There are more than a few trope expressions that float around the action sports world. Remember when the word “epic” actually had some meaning? And no, I don’t blame Vail Resorts for commercializing the term. Epic had lost most of its lustre well before the Epic Pass became a constant reminder in your inbox that prices are about to go up. Epic was once the word used to describe the long narrative poems about legendary heroes, the kind delivered by revered storytellers like Homer and Herodotus.
Hey, how was the hill today?
Epiiiic…
Another trope that made its way into popular culture is “stoked.” Yeah, that one. Dictionary.com infers that this term first surfaced as Californian surfer slang in the 1950s or ’60s. So yes, stoked has definitely outworn its welcome, especially when people butcher their English with phrases like “a season I was really stoked on.” Get a new adjective, folks. There are plenty out there and new ones are getting invented all the time. Just ask Gen Z.
One particular expression that has been thrown around Whistler in early-season conditions is “low tide, high vibes,” usually in the context of someone making the most of the poor snow conditions with a positive attitude (think of making a delicious, sugary drink out of sour citrus fruit.) While low tide, high vibes didn’t take long to turn into a trope (thanks social media), it doesn’t grind my gears as much as the aforementioned clichés for a few reasons.
First, it’s more genuine. Locals are known for telling more than a few tall tales (“must have been at least 30 feet…”), and some of the tallest tales come out on the wet days of 30 cementi-metres with a 1,900-metre freezing level and no alpine. Yeah, it was skiable, but does that pow photo you captured of your buddy really tell the whole story of all that rained-out schmoo? Tourists and first-year seasonals get a pass on the overstoke, of course. They’re here for a good time, not a long time, and poor conditions may be all they know of Whistler.
The other reason I don’t mind low tide, high vibes is that it’s positive. I realize I just jeered locals for over-inflating the sub-par days, but there is also the contingent of vocal minority trolls that can’t help themselves from blaming weather conditions on anything but the weather. Those who recall the viral photo of Glacier Express submerged under a couple of feet of water know what I’m talking about. Skiing on the coast comes with the occasional rain event. Some years when we get weeks of seemingly endless rain events, bitter ski bums (many without rainy-day hobbies) spend way too much time bitching on the internet. But low tide, high vibes? I’ll take that sentiment any day of the week.
The mountain conditions this week have been challenging, to say the least. With lows in the mid -20s (with a dash of wind chill for good measure) and enough rocks sticking out of the ski runs to build Hadrian’s Wall, it’s one of those weeks when the truly dedicated skiers and riders rule the mountain. And power to them. If groomers, lifties, snowmakers and all the other workers are freezing their asses off, someone has to be up there skiing.
Thankfully, this arctic outflow is on the way out, but the next incoming weather system next week could turn everything on its head with some of that rained-out schmoo we mentioned earlier. But with all those rocks exposed—from the wind blowing away that frigid fairy dust snow lately—cement may be exactly what our mountains need. The point? After a certain amount of time living in Whistler, your perspective changes, and good snow years and bad snow years start to melt together. A season is just another season, so get up as much as you can when it’s good, skip the days when it’s terrible (or ski those days too, if you want) and don’t worry about your pow-day-to-non-pow-day ratio. Every day on the mountain has something to offer if you look hard enough.
The holidays can be great, but for the overworked and underpaid souls here away from their families, they can also be hard. Whether you’re skiing in Whistler on your well-earned vacation or you’re enjoying your local hill on some well-earned days off, keep the vibes high these holidays and let the mountain workers know you appreciate them.
Vince Shuley is feeling the good vibes these holidays. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider email vince.[email protected] or Instagram @whis_vince.
