CBC Digital Archives

Snowboarding on the edge of mainstream

The mountains and spectacular scenery have always been there. But until the 1950s, the Whistler area was just a small collection of lodges and cabins. Then a group of Vancouver businessmen with big dreams built a ski hill. Despite some troubles along the way, Whistler Village was built and became one of Canada's best-known resorts. CBC Digital Archives takes a look at the still-bumpy road to Whistler's international success.

Lori Glazier has just about everything a snowboarder could want: sponsorship, free equipment, an address in Whistler, B.C. and a good boarding buddy. There's just one more thing she'd like: a spot on the Canadian Olympic team. It's late 1996, and in just 14 months, snowboarding will debut as an official Olympic sport at the Winter Games in Nagano. In this report for CBC-TV, Tom Alderman explores a sport, and a lifestyle, that is coming to an uneasy acceptance of its growing mainstream appeal.
• Lori Glazier joined the Canadian snowboarding team in 1996. After a last-minute decision that granted Canada four spots in the women's halfpipe event, Glazier realized her Olympic dream and competed at the 1998 Nagano Winter Games. She finished 18th in a field of 27 competitors. Glazier retired from snowboarding in 2003.
  • The 1998 Games included two snowboard events for both men and women: halfpipe and giant slalom. For the 2010 Games there were three events: halfpipe, parallel giant slalom and snowboard cross. 

Medium: Television
Program: The National Magazine
Broadcast Date: Dec. 13, 1996
Guest(s): Lori Glazier, Joe McAdoo, Mark Taylor
Reporter: Tom Alderman
Duration: 14:10
This clip was edited for copyright reasons.

Last updated: February 15, 2012

Page consulted on April 2, 2013

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