Ever since Whistler Blackcomb introduced free wifi to their on-mountain lodges and an app that allows skiers to track runs and share speed, vertical and bragging rights, the connection between real life and the on-mountain escape has gotten stronger.
Personally, I go to the mountain to unplug.
But, something happened in the fifteen years I’ve been skiing Whistler. Everyone got a smart phone. Now, stopping for a coffee at 10am also involves checking messages, updating one’s status, and posting Instagram photos tagged #whistlerunfiltered to make your friends jealous.
All of which means that when I’m back at work at my computer with streams of information coming at me every which way, I can enjoy a few vicarious faceshots from those posting live updates of their on-mountain hijinx.
In the latest Whistler the Magazine, I profiled three of Whistler’s twitterati, the town’s most influential social media peeps – and asked them about the pros and cons of staying connected.
@MikeDSki To tweet or not to tweet?
That is the question. I am starting the change the way I view social media. My wife has definitely challenged me on all the time I spend checking my twitter feed. Time with my family is the most precious thing, and social media is starting to become a time suck. So I’ve stopped checking some of it during the day, and miraculously, I do get a lot more work done…
@GAYWhistler What do you like about twitter?
Twitter is like the ticker feed of the Stock Market but for news… Tons of bytes of information that keeps me updated on the happenings around the world, that you are able to dive into with attached links to read the bigger story if it piques one’s interest.
@michelleleroux Do you tweet when you’re on the mountain riding?
Yes, I love Instagram for this. I can post a photo to that app and then share to Twitter and Facebook, essentially letting me make friends in all three channels insanely jealous with just one post.
For more in-depth soundbytes from Mike Douglas, Dean Nelson and Michelle Leroux, as well as a closer look at the amazing portraits that Bonny Makarewicz shot for the story, pick up a copy of the mag from newsstands, the Whistler Visitor Info Centre, or download a digital copy here.
Lisa Richardson Bylines 