WSSF 2020 | VISION, SCHEDULE & PROGRAMMING

The World Ski & Snowboard Festival (WSSF) by Gibbons Whistler is returning to Whistler on April 16th – 26th, 2020 and will feature 11 days of on and off-hill programming that celebrates snow sports, music, arts, and culture. For the duration of the festival, Skiers Plaza will be transformed into a buzzing hive. It is here, at the heart of the village, where sport, art, music and mountain culture will collide creating a contagion of electric energy. Multiple screens, high-quality sound and lighting, and a stage will be installed within the plaza so that attendees can soak in the legendary WSSF scene. Spectators will be captivated by the epic sporting events, inspiring multimedia shows, and vibrant main stage performances.

Having its debut at WSSF for the first time in 2020, The Banked Slalom, an exhilarating race down Whistler Mountain through a winding course filled with whoops, rollers, kickers, and banked turns will challenge both amateur and pro skiers and snowboarders. Popular sporting events from previous years, including the Big Air and Saudan Couloir Extreme, will be returning. Drawing top athletes from around the world, Big Air will showcase the athletic ability and creativity of invited athletes as they send it off a massive jump at the base of Whistler Mountain in front of a packed plaza.

Billed as the steepest ski and snowboard race in the world, the Saudan Couloir Race Extreme challenges racers to charge 2,500 feet down the Saudan Couloir, a double-black diamond run on Blackcomb Mountain. The race, which started back in 1987, is a festival highlight, bringing out the legends of ski racing, big mountain pros, and a healthy dose of amateur skiers.  

Crowd-favourite multimedia shows Pro Photographer Showcase, Swatch 72 Hour Filmmaker Showdown and Intersection will be migrating from the Whistler Conference Centre to an outdoor format within Skiers Plaza. The Pro Photographer showcase is an awe-inspiring celebration of the craft of action sports photography, bringing together some of the best photographers, to share their all-time favourite images capturing sport culture, and the human spirit.

Intersection, described as a visual love letter to Whistler, is an event that pushes chosen crews of artistic snow sports visionaries to their limits as they create a masterpiece that truly captures the beauty of ski and snowboard culture. Entries will be judged on artistic vision, technical merit, and action, with the top videos being shown to a live audience.

Returning for the 18th year, The Swatch 72 hour filmmaker showdown challenges teams to shoot, edit, and produce a three to five minute short film within 72 hours. This pressure-cooker format of filmmaking has produced diverse, unique, and unexpected films, ranging from stop-motion to hilarious romantic-comedies, to tear-jerking documentaries. 

In the evenings Skiers Plaza main stage will come alive with musical acts ranging from high-energy DJ’s to iconic bands. Music has always been a key ingredient to WSSF and Gibbons Whistler is committed to delivering world-class performances that will be sure to wow the crowd and create lasting memories. The full Outdoor Concert Series schedule will be released in the coming weeks.

Born out of love from all that is mountain culture, WSSF, has been the ultimate après of the Winter season since 1996. With 11 action-packed festival days, playful spring skiing and patio après, you are going to need more than a weekend in Whistler to soak up this vibe! We have teamed up with Whistler.com to offer a range of accommodation options that put you in the heart of the action. To register for these events, book accommodation, and to view the full WSSF schedule please visit www.wssf.com.