SNOW Alps 25-26 web - Flipbook - Page 100
— like putting money in the bank of my mental and
bodily health.”
When pressed, Handler readily admits to being
a ski bum, “but with money. It’s a better version for
me. I’ve developed a high level of standards. I need
comfort and luxury to excel.”
And that she has. Living in a small village with
a chalet right on the mountain, she just walks out
the door and skis down to the gondola. Handler also
spread her love for Whistler at a local launch event
this past May for her new book, which, in tracking
her antic-filled and exhilarating existence in a
series of essays, contains chapters and anecdotes
on life and friends in the Great White North.
Though she’s the new kid in a town of legends
where streets bear the names of founders, dogooders and alpine heroes, Handler can already
claim an eponymous cocktail — the “Can You
Handle’r” — served at Christine’s restaurant
on Blackcomb. Does this kind of thing happen
everywhere she goes?
“Kind of. I get around and make a name for
myself quickly,” she says. “When I find a place I like,
I make sure everyone knows I’m gonna be there
often. And I like to spread the good vibes and good
cheer so they know that when they see me coming
it’ll be a good experience. So it’s probably a ‘thank
you’ for all my generous tipping.”
You have to live in Whistler a long time before
they consider you a local (it took me a decade), but
Handler’s time here has made her local enough
to pass a lightning round of resort-citizenship
questions.
Whistler or Blackcomb? “Hmmm… I'm gonna
say Whistler.” (Though her favourite run is Arthur’s
Choice, a treed roller-coaster on Blackcomb.)
Gondola or chairlift? “Gondola.”
Powder or groomers? “Powder.”
Trees or bowls? “Trees.”
Poutine or cinnamon bun? “Ugh. They’re both
disgusting, but poutine.”
Gummy or joint? “Joint.”
It all devolves back to the starting point of skiing
— fun — and the fact that Handler’s commitment
to this “restorative hobby” has yielded some of
her happiest memories — not to mention sense of
accomplishment. Nothing was going to stop her
from becoming an A-plus skier, even if was harder
to do in a place like Whistler where the snow can get
heavy.
“I like to think that if you can ski Whistler, you
can pretty much get around anywhere,” she sums.
“And by the way, about three years ago I ran into
that guy from the date at Park City on the slopes in
Aspen. And guess who’s a better skier now?”
Chelsea is embarking on her next tour, The High and
Mighty Tour. Tickets available at chelseahandler.com
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“I need a woman
to show me how
to move my body.”
