"Lucky Luke" arrives in Whistler for month-long sabbatical

Whistler, B.C. – Since arriving in Whistler via limousine to their luxury home, London, England’s  “Lucky Luke” Dillon and long-time friend Tim Davis, both 23, have been “gob smacked” by the resort and all it has to offer.

“Whistler is absolutely amazing,” Dillon said after experiencing his first few days in Whistler. “I’m completely gob smacked by everything: the house, the mountains, the activities … and the locals we’ve met. It’s truly a magical place.”

Dillon, a recent university grad working in the events industry, was named the grand prize winner of theWhistler Sabbatical Project. He brought along long-time pal Davis, to enjoy the all expenses paid, month-long trip of a lifetime that includes return airfare, ground transportation, accommodation, lift passes, ski equipment and a series of unique Whistler experiences.

The pair arrived in Whistler Wednesday, March 14 to their new 4,000 square-foot home provided by Whistler Platinum. They didn’t waste any time getting on the slopes and enjoyed an early run – greeted with 30 centimetres (12 inches) of fresh snow that had fallen the night before – their first morning in Whistler.

From there, Dillon and Davis spent the weekend enjoying the epic ski conditions on  Whistler and Blackcomb mountains and plenty of après. The pair plans to ski every day of their month-long sabbatical.

Their first Whistler Sabbatical “experience” was bobsleigh at the Whistler Sliding Centre with professional driver Pat Brown, the coach of the original Jamaican bobsleigh team and the inspiration for John Candy’s character in the film “Cool Runnings”. That adrenalin-pumping experience was followed with a two-day steeps clinic withExtremely Canadian. Over the course of their month in Whistler, Dillon and Davis will enjoy plenty of skiing, culinary and spa experiences, heli-skiing and the opportunity to ski with an Olympian, among other things. To view all of the experiences featured in the Whistler Sabbatical Project – and open to Dillon and Davis to enjoy – watch the Whistler vignettes.

Launched in October, the Whistler Sabbatical Project offered 15 weekly prizes in addition to the grand prize. A new experience was featured each week with contestants presented with the experience and asked “Would You Do It?”

Dillon was one of nine finalists selected randomly from all entries. Each of the finalists was required to submit a 250 word essay explaining why they should be selected the winner. The essays – available to view online – were reviewed by a panel of judges including Barrett Fisher, Tourism Whistler President & CEO, Whistler Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden and Roger Soane, Chair of the Board of Directors at Tourism Whistler.
To follow Dillon and Davis on their Whistler journey, be sure to read the Whistler Insider at:http://www.whistler.com/blog/

All runners up for the Whistler Sabbatical Project automatically qualified for the Fan Choice Award, recognizing the finalist with the most fan votes and one lucky voter (randomly selected from all votes received). The Fan Choice Award winner is Sarah Heaven, of the UK, who received 647 of the total 1,850 votes cast. The winning voter is currently being contacted and will be named next week. Each will receive roundtrip coach air transportation; ground transfer from Vancouver International Airport to Whistler, five nights’ accommodation, two three-day lift passes for Whistler Blackcomb, one three-hour snowmobile tour for two, one Earn Your Turns tour for two and one $200 gift certificate from the Escape Route retail store in Whistler. Voting closed on March 12.