Every year in November, skiers and snowboarders start to prepare for opening day at Whistler Blackcomb. When opening day arrives some are more prepared than others. Follow our ten tips to prepare for opening day at Whistler Blackcomb to start your season off right!
1. Sweat It Out
The first step to prepare for opening day at Whistler Blackcomb is to get your body ready! Challenge yourself to sweat it out before you are halfway down the mountain with your legs burning. There are plenty of options to get your fitness up to speed from working out at home to getting your sweat on with the help of a personal trainer. For the best results, we find that making a commitment to joining a formal training plan will help you achieve your goals. For targeted and specific training schedule work out with Basecamp Fitness. If you are looking for a balanced mind-body fitness plan, try some classes at Loka Yoga. Both Loka Yoga and Basecamp Fitness are located onsite at Nita Lake Lodge which is only 500 meters away from the base of Whistler Mountain. That means you can literally keep your eyes on the prize while working towards your fitness goals.
2. Soothe Your Muscles With A Massage
After a rigorous workout, your muscles might be a bit sore. Make sure to listen to your body and reward it for working hard with a massage at The Spa At Nita Lake Lodge. Included with any treatment at The Spa is access to our rooftop hot tubs and steam room. For those of you who have extended health benefits, your RMT massages will be renewed in January, what better time to take advantage! Don’t worry if RMT is not your style, try our signature Kundalini Massage for something new. If you are a sea to sky corridor local, show us your ID to receive a 15% locals’ reward. You may also want to plan ahead and book a massage for the day after opening day to work out any additional sore muscles!
3. Get Our Your Old Gear
Now is the time to go into your storage and pull out the skis, boards and everything in between that you need to prepare for opening day at Whistler Blackcomb. Take your gear for a tune-up at a local shop like Underground Tuning, but remember, you might want to take out a “rock board” or skis for opening day. There are often a few rocks and trees hiding just under the surface – so be careful out there, don’t take any chances with your freshly tuned gear – or yourself!
4. Buy New Gear
If you are missing a left glove, or those boots are looking a little worse for wear, take advantage of early season deals on leftover gear from last year! Early season is a great time to buy new gear from outerwear to hard goods there are plenty of shops in Whistler that will be able to help you find what you need! Check out Can Ski in Creekside for everything on your list.
5. Get Your Pass
One crucial item to be fully prepared for opening day at Whistler Blackcomb is a pass! You know that you will want to ski or board more than one day, let’s be honest here. This year, Whistler Blackcomb is EPIC! “Straight up, a 2017.18 Epic Pass provides you with the ultimate access to the world’s best mountain resorts. Enjoy full access to Whistler Blackcomb, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, Afton Alps, Mt. Brighton, Wilmot Mountain, Stowe Mountain Resort (pending acquisition closing) and Perisher in Australia. The Epic Pass also grants limited access to Arlberg in Austria; Les 3 Vallées, Paradiski and Tignes-Val D’Isere in France; Skirama Dolomiti in Italy and 4 Vallées in Switzerland.” With the major savings over daily ticket window prices and unlimited access to resorts around the word, you may want to consider buying an EPIC pass – but don’t wait – Epic passes are only available until November 19th!
6. Find Your Tribe
The best days on the mountain are shared with friends. From a loved one, to a brother from another mother, plan to share your day with friends! It will make your whole experience better from waiting for the lifts to open to getting that shot for Instagram…
7. Plan Your Day
Whistler is a BIG mountain and to prepare for opening day at Whistler Blackcomb you have to have a plan! From where to upload to when to take a break, having a plan will help you maximize your first day back on snow. Don’t forget that you can upload from the Creekside Gondola, which also has complimentary underground parking. This location is often less busy than the Whistler Village Gondola. From there you have direct access to Red Chair which will take you to the rest of the mountain. Depending on snow levels you may or may not have to download following your first day on the mountain. Often, the download line to Creekside is also much shorter which will speed up your time to apres!
8. Get A Lesson
It is a long season here and the best way to prepare for opening day at Whistler Blackcomb is to book yourself in for an opening day lesson. After not riding for the summer, the best way to ensure you don’t injure yourself is to practice those skills with a professional. Not only will you thank your instructor for giving your ski or snowboard skills a fine tune, you will also have priority lift line access. On a busy day, this can make or break how much actual riding you will get in. If you are a higher level skier or rider, consider booking a private guide, that way you have one on one attention from your instructor and can access runs at your own speed.
9. Choose Your Après Spot
An essential part of preparing for opening day at Whistler Blackcomb is planning where to celebrate the start of another season! Après ski, translated to ‘after ski’ is a tradition in any ski town. After a great day on the mountain come together with your friends to celebrate with a beverage and some snacks to fuel you up for the season to come. Cure Lounge will be ready to welcome you.
10. Book Your Accommodation
Take advantage of early season pricing and book in for the weekend at Nita Lake Lodge. Within walking distance to Creekside Gondola and complimentary use of ski lockers, you will want to stay a while. If you are planning a winter ski vacation, make sure to book directly via our website, email info@nitalakelodge.com or by calling our reservations agents’ toll-free at 1.888.755.6482.