Whistler, British Columbia – The Long weekend has arrived and no better place to be than on the sunny westcoast of Canada, a few of the WRG? crew members decided to take a drive up the Sea-to-Sky highway to the nirvana of snow festivals; The Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival.

We went, we saw, we partied, we were conquered! The crew saw many cool things and partied with even cooler locals, all the while getting a crash course on Whistler 101!

About TWSSF:
Every year, Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival (TWSSF) takes over beautiful Whistler, B.C. to bring you North America’s largest annual snow-sport and music celebration. For 10 days/nights in April, the festival does not only combine world class ski & snowboard competitions, but also film premieres, art showings and the largest free concert series in Canada. It has been quite a while since the first TWSSF which was conceived in April, 1996.

Over the years the Festival underwent many changes including the eventual joint event marketing initiative between the two rival mountains (Whistler & Blackcomb) to introduce free outdoor concert series, an action-sport photography showdown and various community events, to appeal beyond the industry to the general public. Today, the 10 day/night event continues to grow and evolve around three major pillars of content: music, arts and sports, making TWSSF the foremost lifestyle event in Canada.

Not only were we lucky enough to shred both mountains (Whistler & Blackcomb) countless times, we were also lucky enough to chop it up with nearly all the official presenters & sponsors, as well as find out where the real locals eat at (Splitz’s & Zog’s). Also important to note is that even though this is mostly an all ages event, there are also many late night events and concerts for those a lil’ more mischievous and/or bad enough to stay up past their bedtime; there is something for everyone at TWSSF.

With a slew of media and presenting sponsors backing the festival (Coca-Cola/Monster, Kokanee, Axe, Chevrolet, Durex, Jack Link’s, Palm Bay, The Score, Recco, Bench Clothing, Samsung, VAIO (Sony) and Tourism Whistler, to name a few), It’s no wonder that the festival’s concert series list becomes better with every passing year. TWSSF has grown to become the largest free outdoor concert series in Canada, with over 50 concerts in ten days.

The Festival’s signature events have become the fashion, film and photo trifecta. These unique visual arts productions are now recognized as the most prestigious events of their kind in the world. The Pro Photographer Showdown invites the best action-sport and lifestyle photographers in the world to show the greatest work of their careers in choreographed mega-productions for an audience of 2000. Following in its footsteps is the acclaimed Filmmaker Showdown, inviting teams and individuals to shoot edit and produce short films in just 72 hours in Whistler during the Festival.

The best films are screened for 2000 people at a gala evening event. Five years ago, organizers unveiled a new dimension to the Festival: Fashion Exposed, a major production for the innovators of the action-sport and lifestyle apparel industry, which completely transforms the runway and demonstrates the way in which fashion has become completely integrated street and snow culture. Street art exhibits, theatre, storytelling, and collectively-scribed and illustrated novels round out the cultural showcase.

Never losing sight of its roots, the foundation of professional athletic competition remains at the heart of the Festival. In 2006, the pro skiers and riders decided to join forces to compete in the same venues for the first time. Also new for 2006 was the inclusion of the World Backcountry Freeride Jam, a multi-disciplined celebration of the new backcountry skiing movement.

In the days while we were up there, we checked out many shows including Dilated Peoples, Lyrics Born, Tokyo Police Club, KO & Ozomatli, twice (each) as both musical groups played an all-ages outdoor show on the Main AXE stage, and also a late night show for the older crowd. There were also a few other parties at the clubs in the village as well as a special performance by Canadian Rapper Classified, who had made a stop for his “That Ain’t So Classy Tour.

Now in its 16th year, TWSSF continues to grow in scope and popularity with thousands of attendees and an international television audience in 122 countries. Offering more than $120,000 in cash and prizing to the grassroots practitioners of new school skiing, snowboarding, film-making, action photography, new media, visual arts and design, the Festival follows hard on the heels of the XXIst Winter Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

After spending a few days and nights in Whistler during the event, It’s no wonder why the TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival is voted Whistler’s “Event of the Year” every year. TWSSF is a great end of season tradition, but as we were told it is only the beginning as the festival will return to the mountain next year on April 13-22nd, 2012.

for more info visit: www.wssf.com