Matt Belzile is not from Whistler. But like the many before him, the small town in the mountains of British Columbia filled his mind with visions of snowboarding grandeur, and he now calls it home.
Mountain towns have that effect on people, but there is something truly special about Whistler and the looming presence of Whistler Blackcomb. Aside from being the largest resort in North America, Whistler Blackcomb is the kind of mountain that a career can be built on with everything from park, powder, to backcountry. Its terrain is well known to Matt, as are the off-piste attractions that make it one of the most desirable snowboard destinations in the world. That’s why we thought it was appropriate to let him share a bit about his experience at Whistler Blackcomb, with everything from the Man Boys, to wrong turns, and what you need to do when you’re in town. And who knows, maybe you’ll find yourself scheming to make Whistler home, just like Matt.
Portrait by Erin Hogue, following photography by Ben Girardi and David McColm
How long have you been in Whistler?
I have been in town for twelve years now.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Ottawa. Ottawa is right on the Quebec and Ontario border, and I grew up on the Quebec side.
Did you move out to Whistler for snowboarding?
It’s a good place to thrive if you are going to be in the mountains and surrounded by like-minded people.
Yeah, I did. I came up for a summer because I heard you can snowboard here on the glacier, and that blew my mind, so I came up and then I got stuck, and never left.
Yeah, I hear that is the typical story for people, they go for the summer and then get sucked in.
Exactly, it happens a lot.
What was your first impression when you moved there?
I was in my early twenties and everything was new to me, I was just wowed by everything, especially just the sheer size. Where I grew up, the mountains are like an eighth of what they are here. The size of the mountains, and just how much terrain you could ride in one day was insane to me. Also, you meet so many people that have the same kind of interests as you do; it’s just really cool. It’s a good place to thrive if you are going to be in the mountains and surrounded by like-minded people.
How did the Man Boys come about then? Because you guys all fit that description to the tee.
Yeah, long story short we are a bunch of guys that came from a little bit of everywhere. We all met out here and started snowboarding a lot together, we became really good friends snowboarding, and then it has grown to what it is now.
What has all of that done for your career in snowboarding?
The Man Boys gave us a project to work on and grow with every year. It was a really big motivating factor, and our sponsors have really supported us. So in that sense I think it really helped our careers by having a project, instead of just filming one video we have a brand to build together, which has given us a bit of longevity. And then being in Whistler, it’s kind of like the mecca of Canadian snowboarding. So anyone that is in the industry is around here and you will eventually meet them, whether you like it or not.
What is a normal day in the life of Matt Belzile out there?
This time of year, I pretty much just ride the resort. Wake up around 8:00, get ready for the mountain, hit up some guys to see who is going up, then we just rip some laps until we are over it and go home. But if you ask me like maybe later in the season, it is a lot of filming. We get up really early, we go snowmobiling a lot, and film whether it’s good weather or bad weather. If it’s bad weather we are filming in the trees, if it’s good we are filming in the alpine.
Yeah that’s one thing about Whistler, is that there is always an option.
Yeah it’s crazy, and it’s so big when you have a snowmobile; the access is insane. I have been sledding here for ten years now and there are still places that I have never been and there are still zones that I want to explore and discover. So it’s actually endless, the opportunities are crazy.
What is the better mountain? Whistler or Blackcomb?
For me, I would say Blackcomb for sure.
Why do you say that?
Well, in general it’s steeper. Especially on a pow day it is less busy, because people come to Whistler and they want to ride Whistler Mountain. And also the history; it’s the more badass mountain. It’s the mountain that allowed snowboarding first, and it has the history to back itself up.
Are there any secret zones that you have, that you don’t take anyone to or that you keep on the hush?
Yeah, definitely. [laughs] When there is a powder day we definitely have our zones that we like to keep to ourselves, or just like with a small group of friends.
Backcountry just out of the gate, or inbounds zones?
Yeah these are inbounds zones and they are all kind of obvious places. On a pow day everyone wants to go up high and hit the alpine, but we have some really good tree runs that we like to do. We will hit the alpine in the morning, and when it is done we’ll go to the tree runs and it will still be untracked. That’s our jam.
What about at the end of the day? Is there a certain bar that you guys go to?
Yeah if it is a good day and we have a good group going, we like to hit up El Furniture Warehouse a lot.
And that’s owned by Kevin Sansalone, DCP, a big group of pros?
Yeah they are all in it. Mark Sollors is in it too, Mike Rencz, and my roommate Sean Pettit. They are all investors or part-owners. The vibe in there is really good and it is super cheap booze, so that’s another no-brainer.
What if I am coming to Whistler for a week, what are the things that I need to do?
If you are into the party scene then you definitely have to hit up Garfinkel’s.
Well you need to ride both mountains just to experience both. That being said, you’ll probably end up going on the Peak 2 Peak Gondola. The Peak 2 Peak, its not a roller-coaster, but it’s pretty impressive and broke a bunch of records, so it is definitely a must do. If you get a good pow day, and you are on Whistler, the Peak to Creek run is amazing and that’s pretty unique to Whistler so that is also a must. For on-mountain stuff, there is just so much exploring to do, you just have to kind of go out and snowboard and try and figure it out for yourself.
For après, there are so many spots in town that are good. The Longhorn, or you can go to The Amsterdam, or Earl’s, or El Fern [El Furniture Warehouse]. Those are all hot spots, and I would say must-do’s. Earl’s just went through a huge renovation so it’s all chic now, but it is pretty awesome. If you are into the party scene then you definitely have to hit up Garfinkel’s.
What about a nicer place to eat?
Yeah if you want a nice spot to eat, I’d say either Earl’s, or there is the other restaurant Legs Diamond, Sean Pettit opened it with his dad and his brother. It’s really good food, good vibes, and it’s a good place to eat. You can bring a girl on a date there and she will be impressed.
It seems like people take a lot of pride and ownership in Whistler, especially in the snowboard and ski community. You are a really good example, you have been there for twelve years, and all of those other guys have been there for so long. It’s a home.
I think it is just like what it offers. It is so unbeatable—well, to me anyways. I see a lot of American snowboarders come in and out of Whistler. Just seeing them on the road for six months straight just chasing snow, it is so nice to just be able to be home, film and snowboard. Today we had an epic day, all time snow, and we might have even gotten shots. We hit a jump, and then just to come home and you are at your own house—it’s sweet. You can make dinner, do your laundry, and sleep in your own bed.
Start your journey to Whistler Blackcomb
What about where I would stay?
That’s a tough question, because I think Airbnb has kind of really taken over. But in general, I think you really want to stay in the village, because that is where all of the action is. If you stay in the village you don’t need a vehicle, you can walk to either Blackcomb base or Whistler base, and have access to both mountains. And then you can après all you want and just stumble home. As far as lodge names, there is the Market Place Lodge, which is decent and cheap. There is Bear Lodge, Deer Lodge, and Delta Hotel by Marriot, those are all really well placed within the village as well.
Is there any kind of winter event or festival that you kind of look forward to every year?
What I look forward to most is the one in the spring, it’s called the World Ski and Snowboard Festival (WSSF). That’s in April and that’s always a good time. But besides that, Showcase always puts on an event in February, its called the Showcase Showdown.
What is the ultimate no-no? Is there something that you do not want to do when in Whistler?
Yes, there is [laughs]. So I mentioned the Peak to Creek run, and for people who haven’t been there, they will usually just follow tracks in, and there is a certain ridge that you need to stay on the rider’s right of. A lot of people get sucked in and go on the left, and then they end up on the back side of Whistler, and there is this eight kilometer cat track you end up at, and then Function Junction, which is six to eight kilometers down the road from the village. Most of the people I know have done it, and they learn the hard way. It takes three hours just to get to the highway. So that is a big one, the major no-no.
And then there are the obvious things like permanent closure zones. You don’t want to mess with that. The mountain is already pretty loose, they will let you kind of do whatever you want. But if it is permanently closed, it is for a good reason.
Is there anything that aside from the terrain that is really truly unique about Whistler?
I think the big thing is just how big it is. Just on Whistler, there is so much terrain and it is such a huge mountain, and then you look over and there is another one called Blackcomb. Just the sheer size and accessibility is so untouchable. Also, the main village is right at the foot of these mountains. At most resorts, you need to drive from the town just to get to the mountain. If you are staying in Bend you have to drive up the hill [to Mt. Bachelor], even Mammoth you still need to drive up the hill just to get to the mountain. What makes it so unique here is just how close the village is to the actual mountain. The village is just like the center of town and you can walk to the gondola.
Is there anything else you want to add?
This is the time of the year that all of the lakes freeze over, so another fun thing to do is always play some good old fashioned Canadian ice hockey! It is just an awesome place, and it is easy to live here all year round. There is a bunch of grocery stores, there is everything you need, there is even a McDonalds, even – well I don’t know if you guys have this, but Tim Hortons.
In Minnesota we do now, I haven’t been to one.
Yeah, well Canadians love that shit, and we just got one so it has kind of been the hype around here. [laughs] And it is fun because Canadians love it so much, and when my American friends finally go there they are like, “What’s the big deal?”
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