There wasn’t really a question about it, but Greg Barrow, better known as G-Money, plans to be on the first lift of the ski season for the 21st year in a row.
As is custom, Barrow plans to pitch a tent and camp by the chairs the night before to be among the earliest to tackle the hill, as he has done for the past 20 years and counting.
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He loves to be outside, to be in the cold weather and the snow, and to experience the camaraderie with his fellow skiers and snowboarders. There’s nothing like it, he said.
“There’s nothing like zipping down the hill on a snowboard, you know? It’s just amazing. And the ski hill here is just fantastic.”
Barrow came to Fernie in 1999 to start his snowboard shop, Edge of the World. Originally from North Carolina, he said he’d travelled to around 30 different resorts across the western U.S.A. and Canada before settling on Fernie.
“When I came to Fernie, immediately, within 30 minutes, I said: ‘Yeah, this is it. This is where I want to be.’”
He said that the terrain, the quality and amount of snow makes the hill different from others. The mountain is steep, and has “lots of in-bounds, short hikes that you can do to get to fresh snow,” which he said he really likes.
If you go to the “fun places,” he said, it’s like a back-country type of experience, in-bounds. The saddles are also “really fun” and “adventuresome,” he said.
“I feel like, on a powder day, Fernie is better than CAT skiing.”
Some of his favourite runs include: Saddle, Mitchy Chutes, 123’s, and Snake Ridge. The Polar Peak chair is also a “great experience,” he said.
“Because when you’re up there you’re above everything... You can see all the way to Banff from up there. It’s really awesome.”
Aside from the skiing, Barrow spoke of his love for the town of Fernie itself.
“I think the town of Fernie is very special. I mean, people are in Fernie because they want to be in Fernie. And I like the fact that it’s so international. You know, you’ve got people from everywhere. And I think that just makes it such a special place.”
He’s looking forward to the upcoming season, and said he’s just hoping some good snow comes early on. It always does, he said.
“Everybody just have a good time, and be kind to each other. Be kind.”
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