First published April 6, 2015 in the Vancouver Sun

Christian Hillier isn’t your typical entrepreneur. He probably doesn’t even think of himself as one.

But that hasn’t stopped his fledgling Whistler ski tuning startup from growing into a national brand sought after by weekend warriors and professional racers alike.

Hillier introduces himself as a ski coach, not a founder and CEO. He talks about the need to provide better education, not the need to drive sales and increase profit margins. And he says he runs workshops, not product demonstrations or business pitches.

First published February 26, 2015 in the Vancouver Sun

This year, Vernon locals Glenn and Gregg Anderson are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the first ski they ever built. The two have built thousands more since, and have been selling a couple hundred pairs of Skevik Skis per winter in recent years.

Not bad for two brothers who started off simply as passionate skiers tinkering with gear in their parents’ garage back in 2005.

First published December 1, 2014 in the Vancouver Sun

Every year, about a million people across Canada enrol in universities and colleges, hoping to learn something they find interesting, while gaining skills that prepare them for life after graduation. This winter, mountain-sports enthusiasts in Whistler are planning to get educated at a different type of school — one that will teach them practical skills for a life and career in a mountain-resort town.

Enter the Whistler Mountain Adventure School (WMAS), a comprehensive training centre with unique programs and courses designed to equip students with specialized skills that are applicable and in high demand in mountain communities. Registered with B.C.’s Private Career Training Institutions Agency, the WMAS offers programs in retail and manufacturing, marketing and media, and adventure guiding, each concluding with a four week co-op placement with a local Whistler business.

First published November 12, 2014 in the Vancouver Sun

Over the course of the last decade, Douglas Sproul has been taking photos, drawing maps, and writing descriptions for a guidebook on one of Canada’s best, but most seldom travelled backcountry areas: Rogers Pass.

Sproul, who has lived in nearby Revelstoke for more than 20 years, wants to share his extensive knowledge of the area with the ski-touring community, because he is grateful for living in the snowy paradise, surrounded by inspiring and like-minded people. All Sproul needs now are a few more backers to help him fund the final stretch of his Kickstarter project, GeoBackcountry Rogers Pass.

First published November 12, 2014 in the Vancouver Sun

When Calgary’s Meagen LaFave started sewing base layers to use when she was snowboarding at the beginning of last winter, she didn’t know she was on her way toward launching a business.

Fast forward a year, LaFave, a real-estate development co-ordinator, is hoping all of the compliments she has received on the mountain for her aesthetically crafted designs will translate into sales for her clothing startup, Alpha Baselayer.

First published March 20, 2014 in the Vancouver Sun

Everyone else on the flight to Florida was likely thinking about beaches and warm weather, but Dimitri Poliderakis was still reflecting on the tough time he had keeping his face warm and his goggles fog free on a cold winter day skiing in Quebec.

Every scarf and face mask he tried out on his ski trip either left his goggles fogged up or his face freezing.

First published January 21, 2014 in the Vancouver Sun

When Vancouver’s Hugh Patterson was ski touring in the backcountry around Duffy Lake Road just outside of Pemberton, he was frustrated by how difficult it was to adjust his alpine touring bindings as he ascended the mountain. Realizing that his frustration must be one shared by other backcountry skiers, Patterson, a mechanical engineer, put his design skills to use to create a solution: Ski pole baskets that can help effortlessly raise and lower the heel lifters on alpine touring bindings.

First published August 3, 2013 in the Vancouver Sun

For most, this weather means lazy days on the beach or water sports, but for a few suffering from ski withdrawal there is fresh powder calling; south of the equator.

I've chased the winter twice in past summers on two different continents, and during my time in the Andes on the Argentine side, I experienced some of my finest days on snow. While everything initially seemed to move at a slower pace, the culture was rich, the terrain was unique, and the food was first-class. There were several aspects of the experience skiing in Argentina that made it one of a kind.