2-Day Teens Steep Skiing Clinic: For the Next Generation of Rippers

Let’s start by acknowledging the 1980s and early 1990s were bit looser than today. Kids in that era drank from garden hoses or mud puddles, left home after breakfast and returned at dark, and made their own fun whenever they couldn’t find some; nary a smartphone tracker, google AI assistant, or helicopter parent in sight.

But even with all that, exploring the mountain without our parents was a different kind of freedom. For those of us lucky enough to have been unleashed on Whistler Blackcomb’s 8,171 skiable acres as teenagers, it felt similar to a young bird’s first flight from the nest. You drop in, you fall, and then you’re free.

These days, contemporary technology generally prevents teens from truly knowing that feeling—that unbridled lightness with the greatest playground ever right at your feet—but they can at least get the skills to get damn close at this season’s new Teen Two-Day Steep Skiing Clinics from Extremely Canadian.

“The idea is to provide a fun, safe, but challenging experiences for teens coming to Whistler without much lay-of-the-land knowledge,” says Extremely Canadian co-founder Jill Dunnigan. “Or maybe they want to build the confidence to get out and hit those parts of the ski hill that maybe mom and dad aren’t taking them.”

Which isn’t to say the clinics, which run from December to April, aren’t gaining traction with local teens. Jill says more and more attendees are showing up from within the Sea to Sky corridor. “Teen life can be busy,” she says. “There’s a lot going on and we’re seeing a surge in locals who want to learn new skills and unlock new zones with a professional guide and coach, but they aren’t willing to sacrifice every weekend of the season to join an organized ski club.”

Built for skiers aged 13–18, the Extremely Canadian Two-Day Steep Clinics aim to teach teens the judgement and confidence required to make smart decisions in the mountains, all while mastering steep skiing technique, and soaking up insider “OG” knowledge of Whistler Blackcomb’s legendary terrain from local freeskiing legends. The clinics come with lift-line priority and run from 8:15 AM until last chair, followed by video analysis.

“It’s technical and tactical,” Jill says, “and a lot of fun. This is the fast track to becoming a safer, stronger, and more adventurous skier.”

Of course, the irony is that teens sign up to get the skills to venture out on their own, then usually spend the next few ski days trying to show off their new skills and knowledge to mom and dad. It’s win-win, really.

Teen 2-Day Steeps Clinics run December to April and cost $675/per person. Get all the  dates and details at www.extremelycanadian.com

Words by Feet Banks