Riddle me this: “Two Skis walk into a ski resort without any intention of snapping on skis or getting a lift up the ski slopes in order to ski down like ski bums……”

 

 

 

 

The two Skis would be Jim + Elaine. The ski resort would be Big White (www.bigwhite.com). The rest of the story would be us experiencing firsthand the family-friendly atmosphere and Gondola rides at Big White Ski Resort.

 

 

 

Many thanks to Addy Gowe for extending the invitation. She’s the Guest Services and Events Manager at Big White and our go-to ski instructor into how and why we were visiting Canada’s Favorite Family Resort. Also pitching in was International Sales Manager Rob Crichton with his tourism take. It was a sunny and brisk Tuesday afternoon on the mountain – we huddled up in a toasty conference room and snowplowed our way through a trail of questions.

 

 

Big White stakes its claim as the second-largest ski resort in British Columbia. We drove the 56 km (35 miles) route from Kelowna to Village Centre in one hour. Roads were clear. Scenery was superb. The big ski-daddy resort in the province is Whistler Blackcomb, 125 km (78 miles) north of Vancouver and host of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

 

“The number-one guest response we get is that they love our fluffy, powdery snow,” gushed Gowe. “We call it champagne powder. Skiers prefer a packed base with deep powder on top for ultimate maneuverability. It’s the snow (750 cm annually, or 24.5 feet) that brings them back.”

 

 

“It’s the Snow” is the common tagline thread that gives Big White its hillside swagger. This particular Ski has zero binding perspective when it comes to elevation numbers, Black Diamond runs, lift-ticket prices, season passes or perfect powder. But I do know what I saw and learned during our three-hour tour of this vacation mecca. Here’s my Ski report (using Ski Poles as my ratings system, five being the highest):

 

 

 

• BW has 118 Designated Trails – 18% Beginner, 54% Intermediate, 22% Expert, 6% Extreme. Marked Runs total 105 km (65 miles). The Longest Run is the Around the World Route at 7.3 km (4.5 miles). Sounds like a seafood platter – something for everyone. Five Ski Poles.
• 16 Lifts – seems like a healthy skier-per-chair ratio? During our holiday-time visit the lift lines appeared short and sweet. Sounds like the 12-items-or-less supermarket checkout line – limited waiting and you’re off and running. Five Ski Poles.
• Day Skiing from 8:45 AM – 3:30 PM. Night Skiing from 3:30 – 8:00 PM (Tuesday to Saturday, varies at different times during the season). Tubing (five specially groomed lanes) at the Mega Snow Coaster Tube Park from 2:00 – 9:00 PM. That’s a full day of snow motion. Tubing sounds like gym class at school – organized chaos that wears out kids. Mom and Dad approved. Five Ski Poles.
• Canada’s highest Olympic-sized outdoor skating rink for leisurely ice skating or pickup hockey games. Open til 9:00 PM on most nights. Zamboni included. Rentals available. Sounds like a wide-open pond to practice double axels or learn the basics. Five Ski Poles.
• Bonus Buy-Ins – a 60-foot Ice Climbing Tower (crampons provided, huh?!), Horse-Drawn Sleigh Rides, Snowmobile Tours, Dog-Sledding, Snowshoeing, Cross-Country Skiing, Kids Centre, and Tot Town Daycare. No rest for the leg weary. Get your money’s worth. Sounds like a Mexican platter – some dishes spicier than others. Five Ski Poles, with extra salsa.

 

 

 

“This resort was definitely built with families in mind,” added Gowe. “I’d say the tube park (with bonfires at night), the outdoor ice-skating at Happy Valley, and the horse-drawn sleigh rides are our top three family attractions. We’ve created a sense of community. What also helps is that families on extended stays can ski-in and ski-out of their accommodations.”

 

 

So who are these families visiting Big White and where are they coming from? Crichton provided all the statistical data. One hint – Qantas Airlines knows the Kelowna Airport like the back of a kangaroo.

 

 

 

“First, we have our local market that usually buys season passes,” he stated. “Then we have our regional market that drives (maybe 5-6 hours) to us. Then there’s the destination market that comes in via airplanes. Finally, we have our overseas market that includes adventurous skiers from Australia, New Zealand, English-speaking Asians, South Americans, and Hawaiians (some of whom have never seen snow). Big White is helping fill more plane seats than ever before.”

 

 

One final observation – Big White has a noticeable international flair. There are immigrant faces and accents at every turn and mogul. G’day, mate. It has been reported the resort hires 800 seasonal workers – the boots on the ground breakdown is 40 percent Australian, 30 percent Canadian (mostly Okanagan Valley), and the rest coming from Chile, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, Mexico and Japan. Translation, lots of young people trading reasonable wages and housing for mammoth skiing and outdoor opportunities.

 

 

Gowe confirmed that ski season at the resort usually ends around Easter, give or take a few weeks. What’s new on the mountain’s 2015 agenda is developing more of a spring and summer season of warm-air biking and hiking, skills and riding contests, and outdoor festivals. Hold on to your helmet, Big White will transform into the Big Woods after the Big Melt.

 

 

Personally, I enjoyed the Gondola route up-and-down Mother Nature’s white carpeting. Not sure if I share Elaine’s enthusiasm for gearing up and using my ski poles as steering and stopping devices?!

 

 

 

Riddle Redux:  “Two Skis drive into to a ski resort in mid-July with every intention of hiking up several ski trails and observing the sun-drenched flora before imagining the thrill of swooshing down the ski slopes like ski bums………”