Join MEC x POW for our annual Season Opener—and this year, we’ve gone digital. A show-stopping lineup of films, chats with pro athletes, and giveaways will get you ready to kick off the snowy season.

The best part? All proceeds from this digital event are being donated to MEC partner, Protect Our Winters (POW) Canada.

In partnership with

The Details

Your $15 all-access household pass includes:

Snow Stoke Film Library

November 16–22
This curated library of films will get you stoked for all things steep and deep. Your ticket gets you access to the library from November 16–22 so you can watch films all week long or host a (COVID-safe) viewing party for your bubble. From epic ski and snowboard films featuring your favourite Canadian athletes, to gear how-to videos from Arc’teryx and Avalanche Canada webinars to help you refresh your backcountry safety knowledge, we have everything you need to get stoked (and ready) for the winter season ahead.

All.I.Can

All.I.Can is a stunning exploratory essay that compares the challenges of big mountain skiing to the challenges of global climate change. Shot on 6 continents over 2 years, the world’s best skiers deliver inspirational performances while ground-breaking cinematography expands our vision of the natural world.

Hoji

Eric ‘Hoji’ Hjorleifson lets his skiing speak for itself. He doesn’t stand on the bar and shout out his accolades. He chases storms. He ditches his cell phone for weeks at a time. This is his story.

Other films include:

• Seeking Nirvana
• Electric Greg
• Spearhead
• Originate, episodes 1 – 3
• & more

Avalanche Canada webinars include:

• One-Stop Shop – An overview of Avalanche Canada’s fundamental online avalanche safety tools
• Recognizing Avalanche Terrain and trip preparedness 
• Renshaw Case Study – A look at an incident that occurred at the Renshaw riding area near McBride, BC. This story illustrates how quickly difficult and complex scenarios can arise in the backcountry.

Winter, My First Love: A Pro Athlete Panel & Climate Change Chat, hosted by Katie Burrell

Friday, November 20, 6:30 pm PST

Join us live on Zoom for a live panel with professional Canadian skiers, snowboarders, and mountain athletes. Hosted by the hilarious Katie Burrell, the panelists will discuss why they fell in love with winter and how important it is to protect it. Expect an hour of laughs, climate change chats, and lots of love for all things winter.

Panelists include:

• MEC and POW Ambassador and 2018 Olympian Yuki Tsubota
  Born and raised in Whistler, Yuki has been on skis for as long as she can remember. She is a two time Olympian (Sochi and Pyeongchang) and skied on the Canadian National Slopestyle Ski team for 8 years. Having recently retired from competition skiing she looks to start spending more time adventuring in the backcountry.

• Arc’teryx athlete and pro freeskier Eric Hjorleifson
  Affectionately nicknamed ‘Hoji’, is a professional freeskier. Hoji’s pillow drops and steep spine lines turn skiing into a work of art. An obsessive tinkerer, Hoji has made his mark in product design with boots, skis and other pieces of gear, advancing skiing through informed inputs.

• POW Ambassador and pro snowboarder Robin Van Gyn
  Professional snowboarder and climate advocate Robin Van Gyn has been at the forefront of backcountry snowboarding for over ten years. When she’s not filming with major production companies, guiding at Baldface lodge and slaying big lines in the Coast Mountains, she can be found exploring Vancouver Island and working on her eco-friendly home in Ucluelet.

• POW Ambassador and pro athlete Greg Hill
  A pro skier, filmmaker and a ski guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, Greg has made hundreds of first descents and set world records like climbing and skiing over two million feet in less than a year and 50,000 feet in 24 hours. But Greg’s biggest objectives lately are in his everyday quest to adventure in a more sustainable fashion.

• Arc’teryx Environmental Impact Lead Chris Heysel
  Chris is a Civil Engineer by training who following his years working in corporate sustainability and sustainable infrastructure consulting followed his love of rock climbing and backcountry snowboarding to work at Arc’teryx. As the Environmental Impact Lead for Arc’teryx Chris oversees the greenhouse gas accounting, target setting, reduction strategies, disclosures, and external environmental partnerships for the brand.

All raffle prizes will be given out at this live event – join us to claim your prize!

Giveaways & More

Raffle Prizes

Each $15 all-access pass includes 4 raffle tickets for you and your household, but great news, you can purchase additional raffle tickets for a better chance of winning one of the awesome prizes. The raffle will take place during the live athlete panel on Friday, November 20th, so be sure to join us for your chance to win!

Prizes include:

• 2 x full Arc’teryx snow kits (worth ~$1600 each)
• MEC Label snow gear kit (worth ~$800)
• POW swag package
• $500 MEC gift card
• FATMAP prize package

Arc’teryx Viewing Party Prize Packages (worth ~$500 each)

Find us on Instagram to enter to win viewing party packages from our partners at Arc’teryx. Think Arc’teryx swag, good eats, and something to wet your whistle—in other words, everything you need to host an epic (COVID-safe) night of snow stoke for your household. Check out @protectourwinterscanada on Instagram starting November 9th for details on how to enter.

POW Members Giveaway (worth ~$1600)

POW members have an extra chance to win! We’re giving away one additional full set of Arc’teryx snow gear to one lucky POW member. You’ll be asked to let us know you’re a POW member when purchasing your ticket, so be sure to sign up!

MEC Ski or Snowboard Waxing

Want to support POW and get your skis or board waxed for a discounted rate? We’ve got you. Add on a $10 MEC ski/snowboard wax (value $15) and all proceeds will be donated directly to POW. There’s a limited quantity available, so don’t hesitate—make sure you’re ready for first tracks.

FATMAP Explore Membership

FATMAP makes it easier to discover, experience and share your adventures. We are giving the first 100 ticket purchasers a free 3-month membership to FATMAP Explore (worth $40 annually). FATMAP is an adventure community with a global 3D map, on web and mobile, giving you more information to make informed decisions in the mountains.

About POW Canada

Protect Our Winters Canada is a passionate community of outdoor enthusiasts, professional athletes, and industry brands uniting the outdoor community to address climate change. We believe our love of adventure in nature demands our participation in the fight to save and protect it.

Join POW Canada today and be a part of one of the world’s fastest-growing climate and environmental advocacy global alliances today.

You can also donate directly to POW and receive a tax receipt. However, donating through this link does not give you access to the event—it’s for donations above and beyond your ticket purchase.

By purchasing a ticket to this event you agree to the following:

• Being contacted via email to receive event links and other event communications
• MEC website privacy policy
• MEC prize giveaway rules