David Carrier Porcheron is a legend. Better known as DCP, there is rarely any dissension to that claim, as there shouldn’t be. He is one of the most innovative backcountry freestyle snowboarders ever — a pioneer, really.
Needless to say, he has given the snowboarding community (specifically his Whistler) a lot over the years. So it feels good… or rather right to know that when he and his family suffered a severe blow and were in need of some serious support, the community stood strong by their side.
In the fall of 2012, doctors diagnosed wife and fellow pro Megan Pischke with stage 3 breast cancer. This happened (somewhat ironically) shortly after she hosted a surf and wellness retreat for breast cancer survivors. However, that didn’t make Meg or DCP any more ready for what was to come, especially when considering the financial implications of her treatment.
But never short of courage, they trudged forward, turning to the community that they had long supported for help. And help came. In spades. Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC) joined forces with DCP to put on an event at Merlin’s Bar & Grill, which turned out to be a packed house.
With music and live art by locals as the main attraction, the night raised nearly $50,000. The momentum provided by this event as well as the courage with which Meg, DCP, and their family fought for her livelihood proved massive. And their honesty along the way allows this story to resonate with everyone who is familiar with a similar situation or circumstance.
Meg and DCP’s journey very much reflects how significant community is not only to snowboarders or skiers, but the mountain towns that they call home. Whistler-Blackcomb’s Beyond Series explores that connection in a four-part series, of which the Porcheron-Pischke story was the last: “Outside the Lines. Beyond the Limits. A closer look at the people that make the place and their dedication to never standing still.”
Definitely worth watching. Meet the people that make Whistler-Blackcomb, well, Whistler-Blackcomb.
There is David McColm, photographer and Night Watchman: “His masterpiece time lapse images forego the familiar hero shots of big mountain athletes and picture-perfect ski models for a more artistic rendition of winter’s playground. Inspired by centrifugal skylines and mountainscapes, McColm’s quest to get the shot captures the microcosmic synergy that thrives in Whistler.”
Then we have mountain “poet” skier Mike Douglas: “[He] as parlayed an illustrious career as an athlete into a second-coming as a writer, filmmaker and emcee, giving a voice to the unsung stories of mountain adventures and adventurers. Whether he’s wielding a ski pole or camera lens, Douglas’s pursuit of poetic lines lends itself to a balance of Whistler’s dichotomy between action and solitude.”
And, finally, local historians of sorts, Eric “Hoji” Hjorleifson and Jen Ashton: “[The] freeskiing couple… have personal styles as unique as Whistler is to Blackcomb. Individually, they’re shaped by resolute characteristics and an extraordinary history. Together, they operate as one, united by a mutual hub that embraces the values of Whistler culture, lifestyle and heritage.”
Makes you want to buy a one-way ticket to Whistler-Blackcomb, doesn’t it?
