It’s a prestigious identification to be called a Whistler Local. After all, it means you have dedicated yourself and your life to the mountains! There is a rumor that you have to have a Whistler address, phone number and have resided in this mountain town for a certain number of years in order to call yourself a local. This might be the general consensus but we have found a few other habits that seem to be consistent among the locals and might help you spot them in a crowd!
Footwear
For the Whistler local, It’s all about being functional. After all, you might start your day off expecting to run a few errands and next thing you know, you’re hiking to Cheakamus Lake with friends! This need for versatility makes a good portion of Whistlerites turn to runners, bike shoes or hiking boots for daily foot wear. You won’t see a local running around in anything you can’t do an activity in!
Grocery Shopping
The grocery store of choice in Whistler is subjective but you will find many locals doing their shopping outside of the village at either Nester’s Market or Creekside Market. Many even turn to veggie boxes from Pemberton as their produce staple.
Resort Use
Weekends in either the bike park or on the ski hill are reserved for those coming from out of town. Every local knows that you’re going to be waiting in lines if you head into the resort on a Saturday or Sunday!
Work Schedule
Most locals work weekends for two reasons: To avoid the crowds in the resort and to work in the tourism industry or a supporting industry! This leads to a lot of Whistlerites having week days off to play in the mountains.
Head wear
This might just be the most defining characteristic of a local. Toques and beanies are part of winter, spring, summer and fall attire! If you see someone wearing one in July, they have probably lived in town for longer than a few seasons.
Transportation
Everything is within walking distance which leads a lot of locals to use public transportation or a bike instead of worrying about parking a car. You will find your locals using the Valley Trail or at bus stops to get around town.
Language
We Whistlerites are melting pot of nationalities and cultures. Chances are you will meet someone that has an accent that might be hard to place or uses the following terms regularly: berm, slack country, shred, 650B, hero dirt, powder day, pow, 29er, etc.
It’s a title that marks a person as having set up roots in the mountains and is desired by many. Once you have your Whistler address, your part of the way there to being a true Whistler local. Let’s talk today about your property dreams and making mountain life your chosen lifestyle!