In the early morning of August 26, 1997 Whistler lost another of its young snowboarders. Jimmy Corvese, one of the town's top freestylers, died in a single vehicle accident while heading North towards his new home in Pemberton, just 25 minutes from Whistler. Corvese, who was riding for Staple, Concept, and Bakoda, moved to the mountains of Whistler from the small hills of Southern Ontario a few years ago to pursue his snowboard lifestyle. Over the last few years he competed in a number of local contests and went to a a few provincial and national contests.

Jimmy like to smile--which was sometimes more like a maniacal grin. He had a definite zest for life. There was, of course, the time he tried rowing across the fake sea in front of the Treasure Island Hotel in Las Vegas. He was met by the 'boys in blue' at the other end of the sea, and was the talk of the SIA Trade Show the next day.

He was also giving, generous, and known as a hard worker. "He would do anything for his friends," said his close friend Christy Yzerman, "And he would work hard all autumn so he could play all winter."

Christy told me that Jimmy spoke a lot of travelling, and that he had a dream to be wherever the sun would first rise in the year 2000.

Jimmy's Whistler friends got together on September 14, 1997 to celebrate his life. It would have been his 25th birthday.