Though quick to rebuff the title of “Legends”, there is no refuting the pioneering status of local disc-jockeying couple Vinyl Ritchie (Scotty Arkwell) and Foxy Moron (Ace Mackay-Smith). With over 40,000 vinyl records between them and a long list of artistic accolades, these two have been pivotal in shaping the Whistler après-to-underground music scene for the past few decades. Yes, decades.
How It All Began
Ace first came to Whistler “when the village was a garbage dump” (for more on this, read part one of our four-part history series or visit the Whistler Museum when you’re here). Born and raised in Kamloops, British Columbia, she travelled here with her family as a teenager to ski. She moved to Whistler permanently at 21, working first as a server and then as a go-go dancer for close to 20 years at the famed Tommy Africa’s (where Après Après now is).
Scotty came when he was 22, by way of Vancouver via Ottawa via New Brunswick. A “hardcore kid,” he started hearing about Whistler while working at a skate shop in the country’s capital. The manager of a skateboarding team and a bit of a punk, he “showed up in Whistler with a record collection.”
Scotty recounts being in the Savage Beagle (another, since-closed, Whistler institution) on a Saturday night when the house DJ was publicly fired on the spot. Scotty was told to get in the booth, “This was when clubs had their own records,” and he stayed. But, with him, and his new gig, came his own records; a stark contrast to the “Meatloaf and Moondance” soundtrack that the town was tuned into and attuned to. Whistler wasn’t ready, but Ace was…
Spinning the Scene
Soon enough, Scotty was working at Tommy Africa’s, too.
“Scotty would throw stuff in that people weren’t expecting.”
The two would work in tandem – the dancer and the DJ – with Scotty reflecting on how, “If Ace liked it – then she could sell it,” with Ace fondly appreciating how Scotty would always “change up the rhythm.” There was nothing predictable here. Working at a time when “no toques” were allowed in the club, the two were instrumental in changing the culture of music in Whistler. “We were doing mash-up things before mash-up was a thing.”
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And though there was some kickback and resistance, as there often is when something new hits the scene, the tables began to turn (pun intended) and what began to unfold musically in this town began to set it apart. Being a DJ from Whistler suddenly held clout in the late 90s/early 2000s. Scotty recounts how the first Redbull 3Style International DJ Competition was inspired by the cutting-edge Whistler scene.
And scene it was. There was the music. But there were also the sports. And then the artists who married the two.
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Ace and Scotty were both, concurrently, active here too. Ace specialized in filming wide-angled, fish-eyed footage gathered from skiing alongside athletes on the hill. She worked with Greg Stump Productions for ten years. Scotty, the snowboarder, worked with Adventure Scope, designing the films’ sound scores. These were pivotal players in the mountain sports films, the next wave, after Warren Miller’s breakthrough films. This was the arena these two were playing in.
The DJ and the Dancer
Ace and Scotty became a couple in 2003, their status transitioning while hanging out at a local residence fondly nicknamed “Chez Serious”, a once-upon-a-time hub for some of Whistler’s more colourful characters and parties. And characters, in the best sense of the word, they both are.
And so, the fairytale of the DJ and the dancer took a new turn – the ultimate mash-up – part renegade, part badass, with a huge quotient of soul. But what this dynamic couple does radiate is the deepest love and respect for each other. It’s impossible to ignore or miss. Even after being together for over twenty years, the way these two interact is nothing short of incredible and inspiring.
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Though she always had her own records, it was Scotty who really encouraged Ace to start spinning vinyl way, way back when. Along with being a go-go dancer and a ski filmmaker, she was also an event organizer: “Me and a couple friends threw the first rave at the Conference Centre ever.”
With Scotty’s encouragement, it was a natural segue that she began playing publicly. Ace started with après gigs at the GLC in the mid-2000s. She reminisces how she would joke that her DJ name “should have been ‘The Owner’s Daughter’ – because I was so crap!” But Ace was anything but crap, she had indeed become, The Foxy Moron.
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Pioneering Cred
The notable couple have a long list of accomplishments, endorsements and a lot of firsts. Thus, the pioneering, status. And, though, humbly dismissed, the term Legend would not be a misnomer for either of them – however, both are quick to point out that it’s “the ones who make the music, who are the legends.” But making music and producing albums makes its way in here too. Ace just may have written (yes, she did!) some lyrics for a Billy Idol song.
Scotty has been in multiple punk and funk bands (as a singer/word spewer) and signed a record deal in 2000 as one half of the duo Wicked Lester, in which he laid down the beats. The group recorded three full-length albums and released 30 singles. Ace plays their music all the time and she proudly notes how one of their 45s is a collector’s item valued at $3,000. The two continuously uphold the other.
Ace played at the first Bass Coast Festival. She still does. So too, have they both been regulars on the Shambhala Festival line-up. Scotty, or Vinyl Ritchie, played the Vans Park Series for years. This took him through the States and across Europe. He also had a steady gig at Mandalay Bay in Vegas.
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The two of them were Burning Man regulars, bringing snowmaking to the desert, with their annual Après Ski Party: “all vinyl in the dust.” The DJ and the Dancer were two of the main entertainers for athletes in Canada House during the 2006 Torino Olympics; they were also quintessential spinners during the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. But amongst all the highlights, both reflect that “playing music on the mountain is the greatest gift we’ve ever had.”
Mountain Music Magic
Playing on the mountain no longer takes the form of going up on the chairlift, carting turntables, records and a mixer, then strapping in and riding down to the terrain park, loaded down with all the gear, to set up and spin vinyl in exchange for a ski pass. The duo’s mountain music-sharing adventures have developed over the years, finding them playing in the Monster Booth events at Glacier Creek, on a variety of patios and DJing for a host of happenings, including the World Ski and Snowboard Festival.
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The two play independently and together. And it is always an absolute treat to experience one of their sets. And “experience” is the most apt word, for both the Foxy Moron and Vinyl Ritchie are synonymous with creating immersive environments, moods, “a vibe” forever fresh, original, alive and as simultaneously unpredictable and cohesive as the next curve ball that they seamlessly blend together. They are experts at reading the crowd. Their musical knowledge is mind-blowing. They are masters of their craft: spinning artistry into their delivery, which distinguishes them from the masses.
Disc-Jockeying
Vinyl Ritchie and Foxy Moron spin records. Actual discs. They are Disc Jockeys. The real deal. They are not “USBjs.” They still break records and drop new tracks. Without flinching, they claim they “wouldn’t be interested in DJing without a turntable.”
They don’t use controllers. They don’t use sync buttons. They stand out amongst the ubiquity of the formulaic, quantization of the club-music scene and plugged-in Spotify playlists, suddenly flooded with “everyone’s a DJ – but they’re not…”
Two-of-a-Special-Kind
The eclectic and electrifying sets of Vinyl Ritchie and Foxy Moron serve as a wonderful metaphor for this town which they have called home for over thirty years; a place they still describe as “magical.”
The Foxy Moron and Vinyl Ritchie, simply put, are in a league of their own. When in Whistler, prioritizing catching one or more of their sessions should be at the top of your list.
Regular Gigs Include:
Mondays: Après at Dusty’s in Creekside
Tuesdays: (first one of each month) The Improv Battle with Laugh Out LIVE!
Fridays: Après at the GLC at the base of Whistler Mountain
Saturdays: Après at HY’s Steakhouse
World Ski and Snowboard Festival
Foxy Moron and Vinyl Ritchie are providing the soundtrack for the newest event at the World Ski and Snowboard Festival (April 7 to 13, 2025), called The Grind. Whistler’s playing host to the grand finale of this cross-Canada series featuring some of the most talented riders and skiers from around the world throwing down street-style tricks in Skier’s Plaza Thursday, April 10 to Saturday, April 12.
Follow them on Instagram for their most up-to-date schedules: @djfoxymoron and @45vinylritchie.
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