On the eve of the Family Day weekend on Friday February 16th, 71 snow-loving members of the Estonian community got together at The Georgian Peaks Club for a day that was, all in all, a real delight.
From a Toronto-based perspective at least, hopes for good conditions before the day rose and fell like a beginner coming down a mogul course. It wasn’t until the afternoon of the 15th when a quality dump of snow came down. On the day of, at a quarter past seven, the sun began to rise, showcasing a perfect blue sky to go along with the crisp air and freshly-fallen snow. But then, a whiteout set in just as one approached the club, with gridlock on Highway 26 leading in.
Still, not to worry. There was snow on the ground, skis and boots were ready in the back of the car. There was a whole day ahead to enjoy being outdoors. In fact, once you arrived, things really levelled out. Throughout the main part of the day — from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM when the chairlifts closed — the wind was blowing at a speed of between 11 and 14 kilometres per hour from the northwest. It only dipped down to -4 degrees Celsisus, and there were a few flurries here and there.
We can’t forget to thank Peeter Toome here, who has organized Esto Ski Day for over 20 years, and his nephew Mihkel.
The tickets for Esto Ski Day were of excellent value: $48 per adult and $35 for children under 10. While it did take place on a weekday, the adult cost is low compared to other weekday costs at ski resorts in Ontario, especially considering the day was at a private ski resort. So we can’t forget to thank Peeter Toome here, who has organized Esto Ski Day for over 20 years, and his nephew Mihkel. Peeter Toome notes that it was Mihkel’s father, the late Tõnu Toome, who initiated the ski day in 1992. Talking about its origins, he explained that it started as a Vironia suusapäev (ski day). Then it became an Akadeemiline Kodu ski day, before it finally became Esto Ski Day.
Being a private ski resort, there was a general feeling of spaciousness and calm when skiing throughout the day. As skiing tradition would have it, people moved about in their little clusters, pausing at key drop-offs before tackling sections of a run together. There was something familiar about the topography of Georgian Peaks, the rhythm of the runs, when comparing it to other downhill skiing experiences in southern Ontario. However, it can’t be overstated how pleasant it was to not fight for space, to not have your eyes peeled for potential collisions, and to not have long waits in the lift line at the bottom. I know, I know, those are the problems of a very fortunate person, but this is just to say that the overall outdoor social experience was top notch.
“Minute Mile” was also a lot of fun, with stunning views of Georgian Bay below.
Depending on how you like to approach a mountain, it was ideal to warm up and start the day off with “Champlain”, a broad and easygoing green run on the west side of the resort. Coming off of “Champlain” is “Freeloader”, also more easygoing, but a run that pokes into the forests a bit. It adds intrigue to the feeling of gliding down the slope. Something that skiing superstars get an abundance of when they take on black diamond and double black diamond runs like “Thunderhead” and “Lightning.”
Next to the start of “Champlain” is a small section of makeshift cross country skiing to “Thunder”, a blue run where you can crank the intensity up a bit. “Minute Mile” was also a lot of fun, with stunning views of Georgian Bay below.
Bookended by leisurely skiing with friends and family across the club's 24 runs was a giant slalom (GS) fun race for competitors from age 11 to 60+, where skiers navigated a short course with gates for the fastest time possible.
It’s not easy to tell when everyone has helmets and goggles on, but asking “Are you Estonian?” here and there indicated a sizable Estonian presence across the slopes and in the stylish main lodge, the hub of the resort complex. After the results of the race were evaluated, participants gathered at the small and cozy west lodge to find out the results of the fun race.
By the roaring fireplace, Peeter Toome announced the following results:
Female winners by age category
11 to 13: Taali Spence (27.53 seconds)
23-35: Amanda Mitchener (24.57)
36-49: Leila Hess (26.01)
50+: Helle Varrik (26.21)
Female fastest overall: Amanda Mitchener
Male winners by age category
11 to 13: Lee Johnston (21.14)
14 to 16: Dylan Johnston (20.31)
23-35: Karl Kuus (18.06)
36-49: Eric Johnston (20.39)
50-59: Paul Veer (20.88)
60+: Ron Kuus (21.31)
Male fastest overall: Karl Kuus
If you couldn’t make it this year, come by in 2025 for an active, welcoming day out on the slopes!
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