Whistler Blackcomb Opening Day 2021/22

The fourth Thursday in November may have marked Thanksgiving in the States, but across the border here in Whistler, it felt like Christmas. Snow flurries covered the village in a blanket of white and spirits were high. The day of the year we had all been waiting for had finally arrived – Whistler Blackcomb Opening Day! 

The magic of Opening Day casts a spell over skiers and snowboarders alike, and as anticipated, the race to be one of the first to lay down tracks on this season’s fresh snow started early. Very early. The night before, in fact. It has become a Whistler tradition that keeners will camp out at the gondola base for the opportunity to be the first on the mountain. To shred seemingly bottomless powder and leave a mark on what feels like a blank canvas without any skier competition.

Many others arrived at the base of the Whistler Village Gondola in the pre-dawn hours of Opening Day, patiently waiting in the cold, fuelled by coffee and breakfast sandwiches from Lyft. By the time the sun came up, the lineup was spilling out of the corral.  

Whistler’s Opening Day Recap

While the sky over Whistler was a dull grey-white, nothing would take the shine away from the 2021/22 opening. At 8:15am, the first upload heralded the beginning of the new season. As skiers and boarders ascended the mountain, the snow continued to fall with lift operators, or lifties as they are affectionately referred to by the locals, diligently sweeping meringue-like snow off the chairlifts. 

It was the Opening Day of dreams. Emerald, Red and Garbanzo chairs shuttled snow-hungry locals and visitors on Whistler and Catskinner, Jersey Cream and Excelerator chairs on Blackcomb. Visibility may have been variable but the stoke was constant. 

With huge thanks to Mother Nature, Whistler Blackcomb Mountain Operations and Ski Patrol, Opening Day was full of fun, laughter and fatigued legs! And with more snow on the horizon, we are looking forward to more epic powder days and top-to-bottom skiing in a few weeks. 

Image credit: Ben Girardi

As Whistler Blackcomb welcomes back international guests to the resort this winter season, COVID protocols are in place on the mountain to keep locals and visitors safe. Find out what you need to know before arriving so you can focus on having a great time on the mountain. Our concierge team is here to help you navigate these requirements and get the most out of the mountain experience.

Even if you missed opening day, there’s still plenty of Whistler to go around, and you can still make plans to have an incredible ski holiday. We all know that few things look better under a tree than the gift of a vacation to Whistler. So if you know of a Santa that could use a helping hand, reach out to us at Whistler Platinum today, we always take calls from the North Pole!

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