BCBusiness

CmH Heli-SkiiNg; broDie SmitH/CmH Heli-SkiiNg November 2015 BCBusiness 57 heli-skiers; Bella Coola Heli Sports, for example, says that just 10 per cent of its clientele are women. "There's still a perception that heli-skiing is an extreme, testosterone-Žlled sport—and ski movies have done a lot to perpetuate that myth," Flannery says. "In fact, heli-skiing is very accessible, and someone who is comfortable on blue runs can have a great experience." That's why CMH o"ers special weeks dubbed "Girl Powder," with instruction led by female pro skiers, in an e"ort to defuse that old- boys-club image. In another strate£y to expand its demographic appeal, CMH partnered several years ago with K2 Sports, a youth-oriented ski and outdoor gear com- pany, and rebranded its Nakusp operation (100 kilo- metres south of Revelstoke) as CMH K2 Rotor Lodge. Guests have the opportunity to ski with sponsored K2 athletes and test new K2 models before the prod- uct hits the retail rack. "The K2 brand gets to access the largest database of heli-skiers in the world," says Flannery, "and CMH accesses the next generation of potential heli-skiers." Beat Steiner, owner and business manager of Bella Coola Heli Sports, is one of those who believe there are still a lot of potential heli-skiing clients who have not yet tried the sport. Steiner got the idea for a heli-skiing company in the 1990s while working as a Whistler-based Žlmmaker, shooting ski movies around the world. Bella Coola Heli Sports, which he co-owns with Christian Begin, now boasts a tenure in B.C.'s Coast Range larger than the Swiss Alps and so vast that some guests are still skiing Žrst descents and naming new runs. As for where the next genera- tion of guests will come from, Steiner believes that a¦uent skiers who pay top dollar for ski vacations at tony resorts like Vail and Aspen are heli-skiers in waiting. "For those who can a"ord it, heli-skiing is the best skiing experience you could ever get." The one threat to that experience, which is on everybody's minds these days, is climate change and the impact it is having on the heli-skiing season, which typically runs from mid-December until late April. "For years, operators have been talking about the changes they are seeing with glaciation, annual snowfalls, winter temperatures, ªight conditions and other weather occurrences, and that dialogue is ongoing," says HeliCat Canada's Tomm, who wor- ries that "tough winters" like last year's are a more likely occurrence in the years to come. When clients book precious holiday time for a week of heli-skiing in B.C. only to sit in the lodge for most of that week, operators are forced into damage control mode. A bad snow season may cause some guests to browse the marketplace for other o"erings in places like Chile, New Zealand, Iceland and even Russia and Turkey. However, Steiner of Bella Coola Heli Sports is convinced that when snow quality and variety of terrain, not to mention political stability, are factored in, the smart money from discerning skiers will always land in B.C. "These are sort of nov- elty destinations, but they don't o"er the reliability and stability of B.C." John Forrest, founder of Terrace's North Escape Heli-Skiing, is—like many in the industry—hoping for a better winter in 2016. As for the long-term prospects for his business, the Edmonton-born entrepreneur is philosophical. "The weather cannot be controlled and thus you get what you get. Mother Nature rules. Generally it's awesome skiing, sometimes it's not great, and sometimes it even sucks. However it's always great to be out in the mountains skiing in amazingly wild places with friends and family." ■

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