Every year Alberta Alpine looks forward to recognizing our athletes for their hard work and commitment to excellence, on and off the track.

After an extensive deliberation process from a highly competitive pool of applicants, the Alberta Alpine scholarship committee has selected the following scholarship recipients for the 2023/24 season:

Rob Bosinger Ski Scholarship
Maya McHugh (CARC)
Graydyn Swanson (Sunshine)

Brent Marshall Memorial Scholarship
Cole Merrett (Pano)

David Murray Memorial Scholarship
Jesse Kertesz-Knight (BAR)

Franklin Donald Bean Award
Caleb Brooks (AST)

Cary Mullen Character Award
U12    Rose Opelik (BVQ)
U12    Nelson Grandoni (Westcastle)
U14    Henri Wall McComb (Snow Valley)
U14    William McGee (Snow Valley)
FIS      Jamie Heisz (Nakiska)
AST     Caleb Brooks (AST)

Certificates:

Certificates: 
Jonathan Hornseth (U10, Cold Lake) 
Declan Bellavance (U12, Snow Valley) 
Annabelle Iverson (U14, Cold Lake) 
Addelyn Nowell (U14,  
Maddie Wickins (U14, International Racers) 
Graydyn Swanson (U16, Sunshine) 
Dalton Blower (FIS, Nakiska)

Ski Canada Magazine Award
Alex Madra (U14) AB Masters
Filip Guja (U14) Paskapoo/KASC

Please join Alberta Alpine for a special evening at the Smithbilt Store.

Limited event tickets available.

Date: Wednesday June 26th, 2024. 6pm – 9pm.
Location: 1015 11th St SE, Calgary, AB. T2G 3E9
Entry-only for $50: https://zone4.ca/register.asp?id=35863
Legends club $1,000 ($700 donation receipt) contact member services for more info. Custom Smithbilt AASA logo Branded Cowboy Hat (includes entry)

Support Alberta Alpine in the 2024-2025 Season!

Thank you for attending and supporting the 2024 Quest for Gold Golf Tournament. It was an incredible event, and everyone’s support means so much!

Thank you to our sponsors:

Hole in One Sponsor: Wolfe Canmore GMC Buick and GMC Dealers of Alberta
Exclusive Breakfast Sponsor: Nearctic Property Group
Exclusive Lunch Sponsor: Kobold Services Inc.
Exclusive 19th Hole Beverage Sponsor: Raymond James Mission Wealth Advisors
Birdie Sponsor: Mount Norquay
Albatross Sponsor: Panorama Advisory Group with Rob Gray at Scotia Wealth Management

Thank You Perry Thompson Photography for tournament photography

And a big thank you to everyone who supported and made a donation:

APEX MASSAGE THERAPY
CRAVE CUPCAKES
TRANSROCKIES RACE ENTRIES
SNOWY OWL SLED DOG TOURS
WHITE WOLF RAFTING
NORQUAY
BIKE BANFF
BADGER RIDGE
POTS AND PEAKS: MARTINE DESAUTELS
GAUCHO BRAZILIAN BARBECUE
MURRIETA’S RESTAURANT
MAX GARTNER
STEELING HOME
BRIDGETTE BAR
HEAD SPORTS
BEAR STREET OUTFITTERS
LAUNCHPAD GOLF
APRES SKIED
KINGSTON MARKETING
MONOD SPORTS
CALEB BROOKS
SMITH FAMILY
SHEPHERD FAMILY
MIKAYLA WUNSCH
Alberta Ski Team and Alberta Development Group Athletes, Parents, Families, and Supporters

NOMINATION PERIOD OPENED !

Nomination period is from May 8^th to May 31^st, 11:59PM PST.

Application form link : https://forms.office.com/r/HTSaDrxZXq

The awards:

Alpine Canada is committed to promoting excellence within its sport and across all involved stakeholders. Through these annual awards, Alpine Canada wishes to celebrate and recognize individuals and organizations that transcend the spirit of excellence, performance, and community we wish to foster within our sport.

Structure and governance:

To create credibility, transparency, equity, fairness, and engagement for the awards, results and outcomes, the ACA Awards of excellence is a property owned by Alpine Canada but governed by a committee of non-Alpine Canada employees. An Alpine Canada employee will sit on the committee meetings and will provide administrative support to help execute various tasks.

Purpose of the committee: 

The purpose of the Alpine Canada Awards Committee is to select award finalists in the following categories: See attached guide for criteria and descriptions. The ones in yellow are the awards open for public nominations.

• Alpine Athlete of the Year – Female (Committee Nomination)
• Alpine Athlete of the Year – Male (Committee Nomination)
• Ski Cross Athlete of the Year – Female (Committee Nomination)
• Ski Cross Athlete of the Year – Male (Committee Nomination)
• Para-Alpine Athlete of the Year – Female (Committee Nomination)
• Para-Alpine Athlete of the Year – Male (Committee Nomination)
• Coach of the Year – National Teams – Male (ACA Nomination)
• Coach of the Year – National Teams – Female (ACA Nomination)
• Coach of the Year – Provincial Teams – Female (PTSOs Nomination)
• Coach of the Year – Provincial Teams – Male (PTSOs Nomination)
• Coach of the Year – Domestic Programs – Female (Public Nomination)
• Coach of the Year – Domestic Programs – Male (Public Nomination)
• Volunteers of the Year (Public Nomination)
• Nancy Greene Builder Award (Public Nomination)
• Minogue Award of Excellence (Open to National team athletes only)
• Sam Ousher Switzer Charitable Foundation – Post Secondary Education Tuition Assistance Scholarship (Open to National team athletes only)

Registration and sponsor opportunities are now open for the 2024 Quest for Gold Golf Tournament. Monday May 27, 2024 at Silvertip Golf Resort in Canmore.

WHERE: Silvertip Golf Resort in Canmore, AB

WHEN: Monday May 27, 2024

TIME: Registration Opens 8:00 am with the Putting Challenge from 8:00am to 10:00am

Shot-gun start at 10:00 am

REGISTRATION INCLUDES: Tee Gift, Light Breakfast, 1 beverage, Lunch and 19th Hole Apres Reception & Prizes 

Register: https://zone4.ca/register.asp?id=34772&lan=1&cartlevel=1

“Athletes U14-U19 battle in the Coal Miner course for the River Cross Cup and the FIS crew for the Golden Pick Axe at the 6th annual Sunridge Ski Cross Challenge Feb. 2-4.”…

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Recently three BAR E-Team athletes attended the FIS Alpine World Junior Ski Championships, Haute-Savoie, France.

Kendra Giesbrecht and Jesse Kertesz-Knight represented Canada alongside Alberta Ski Team member Gered Thompson, dual gold medalist Britt Richardson and Kyle McGown representing Australia…

Full article available – www.banffalpineracers.com

Photo Credit: Perry Thompson, Jesse, Kendra, Luke Patterson

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“The Linda Putnam Invitational is a highlight in every Team Panorama skiers racing career; just ask current @albertaskiteam member @zoe.gray_ and Olympian @_cassidy_gray…”

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Alberta Alpine scholarships are now posted for 2024. The deadline for submissions are;

• March 20, 2024 (10pm)
  • Rob Bosinger Ski Scholarship (U16)
  • David Murray Memorial Scholarship (U19, U21)
  • Ski Canada Magazine Award (U14, U16)
  • Franklin Donald Bean Award (AST)
  • Brent Marshall Memorial Scholarship (U16, U19)
  • Cary Mullen Nomination (U12, U14/16, FIS, AST)
• May 10, 2024 
  • Read Family Scholarship (AST)
  It is highly recommended to submit applications early, and it is acceptable and expected that athletes will apply for any and all scholarships for which they are eligible.Coaches, athletes and general club members are welcome to submit Cary Mullen nominations for athletes who display the qualities Cary views as essential: Courage, Commitment, Confidence and Camaraderie.

Cookie Cup – what race dreams are made of!

Dinosaurs, unicorns, monkeys and lumberjacks are just a few characters that you will find at Bow Valley Quikies (BVQ) Cookie Cups. The Cookie Cups were originally founded over 15 years ago by past Executive Director Kari Gordon.  The races are hosted at least three times a season to introduce young athletes and new parents into ski racing with a fun exciting environment.

Many athletes’ fondest memories as a BVQ athlete were Cookie Cups – racing, friends, costumes and delicious cookies.  Not only do athletes have a blast, but parents are introduced to race operations and volunteer opportunities. The most sought out volunteer position is baking and decorating cookies, with new creations each event. 

Over the years we have see Slalom, Giant Slalom, Obstacle courses and 4-lane Head to Head race formats.  All time favourite, Club Cookie Cups when FIS crew lead a team of young athletes from every program, and podium presenters CAST members Erik Read and Trevor Philp attended during an Olympic year.  Every athlete that has been a member of BVQ over the past 15 years has raced in a Cookie Cup, once they graduate to Banff Alpine Racers (BAR) they wish they were still racing Cookie Cups! 

Finishing race days, each athlete is presented with a cookie, and the best part is eating the medals!  Sometimes the Cookie Monster comes to visit, and gets the athletes ramped up to race.  To wrap up the BVQ season, a 4-lane race course invites parents, siblings, team mates and coaches to race head to head.  Watch out parents, you won’t be winning for much longer!

We love to race for cookies, nom nom nom

Photo Credit: @johnevelyphoto @jamesrtrites @markdzikowski

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The Mount Allen Ski Team (MAST) is made up of our Flex, U10+ and U12 athletes…

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Calgary, AB. (January 24, 2024) — Alpine Canada and its provincial partners are pleased to announce the launch of Project Excel.  The program, developed in collaboration with technical experts from across Canada in the disciplines of alpine and ski cross, is designed and primarily focused on accelerating and elevating Canada’s U21 talent pool and supporting coaches working with these athletes with tools, resources, and development opportunities. The ultimate objective is developing more athletes who can achieve podiums at the Junior World Ski Championships and are ready to compete with the worlds best at the World Cup, World Championships and Olympic Winter Games.  

“I am very excited about the potential impact Project Excel will have on Canada’s high-performance system” said Jeff Thompson, Vice President Domestic Sport Programs & Events, Alpine Canada. “We have come together as a country and developed concrete steps that we are confident can be implemented to support athletes who are close, but not quite at the level to join the Canadian National Ski Team.”  

The Project Excel Working Group (members listed below) is made up of some of Canada’s top technical sport leaders, who have come together with a single mission and worked very hard to produce excellent initiatives that should have impacts as early as this ski season. 

Provincial input was key to the Project Excel Working Group and reflects the importance of Alpine Canada and Provincial/Territorial Sport Organizations (PTSOs) working together to maximize available funding. Patrick Biggs, Executive Director, Alpine Ontario, offered “Provinces, typically, don’t have a hand in the development of our top athletes past the provincial level, so this is a big change for us to work so collaboratively with Alpine Canada in the creation of programs for this level of athlete.”  

The Working Group solicited input from Canada’s top provincial coaches who emphasized the importance of developing a strategy and being true to it. “We have produced recommendations that we can all commit to and follow. We can’t change our strategy after one or two years as this undermines confidence in our entire development system” states Josh Benge, Athletic Director, Alberta Alpine Ski Association.  

This unprecedented collaboration between ACA and the PTSOs has resulted in a set of high-performance priorities, plans and projects that are informed by evidence-based Podium Pathways and Gold Medal Profiles to ensure athletes get the right: 1) coaching & technical leadership; 2) daily on snow and off snow training environment in best with best training group cohorts; 3) appropriate competitive experiences at the right time; and 4) performance science support.    

“Canadians need access to high quality Canadian events that are well attended with opportunities where anyone who is skiing well, has the opportunity to score.  We can calendar better, execute higher on event quality and make it worthwhile for the best to attend.  “Build it and they will come” Next step would be a FIS National series,” said Johnny Crichton, Vice President, British Columbia Alpine. 

There is a strong awareness that action needs to take place as soon as possible “We are moving fast to implement these initiatives as the next group of potential World Cup skiers are looking for guidance and need our support” states Eric Prefontaine, Head Coach, Mont Tremblant Ski Club (former High- Performance Director, Ski Quebec Alpin). 

Some of the immediate action steps include: 

1. Strive to become the fittest ski nation, align nationally around protocol to measure fitness, and establish target performance markers for every age group. 
2. Reviewing the format of our races at the U14 and U16 age groups in an effort to better utilize competition to develop our ski racers.  Piloting of a new format to begin in the 2023/24 season with results to be analyzed.  
3. Provide purposefully planned FIS events at a time of year and a location that allows Canadians to access our best domestic talent and create meaningful opportunities to assist our best up and coming athletes to lower their FIS profiles. 
4. Creating a sustainable business model that would support our best athletes, who are on the podium pathway but outside of National Team criteria, by bringing them together in a full-time program. 
5. To learn more about Project Excel’s 2023/24 Action Plan please refer to website (link).  

Project Excel Working Group  

Dave Ellis, High-Performance Director, Ski Cross, Alpine Canada  

*Eric Prefontaine, High-Performance Director, Ski Quebec Alpin  

Francis Royal, CAST Lead Coach Women’s SL, Alpine Canada  

Jean-François (JF) Rapatel, High-Performance Director, Alpine Canada   

Jeff Thompson, Vice President, Domestic Sport Programs & Events, Alpine Canada  

Jenni Stielow, Excel Performance Pathway Manager & Performance Data Analyst, Alpine Canada  

Johnny Crichton, Vice President, British Columbia Alpine  

Josh Benge, Athletic Director, Alberta Alpine Ski Association   

Patrick Biggs, Executive Director, Alpine Ontario  

(*Eric has departed the Working Group to become Head Coach, Mont Tremblant Ski Club. Martin Durocher, High-Performance Director, Ski Quebec Alpin, has replaced Eric on the Working Group)