Two things felt certain heading into the opening round of the 2026 B.C. Cup in Whistler: the sun would be relentless, and the track would remain solid, except where it wouldn’t. After weeks – maybe months at this point, my memory is filled with dust – of hot, dry weather, temperatures climbed into the mid-20s as riders prepared for one of the park’s oldest downhill tracks.
This year’s course followed Upper to Lower Whistler DH before connecting with a short stretch of Heart of Darkness and banking across the service road to the top of the Boneyard.
Time has hardened this track. Where dirt once lay, polished slabs now dominate, worn smooth by millions of tires searching for grip that barely exists. On this track, the rock always gets the last laugh.
Away from the slab, every berm was beaten into submission by pushing hard while the going was good, before floating across the next section of rock. Calling it a dance between a bulldog and a butterfly would be putting it lightly.
The pace only amplified the challenge. Whistler DH is wide open for much of its length. The open sections encourage blistering speed before abruptly asking riders to negotiate rock rolls and awkward turns through the final woods, many of which require commitment across glassy stone.
Between seeding on Saturday afternoon and racing on Sunday, the deterioration appeared to reach an equilibrium. The dirt had been pushed as far as it could go without disappearing altogether. Thankfully, the remaining berms held on until the end of the day.
One Thing That Didn’t Fall Apart
Aside from the racing itself, one of the biggest takeaways from the weekend was how well everything ran.
After decades of attending races, I’ve come to expect delays, so I usually tell my wife, “Who knows when I’ll be back; it’s racing.”
That narrative was firmly put to rest by the WB Events crew.
From practice windows to individual start times, everything ran with precision, keeping riders, teams and spectators moving exactly when they were supposed to. It’s the kind of operation that often goes unnoticed because everything simply works, but it deserves recognition.