Half Of Whistler Heli-Skiing's Lead Guides Are Female

Originally posted on Powder | By Ella Boyd | Last updated 3/8/24

Whistler Heli-Skiing, at Whistler, BC, posted an exciting announcement to Facebook this morning in honor of International Women’s Day.

Officials at Whistler Heli-Skiing wrote, "in a historically male dominated industry, we’re proud to share that half our lead guides are women who each have more than 20 years of experience under their belts."

Even better, 1/3 of their entire full-time guide team and the majority of our office staff are women — many of whom have been working at Whistler Heli-Skiing for upwards of 25 years.

Whistler Heli Skiing holds exclusive heli skiing tenure 87 kilometres (54 miles) long and 54 kilometres (33 miles) wide. That is 432,000 acres or 1750 kms and over 50 times the size of Whistler Blackcomb.

There are 450 named runs and 38.2 feet of snowfall annually, with an average of just 50 skiers per day.

Erin Tierney, the General Manager of Whistler Heli Skiing said, “Whistler Heli Skiing is proud to be an industry leader in gender equity with all-female guide teams a regular occurrence in our operation."

"Many of our guides are community and industry leaders serving as guide examiners, Search and Rescue members, and on industry boards and committees. We’re excited about the future of this sport and will continue to prioritize hiring and developing a diverse workforce.”

It's a good thing Women's History Month falls during Winter. Then again, Whistler Heli-Skiing is proving that women are making waves in the ski industry all season long.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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