Named for extreme skiing legend Sylvain Saudan, Blackcomb’s Saudan Couloir is one of those runs. It’s steep, peppered with rocks, and the kind of place you want to stay upright—unless you don’t mind going for a long ride, that is.
It’s also home to one of skiing’s most unique races, the Saudan Couloir Ski Race Extreme. This year, racers danced through off-piste gates before working to keep their composure in the flats below. Unlike a traditional World Cup, much of the course was manky and ungroomed with deep ruts.
In short, this is a test that rewards the most level-headed skier, but even the Ski Race Extreme gives champions the willies.
Local legend and 2018 winner Stan Rey, in a recent YouTube video, provided an inside look at what it takes to come out on top. Tap or click below to watch.
The 2026 POWDER Photo Annual is here! Look for a print copy on a newsstand near you, or click here to have a copy shipped directly to your front door.
“Racing down a steep, ungroomed double black diamond is gnarly enough, but throwing Giant Slalom gates into the mix at Whistler Blackcomb‘s legendary Saudan Couloir is absolute chaos,” Rey explained in the caption to this video.
Chaos, indeed. As Rey cruises through the upper section of the course, he’s survival skiing. His skis ping around, grasping for purchase. While gentler, the flats still require rock-solid technique, particularly if you’re shooting for the day’s best time. I, for one, was exhausted just watching the blistering run.
Rey even got caught unaware in the lower section, nearly spinning out and losing the ever-important momentum. But thanks to a strong all-around performance, he still cruised into first place, which might not surprise his longtime fans. After all, Rey clearly knows his way around a pair of skis.
“Thigh Burning Hell”
The Saudan Couloir Ski Race Extreme first launched in 1987. The goal, in part, was to help Blackcomb stand apart from its then-competitor, Whistler (the resorts merged in 1997 and are now known jointly as Whistler Blackcomb today).
A TV spot from the early days laid the drama on thick. In a booming voice, a narrator invited onlookers to witness “2,500 feet of thigh-burning hell,” followed by the sounds of lightning strikes and thunder. See below.
The race didn’t stay the same from year to year.
One time, Pique reported, Blackcomb groomed the Couloir. Another time, the upper section didn’t have any gates, prompting some competitors to add a little flair to their runs, like a backflip or a 360.
All the while, skiers tangled with the weather extremes British Columbia is known for. Mother Nature always had her say, throwing everything from ice to blizzards at the course. Broadcasting from The Sports Network helped make the wind-whipped descents popular across Canada.
The action didn’t last. The first showings of the race continued until 2001, when registration and media interest began to decline. Back then, the hope was to “give competitors a chance to see it off in style,” according to Pique.
But skiers are a nostalgic bunch. And like a bad habit, they couldn’t quit racing the Saudan. Two years after Vail Resorts absorbed Whistler Blackcomb, in 2018, the Ski Race Extreme roared back to life.
With it came another reminder as to why Whistler Blackcomb remains atop skiers’ bucket lists everywhere. If you want to prove yourself, the jagged mountains north of Vancouver are one of the best places to do it.
Related: I Tried 4FRNT’s New Pro Model Ski–Here’s How it Went
