An article by Katie Steinharter, who stayd at Sommet Des Neiges hotel by Les Suites Tremblant
Many people waited years for the “Coupe du Monde” to come home to Tremblant in December for the chance to watch their favorite ski racers. Despite working in the ski industry, being Mikaela Shiffrin’s point of contact at Ikon Pass, and being raised by an ex-ski racer… I, unfortunately, know very little about ski racing and am actually a snowboarder. Of course I visited Tremblant because I wanted to see Mikaela race and rub elbows with the greatest athletes from around the world; but also, because of the parties that Tremblant throws during their events, the French food and picturesque village dressed up for the holidays, the possibility of a reunion with my Vermont-based brother, the proximity to both Montreal & Quebec City, and the possibility of snowboarding at a new destination. So, really, I went to Tremblant last December to watch the ski races and a whole lot more.
Getting here
I flew directly from Denver, Colorado to Montreal, Quebec and grabbed a rental car to Tremblant where I promptly parked it under the hotel and didn’t look at it again for 3 days. As someone who also lives in a ski town (Winter Park, Colorado), I look for proximity to adventure when planning a trip and Tremblant has perfected the idea of being able to walk to all of the most important places – from hotel to village to restaurants to slopes.
First morning
My younger brother, Jack, was in medical school in Vermont at the time and eager for any excuse to study somewhere a little more picturesque. He drove just a couple hours across the border the next morning to meet me for a late breakfast at La Maison de la Crêpe, walk back to the hotel to take a practice exam, and then throw his gear on and meet me at the gondola for mid-morning laps. “That’s the benefit of an Ikon Pass, it doesn’t matter how many laps I do and it’s still worth it to get out for a little and see somewhere new” – says my brother who makes me prouder every day for how well he sells the Ikon Pass to those around him… and for graduating medical school after doing much of his homework from ski slopes.
The event
After a few laps and scenic selfies from Tremblant’s summit with the lake in the background, we went to go find a spot to watch Mikaela race. We went down into the excitement of the finish line crowd for a while and then hiked up the slope a little bit to the Employee Section – an incredible benefit that Tremblant offered to all employees to be able to view the event. The energy was high, people were in great moods, anthems were being sung, and everyone was rooting for the athletes. It was incredible to see so many different countries coming together to celebrate. After working with Mikaela for years, I was finally able to cheer her on to earn a bronze medal back on North American soil.
Après
While Mikaela recovered, we celebrated. Jack, some coworkers, and I all headed to one of the most renowned aprés locations in the ski world – Le P’Tit Caribou – where we were greeted by neon lights against old wooden bars, a DJ in a gondola, buckets of beers on ice, and people who couldn’t speak each other’s languages but knew every move to “Y-M-C-A”. It was exactly how you picture a ski aprés party should be.
Of course, after trying to keep up with the Quebecois lifestyle all day, some rest & relaxation was necessary. With the hotel just steps away from everything, we grabbed some cheese & crackers from the village market and lay down on the couch by the fireplace in the hotel room. When it was time for dinner, we got ready for another reunion.
One of my father’s best friends in college was Charles “Barnesy” Darwin Jr. (yup, descendant of that Charles Darwin) and his wife is best friends with Mikaela Shiffrin’s mother, Eileen. When you’re at Coupe du Monde Tremblant, it seems like there are professional skiers and their families everywhere you look and you’re bound to know someone who knows someone. We celebrated the extended family reunion with a glass of wine at a bar and then headed over to La Forge to meet a larger group and share multiple poutines before dinner.
This year, I’ve already convinced both of my parents to join the Coupe du Monde and Tremblant ski weekend reunion from their home in Maine. They won’t let Barnsey, Jack, and I have all the fun for a second year in a row.
– Katie S
