Bear lunges for skier at Whistler Blackcomb © Vancouver Sun
A skier skiing at Whistler Blackcomb in Canada this spring had the fright of a lifetime when he narrowly missed being attacked by a mama bear with her cub in the middle of the ski piste. As you can see in the short video below, what started out as a seemingly benign photo-op quickly turned into a real threat. Bears are faster than we give them credit for! The ski area at Whistler Blackcomb is right in bear territory and while these impressive wild animals are usually hibernating during ski season, spring skiing at Blackcomb is apparently risky business. Stay safe out there if you’re spring skiing this year!
As reported in the Vancouver Sun, skier Jaime Stein first saw the mama bear ambling across the ski piste a little below him. He pulled out his camera as he approached, hoping to get some good video footage. It wasn’t until he was almost level with her that he saw she wasn’t alone – she had a tiny bear cub in tow. While black bears generally don’t attack humans, mama bears do become very aggressive when protecting their young. Seeing him as a threat, the video shows the mama bear starting to run towards the skier before the video abruptly cuts off as Stein skis away as fast as his legs can carry him.
Although it is possible to see bears in the Austrian Alps, this bear sighting happened all the way across the pond in Whistler Blackcomb, BC. Just a two-hour drive from Vancouver, Whistler Blackcomb is Canada’s largest ski resort, with 252km of pistes. The ski resort is renowned for its off-piste terrain and general “Canadian wilderness” feeling. Heli-skiing is also possible here, although with runs through the trees, over steep precipices and all kinds of cornices and gullies, the in-bounds terrain should have enough to keep you occupied for a while. Blackcomb closed for the season yesterday but will re-open for summer glacier skiing from June 9 – July 15.
Ideally you should avoid approaching bears – in this case, the skier was forced to ski downhill but did the right thing by giving the bears a wide berth. It’s important to note that bears rarely attack people unless they are protecting their cubs or their meal. Wherever in the world you’re skiing – no matter if you’re in the Alps, America, Japan or Australia – it’s important to respect nature when skiing or snowboarding. Ski resorts try to minimise their impact on the environment but they are almost always built in terrain that was previously home to wild animals and vegetation. Ski in groups, keep your interactions with these animals to a minimum and respect piste markers.
Bear lunges for skier at Whistler Blackcomb © Vancouver Sun
A skier skiing at Whistler Blackcomb in Canada this spring had the fright of a lifetime when he narrowly missed being attacked by a mama bear with her cub in the middle of the ski piste. As you can see in the short video below, what started out as a seemingly benign photo-op quickly turned into a real threat. Bears are faster than we give them credit for! The ski area at Whistler Blackcomb is right in bear territory and while these impressive wild animals are usually hibernating during ski season, spring skiing at Blackcomb is apparently risky business. Stay safe out there if you’re spring skiing this year!
As reported in the Vancouver Sun, skier Jaime Stein first saw the mama bear ambling across the ski piste a little below him. He pulled out his camera as he approached, hoping to get some good video footage. It wasn’t until he was almost level with her that he saw she wasn’t alone – she had a tiny bear cub in tow. While black bears generally don’t attack humans, mama bears do become very aggressive when protecting their young. Seeing him as a threat, the video shows the mama bear starting to run towards the skier before the video abruptly cuts off as Stein skis away as fast as his legs can carry him.
Although it is possible to see bears in the Austrian Alps, this bear sighting happened all the way across the pond in Whistler Blackcomb, BC. Just a two-hour drive from Vancouver, Whistler Blackcomb is Canada’s largest ski resort, with 252km of pistes. The ski resort is renowned for its off-piste terrain and general “Canadian wilderness” feeling. Heli-skiing is also possible here, although with runs through the trees, over steep precipices and all kinds of cornices and gullies, the in-bounds terrain should have enough to keep you occupied for a while. Blackcomb closed for the season yesterday but will re-open for summer glacier skiing from June 9 – July 15.
Ideally you should avoid approaching bears – in this case, the skier was forced to ski downhill but did the right thing by giving the bears a wide berth. It’s important to note that bears rarely attack people unless they are protecting their cubs or their meal. Wherever in the world you’re skiing – no matter if you’re in the Alps, America, Japan or Australia – it’s important to respect nature when skiing or snowboarding. Ski resorts try to minimise their impact on the environment but they are almost always built in terrain that was previously home to wild animals and vegetation. Ski in groups, keep your interactions with these animals to a minimum and respect piste markers.
Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!
