Raye Sunshine & Nicki Ravange Credit: Victor Bearpark
Trevor Hansen, Martin Spencer & Robert Kaiser Credit: Victor Bearpark
Christof Trafford, Del Stamp, Sam Marionni & Solomon Gauthier Credit: Victor Bearpark
DJ Paulo Credit: Victor Bearpark
Kosma Kuta, DJ Lampitt, Berlin M Stiller& Omar Jundi Credit: Victor Bearpark
“The vibe, the music, the energy created good excitement for the Whistler Pride and Ski Festival,” says Sunil Sinha of Big Roger Events, which hosted the event’s opening-night party at FiveSixty Nightclub on Jan 24.
At Whistler, where the festival entered its fifth day Jan 28, Dean Nelson waxes enthusiastic about the presence of the rainbow flags, the community turnout and the springlike conditions. “It’s just really mild,” Nelson reports, observing that in the battle of the weather gods, the accent is on balmy over blizzard. Still, he says, the Whistler Blackcomb staff have been working hard to keep the trails and runs well groomed.
Off the slopes, festival-goers are taking in the après-skis and movie screenings, plus parties with Bollywood and cowboy themes, Nelson adds. Comedian Margaret Cho is set to take the stage at the Whistler Conference Centre Jan 28 with brand new material, and later, Conni Smudge will host the Gender Bender party at Garfinkel’s.
On Jan 29, two-time Canadian Comedy Award nominee Darcy Michael and drag diva Joan-E will co-host the Better Together Pride Banquet, which will showcase A Chairlift Review, courtesy of some ski guides who plan to introduce a “gay angle to it,” Nelson promises.
Bringing the curtain down on the eight-day, 65-event festival will be Grammy-nominated, UK DJ band The Freemasons, who will perform at the Snowball closing party Jan 31.
Check out the slideshow of the festival’s opening-night Glitter party.
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