After a tough start to the season Whistler finally started getting dumped on, receiving 79cm in that last 7 days, so I got a hold of Forum/Foursquare rider Rusty Ockenden who just placed 2nd in the Showcase Showdown, and DC’s newest Canadian team rider, Mikey Pederson. The two are inseparable anyway so it’s kind of like a 2-for-1 deal no matter what.

I don’t what’s up with kids these days but you’d think that with some prize money in your pocket you’d go out and rip it up at the club. Well, they did celebrate with some Sachi Sushi but with another 19cm falling between Saturday night and Sunday morning the two were bright-eyed and ready to shred the next day.

To be honest I always thought Rusty was a little weird and it turns out I was right, but not in the creepy Donny Darko sort of way as I had imagined and after I shared a chair with him his genuine good nature started peeking out from behind that quiet little mask. Pederson’s more of the out going one– perhaps he’s the Yang to Rusty’s Yin–and he and his raspy voice were willing to chuck carcass off anything (BTW if you don’t know, Rusty is probably one of the most underrated Canadian riders out there right now. Check his old-ass part in Flavour Country. Homie’s been on the come up for years).

With two of Sandbox films finest in tow, SBC photo editor John Scarth and I set off to find that precious powder that had been eluding Whistler all season. Taking the T-bars up to Harmony (strange, I know), the first thing that struck me is how hungry Whistler residents were for the dump. As we rode up a renegade skier carved full speed into a cliff line, jibbed the top of the rocks and exposed some more rocks in the landing. Correction: Whistler residents weren’t hungry, they were starving. Everything that was shreddable was getting shredded and we weren’t about to be left out.

Pederson getting ready to send it off the Harmony Waterfall.

Mikey, pop and lock, Indy drop.

See that little dark spot under the pow? That's Mikey getting buried. 

Rusty gets balls deep in VD Trees. What? That's what the zone is called.

Mikey, Shifty drop in VD Trees. Yes, that's an 2010 DC he's on.

Half way up you're thinking,"This sucks." And then...

...Bam, you're in the goods.

With freezing levels holding at lower elevations this week lets hope winter is here to stay a while longer.

Many thanks to Rusty and Mikey for putting up with me. Check their parts in the new Sandbox flick Shine On coming fall 09.