There are plenty of places to ride during the Olympics all day and all night long with prices starting as low as 35 dollars Canadian. Here’s a rundown of where to go.
Whistler/Blackcomb
Whistler/Blackcomb overview. PHOTO: Scott Serfas
Ninety percent of Whistler will be open and (we’re predicting) fairly uncrowded during the Olympics. Whistler/Blackcomb is one of the premier snowboard destinations in the world, having won Best Overall Resort in the TWS Resort Poll for five years in a row! One catch, make sure to book your Whistler lodging in advance—from February 11—28 there will be a checkpoint on the Sea to Sky Highway (from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) between Vancouver and Whistler; you’ll be required to show a permit to prove that you’re either a resident or have a lodging reservation to proceed.
Web site: whistlerblackcomb.com
Stats: 38 lifts/200 plus trails
Park/pipe: 5 parks, 1 Superpipe
Lift ticket: $89–$91
Night riding: No
Mount Seymour
Photo: Mount Seymour resort
The park goes off at Seymour—with 40 features including fifteen-to-twenty-foot step-downs and 35-to-40-foot tables; down bars, flat rails, butter boxes, and some unique culverts. The freeriding, especially in the backcountry, is where Seymour really shines. Crews head out to build kickers and get a taste of the fresh.
Web site: mountseymour.com
Location: 35-minute drive from downtown Vancouver, in North Vancouver
Stats: 5 lifts/39 trails
Park/pipe: Three parks, no pipe
Lift ticket: $44 adult, $37 youth and student
Night riding: $35, 4:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m., 12 trails plus all terrain parks
Comments: Shuttle service is available from both Parkgate Mall and, during the month of February, Lonsdale Quay
Grouse Mountain
Photo: Courtesy of Grouse
The entire resort will be open 24/7—that’s right, all day and all night long during the Olympic games (February 12–28)! Be on the lookout for special ticket pricing. Grouse is famous for the Quiksilver Park, but the freeriding goes off, too—it’s steep and the trees are epic. The views of the city and inlets alone are worth the drive up.
Web site: grousemountain.com
Location: 15-minute drive from downtown Vancouver, in North Vancouver
Stats: 5 lifts/26 trails
Park/pipe: Two main parks, no pipe
Lift ticket: $55 adult, $45 youth
Night riding: $45 adult, $40 youth, after 4:00 p.m.,13 runs
Cypress Mountain will be closed from February 1 to March 8 for the Olympic events.
