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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 
  1. I'm nervous about about sending my child away right now. Should I be?
  2. How will we meet you at the airport and what day should I arrive?
  3. What is the difference between Local and Full camp?
  4. How are the campers supervised?
  5. What ages and abilities do you take?
  6. What is the snow like?
  7. How much spending money should I bring?
  8. Where can I rent or buy snowboard equipment?
  9. What are the sleeping arrangements?
  10. Do I need a passport?
  11. What if I can't arrive or depart at Vancouver Airport
    between 11 AM and 3 PM on the camp start or finish date?
  12. How is the coaching organized and what will I learn?
  13. Is there a curfew?
  14. What's the weather like and what should I bring to camp?
  15. What about beginners?
  16. What if I want to stay with my children who are in the camp?
  17. Can my child travel alone to camp?
  18. What kind of terrain do you have?
  19. Medical Facilities?
  20. What if I want to pay in US dollars?
  21. Is it safe to travel to Canada right now?
  22. How do you guys still have snow in Summer?
  23. That might be ok for a regular season but
    what if it's a really low snow year?
I'm nervous about sending me child away right now. Should I be?
Not al all! Whistler is the perfect place to come to get away from it all. With heightened airport security, now is actually one of the safest times to fly. It's a good time for your child to get away from it all a focus on being a kid and having fun in a relaxed, laid-back environment. Whistler is the perfect escape, with its mountainous surroundings, clean fresh air and friendly locals. The only problem that you will have with sending your child here is they won't want to leave!
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How will we meet you at the airport and what day should I arrive?
We will meet you at the baggage claim if you are coming from Canada. If you are coming from outside Canada, we will meet you at the only door out of Canada Customs, beside the Elephant and Castle restaurant.  Just look for the big red, English-style, phone booth. We will be waiting for you. The arrival and departure days are the first and last days of the camps.
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What is the difference between Local and Full camp?
With Full Camp you stay with us at the hotel. With Local Camp, you arrange your own accommodation.
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How are the campers supervised?
24 hour supervision is provided. The campers are supervised at all times on the mountain and during activities. The staff and camp director live in the same hotel to make sure that everyone is happy. We do not allow drugs or alcohol. Our ratio of staff to campers is at least 1 staff for every 8 campers.
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What ages and abilities do you take?
Everyone is welcome at our camp. The average camper is in the late teens. We have worked with campers as young as 7 and as old as 55. We find that our older campers like our activities just as much or sometimes more than our younger campers. We have coaches for all ability levels and our system allows you to ride and learn as much as you want with who you want. Because you can choose your coach and who you like to ride with, campers can set up their own group and program. We also have designated adult sessions.
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What is the snow like?
Our riding area is a glacier which means that there is always lots of snow all year round. The snow can be harder in the early morning and then usually becomes very soft by the PM.
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How much spending money should I bring?
All you need is money for presents, or snacks.  We think about $10 per day is enough but, hey, everybody is different.
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Where can I rent or buy snowboard equipment?
There are lots of great shops in Whistler. Remember, this is a world famous snowboard destination. The other activities come with equipment included. Rental equipment (board & boots) is about $45 per day depending on the type of equipment you choose and we can order for you (see sign-up form). We also have a limited supply of demo equipment. Demo equipment is only for temporary use (max 2 days) to allow all campers to try out new products.
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What are the sleeping arrangements?
We put campers of the same age and sex together in the rooms. We are always on hand to adjust the living situation and keep everyone happy. We can accommodate friends of the same age and sex who want to room together.
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Do I need a passport?
Either a passport or photo ID and  a copy of your birth certificate.
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What if I can't arrive or depart at Vancouver Airport between 11 AM and 3 PM on the camp start or finish date?
We can arrange pickup or drop-off at the airport for an extra charge.
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How is the coaching organized and what will I learn?
You can ride until 3:00 PM and our coaches are on standby for you from the early AM. The earlier you are up there the more coaching and riding you can get. Our coaches are world class so we hope you will take advantage of the chance. Our coaches teach everything from beginner to extremely high levels. If you want to learn a particular trick or technique, our coaches can show you how. As a rule we do not teach inverted arials but our coaches will teach you any other trick under the sun.
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Is there a curfew?
We ask the campers to be in the hotel by 10 PM and have the lights out by 11 PM. This may seem late but it does not get dark at Whistler until almost 10 PM.
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What's the weather like and what should I bring to camp?
Whistler is mountain environment and the conditions can change from very hot and sunny to very cold and wet. Our snowboarding area usually gets a dump of fresh snow a couple of times over the summer. You need to bring your snowboard equipment unless you want to buy or rent equipment in Whistler. The demo equipment is only available on a first come first served basis and is not intended to replace the campers regular equipment. You also need to bring:

1) Your winter snowboard wear including goggle, gloves, and hats. Helmets are encouraged.
2) Summer ski clothing such as a lighter jacket, sweatshirt, sun glasses, sunscreen, and hat.
3) Rainwear for all activities.
4) Bathing suit
5) Your regular clothing and sportswear.
6) Your water bottle and backpack to bring extra clothing etc. up the hill.
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What about beginners?
Most of our beginners are able to ride non-stop and perform simple jumps at the end of 1 camp.

Day 1: Heel/toe side slipping practice on flats. Traverse exercises. First attempt at T-bar lift.
Day 2: T-bar lift and side slip practice with coach. Intro to turning.
Day 3: Turn on heel side and toe side. Stance and balance training.
Day 4: Intro to varied terrain. Edge control.
Day 5: Terrain park skills
Day 6: Intro to pipe or free-ride skills

You are encouraged to progress at your own pace with no pressure. Our unique play area allows you to work one-on-one with our coaches. Our area has everything from flats to steeps and you will probably be comfortable on a Blue run after the camp. Of course this depends on you.
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Can my child travel alone to camp?
We have many young campers that travel alone to our camp. You can request "Unaccompanied Minor" service from all the airlines. They will make sure that your child stays in the care of the Airlines until the approved pickup person picks up the child at the other end. You would simply register Whistler Summer Snowboard Camp as the receiving party. The cost is minimal and some airlines do this for free. You can also request the same service for the return portion so that they stay with airline staff right from when we check them in on the departure day.
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What kind of terrain do you have?
We do have some pictures on our web site in the photo gallery. Our area has a half pipe and a terrain park with table tops, kickers, quarter pipes, bumps, and other varied terrain.
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Medical Facilities?
Whistler is a very developed international resort on the scale of Vail or Aspen. We have a full scale medical center that is very experienced at handling all emergencies. You should have travel insurance and we require you to fill out a medical history and "Authorization to treat a minor" form. The US border is only 30 minutes from Vancouver and 2.5 hrs from Whistler. The Whistler medical clinic is very experienced with air-evacuations to Vancouver, a major city of 3 million people.
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What if I want to pay in US dollars?
If you pay by Credit Card the rate is automatically entered and you are charged the US dollar amount. If you don't want to pay by credit card, and you want to know exactly what the US dollar amount is, simply get a CND dollar draft at the bank (this only costs a few dollars).
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   Is is safe to travel to Canada?
More than ever! Canada is an extremely safe, neutral country, making it a popular destination for US and international travelers. Whistler is a virtually crime-free town. The main village is designed for pedestrians only and there are no cars on the main walkways. Our camp is also fully supervised, and our No. 1 priority is camper safety, 100% of the time.
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How do you guys still have snow in Summer?
Our summer camp operates on an ancient glacier, over 270 feet thick, at the peak of Blackcomb.  Because we operate on a permanent snowfield we don't need to rely heavily on any one season's snowfall to run the camp.
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That might be ok for a regular season but what if it's a really low snow year?

The Horseman glacier is over 270 feet thick in some places and several spots have never had their depth measured.  Any snowfall acts like a blanket on the glacier keeping it cold all year and, as a bonus, the super cold glacier keeps the snow from melting in the hot summer.  There has been snow on the Horseman Glacier for the past 12 000 years and it's not going anywhere.

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© Copyright 2006 Dave Murray Summer Ski and Snowboard Camp | Whistler BC Canada |
Toll Free: 1-877-444-SNOW (7669) | camp@skiandsnowboard.com


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