In its second full year of operations, the Whistler Skateboard Club looks to take its business to the next level by expanding its programming as well as its coaching staff.
One of the new coaches joining the fold this year is Whistler native and Team Canada snowboarder Finn Finestone, who, as the son of a skateboarder, has been skating since he could walk and is “super stoked” to have an opportunity to help build up a new generation of skaters.
“It’s amazing. I’ve always kind of had younger friends over the years that I’ve slightly coached and given tips, but now to have an actual coaching role it feels super cool. It’s new but it feels awesome,” he said.
“As a coach I’m just hyped to see some smiles and coach everyone to my ability and then also just learn a lot from everyone else, too. It gives me perspective looking at tricks and looking at basic stuff, so it’s kind of cool and I’m just hyped to bring my knowledge to some new skaters.”
When asked about what Finestone and fellow Team Canada snowboarder Jacob Legault—another new coaching addition—add to the club’s coaching staff, WSC creative director Sam Weston pointed to the excitement it generates among the younger generation to be able to spend time with some of the town’s iconic sports figures.
“It just shows that the club is growing and it also gives kids more coaches to work with, which is great. When you are a young kid you get more perspective from the different coaches you are out there working with,” said Weston. “[Now] we can have very focused private coaches or camp coaches. Last year we were pretty spread thin on staff, and we had one coach in Truth [Smith] running around trying to do it all.
“Now we just have a breadth of coaches … it just helps make the program better and we can deliver a little bit better product that way.”
Despite already running a couple Saturday sessions this June, WSC’s skate season officially kicks off this weekend with the second annual Mayhem in the Mountains skateboard competition.
Following that, the club will start its weekly skate camps (which will run from the first week of July until the second week of August in both Whistler and Squamish), host a new yet-to-be named Pro-Am skate comp in Squamish on July 16, and put on multiple day camps throughout the summer in Pemberton.
“It’s pretty exciting to be back. Hopefully this spring weather passes and once summer comes through we get some sun,” said Weston, adding that the club has already had to call off two of its planned Saturday sessions this month due to weather.
“I just want to bring new kids into the sport who have never skateboarded before, and with the club we’re able to provide that opportunity,” Weston added.
“And obviously we want to do our best to keep those signups going and see it grow to the point where people in the community are coming up to us and looking to us as their summer job, to the point that we can support a lot of coaches and be that outlet for summer work and also that outlet for skateboarders across the Sea to Sky.”
For more information on the club’s summer programs or to sign up for a contest or camp go to whistlerskateboardclub.com.
