Whistler Creekside gondola lineup hits Highway 99 and stuns skiers

Skiers and snowboarders hoping to get on the hill to celebrate Boxing Day were greeted with massive lineups at Whistler-Blackcomb on December 26.

One video shared from Creekside Village showed the lineup extending all the way to Highway 99.

“The Creekside line has made it to the highway. Gonna go buy a lottery ticket at the Co-op,” one customer said in the video.

@riseandalpineCall Guiness World Records… We’ve hit Hwy 99♬ Oh No – Kreepa

“$300 a lift ticket to stand in that line? No thanks. Whistler has gone to the sh*ts,” one commenter said.

While long lineups at Creekside are normal on weekends and holidays at the popular ski resort, extending to the highway was eye-opening.

Snowboarder Katie Ujihisa was caught in the line, and posted on social media that opening was delayed by two hours because of the icy conditions — and some chairlifts didn’t open at all.

“Can’t win ‘em all I guess!” she said.

Some epic Boxing Day lines at Whistler today. Didn’t help that opening was delayed by 2hrs due to ice. And even then some lifts still didn’t open. Wish I could day the pow was good but was way too heavy to even turn. Can’t win ‘em all I guess! pic.twitter.com/FqAG9kljeI

— 💽💽 Katie Ujihisa 💽💽 (@sandkatt) December 26, 2023

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Dane Gergovich, senior communications manager with Whistler-Blackcomb, confirmed delays opening lifts on Boxing Day were weather-related. Teams did their best to notify skiers in the lineup, who he said were mostly understanding.

“Cold temperatures overnight caused ice buildup on our grips. This was a safety issue that required immediate attention and while it did cause longer-than-normal lineups in the valley,” he said.

Local Whistler resident Patrick Brando told Daily Hive Creekside lineups do sometimes extend to the highway on weekends or big powder days.

“We’ve always had big lineups … and you can’t gamble with safety,” he said. “It’s nothing new to people who live here.”

It hasn’t been a good year for ski conditions on the West Coast, with warm temperatures prompting some skiers to say “bring swim shorts” is the best advice.

Whistler also upped its lift ticket prices for those who don’t purchase in advance. The cost for a day pass at the walk-up window in peak season is now $299 plus tax — a 1.5x jump from last year.