US Airways - January 2013 - (Page 33)

Adventure Time to Play “We were looking to follow up on Blizzard, but there was no snow in Europe,” says Stump, recalling his introduction to Blackcomb. “What we all saw, after spending so much time in the French Alps, was this mini-Chamonix. Just all this terrain. Blackcomb saved the movie, which was License to Thrill.” Stump, a Maine native who called Whistler home for much of the 1990s and now resides in Idaho, said he was struck by the sheer size of the twin peaks. “Ed Pitoniak, the former editor-in-chief of Ski magazine, once said Whistler Blackcomb is Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont skiing on steroids. And he was right, man,” says Stump. “It’s the best lift-service skiing in North America. I live near Jackson Hole, which is a great mountain. But when people talk about it, I ask them, ‘Have you been to Whistler?’ ” Todd Jones, a Jackson Hole resident and cofounder of the cutting-edge film studio Teton Gravity Research, strikes a similar chord. “Whistler reeks of mountain culture,” he says. “You go to a place like Sushi Village [a favorite restaurant and social magnet], and there’s all these hard-core skiers and boarders. It has a good balance.” According to Jones, Whistler offers a worldclass experience. And Whistler embodies the uncompromising meritocracy of skiing. Fame and fortune are an afterthought. What matters is if you can rip a line. Period. “Up on the mountain, there’s no segregation,” says Jones. “You have to earn [your reputation]. Which keeps two time-honored ski traditions — tall tales and trash talking — in check. “The difference between what people do in Breckenridge or Vail and Whistler is that you don’t talk smack at photos (CLoCkwise from top) eriC berger and mike Crane/tourism whistLer, and by b. herdt/Courtesy of bob styan geTTing There uS airways offers flights to Vancouver, British Columbia. Whistler Blackcomb is approximately a two-hour drive from the airport. Whistler ★ Vancouver ★ usairwaysmag.com january 2013 33 http://www.usairwaysmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - January 2013

US Airways - January 2013
Table of Contents
CEO Letter
From the Editor
Did You Know?
Making It Happen
Hot Spots: Fantasy Trips
Hub Crawl: Boston Logan International Airport
Wine & Dine: Martinis
Adventure: Scotland Golf
Adventure: Skiing Whistler Blackcomb
Great Escapes: Quintero Golf Club
Gear Up: Pet Gifts
Travel Feature: Aruba — Little Island, Big Presence
US Airways Vacations
Celebrate San Francisco
The Cactus League
Must Read: Because I Said So!
Great Dates
Puzzles
Readers Resource Index
Your US Airways Guide
Video Entertainment
Audio Entertainment
U.S. and Caribbean Service Map
International Service Map
Airport Terminal Maps
US Airways Fleet/Customs & Immigration
Passenger Info/Contact US Airways
US Airways MarketPlace®
Window or Aisle?

US Airways - January 2013