 | |
| Type | Non-profit society |
|---|---|
| Focus | Volunteer alpine ski race workers and organizers |
| Location |
|
Members | approx 400 local to BC, 200 outside BC. |
| Website | www.weaselworkers.com |
The Whistler Weasel Workers is a volunteer organization of alpine ski race workers that has been active in Whistler, British Columbia(BC), Canada since the 1970s. The Whistler Weasel Workers is a non-profit society dedicated to the advancement of alpine ski racing in British Columbia and Canada. The Weasel Worker's major activity is the preparation and maintenance of ski race courses and the support and organization of ski racing competitions.
Whistler is a resort municipality in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately 125 km (78 mi) north of Vancouver and 36 km (22 mi) south of the town of Pemberton. Incorporated as the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), it has a permanent population of approximately 11,854, plus a larger but rotating population of seasonal workers, typically younger people from beyond British Columbia, notably from Australia and Europe.
The Weasel Workers have participated in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, in all World Cup, Canadian Championship and NorAm alpine ski races that have been held in Whistler BC. The Weasel Workers have also participated in international ski races at other locations, including the FIS Alpine World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain (1996), and in Bormio, Italy (2005), in World Cup alpine ski races in Lake Louise, AB (2000–present), and in Beaver Creek, CO (2006), as well as in the Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, AB (1988) and in Salt Lake, UT (2002). The Whistler Weasel Workers participated in the 2008 Whistler World Cup and they played a role in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.
Alpine skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held in Canada at Whistler Creekside in Whistler, British Columbia, north of Vancouver. The ten events were scheduled for February 13–27; weather delayed the first event, the men's downhill, two days until Monday, February 15.
Beaver Creek Resort is a major ski resort in the western United States, near Avon, Colorado. The resort comprises three villages, the main Beaver Creek Village, Bachelor Gulch, and Arrowhead to the west. The resort is owned and operated by Vail Resorts which also operates three other resorts in the state, three in the Lake Tahoe region, and their newest additions, Canyons Resort and Park City Mountain Resort which were combined in 2015. Beaver Creek is a regular host of World Cup events, usually in early December.
The Winter Olympic Games is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held in Chamonix, France. The modern Olympic Games were inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, which were held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, leading to the first modern Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece in 1896. The IOC is the governing body of the Olympic Movement, with the Olympic Charter defining its structure and authority.
Alpine ski racing in Canada is largely dependent on volunteer workers who prepare a course for racing and then maintain the course during the event. This activity includes creating and maintaining a hard, smooth snow surface and installing and maintaining safety netting necessary to safeguard both the ski racers and spectators. Volunteers also organize and officiate most alpine ski races. Among officiating and other tasks requiring large numbers of volunteers are those of Gate Judging (confirms that competitors properly complete the course) and Course Security (restricts access to the race course).
In the 1970s, while watching a line of course workers walking, arm-in-arm, "boot-packing" the snow on a steep pitch on Whistler Mountain's Dave Murray track, an early race organizer was heard to say, "They're Weasel Workers", naming the group after the slope on which they were working. The name stuck and from that time, Whistler's volunteer ski race workers have been known as the "Weasel Workers".
Dave Murray was an alpine ski racer. He was noted for being a member of the Crazy Canucks, the Canadian downhill racers of the late 1970s and early 1980s known for their fearless racing style. His teammates in the group were Ken Read, Dave Irwin, and Steve Podborski.
In 1984, the organization formally registered itself as a society, under the name "Coast Alpine Event Club". This name is rarely used and the group is commonly known simply as "the Weasels". The Weasels are very loosely organized with membership requirements being simply four or five day's participation as a course worker at a Weasel-supported Whistler ski race. Most members are intermediate to advanced skiers, but the organization includes many non-skiers as well.
Whereas the core membership is resident in the Lower Mainland region of BC (Vancouver and surroundings), and in Whistler, Squamish and Pemberton, BC, Weasel Workers reside throughout Canada, as well as in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, and many countries in Europe.
The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding and including Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2016, 2,759,365 people, lived in the region; sixteen of the province's thirty most populous municipalities are located there. Islands contained within rivers in the region are considered to be part of the Lower Mainland.
British Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada, located between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. With an estimated population of 5.016 million as of 2018, it is Canada's third-most populous province.
Pemberton is a village municipality north of Whistler in the Pemberton Valley of British Columbia in Canada, with a population of 2,574. Until the 1960s the village could be reached only by train, but that changed when Highway 99 was built through Whistler and Pemberton.
The Whistler Weasel Worker organization is sustained by strong camaraderie and a shared love of and dedication to alpine ski racing. The Weasels are enthusiastic supporters of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team. Many Weasels are or have been parents of ski racers competing at various levels, from local club and regional ski races to international World Cup races.
