Mar. 06 2015 - WhistlerBlackcomb Ski & Snowboard School

VOLUME 11: 6-Mar-2015
SPRING FORWARD on SATURDAY!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE...
Recognition—Pgs. 2-5
Safety—Pg. 6
Recruiting Update—Pg. 7
Training/Pro Deal—Pgs. 8 & 9
Upcoming Events—Pgs. 11 to 13
RETURNING NEXT SEASON?
WE’VE MADE IT UBER-EASY FOR YOU!!
CANADIANS & STAFF WITH YOUR OWN VISA:
Let your supervisor know you plan on returning. THAT’S IT! EASY-PEASY!
(see pg. 7 for more details—if you need them)
SPONSORED STAFF: Sorry guys, not as easy for you. See pg. 7
for details. Deadline to apply: April 1st , 2015
SNOW SCHOOL TERRAIN TOURS with ARTHUR DEJONG & ROB MCSKIMMING
**Sign up in RTP Instructor Training**
We have scheduled two Snow School Terrain Tours with Arthur DeJong, WB Mountain Planning Manager, & Rob
McSkimming, VP of Business Development. Arthur & Rob will ski with the group, stopping at learning areas to discuss existing Snow School terrain, beginner areas & potential capital plans to enhance these areas in the future.
The focus of these tours will be on learning areas & terrain for beginner to novice skiers and riders (levels 1-3). Instructors will be able to provide input throughout the session. Please sign up for these tours in RTP Instructor
Training.
WHISTLER LEARNING AREA TOUR: MONDAY MARCH 16 @ 3:30PM
Meet at Whistler Alpine Snow School Hut
BLACKCOMB LEARNING AREA TOUR: THURSDAY MARCH 19 @ 3:30PM
Meet at Blackcomb Alpine Snow School Hut
CASTLE CLOSURE: MON. MAR. 9 & TUES. MAR. 10
On Monday, March 9 and Tuesday March 10, the Castle will be closed for a VKP skier cross race. In order to allow for the best
guest experience, we will go where the snow is, on the twisting run passing through the castle and finishing at the bottom
of ‘Valley of Dragon’s’. Please spread the word and make other plans so as not to disappoint you guests. Thank you for your
understanding and cooperation.
2014 T4’S
IF YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO COLLECT YOUR T4 FROM YOUR SUPERVISOR LAST WEEK,
THEY ARE NOW IN THE MAIL.
T4’s will be mailed to the address on The Pass as of December 2014. You may receive more than one T4 due to working for multiple companies or having changed Benefits during the year. Always review your T4’s and report the combined information on your tax return. Canadian tax returns are due April 30th.
VOLUME 11: 6-Mar-2015
Rock stars
Great job by everyone on some of our
busiest days ever!
Here are this issue’s ROCK STARS:
David Stevens
Josh Hansen
Jorge Escobedo Silvela
Laura Andersen
Andrei Balint
Kay Gall
Jesper Svedin
Quentin Royle
Court Larabee
Aaron Brown
Ingrid Ruberg
Sam Copsey
Patrick Richardson
Luis Sanchez
Hisae Fukui
Paul Brown
Andrew Tjelios
Kyle Healy
Tom Wild
Doug Short
Esta Evans
Denis Ebacher
Brad Newell
Patrick Allen
Pawel Zadrozny
Adam Charters
Margie Berthoud
Sergio Tortajada Villanueva
Caitlin Stevenson
Ian Ferguson
Bridget Daley
Ed Jones
Nicolas Leger Loiselle
Pei-Yin Lew
Jungle Lee
Javier Pavon Alvarez
Chris Kaipio
Rod Jenkins
Tomaz Todorov
Asa “Ace” McKee
Steve Tait
Julia Abel
Tony Liuzzo
Fred Cuzner
Brenton Leith
Lur Chocarro
Paul Cooper
Craig Jones
Andrew Logan
Kim McKnight
Luke Brooks
...and the Swag winners are:
Luis Sanchez | Julia Abel | Court Larabee
Please collect your prize from reception at the SS
Admin offices, G1
Congratulations to the following
(WKRT) Bart’s Heart Winners!
VILLAGE:
Minis – Curtis Pisesky
Destination Ride – Bel Arevalo
Destination Ski – Jon Durham
Ride Tribe – Charlton Naidu
AC – Albert Pino
RH Club – Claire Hughes
Club – Peggy Dean
BLACKCOMB:
Minis – Imke Langrehr
Destination – James Elsmie
AC – Carla Areny
Support – Julie Hancock
Daycares – Melissa Tyers
BLACKCOMB B2:
Ride Tribe Schools – Freddie Therriault &
Dave Mills
Club – Dom Royles
CREEK:
Minis – Michele Stalker
Club – Alex Blake
Come pick up your prize from
Brenda Peterson,
Sunday to Thursday @ Whistler Village Kids.
:
LINE 3RD
D
A
DE RCH 2
A
N. M
MO
Please send paper nominations via inter office mail to Events & Recognition at The Cabin. Nominations can also be emailed directly to
erecognition@whistlerblackcomb.com.
VOLUME 11: 6-Mar-2015
PEAK TO VALLEY 2015
CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who competed in the
Peak to Valley Race last weekend. Once again, WBSS peeps
had some great results! Here
are the WBSS racers who finished in the top 20:
FRIDAY—WOMEN
2nd—Liz Thompson
6th—Wendy Brookbank
8th—Andree Vajda-Janyk
12th—May Ueno-Hathazi
FRIDAY—MEN
2nd—Francois Hebert
3rd—Marian Treger
15th—Mark Hornby
16th—Christian Aigner
19th—Satoshi Tamaki
SATURDAY—WOMEN
1st—Shiho Negishi
3rd—Kim McKnight
11th—Ali Bartram
16th—Brooke Milne
18th—Heike Stippler
SATURDAY—MEN
11th—Nadio Hachey
17th—David Stevens
18th—Garret Gentle
Check out all the results here:
http://bit.ly/1KxNuhp
VOLUME 11: 6-Mar-2015
MCCONKEY CUP 2015
SNOW SCHOOL
REPRESENTS!
WBSS had some strong representation at this year’s McConkey
Cup on Wed. Mar. 4th.
The Camp Wrecking Crew (Kim
McKnight, John Kindree, Phil
Penny & Ken Pedersen) came
second in the Ski category to the
team with the most (non) creative name, “Blackcomb Patrol”
by a mere .51 of a second. Wrecking Crew teammates, Kim
McKnight-Pedersen & Ken Pedersen both finished with the fastest
times in their category.
Whistler Kids team, 3 Caged
Blondes & a Baldy, (Leila Phillipson, Courtney Blann, Carly Janz
& Omer Dagan) finished 6th
place in the Ski category.
Snowboard School DOMINATED
their category—with all 3 teams
made up with WBSS riders. Band
Saggers, (Wendy Robinson, Ratty, Tim Hailwood & Crispin Lipscomb) finished in first place with
Wendy & Crispin each capturing
fastest in their category.
2nd place went to the Moose
Knucklers, (Michelle Seibel,
Scott Hunter, Court Larabee &
Michael Barton) and UUUHHHH?
(Paul Van Den Berg, Kevin Welsh,
Susann Bercmann & Nils Haupt)
finished in 3rd place.
CONGRATS EVERYONE!
Carly & Omer rockin’ the onesies
Kim: Fastest female skier
Wendy: Fastest female snowboarder
Ken: Fastest male skier
Ratty giving Mario (a.k.a. Brian Good) a champagne eye-wash. (He LOVED it!)
VOLUME 11: 6-Mar-2015
SAFETY FIRST!
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BANNER
Mountain Safety is always hot topic. I hear instructors upset about being
asked to slow down with their classes, random staff members in gondolas
bragging about taking hits in slow zones and just a general unease around
the folks in the yellow jackets. But I can tell you that it is a totally different
experience when you’re looking uphill rather than traveling down at ski out
time.
As managers we have to do 4 safety shifts a season and you’ve probably all
seen us out there practicing our wave. Having hundreds of people ski straight towards you definitely gives you a whole new perspective, as the speed people are travelling seems incredibly fast. Collisions seem much more likely as you look uphill at everyone, rather than when you are only focused on
where you are skiing and the few meters around you.
The last safety shift I did was just before the turn off to School Marm on Blackcomb during Monday in
Prez Week. It was CRAZY! Lots of people straight lining, taking hits, beginners out of control, kids going
mach-chicken, and all it in heavy sugar snow in a tight bottleneck!! It comes in waves, as if all the different skill sets wait to group up at the top of each pitch and start again, all at the same time just to add to
the mayhem!! There were near misses, double ejections, lucky escapes but thankfully nothing more serious. I'll admit that I waved at quite a few people to slow down that day (most were very polite and
threw in a couple of turns right away), however I'm sure if I had asked them if they thought they were
going fast the would have said ‘no’, and truly believed, that they weren't. But standing there, I would
have disagreed, as it LOOKS fast and LOOKS crazy when you can see the whole picture!
After lunch today, I skied out. It was quiet, there were very few people on the run and definitely no
mountain safety yet. How did I ski that same flat section? I straight lined and I didn't feel I was going fast
at all. It was only when I passed the ‘slow’ sign that I realized what I was doing and how that is exactly
how the people I waved at must have felt - in control. But I know from the other side, it would have
looked different.
Remember one of the leading causes of injury to instructors is collisions,
the Mountain Safety team are there to help us and our guests stay safe. So
next time you are in a slow zone, think about the view from the other side
and slow down a little; throw in an extra turn and give the Mountain Safety a
wave. Maybe even take a minute next time you are on a day off and skiing
out at the end of the day to stop at a ‘slow’ banner. Look uphill and I bet
within a minute you will want to wave at someone to slow down!
Slow down and carry on, Anna
VOLUME 11: 6-Mar-2015
RECRUITING/EE UPDATE
ARE YOU PLANNING TO RETURN FOR
THE 2015-2016 WINTER SEASON?
WE WANT YOU BACK!!
*NEW* this year for EVERYONE in Snow School (everyone = instructors & support positions)
With so many Snow School staff returning year after year, we are hoping to simplify the process. So,
this spring ALL ACTIVE SNOW SCHOOL STAFF will be AUTOMATICALLY REGISTERED TO RETURN for next
winter season and all YOU have to do is tell us if you are NOT planning on coming back.
Before the end of the season, your supervisor will be asking you if you plan to return. If you tell them
you are NOT coming back we will remove your registration at that time so you do not receive multiple
emails from Recruiting.
If you ARE planning to return for 2015/2016, we will contact you by email towards the end of summer to
confirm this is still your intention. If your plans have changed by then, you can let us know at that
time. You can also let us know at any point over the summer if you are not returning by contacting us
at either 604.938.7557 or ee@whistlerblackcomb.com.
If you have a SUMMER JOB at WB that you are planning on returning to, you will still need to register
your intent online as usual. Visit www.whistlerblackcomb.com/jobs and click on the Return Staff tab after March 1 to do that.
ATTENTION SPONSORSHIP APPLICANTS
In order to be considered for Whistler Blackcomb Snow School Sponsorship for the 2015-2016
winter season, you must meet the following requirements:
1. Minimum Level 2 CSIA (Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance) or foreign equivalent OR Minimum
Level 2 CASI (Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors) of foreign equivalent
2. A minimum of 750 hours instructing experience (approximately 2 seasons, working full-time)
3. One full-time season instructing at Whistler Blackcomb
4. Internal to Whistler Blackcomb Snow School, i.e., you must have worked with Whistler Blackcomb Snow School in the last 18 months
For those who are interested in Sponsorship you need to express your interest online through
the Sponsorship link open MARCH 1 – APRIL 1.
Go to www.whistlerblackcomb.com/jobs and click on the RETURNING STAFF tab.
**LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED**
VOLUME 11: 6-Mar-2015
TRAINING
REFERRAL / PRO DEAL
It’s been a busy week for training and CSIA courses!
Congratulations to everyone that just passed CSIA
Level 2 and 3 Exams!! Well done! It takes so much
work and effort, so I hope you are reveling in relief
after finishing this big accomplishment.
Best wishes and good luck to all those heading on
the Level 4 Exams next week. We are all cheering
for you, so give it your best!!
SPINNING: Sharon Deny is posting a sign-up
sheet by the spinning bikes upstairs in the Springs
building. If you would like an introduction to how
to use these bikes to warm up or work out, please
sign up and we will formally arrange the session.
This season has challenged the referral and pro deal equipment
program. Overall, we saw a 28% increase in ski and snowboard orders this season, roughly $35k more in product. Along with this,
for reasons, some in our control and others not, some equipment
orders were delayed or have not been fulfilled.
We want you to know that the Referral staff and Buyers are already working together to ensure the system for next season is
improved. Precautions are already in place, which will remove
some of the complications we experienced this season such as
orders not being fulfilled, orders not shipped or in received in a
timely manner.
Going forward, so that you are satisfied with the conditions of the
Referral & Pro Deal Equipment Program please understand that:
WB TECH CHAMPS
Tentative Date: Friday April 3rd
Open to all Snow School and non-Snow
School. Come on out for a great day of skiing with
friends with a little competition and prizes. Of
course there’s the Après afterwards with some
drinking from the Boot.
Typically, we have three runs, (GS Race, Corridor,
Bumps), which are all marked and points recorded. You can register in a category that best suits
you:
 Masters: Men/Women 50 years +
 Telemark: Men/Women on tele skis
 Amateur Women: Females holding less than a
Level 3 CSIA or equivalent
 Amateur Men: Males holding less than a Level
3 CSIA or equivalent
 Pro Women: Level 4 Candidates and Level 4
females
 Pro Men: Level 4 Candidates and Level 4 males
 Snowboarding: Always open to the possibility!! If there is interest, let me know.
Lastly, thanks to my Race Crew (Otto, Denis and
helpers!) I don’t know any other ski school that
provides a course and corridor EVERY week for
staff to train. Always a good set and great advice. You guys rock.
See you up there, Tracey
The Early Bird Wins: The sooner you order your equipment,
(ideally, before the end of April!), the more likely the product will
be available. The Retail & Rental industry are required to place
their orders in early February for delivery in November. The ski and
snowboard industry does not make an abundance of equipment
beyond industry order quantities. The later the instructor order,
the greater the chance that the equipment is not available or delivery delays will occur.
Deadlines: Respect our order deadlines. These deadlines are set
for good reason. Any orders received after our deadlines are likely
not be fulfilled. Pro Nights are the last possible date to order
equipment. This is already very late in the season to be ordering,
however made possible so that new instructors and returning
staff can order affordable equipment. Your order is not 100% guaranteed until we receive confirmation from the vendor that it is
fulfilled.
Order Forms: Ensure you have provided all equipment details. Incorrect equipment details or missing information will cause delays
in whole orders being fulfilled or shipped. Ensure you have completed an ‘Equipment Order Form’ and delivered or emailed it to
the office. Emails or phone calls will not be accepted as an order
placement.
Equipment Arrival: To save you costs on shipping and postage, all
orders go through our WB warehouse, this adds 1-2 weeks on delivery time depending on the time of year. It is still hard to determine exactly when an order will arrive because this is determined
by the timeframe in which orders are processed, confirmed fulfilled by the vendor, processed by the vendor, shipping time and
then the time it takes to be received and delivered. You will receive an email from the Referral Office with details when your
equipment is ready for collection.
We look forward to providing you with affordable equipment next
season and hope that this clarifies any questions about the Program.
Regards, Steph Ball
VOLUME 11: 6-Mar-2015
REFERRAL PROGRAM UPDATE
VOLUME 11: 6-Mar-2015
F.Y.I.
*NEW* F&B DISCOUNTS! As you may know, between March 5 and April 19, 2015 we have extended a
50% discount in our Market-style Food & Beverage Outlets, (RHL, Rendezvous, Glacier Creek, Wizard, EBCB, Backside, Raven’s and Chic Pea), to all of our Seasons Passholders. During these dates The Food & Beverage Division
has graciously extended this discount to the following groups:
 Registered dependents of FT staff (meaning your dependents who are receiving a dependent pass through
you)
 Part-Time Employees on their days off (normally there is no discount for PT Employees on their days off)
 Volunteers on a non-volunteering day (normally there is no discount for Volunteers on their days off)
Smart times are still in effect for all full time, part time and volunteer staff members
We hope that you enjoy this extra perk over the next 6 weeks!
HOW TO CHECK YOUR LENGTH OF SERVICE (LOS) ON THE PASS:

Click on ‘Employee Hub’

Expand ‘View Personal Information’ and click on ‘Personal Information Report’

Select ‘Employment’ Tab:

You will then be able to view your Employee Information, including your Length of Service.
Hire Date: This is your original hire when you first started with WB.
Rehire Date: This is the date that you were most recently hired with WB. This will be different from the Hire Date if you
work seasonally or have been away from WB at some point in time.
Length of Service: This is calculated from July 1st to June 30th (i.e. not a calendar year).
Please note that Length of Service Awards are given out the year after you complete your milestone year (5, 10, 15, etc…).
If you have any questions, please email los@whistlerblackcomb.com
VOLUME 11: 6-Mar-2015
*SNOW SCHOOL SWAG SALE*
C’mon out PAYDAY FRIDAY to pick up some cool WBSS swag.
FRIDAY MARCH 13TH—3:00 to 5:00PM
SPRINGS BOARDROOM
(2nd floor, above Employee Services, formerly the Staff Pass Centre)
CA$H ONLY (sorry, no credit or debit capabilities)
Here’s what’s up for grabs:
MERINO WOOL SOCKS (LIMIT 2 PAIRS PER PERSON)—$15
SNOW SCHOOL BALL CAP—$15
SNOW SCHOOL SLOUCHY TOQUE—$10
SILICONE WATER BOTTLE—$15
SNOW SCHOOL LONG-SLEEVE SHIRTS (MEN & WOMEN)—$15
WBSS LOGO’D 400UV SUNNIES—$5
SMARTPHONE 3-CARD WALLET—$5
TRAIL MAP ‘BUFF’—$10
Limited quantities. Sale prices are only valid during the staff sale.
VOLUME 11: 6-Mar-2015
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
MARCH 2015
8
Daylight Savings BEGINS, turn clocks
AHEAD 1 hour
10
SkiRad session 4:15-5:15 @ Aava
15
Park Rider Sessions—Blk Pipe
22-31 BC Schools Spring Break
20
First Day of Spring!
20-29 Alberta Spring Break
APRIL 2015
3
6
9
10-19
19
Good Friday
Easter Monday
Year-Ender Bender @ GLC
World Ski & Snowboard Festival
Last day of Winter Operations
WORKBC – INFORMATION SESSIONS
WORKBC will be holding drop-in information sessions about available services,
Job Search Resources, Workshops, Training…etc.
DATE: March 20th and March 27th
TIME: 3pm
LOCATION: Cabin
DATE: April 3rd and April 10th
TIME: 3pm
LOCATION: Springs 2nd Floor
‘Like’ us on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/wbschool
Join our EXCLUSIVE STAFF-ONLY
Facebook Group Page:
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/home.php?sk=group_106298792770158&ap=1
‘Follow’ us on twitter:
http://twitter.com/wbschool