The World Ski & Snowboard Festival is a legacy event in skiing & snowboarding. The event has been a hub of freeski culture throughout its 25+ year heritage and has long been a cornerstone of the Newschoolers’ calendar. Our staff has been making the pilgrimage to Whistler since the beginning of this site, with @Mr.Bishop , @schmuck , @eheath , @Sklar , @P3t3r , @Turner. , @cydwhit , and more putting in shifts both on the slopes and to a greater degree, at the countless parties.

Legends of Newschoolers at WSSF

Over the years, the slopestyle, and particularly the big air events, held down at the base have been a key feature of WSSFs past. From JP Auclair & Candide Thovex, to TJ Schiller & Kaya Turski the list of greats who have graced the skies and podiums of Whistler is near endless. And the after parties were doubtless some of the all-time ski industry ragers. Although, if we’re looking at event history, it’s the Saudan Couloir Extreme that’s the most traditional. First run in 1987, ‘the Extreme’ pits skiers against a steep couloir, set with race gates. The event quickly found a home on mainstream TV in Canada and worldwide infamy as the steepest ski race on the planet.

The Whistler Blackcomb Playground

Some years further down the line, Intersection, the WSSF video contest became arguably the headline act. Each year, legendary crews would be invited to the resort and surrounding sidecountry to film for just 7 days, and at the end of it, drop a video part. Level 1, Poorboyz, Hood Crew, Burrlapz & Big Picture. The event drew in the greatest talent from across the ski world and yielded some all-time classic edits with Burrlapz and Voleurz notable winners of the grand prize.

This year, WSSF returns to the slopes and town of Whistler from the 10th-16th of April, with a lineup of ski contests, video events, live music and good vibes guaranteed throughout the weekend. For the 2023 festival, WSSF will be returning to its grassroots origins and will focus on Sea to Sky artists and athletes, fan-favorite events from the previous years. Media-focused events will also make a return, with both photo and video competitions planned. Keep your eyes peeled on the WSSF page for further details link here.

Saudan Couloir back in the day. And it's just as gnarly today

The Saudan Couloir Race Extreme, presented by Helly Hansen, returns on Saturday, April 15th, and you have to see how steep it is to believe it. Slush Cup, presented by Corona Tropical, rounds out the weekend on Sunday, April 16th, and is totally worth turning up for whether you like pond skimming or simply enjoy watching people get worked under the springtime sun.

Whistler in spring is hard to beat. You get long sunny days and slushy laps but still with a good chance of lucking out with a huge dump of snow. March generally yields more than its fair share of surprise pow days. In April, soft landings in the legendary Whistler terrain parks are guaranteed, and you’ll probably still get some fresh snow too.

Spring also brings more affordable accommodation and you can take advantage of the special Spring Aprés offer, with every third night booked, receiving a $75 ápres ski voucher. If you really want to keep the costs down, aim for midweek. You can get some pretty swanky accommodation without busting your wallet.

For more information on spring deals at Whistler click here.

For the latest from WSSF, this link is your friend. See you out there.