That feeling that you get when you’re weightless, it’s part of our love of powder…and our love of sending it. For many, that’s the very soul of their addiction to skiing or snowboarding. Once they’ve embraced gravity and put their own mortality into the back of their mind, it’s only on to bigger drops and gnarlier sends. And there is no shortage of those on Whistler Blackcomb. With over 4,757 acres to shred, there’s bound to be a few (or more) cliffs to get sendy on. Here are the top ones to drop in Whistler!
1. Tower 47
As the name eludes, this drop of next to Tower 47 of the Whistler Gondola- like right next to it. In fact, you not only have to deal with the usual cliff dropping factors but also that there are moving objects within proximity. Thankfully, you won’t be able to get closer than closer than ten meters to the cabins but it can still be enough to make an impact on your focus. This drop is not very easy to find and there isn’t as much opportunity for show but it’s all about the high fives anyway, isn’t it?
2. Air Jordan Cliff Drop
The infamous Air Jordan. It features a 15ft step down on to a lily pad and then right into the grand finale of oh, say, around 60 feet. Two for the price of one. What’s more, this cliff is located to the right of the Peak Chair, directly in front of the peanut gallery. Once someone even looks like they are considering it, the heckeling begins.
3. Cafe Cliffs
These cliffs are a great way to get warmed up since they offer a wide variety of options ranging from 2-6m high. It’s also a crowd pleaser since all the action can be seen from the Jersey Cream charilift. Located right off of Blackcomb’s intermediate groomed run, the entrance can be unassuming but when done right, can put on a show for all to see!
4. The Lone Pine AKA The Curl
Loacted in the not so secret, Secret Bowl, the entrance of this drop might be worse than the actual drop itself. This makes it a very techincal line as a side slip above a cliff band is required to get to the launch pad. Once there, you can choose a few drop heights but most go big or go home and do the full 9m.
If you’re hell bent on hitting some of these this winter, be sure to stay safe and to ride well within your ability. Remember skiing off cliffs can be dangerous and these ones are no different. Start small, warm up and develop your ability before you send the big Kahunas. And don’t forget your helmet and your GoPro, beacuse if no one saw it, it didn’t happen!
