for the given situation.” That’s because using excessive edge in all situations is like hammering on the brakes, not enough edge will also really slow you down. So what’s the right amount? Well, that depends on a few factors. Some of these in no particular order, are: snow conditions, terrain, speed, the shape of turn you want to make and the direction that you want to go.