If you’ve followed us over the years, you’ve probably seen the writing on the wall—Whistler’s summer skiing scene has been fading just as fast as the Horstman Glacier itself. It started back in 2017 with the end of the iconic Camp of Champions. Then, last year, every single summer camp was canceled after a warm winter left the glacier hurting. And now, it’s official: Whistler has pulled the plug on summer skiing indefinitely.
Cancellation Confirmed
The news first broke in a blog by Momentum Ski Camps and later confirmed by the team at Pique Newsmagazine.
“Whistler Blackcomb is unable to continue hosting summer camps on the Horstman Glacier for the foreseeable future. This decision was not made lightly—we know these camps, and this experience, have a long history at our resort. Unfortunately, the summer conditions on the glacier related to snowpack and glacier melt prevent the safe operation of summer camps.”
Whistler Was Canada’s Summer Skiing Mecca
This might date me, but I still remember being a kid in the ‘90s, glued to VHS tapes of Canadian legends like Devun Walsh, JF Pelchat, and JP Auclair ripping it up on Whistler’s glacier. While I was stuck sweating through brutal Midwestern summers, I’d daydream about escaping to that snow-covered paradise. Back then, Whistler wasn’t just a summer skiing destination—it was the only game in Canada town.
Olympic Training Ground
Summer skiing at Whistler isn’t just a fun way to escape the sweltering heat. It’s been a crucial training ground for Olympic hopefuls and future World Cup champions. Off-season camps like Momentum are the ski and snowboard world’s version of baseball’s farm system. They give elite Canadian pros a chance to hone their skills on world-class terrain and pass on their knowledge by coaching the next generation. Just last year in 2023, over 1,200 campers hit the glacier for Momentum Camps alone. That’s how big of a deal this place has been.
Plan B: Summer in May
To help fill the off-season training gap in 2025, Momentum has stepped up by hosting a handful of camps in May. But once those wrap up, many athletes will be chasing snow elsewhere—heading to places like Timberline or Europe to keep their progression going. What’s really needed, though, is a long-term solution: a reliable summer camp location right in Canada.
What’s next?
There are still a few paths forward—whether at Whistler or even another Canadian ski area. One option, though costly, is already being explored: Momentum Ski Camps is in talks with Whistler about re-engineering the Showcase T-bar to operate even in low-snow years.
Another idea? Snow farming. Over in Colorado, Copper Mountain hosts the only summer ski camps in the state by doing just that. When the lifts stop spinning, they don’t pack it in. Instead, they pile up snow, sometimes as deep as 80 feet, and use it all summer long.
So while this may be the end of Whistler’s summer skiing as we know it, there’s still a glimmer of hope that a new chapter is just around the corner.
