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Banff or Big White

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi my name is nick a 20yr old male student from Australia. I've decided I want to go to Canada at the end of the year for a season working skiing and living in a Canadian ski resort, however cannot decide on which resort to settle with, only narrowing down my options to Banff or Big White from what I've read on other forums or heard from friends although if anyone has suggestions/information that says otherwise that would be great also Smile . Despite the fact I am Australian I am trying to avoid the whole stereotype of being another drunken idiot aussie because it really isn't me, hence why I'm not going to whistler. However I would still like to be able to enjoy a vibrant nightlife and meet new young people whilst experiencing a new culture and most importantly skiing some of the best snow in the world. If anyone would be able to give me some information which would help me make my decision I would greatly appreciate it! Cheers Very Happy
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Well they're different. There are relatively more Australians in Big White if that's what you want. I have not found that many "behaving badly" there - it's more of a quiet place. You may find more different in Banff, but it is also more "touristy". Whistler is your party place; it has all the sticky carpet dance clubs and stuff.

Snow-wise... the Okanagan has done very well the last few seasons. Banff snow will be drier when it falls, but there tends to be less of it. Big White is a destination resort, where as the hills around Banff broadly aren't (ok, you can stay at Lake Louise but it's not party central and it's not ski-in ski-out).

btw. Welcome to snowHeads snowHead
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Thanks for the quick and informative reply! Smile Im not really worried about how many Australians are around whichever destination I choose, In fact I'd probably prefer if there were less! More just looking for a place with a larger demographic of young people regardless of nationality. I must admit the party lifestyle of whistler does appeal to me however as I mentioned previously I would like to try and avoid the stereotype I've been told Aussies hold in the resort and I would also like to experience a bit of Canadian culture and meet some people of different nationalities rather than just meeting other Australians on a gap year as well.

Snow wise I was also looking at Fernie, the terrain type and what ive heard about the skiing there really appeals to me and whilst the skiing is the most important part of my trip for me, from what I can tell from reading online, Fernie isn't much of a place for young people off the mountain. Would you say Big White or the Banff resorts can fit this criteria without sacrificing the quality of the skiing? Is whistler really very full of Aussies, and do the locals actually hold a grudge against us? (for being idiots, something were too good at) And also how necessary is having a destination that is ski in ski out when you plan to ski as much as possible and for as long as possible? - really haven't had much experience with resorts that are not ski in ski out so i may be underestimating this as a hassle when thinking about Banff.

Thanks for the warm welcome to the forums Very Happy
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Other people here will have views on this I'm sure. I've not worked any seasons in Canada (it's complicated) but others can tell you about that. I do ride a lot there though.

Big White and Silver Star are popular with Antipodean tourists... from what I remember both are Oz owned. I always assumed that they must be marketed more there, because not all that many Brits appear to know about them. The riding there can be good, although they have a "family" rep. Personally I found the hot tub potential of Big White rather good, so it all depends what you want for "entertainment". Everything is "right there" (in both resorts) so it's more relaxed, although there's significantly less choice of bars/ restaurants than Banff or Whistler. There's probably one nightclub in each of the Okanagan places (I'm not actually sure/ don't care).

Whistler is easy to get to and close to a large city. It's odd in that you get the party people and also some people who fancy themselves as "hard core". I have not noticed Antipodeans as being particularly obnoxious there (except for my mate Jeremy and that's just his hormones). The locals tend not to have strong views on how people spend their money: "it's all good".

Banff: it's not a hassle, in my view. If you have a car it's trivial, but the buses are free and easy. The only issue is they're a bit slow and you will have to wait a few minutes to come home. Take a book. Most of them drop you close to home so you don't need to carry boots etc. Banff is a summer tourist resort too. The snow's mostly drier than the places further west.

Fernie's ok but gets hyped. I like Revelstoke better as it's in the right place for the snow and it's steep. They are really towns with ski hills which have had some development. So fewer tourists, not that much to do, just logging towns in a cold place. I'd expect bigger places may be easier for work, although more expensive for accommodation.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@nickskier, you said you want vibrant nightlife...rules out big white and fernie. A couple of bars and a few restaurants and that's it. You go there for the skiing not nightlife.
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Fernie has plenty of Aussies and other internationals and the nightlife is not bad - you just need to know where its happening each night of the week. Livelier than Revy and Golden I'd say. Bear in mind that the shine of Whistler nightlife is rather eroded when you have to hitch back to your digs in Pemberton , cos its the only place you could find to live.
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