The writing's on the wall, or in this case: on the glacier.
Momentum Camps director John Smart could not, in good faith, argue with Whistler Blackcomb (WB) shot-callers when they put a moratorium on summer camp operations on the Horstman Glacier for the foreseeable future. Smart is well-versed in probing snow year after year, so he knew conditions were far from ideal.
It hasn't just been the miserly snowfall amounts defining much of last winter and parts of this current ski season. The Horstman itself is in recession, altering the land's profile and exposing greater swaths of terrain to rock once the snow melts. Having already absorbed the cancellation of 2024 summer camps, Momentum is now scrambling to respond with the fate of its flagship offseason programming in limbo.
"It is the reality of the glacier. As much as we'd like to blame somebody else, we can't," Smart said. "We had a devastating result last year. This year rolls around, it's a La Niña year, we're all excited… and then [the snow] shuts off in January and February.
"Ty Weed is our magician in the [snowcat], and he's the guy who knows where the stores of snow are so he can scrape it together and build this park we had up there. He said, 'I can't conceive of us being able to build what we used to build with what's happened up there.' So it is a function of climate change. There's no denying that."
WB elaborated in a statement: "Whistler Blackcomb is unable to continue hosting summer camps on the Horstman Glacier for the foreseeable future. This decision was not made lightly—we know these camps, and this experience, have a long history at our resort. Unfortunately, the summer conditions on the glacier related to snowpack and glacier melt prevent the safe operation of summer camps."
'So bloody important'
A myriad of everyday citizens and national team athletes alike are reeling from the loss of what has been an invaluable cog in North America's skiing machine for more than three decades.
According to Smart, Momentum's summer camps were not just summer camps. They were hotbeds of quality training and fellowship for all breeds of skiers and snowboarders: from recreational youth wanting a unique experience to Olympians and World Cup standouts. Numerous pros developed a mutually beneficial relationship with Momentum, as they would coach younger individuals while also developing their own skills on top-flight terrain.
Moguls carvers, slopestylers and big mountain aces alike relied on Smart's crew instead of leaving the continent for vital offseason training. Oregon's Mount Hood is the only other place in North America which can rival the Horstman environment, but even U.S. national teams have chosen to sign on with Momentum in years past.
"It's a pretty devastating hit to the entire ski community," said Smart about the end of the well-known glacier camps. "The summer training setup has been a formula of success for so many champions in the world. Everyone who's a serious skier or snowboarder comes to summer camps. We've had so many letters from families and people who had these experiences with us.
"Thirty-two years is a long time, and what comes across is how much [our camps] impacted their lives—not just those who became champions themselves, but the fun others had and the years they'll never forget. Losing camps is a massive blow to thousands of people in the industry, so that's why I think it's so bloody important that [WB] sees … what it was and understands how important it is not just for Canadians, but for the whole growth of the sport."
Momentum launched its first camps in 1992 with approximately 43 registrants and grew steadily from there. An unprecedented run of snowfall took place in 2022, and the year after that Smart's operation exceeded 1,200 campers.
Yet signs of trouble began to emerge around the same time. Organizers limped through the final week of summer 2023 as Mother Nature refused to cooperate, and now they face an uncertain future.
'We're going to need partners'
Not all hope is lost, however.
Momentum salvaged parts of the 2024 campaign by rescheduling its adult program to May atop Whistler Mountain. This positively received initiative will return on Blackcomb, and demand is growing for a new all-ages family week for minors able to take a few days off of school. It is hoped these offerings can at least somewhat replicate summer conditions, with comfortable temperatures and soft snow favourable for technically challenging exercises.
Looking further ahead, Smart hopes to bring back summer camps with a new permanent training facility built on the same Whistler Mountain terrain that hosted last year's adult programming. He says this idea has been floating around in one form or another for some time.
"Originally, [Whistler] is where the summer camps were based and there's definitely opportunity and potential to bring it back, but it's going to cost a big bill," Smart explained. "I've talked to the mountain about it, and they're like, 'yeah, we're going to need partners on this.' They're definitely open to it—no reason why they shouldn't be—but they've got a lot of other capital projects on their plate, too, so [Momentum] has got to become a priority there."
Smart expects Canada's various national team associations to jump on board with the proposal of relocated camps, but other elements need to fall into line, too: preliminary geological studies, financing, etc. He'll champion the cause in any way he can.
In the meantime, expect Momentum to double down on improving its winter programs. Visit momentumskicamps.com for additional updates.
