What to do in Whistler Village if You're Broken

Injuries happen. And sometimes they happen when you're on a riding vacation to Whistler. But that doesn't mean that you need to write your trip off. Instead, it's time to get creative and find other ways to enjoy your time in the mountains.

Disclaimer: Bike Mag's social media manager Dylan Russell didn't break himself at the Whistler Bike Park. Instead, a previous injury this summer meant that he attended Crankworx on crutches. So we thought it would be helpful to compile a guide to having a great time in Whistler, even if you can't ride.

You might be bummed out, but you don't have to miss out completely; there is still plenty to do, even if you aren’t able to ride the bike park you came here for. Whistler Village and the surrounding areas are packed with things to eat, people to watch, and all kinds of things to keep you entertained during your downtime.

Whistler Village is nestled between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains and offers more than lift access to some of the most iconic mountain biking trails in the world. There’s shopping, food and drink, a bustling nightlife, and plenty of spots to chill in the warm July sun while observing the crowds that bring life to this pedestrian-only village. With the Village packed for Crankworx, pros and industry bigwigs roamed the streets, one-off bikes leaned against the fences, and plenty of pooches to greet.

Things to do in Whistler Village

Accessibility was one of the things we noticed early on. With Dylan on crutches, the distances covered daily may not be the easiest for someone restricted to hobbling along, but we made the most of it. Ultimately, it depends on the location you’re staying, and fortunately for the Bike Mag team, we were fairly central and only needed to mosey across the street to be in the Olympic Plaza. From there, most things were easily accessed.

Eat

Highlights from the week were definitely the hot chicken sandwich from Longhorn Saloon, closely followed by the 12” beef dawgs you could rustle up at the base of the lifts from Garbo’s. We barely scratched the surface of all the things to eat while in the village, and the brick streets are lined with establishments to satiate.

It would be a real challenge to eat at all of them for a complete dossier of data to compile. 21 Steps also gets high marks, although the namesake 21 Steps prove a challenge if you’re on crutches.

Drink

Very few people here at Bike Mag actually imbibe, and Dylan's antibiotics mean he was sober for this trip, but the drinks at The Longhorn Saloon seem to be a massive hit with everyone, I was told the Bulldog is a must-try, and the Mimosa Tower looked like a pretty good time; however, the ambiance isn’t really what we were looking for, especially on crutches.

The obvious main beverage in most people's hands was clearly Red Bull, thanks to the roaming Wing Team that could be found just about anywhere. If the Bull doesn’t sit well in your stomach, which is definitely common, there are a number of water fountains and bottle-fill spots to keep riders hydrated. Honorable mention goes out to the Shirley Temple at 21 Steps and the waitress who joined in on making fun of me for inventing the “Glizzard”. More on that another time…

Sit and Watch

Some of the best people-watching in the world can be found here during Crankworx. With people coming from all over the world, the village becomes a veritable melting pot, and anywhere you go, there is something interesting happening. The base of the Fitzsimmons chairlift is a prime spot to take it all in, scope some interesting bikes, hear conversations, and witness others experience Whistler bike park in their own way.

The base of Fitzsimmons lift is also conveniently located at the bottom of the Boneyard, which is where Speed & Style, Joyride, and the Whip-Off finish, so if you find the right spot, you are perfectly positioned to watch the events unfold. The roar of the crowd for Joyride from the Sram booth was enough to give you goose bumps.

Visit Exhibitor Booths

With the eleven days of Crankworx packed with races and events, there are also a handful of brands in attendance that show up to display new products, offer raffles, and engage with their customers in a personal way. Some of the standout booths included Trek, with their sheep standing guard and spooking almost every dog that walked by. Leatt had a massive line just about every time I walked by, thanks to their multiple raffles and chances to spin a prize wheel and win some swag. Or maybe you feel like leaving Crankworx with some consensual scarring. Well, Pinkbike and Taj Mihelich provided this opportunity for those brave enough to stand in line.

Devinci brought out a handful of brave individuals who rolled the dice on a free mullet. A fantastic offer on paper, but as my dad always told me, “A free mullet ain't good, and a good mullet ain't free.” Everyone seemed to be happy with the end result as they walked out of the booth, though.

Parks & Chillin’

Whistler Village has a number of parks sprinkled throughout its 240 square kilometers (92.6 sq mi), and the one that seems to have the most going for it is the Olympic Plaza, with the Deep Summer photo challenge and Dirt Diaries taking place there and drawing hoards of people to its lush lawn and covered seating.

We attended both the Dirt Diaries and Deep Summer, and in both evenings, there was barely anywhere to sit as everyone seemed to have showed up early, and I can't blame them, it is a great place to hang out. Just across the street, you will find Rebagliati Park, a serene, tree-coverage park situated right next to Fitzsimmons Creek and the dirt jumps, which always has something going on, whether it’s pros in town throwing an impromptu jump jam, or the local young shredders honing their skills.

Being injured in Whistler is probably not a terribly uncommon occurrence, given the nature of what goes down on the hill above the resort, but just because you took a spill and aren’t riding, doesn’t mean that you’ll be totally bored. Although very few things are as fun as party laps of A-Line with the crew. It is all about perspective and making the most of a less-than-ideal situation. It turns out that Whistler Village seems to make things pretty fun, even if you can't ride a bike. After all, many people come here from all across the globe without the desire to hop on a lift and toss their bodies down a mountain all day.