A Holiday Weekend Full of Racing Across Alberta
This past holiday weekend was an exciting and action-packed one across the province, with four separate events hosted at Nakiska, Panorama, Lake Louise, and Rabbit Hill. Athletes ranging from U14 all the way through FIS and Nor-Am levels were on snow, showcasing the depth and strength of alpine and ski cross skiing in Alberta.
Panorama FIS GMC Cup
Team Panorama kicked off their competition season by hosting the Maclachlan FIS GMC Cup, a four-day event scheduled to include two Giant Slalom and two Slalom races. The event drew close to a full field and provided an excellent early-season racing opportunity for Alberta and BC athletes ahead of the Christmas break.
Despite challenging conditions, Team Panorama’s Race Organizing Committee (ROC) did a phenomenal job working through adversity to deliver a high-quality event. Three of the four scheduled races were successfully completed, and Alberta athletes had a standout performance, capturing 9 of the 18 senior podium positions. A strong start to the FIS season for our province. Thank you Team Panorama!!
Full results available here: FIS | Panorama (CAN) – Event Details – Alpine Skiing
Lake Louise Santa Slalom & Alberta Winter Games Qualifier
The Lake Louise Ski Club hosted the first race of the season for South Zone U14 and U16 athletes with the Santa Slalom. This event served as a “shakeout” race, allowing athletes to transition back into race mode, and will also act as the Alberta Winter Games qualifier for Zones 1, 2, and 3 this season.
The weekend featured fantastic racing and strong participation. Saturday’s competition was briefly interrupted by an unexpected grizzly bear sighting just below the race venue, which resulted in the afternoon races being shut down as a safety precaution—certainly a uniquely Alberta moment and a reminder of the alpine environment we compete in.
Full results available here: Calendar – Alberta Alpine
Rabbit Hill Open
Conditions were challenging up north at Rabbit Hill, where extreme cold temperatures ultimately forced the cancellation of the Open race despite tireless efforts from the ROC. In order to support athlete development and ensure Alberta Winter Games qualification, a limited U14 time trial was successfully held in place of the full event.
A sincere thank you to Rabbit Hill and the entire organizing team for their dedication, flexibility, and commitment to athlete, coach, and volunteer safety while facing very difficult weather conditions.
Nakiska Ski Cross Nor-Am
Nakiska hosted the first of two local Ski Cross Nor-Am events at its renowned Ski Cross Centre. A strong field of 37 of North America’s top ski cross athletes competed on the legendary Nakiska track, delivering fast, exciting racing throughout the series.
Canada dominated the event, claiming 10 of the 12 podium positions across the competition. An outstanding result and a testament to the strength of Canadian ski cross on home snow.
Full results available here: FIS | Nakiska (CAN) – Event Details – Freestyle
Overall, it was a highly successful and memorable weekend of racing across Alberta. Thank you to all host clubs, volunteers, officials, coaches, and athletes who made these events possible and helped kick off the season with such energy and momentum.