The Grind

Tagline: What is the true measure of a man? Is it size? Or strength? Is it a commodity, something bought, like a big flashy truck? Not a chance. A real man is dedicated to bettering himself and his family, devoted to improving those around him and in his community. In Vancouver, it took two “sisters” to show everyone what a man truly is.

The Grouse Grind is a well-known – particularly tortuous – outdoor activity that Vancouverites regularly indulge in. It’s a 2.9 km hike up the side of a local ski hill whose banks can be seen from the downtown core. Unwittingly, many tourists and local residents show up to tackle the Grind, only to find themselves sucking air by the time they reach its quarter pole -- well before the real grind has ever even begun. A regular summer sight in these parts is a clog of panting, ill-prepared Grind neophytes wheezing on the trailside, trying to catch their breath and contemplating whether or not to turn around and descend in puffing shame; sometimes they even have their high heels or flip flops dangling from their hands, a glaring badge of ignorance. What these hikers painfully learn is that the Grind is not a simple walk in the park -- it’s a grueling one. The hike can be so demanding that your mind and body will soon rebel against taking another step up the seemingly unrelenting ascent; so exhausting your lungs will feel like they’ve folded up and that your legs were secretly injected with cement. The Grind isn’t just a hike; it’s an obstacle course, a challenge, a litmus test.

There are parallels between Vancouver’s most famous hike and its favourite set of twins. At many times during their careers the Sedins have been confronted with seemingly endless obstacles – rock walls so sheer they seemed impassable. But they have always been obdurate in the face of adversity. They simply put their heads down and keep going, ignoring the pain, the taunts, and the easy way out. Case in point, after being drafted two and three in 1999, the Sedins entered the league in 2000 with high expectations; the year prior Brian Burke’s marquee picks had earned the Guldpucken award for the Swedish player of the year, an honour also won by such luminaries as Peter Forsberg, Hakan Loob and Mats Naslund. But soon after joining the Canucks it seemed the Sedins were subjected to an unrelenting barrage of ridicule. They weren’t the team’s saviours; they were gawky, skinny, awkward looking 20 year olds. Soon they were tabbed as the “sisters”, hounded by Coach Marc Crawford and continually pummelled by seasoned NHL defenders.

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