MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Winter 2017 - page 33

WINTER2017
MLBLUE
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THEWORLDCOMESTORIDE
WhenSki Cross tookoff as a spectator-favourite sport at theVancouver
2010Olympics, thequalifyingevent tookplaceat Blue (AshleighMcIvor
took secondplace, andwent on towinOlympicGold).Thiswas the first
WorldCupSki Cross event at Blue, butwouldnot be the last.TheCup
returned toBlue in2011and '12andwill again in '17.Meanwhile, the
SnowboardCrossWorldCup landedat Blue in '12and '13.“Ski Cross is a
pure formof racing,”says Ski CrossCanadianChampionChrisDel Bosco;
“head tohead,with lots of tactics involved."
GEPA/ALPINECANADA
MAKINGFLAKEY
This shotmaybe retrobut BMR's newhigh-temp/low-energy snowguns can
make snowat -2.5or -3ºC,meaningmildwinters don't haveas severean
impact on resort operations.The system can canpump14,000gallons of
water and20,000 cubic feet of air perminute tomake snow.Thismakes it
oneofNorthAmerica'smost advanced snowmaking facilities.
BMR
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THEMANHIMSELF, JOZOWEIDER
TheSlovak immigrant andBMR founder had thedriveand
enterprisingnature that led the fledgling resort through some
shaky early years, before snowmakingand chairlifts brought
consistent crowds. Inorder toestablish the resort, hebrought
tobear his innumerable skills, including construction, farming,
culinary arts, pottery-making, ski instruction,marketing, and
engineering.Apolymathwith vision, pluckandbottomless energy,
JozoWeider turnedahardscrabble farming village intooneof
Canada's busiest outdoor destinations.
FRITZ SCHULLER/BMR
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TORONTOSKI CLUB
Formedback in themists of 1924, theTSCboastedover 7,000
members by the year of Blue's establishment.Originallybasedout
of facilities inCaledon, theTSC trailswere reputedas treacherous,
boasting stumps, rocks, ravines and thick forested runs.Together
with theBlueMountainSki Club (later renamed theCollingwood
Ski Club) theTSCpurchasedover 350acres of land in1940, on
whichBigBaby,O-Hill and L-Hill currently reside.
TSC
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