Gottfried Grosser, founder of Trail Whisperer, was dedicated to creating fun and exhilarating challenges for trail runners in coastal BC mountains. He created and was race director for the Frosty Mountain Ultra and Tenderfoot Boogie Trail race events.
The Frosty Mountain Ultra in Manning Park, in the heart of the Cascade Mountains, provides runners with fabulous scenery and an incredible challenge, first climbing Windy Joe Mountain, then iconic Frosty Mountain, the highest peak in the park, and finally up and along the Skyline trail with its panoramic ridge views, all in one race.
Tenderfoot Boogie, named after Tenderfoot Creek just north of Squamish, has long been the only ultra trail race from Squamish to Whistler, running along the Cheakamus River in the Sea-to-Sky corridor and traversing the flanks of Sproatt and Rainbow Mountains.
Gottfried’s goal was to share his passion and his experience with our running community by hosting low key fun races in amazing settings. Sadly, in November 2021, Gottfried passed away. Before he passed, he asked Benji Chu to take on Trail Whisperer, to continue his legacy.
Tenderfoot Boogie ran from 2009 to 2019 under Gottfried’s direction. After a few years hiatus, Benji enlisted Shanna Knights to work together to reinstate Tenderfoot. They have been working to create a re-imagined Tenderfoot Boogie, with the aim to provide a unique and memorable experience for participants, keeping as much of the original route as possible, while avoiding the challenges posed by the previous highway section and addressing logistical complexities. Trail Whisperer are committed to upholding the Tenderfoot Boogie spirit of fun and community while providing a challenging but doable trail race in beautiful scenery and ensuring the success of these events in the years to come.
Benji is an experienced ultra trail runner, having played a pivotal role in Gottfried’s team. He considers it both an honor and a privilege to follow his footsteps and continue his legacy. Benji is diligently working to connect with the running community, striving to create events that are not only challenging but also memorable, enjoyable, and ultimately successful.
Shanna, a frequent volunteer at trail races, has long been interested in spending more time on the organizational side of trail running. She is on the Club Fat Ass steering committee, loves to map routes (check out her GPS drawings on Insta), spend hours in the mountains, and organise big parties – and isn’t that what a trail run is?
Tenderfoot Boogie was run in 2023 as a Club Fat Ass event, testing out the new route, and is back for 2024 as a fully supported Trail Whisperer event.
Our goal is to keep this races series alive in a way that honors Gottfried’s vision of community and adventure. We hope you will join us.
