Cheese rolling, Dairy Farmers of Canada, Natural Pastures Cheese

Cheese-rolling madness returns to Whistler

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Dairy Farmers of Canada will host one of Canada’s most unique events again this summer when the Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival takes place August 16 from 12 noon to 4 p.m. in Whistler, British Columbia. In its seventh year, the festival features cheese rolling races, costume contests and other fun activities for the whole family.

An 11-pound wheel of Courtenay Cheddar cheese, produced by British Columbia cheesemaker Natural Pastures, will roll down a hill and enthusiastic and ambitious cheese lovers will chase after it. The first contestant to make it down the hill wins. The winners get to take home the giant, coveted wheel of delicious Canadian cheese and a Whistler season ski pass for two.

“Cheese-loving Canadians and visitors from all over the world eagerly await the Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival year-after-year and Dairy Farmers of Canada is thrilled to bring it back again,” says Sandra Da Silva of Dairy Farmers of Canada.  “With all the many activities the festival has to offer, it’s a great event for the entire family and a fantastic way to shine a spotlight on Canadian cheese.”

The race course will be set up in Whistler’s Upper Village on Blackcomb Mountain. Free round trip transportation to the Blackcomb Mountain Base 2 parking lot via Excalibur Gondola in Whistler village is available for everyone.  Anyone over 19 years of age can participate and contestants can register on site on August 16at 11:00 am. The downhill event will consist of seven men’s and four women’s races. The winner from each round will compete in the finals. For the kids, there will also be uphill races categorized by age.

A costume contest will be held again this year. All race participants are invited to wear costumes for the chance to win a $500 gift voucher from Marketplace IGA. Prior to each race heat, the official cheese roller will award costumed contestants a ribbon. After all the race heats, all ribbon-awarded costumed contestants will gather at the base of the course, where a panel of judges will select their top five favourite costumes, which will then be judged by the crowd. Team costumes will be judged as one participating unit, not individually. The contestant or team that receives the most applause will be selected as the costume contest winner(s).

Participants, families and spectators can take in a host of other fun things at the festival, including activities for children, free cheese seminars and a Cheese Market full of delicious samples of Canadian cheese made from 100% Canadian milk. Visitors will also be able to buy cheeses from different Canadian provinces. Vancouver native and Breakfast Television host, Riaz Meghji, will emcee the event again.

In addition to the numerous pre-promotion events in Whistler village a few days before the event, Dairy Farmers of Canada partnered with Sobey’s nationally and Marketplace IGA in British Columbia for in-store promotions and a contest. Visit any Sobey’s store in the Maritimes, Ontario and the Prairies until July 20, as well as Marketplace IGA in British Columbia until July 13, for a chance to win a trip for two to the Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival.

To learn more about the Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival and to view videos and photos from past festivals, visit www.canadiancheeserolling.ca.

Cheese rolling, Dairy Farmers of Canada

Crazy promotion for cheese returns to Whistler

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgOCMs1_NfM&w=420&h=315]

It’s crazy way to promote cheese but contestants running, tumbling and falling down Blackcomb Mountain has proven effective—and a great deal of fun—for Dairy Farmers of Canada as it demonstrated again at the sixth annual Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival in Whistler, B.C., last Saturday, August 17, 2013.

When asked how an apparently staid organization like Dairy Farmers of Canada can sponsor such chaos, Wally Smith, DFC president, says, “Well, maybe we’re not as staid and conservative as you think.”

The video above tells all. Click here for our photo album as well as a link to more images at 100% Canadian Milk.

Cheese rolling, Dairy Farmers of Canada, Natural Pastures Cheese

Heads and heels over cheese at cheese-rolling championship

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The rolling cheese eludes chasers as they run, stumble and fall during a championship heat.

Chasing a giant wheel of Canadian cheese down Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler, British Columbia, is how 165 enthusiastic competitors spent last Sunday afternoon during the annual Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival sponsored by Dairy Farmers of Canada.

The two Grand Champions each went home with an 11-pound wheel of Canadian cheese and a Whistler season’s ski pass for two.

The male Grand Champion, Guy McLintock of Vancouver, British Columbia, won the men’s race in a time of nine seconds and the female Grand Champion, Lorraine Phan of Richmond, British Columbia, won the women’s race in a time of 19 seconds.  In addition to the men’s and women’s downhill races, 139 children participated in uphill races.

“This festival, which is now the most unique one held worldwide, attracts families, contestants and spectators from across Canada and all for the love of cheese. The number of people participating in the races, attending the festival and sampling some of Canada’s great cheeses exceeded our expectations,” said Solange Heiss, assistant director, marketing and nutrition communications, Dairy Farmers of Canada. “Dairy Farmers of Canada is proud to sponsor the Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival for the fourth year and shine the spotlight on the high-quality cheese produced in this country from coast to coast.”

More than 12,500 spectators took in a host of fun activities including Cheese Twister, free cheese seminars and a cheese market full of delicious samples of Canadian cheese made from 100% Canadian milk.

Grand Champions Guy McLintock and Lorraine Phan with their wheels of Verdelait.

Renowned Canadian and award-winning stand-up comic, improviser, actor and writer from Western Canada, Roman Danylo, hosted the days’ festivities, which involved 11 race heats before the final Grand Championship races.

For the fourth consecutive year, Brisitsh Columbia cheesemaker Natural Pastures produced the special 11-pound wheels of delicious Cracked Pepper Verdelait for the Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival. Verdelait is the delicious, award-winning blend of cheddar, Dutch gouda and Swiss raclette, developed by Natural Pastures in Courtenay on Vancouver Island. Verdelait is the base for the five flavoured cheeses. Versatile and wonderful for cooking, grating, fondues, sandwiches, it melts beautifully.

Cheese rolling, Dairy Farmers of Canada, Events, Natural Pastures Cheese

Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival: Talk about craziness!

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjlp1J7PQsc]

It’s got to be the wackiest way to promote cheese but the Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival has proven to be highly effective—right out of the gate. About 5,000 people watched the inaugural event at Whistler, British Columbia, two years ago. Who knows how many will show up for the 2010 race this Saturday?

What’s really surprising is that the crazy afternoon of cheese rolling and other activities for the whole family is sponsored and promoted by Dairy Farmers of Canada, an organization generally seen as staid.

Cheese rolling is exactly that. A large wheel of cheese is rolled down a hill and daring men and women chase after it. The first contestant to make it down the hill wins. Vancouver Island cheesemaker Natural Pastures produced special 11-pound wheels of Cracked Pepper Verdelait cheese for the Festival. The winners get to take home the wheel of 100-percent Canadian cheese and a Whistler season ski pass.

“Last year, the attendance at the Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival was above our expectations and many people from across the country and abroad have asked us to bring it back,” says Solange Heiss, a spokeperson for Dairy Farmers of Canada. “It’s a great activity for the entire family and a fantastic way to showcase the amazing 100-percent Canadian cheeses this country has to offer.”

The race course will be set up in Whistler’s Upper Village on Blackcomb Mountain. Free round trip transportation to Blackcomb Mountain Base 2 parking lot via Excalibur Gondola in Whistler village is available for everyone. Anyone over 19 years of age can participate and contestants can register on site on August 14. The downhill event will consist of six men’s and three women’s races. The winner from each round will compete in the finals. For the kids, there will be six uphill races that will be a little easier.

In addition to the races, spectators, families and contestants can take in a host of other fun activities including cheese bowling and cheese twister. Everyone will be able to sample delicious Canadian cheese, wander through a Farmers Market and participate in cheese seminars. Canadian comic and award-winning host, Jebb Fink, will be hosting the festivities.

For more information about the Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival, click here.

CheeseLover.ca has been unable to confirm that a cheese-rolling festival will take place this fall in Toronto’s High Park.