Earlier this month, whitecapsfc.com spent some time with fullback Steven Beitashour for a day of skating, ziplining, and more at Grouse Mountain. Join us as we relive the day through the video you see above as well as the article and photos below.
12:45 p.m. – We pick up Beitashour and get going. He had just finished up a morning training session with Kekuta Manneh. They’re two of the only players who are already in town at this point.
12:50 p.m. – Fittingly, we see Grouse Mountain from afar as we start driving. It’s a beautiful, clear day. Beitashour mentions that his wife, Karlie, can see Grouse from work.
“So she’ll be watching us,” Beitashour jokes.
Beitashour tells us that his wife only recently moved to Vancouver. She now works at Hootsuite, after years working in the Silicon Valley.
“It’s funny, everyone wants to work in the Silicon Valley, but she’s here now and she’s happy.”
That makes Beitashour happy. He’s been with Karlie since they met at Leland High School in San Jose’s Almaden Valley. Beitashour had his number 3 retired at Leland a few years back.
“I’m surprised they didn’t go back on that,” he told me jokingly earlier this year.
1 p.m. – As we drive by Stanley Park, we start chatting with Beitashour about what sort of activities he and his wife have done in Vancouver so far. He tells us they’ve visited the aquarium, Whistler, and the Okanagan. They also often rent bikes and ride around Stanley Park.
“Last time we ran though … it takes a bit longer,” he laughed. “But still fun. There are definitely fun things to do here.”
This will be his first time up at Grouse.
1:15 p.m. – We arrive and meet Jacqueline, Grouse Mountain’s manager of public relations, who will be showing us around. As we make our way to the skyride, otherwise known as a gondola, Jacqueline asks Beitashour if he’s a skier.
“Nah, but I used to snowboard a long time ago,” he responded. “Skiing looks fun and a lot less painful. My wife and I want to pick it up when I’m done with soccer. And then I’ll be back.”
1:45 p.m. –
“Welcome to Vancouver’s Winter Wonderland,” Jacqueline says as we get off the skyride.
The first thing we see is the skating rink, so Beitashour and I decide to lace ‘em up.
“I’ll show you my triple deke,” he tells us.
In reality, Beitashour says he hasn’t skated in years.
“Do I need butt pads, knee pads, elbow pads?” he asks as he’s tying his skates. “I’m going to need all the pads.”
Turns out he didn’t. The California kid actually held his own.
“It might have been years but it’s like riding a bike,” he says. ‘You can’t forget.”
2:15 p.m. – Skating was a success. Beitashour had a blast. So what’s next? Snowshoeing?
“I’m huffing and puffing from the skating and now they want to do snowshoeing? We might have to pass on that one,” Beitashour jokes.
Instead, we head inside to check out the restaurant area – dubbed “The Observatory.”
“Maybe that’s a little more your pace,” Jacqueline quips.
There’s a display up showing some of the prominent people who visited the mountain during the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. Beitashour spots Ashleigh McIvor, Jay DeMerit’s wife, who of course won gold in women’s ski cross at the Games.
I point to Wayne Gretzky and ask if Beitashour recognizes him.
“Oh come on,” he says. “The greatest of all time. Come on. I know who that is.”
Just making sure.
2:20 p.m. –
We have about an hour to kill until ziplining, so we check out some of the great views atop the mountain. The view from The Observatory is spectacular.
Jacqueline decides to test Beitashour. Can he spot BC Place? Check.
Stanley Park? Check.
How about Point Grey?
Beitashour points in a general direction and says: “I think my finger must have hit it.”
Let’s say two out of three. Not bad.
2:45 p.m. –
After checking out The Cut, one of the most scenic ski hills I’ve ever seen, we make our way to the ziplining area. The main event, if you will.
Beitashour gets suited up and goes on his first ride. I show him the adjacent picture and he says: “You know that was staged right? Zac said pretend like you’re scared. I said, ‘OK, I can do that.’”
After a few more rides (you couldn’t wipe the smile off Beitashour's face as he went from ride to ride), we conclude the day by heading up to the Eye of the Wind – the resort’s wind turbine.
4 p.m. –
We thought the views from The Observatory and The Cut were amazing (and they were), but they don’t even compare to the view from the Eye of the Wind.
“Pretty sure it doesn’t get better than this right now,” Beitashour says. "You’ve got the whole city. You see city life, where the work is done. You see BC Place, where the main work is done. Pretty cool stuff.”
As Beitashour looks out the window, someone asks what he’s thinking about.
“Thinking about raising that trophy at the end of the year,” he says. “You could get lost up here. Not lost out there. Lost up here thinking.”
It was truly a spectacular sight.
4:45 p.m. – Our day at Grouse comes to an end.
“It was a lot of fun,” Beitashour says. “The ziplining and skating made it totally worth it. I’m definitely going to come back with my wife.”
We’re now heading back to downtown. Somehow, the topic turns to Beitashour’s high-step celebration when he set up Pedro Morales’ goal against Real Salt Lake in September.
“It's funny the things you do in the spur in the moment,” he says. “Give Nico credit for jumping out of the way on that goal too.”
Finally, we drop Beitashour off and go our separate ways.
He’s back to training tomorrow.
“This is what matters,” he says about putting in hard sessions in the offseason. “That's what I told Kekuta today. I don't care if people know how hard I’m working. I used to go run at a track at night in San Jose so people wouldn’t see me. I want them to see on Saturdays.”
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