Our Office Staff

PJ O'Heany

PJ is the boss and owner of YES. He runs the show and you truly have to meet him to find out just how much of a showman he is. This Canadian/Aussie/Kiwi/Irishman has spent 25 years perfecting the ski improvement holiday and we think he's just about done it.

Belinda Hare

Belinda holds the office together, your first contact when you arrive and your last when you leave. She's an Aussie who has made Whistler her home so that she can ski through the winter and mountain bike through the sumer. It's a hard life but someone has to do it.

Heidi Penney

Heidi started her relationship with YES as a guest and decided she liked it so much she joined the company and then picked up one of the instructors as a husband. (We'll let you work out who.)

Our Ski Instructors

Dick Nott

This Cootamundra Cowboy is a YES Alumni.  Graduating with the class of 2003, Dick is the first former YES student to pass his CSIA Level 4.  A full-fledged snow-junkie, he follows the endless winter by splitting his time between Whistler and Falls Creek.  A true cowboy of the snow, if he’s not out blasting through the bumps or floating through the powder, you might find him breaking broncs or roping steers.

Bob Brett

B.O.B. has been a Whistler local ever since he followed his first marmot into town.  Our ecological wunderkind is just at home on the steep bumps of Whistler Bowl as he is in the murky waters around Lost Lake.  Not only will your ski technique improve under the professor’s tutelage, so will your knowledge about blueberries, trees and the reticulate tail-dropper slugs.

Rich Parry

Rich (CSIA Level 4) has been prowling the slopes of Whistler for years keeping skiers safe from the local wild cougars.  An artiste on the piste, Rich is also a maestro with the guitar.  If he’s not out looking for secret powder stashes, you can be sure he’s strumming away, working on a new tune.

Lincoln Phillips

Master Ski Guru Linc has been in Whistler since before there was snowmaking.   Armed with his mastery of ski technique (CSIA Level 4) and vast knowledge of the mountains, Master Linc uses his force to turn all his ski apprentices into powerful skiing Jedis.  

Meesh Berthoud

Growing up in Quebec, Meesh traded in his engineering job to be a Ski Instructor in 1999.  10 years later and now a CSIA Level 4, Meesh found a home in the mountains of Whistler.  When not skiing the steeps, trees and powder, our video editor can be found in a cloud of sawdust, working on the never-ending home reno.

Dave McPeake

Another Eastern transplant, Dave (CSIA Level 4) has called Whistler home for many years.  When not speeding around the hill Dave can be seen cross-country skiing with his dogs or jamming with his band.  The musical Dave can play guitar, bass and has a killer set of pipes.  Also a great storyteller, Dave has a lot of old Whistler stories to share.

Barry Allison

Barry (CSIA Level 4) is one of YES's original instructors. He's a bit of a special appearance guest on the program these days as he lives in Eastern Canada with his family but if you want to meet this skiing legend then you'll always find him on the YES Improvement program in Wanaka.

Mark Jones

Mark (CSIA Level 4) is the king of analogies when he's teaching you to ski. They may sound like he's just made them up (which he probably has) but by the end of the week you'll not only have improved but you'll have a whole new way of looking at skiing.

Brian Penney

The fastest man on two skis, Brian (CSIA Level 4, CSCF Level 3) is our resident racer. This crazy Cannuck has raced in resorts all over Canada and Australia (and crashed in quite a few of those places too). The only thing that makes him happier than going 100km/h down a race piste is being 100ft up a tree with his chain saw.

Wendell Moore

Wendell is our lead guide on Sundays and once he's taken you through your paces with his morning stretching program you'll have to ski fast tokeep up because he's the original powder hound. (Ask Wendell, because according to him Whistler is actually called Wendell's Mountain.)

Our Snowboard Instructors

Rob LeBlanc

Rob (CASI Level 4) is our resident snowboard guru.  Former CASI president, this New Brunswicker has called Whistler home since spandex snowboard race suits were in fashion.    Always willing to make a short story long, Rob is a great storyteller of Whistler lore.  When not on his board, you can find him on his board – long-board that is – wheeling his way around Whistler.

Yukiko Kawada

Yuki is our Japanese Sensei of the snowboard. She takes her riding seriously but if you buy her a beer at the end of the day she'll be happy to take that seriously too. She's CASI Level 4 so if your training to be an instructor do what she says!

Ian LeGris

Another import from New Brunswick, Ian is our resident crazy person, he'll go anywhere on a snowboard. Another long term Whistler local, Ian is always on the move by board, bike or canoe. So come ride with Ian and see if you can keep up.