JONNY’S WEEKEND

Weekend Recap

"The people he loved, in the place he loved, doing all the things Jonny loved.”

What better way to honour our son, brother, coach, teammate, and friend - Jonny Kellock. This past weekend an overwhelming number of friends and family from the numerous communities Jonny impacted around the world gathered in Whistler to celebrate all things Jonny. With attendees hailing from as far as Sweden, Norway, New England and California, the weekend was destined to be an unforgettable reunion of friends and colleagues from across the communities that Jonny touched.

The weekend kicked off with an informal Dual Slalom set up on the Dave Murray National Training Centre. With perfect snow, sun shining, music blasting, it was the perfect warm up to the weekend as old friends and family went head-to-ahead, exchanging stories of Jonny and channeling his competitive spirit. It was also the first time we got to see just how big our group was! Not that any of us were surprised.

Friday night the group gathered at the Fire Rock Lounge in the Westin, graciously reserved for us by Gibbons Whistler. The group hunkered down for a long night of laughs, storytelling, pictures, and great drinks. We all could feel Jonny right there with us, saddled up at the bar till the early hours.

Saturday was the focus of the weekend celebrations. After a morning dispersed across the mountain enjoying perfect weather and fantastic snow, the group met on the Umbrella Bar deck at the Roundhouse for a big group photo. One that I think few of us will ever forget. After a beverage or two, a 100+ person group ski led by Whistler Mountain Ski Club’s own Henry Yeigh took us to the “Beauty Can Start” on lower Ptarmigan. Here, Bob Armstrong of Whistler Mountain Ski Club, officially renamed Beauty Start to “Jonny’s Start”. An incredible tribute to Jonny that we all look forward to visiting for decades to come. This was followed by emotional speeches by Jonny’s parents, Rob and Jen Kellock, a big group hug, and finally the chance for us all to kick out of Jonny’s Start. The 30 minutes at Jonny’s Start was described by many as one of the most powerful experiences in recent memory.

The weekend culminated with a gathering of the entire group, generously hosted by the Whistler Mountain Ski Club, Jonny’s place of work, leisure, and companionship. Another round of speeches, cold Gibbons Après Lager, and great food served as the perfect celebration for our dear friend. While the club was cleared out by 9:30PM, the group was just getting started, and took to the village for a night that would make Jonny proud.

Jonny’s weekend was that of wide-ranging emotions – grief, belonging, heartbreak, love – but all left knowing we had celebrated Jonny exactly how he would have wanted us to, a weekend we will never forget.

­­­­­­­­­­­­Jonny’s weekend was organized by the Jonny Kellock Foundation. An organization created in the wake of Jonny’s passing, focused on supporting the development of Canadian Ski Coaches, as well as the eradication of Brain Cancer. The Foundation would like to thank the amazing supporters that allowed this weekend to take place, as no Foundation funds were used – Whistler Mountain Ski Club, Whistler Blackcomb, Gibbons Whistler, and Fairmont Chateau Whistler.