The Alberta Alpine Ski Association (AASA) is proud to announce the six athletes selected to represent the province on the U16 Europe Project in Abetone, Italy. This exciting initiative recognizes the commitment, performance, and potential of Alberta’s top U16 athletes, providing them with a unique opportunity to compete and train on the international stage.

Team – U16 AASA Europe Project

Women
Ellie Hyndman
Ainsley Langley Taylor
Madeline Wickins

Men
Henry Petersen
Charles Blouin
Holt Mackenzie

*Conrad MacPherson* was originally selected but ultimately was unable to attend due to Sickness

The team will be led by experienced coaches Erin Fynn and Johnny Bennett, who will support the athletes throughout this high-performance development experience.

The group departed Calgary on March 23, arriving in Milan, Italy, before traveling to Abetone for a focused block of training and competition. The itinerary includes dedicated training days, followed by the Abetone FIS Children’s Races on March 27 and 28. The trip also allows time for continued training and cultural experiences before returning to Calgary. Please help us cheer them on for their competitions.

The U16 Alberta Europe Project is designed to expose Alberta’s top developing athletes to elevated international competition, accelerating their growth both on and off the hill. Competing in Europe places these athletes in the heart of the global alpine skiing landscape, where they will face deeper fields, varied terrain, and diverse race formats. These challenges are instrumental in advancing technical and tactical skills while building the adaptability and resilience required for success in high-performance sport.

Beyond competition, the experience offers significant personal development. Navigating new environments, cultures, and expectations fosters independence, confidence, and professionalism. Training and racing alongside international peers also allows athletes to benchmark themselves against some of the best in their age group, providing valuable insight into the standards required for future success.

For AASA, initiatives like the Europe Project play a critical role in long-term athlete development. By investing in early exposure to high-level competition, Alberta Alpine is strengthening the pathway toward FIS-level racing and beyond. Just as importantly, the program continues to cultivate a culture of excellence, ambition, and global perspective, key ingredients in developing not only successful ski racers, but well-rounded individuals.

AASA congratulates all six athletes on this outstanding achievement and looks forward to following their progress as they represent Alberta with pride on the international stage.

Jasper, AB – Over 3 days at Marmot Basin, the North Zone hosted their Regional Finals with 110 registered athletes from U14-U19. Hosted by a multi-club ROC including Cold Lake, Snow Valley, Red Deer, Jasper and Nitehawk, this event is the ‘big one’ of the season where athletes chase the coveted Porteus Cup for fastest combined SL and GS times, as well as the overall Regional Series points awards for U16 and U19. The annual weekend wrap-up is capped off with a 150-person banquet where racers and coaches celebrate their fun year of ski racing together and hold a bib draw for the final day of competition.

Results highlights include the Alberta North Series Overall Winners:

• U16 Female: Annabelle IVERSON – COLD LAKE
• U16 Male: Jayden BEUERLEIN – RED DEER
• U19+ Female: Brooke HORWOOD – SUNRIDGE
• U19+ Male: Christopher COOPER – RED DEER

And this year’s Porteous Cup winners:

• Female: DVOROVAYA  Ornella -U14 RABBIT
• Male: LUXFORD  Miles -U16 SUNRIDGE

A huge thanks to host Marmot Basin and Jordan Spence, who consistently impresses us with their professionalism and customer service! Also thank you to our prize sponsors, Sundance and Pacesetter who provided our athletes and volunteers with some great tokens to help us remember this fantastic weekend!

Final Slalom and Giant Slalom Results can be found here >>

Castle Mountain Resort, AB – The 2026 U16 Western Championships, presented by Sporting Life, were successfully held at Castle Mountain Resort from March 16–20, bringing together an outstanding field of young athletes and coaches from across Western Canada.

A total of 244 athletes, supported by 52 coaches and more than 125 dedicated volunteers, took part in the event. Hosted by the Westcastle Ski Club, the championships welcomed teams from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Yukon. From start to finish, the event was a powerful reflection of the strength, spirit, and collaboration within the Western Canadian ski community.

Despite challenging “coastal-style” weather conditions, including periods of rain, snow, and wind, the atmosphere throughout the week remained overwhelmingly positive. Athletes rose to the occasion with remarkable resilience, adaptability, and determination, embracing each day’s challenges with maturity beyond their years. Whether navigating difficult course conditions or adjusting to schedule changes, their perseverance and commitment to performance were truly inspiring and a highlight of the championships.

The success of the event was made possible through the extraordinary efforts of the Westcastle Ski Club and its volunteer team. More than 125 volunteers dedicated countless hours both on and off the hill, demonstrating exceptional commitment, flexibility, and pride in delivering a high-quality event under demanding circumstances. Their willingness to step up in adverse weather conditions ensured that the competition ran safely and smoothly. This level of community support is the backbone of alpine ski racing, and the contribution of the Westcastle Ski Club cannot be overstated.

In anticipation of difficult weather, the Race Organizing Committee, led by Race Chair Lauren Lynch-Staunton, made the proactive decision to adjust the competition schedule two days prior to the event. This required significant coordination and adaptability from athletes, coaches, officials, and volunteers alike. Thanks to this collaborative effort, organizers successfully completed the Super-G, Giant Slalom, and Slalom races, with only the Skills and Team events ultimately cancelled due to weather conditions.

Competition took place across several of Castle Mountain’s premier race venues. The Super-G and Giant Slalom events were contested on the Lone Ranger venue from the top of the chair, while the Slalom races were held on Whiskey Jack. Across all disciplines, athletes demonstrated exceptional skill, grit, and sportsmanship, showcasing the depth of talent emerging across the western provinces.

Team Alberta delivered an impressive performance, highlighted by strong results across multiple clubs. Alberta’s female athletes were particularly dominant, sweeping the podium in all three events. Notable multi-medal performances were achieved by Ainsley Langley-Taylor, Lauren Cross, and Charles Blouin of Calgary Alpine Racing Club, along with Ellie Hyndman of Banff Alpine Racers.

Alberta Alpine extends its sincere and heartfelt thanks to the Westcastle Ski Club, all volunteers, officials, coaches, and partners, including the team at Castle Mountain Resort, whose collective efforts made this event possible. Hosting a championship of this scale requires an incredible level of dedication and teamwork, and the success of this year’s event stands as a testament to what can be achieved when a community comes together.

The 2026 U16 Western Championships will be remembered not only for the high level of competition, but for the resilience of its athletes and the unwavering support of its volunteers the hallmarks of a strong and thriving ski racing community.

Full results can be found here >>

Club Spotlight: The Westcastle Ski Club offers programs from NGSL through to FIS that develop confident, skilled, and well-rounded skiers. Whether the goal is to race at a high level or simply enjoy every run on the mountain, our athletes gain the tools to succeed.

Grounded in Alpine Canada’s Long-Term Athlete Development model, all of the WSC programming balances technical skiing, gate training and free skiing while making the most of Castle Mountain’s terrain and snow.  Our Mission is to ‘provide competitive alpine ski racing programs focused on the development of youth into skilled athletes and responsible young adults through an athlete-centered, coach-driven approach supported by a strong parent and volunteer infrastructure.’

Time spent in gates not only builds racing ability but also creates stronger, more adaptable all-mountain skiers. With consistent training, quality coaching, and a supportive community, WSC athletes are prepared for competition and inspired to carry a lifelong passion for skiing. 

For more information about Westcastle Ski Club and their programs, contact club president Kari Grandoni at kari@westcastle.org

The North Zone was busy with events for their younger athletes these past couple of weekends, and Snow Valley Racing ran them both. Hosting 4 races this winter, this is the busiest ROC season the Snow Valley Ski Club has had in a long time.  Here are some highlights:

U12 North Zone SL/GS Series

Canyon Ski Resort, AB – On March 14-15, Snow Valley Racing hosted the North Zone U12 SL and GS at Canyon Ski Resort in Red Deer.  79 young athletes from Red Deer, Edmonton, Grand Prairie, Fort McMurray and Cold Lake took part in the weekend series which, now more than half-way through the season, was an excellent opportunity for these racers to show the progress they’ve made in their skills and technique in the gates.

The weather was fantastic – certainly less challenging than at the previous weekend’s U14 event at the same venue – and spirits were high, everyone enjoying the beautiful views of the Red Deer River in addition to the action on the slopes. Athletes had 3 single-run races each day and, for many, this was the first cross-blocking slalom event – and they crushed it!

Every ski race is always a big commitment from the race organizing committee, and this weekend was no exception. SVR is grateful of the incredible support of friends from the Canyon Ski Resort, the Red Deer Ski Club, and all the North Zone teams, volunteers, coaches and parents who make this type of event successful. And big thanks to Boston Pizza for generously keeping the workforce very well fed!

SVR Program Director Chad Mansell’s amazing disco helmet, shining light and good vibes on the entire event at Canyon Ski Resort March 14-15.

U8/U10 North Zone Sundance Cup

Edmonton, AB – On March 21, Snow Valley Racing hosted 165 athletes at the North Zone U8/U10 Dual SL Sundance Cup event at Snow Valley Ski Club in Edmonton.  It was a fun, welcoming alpine racing experience, emphasizing participation and skill development and reinforcing the core values of the Nancy Greene Ski League (NGSL) program. Clubs from Red Deer, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray and Cold Lake came to challenge each other, and the race itself consisted of (2) two-run races (best of AM and PM) off the triple chair. 

After a couple days of rain and snow, conditions were challenging but beautifully warm, spring weather came out for race day and, with the help of our Snow Valley Ski Club sponsors Wolfe Automotive Group, Boston Pizza, Sundance Ski Shop and Swix, we had a fun-filled event for athletes and spectators with giveaways, draws and lots of excitement.  Sundance Ski Shop and Mitch from Swix provided incredible draw prizes and did tuning demos, even waxing some athletes’ skis. Boston Pizza provided the athlete lunches, and the Wolfe team brought hot chocolate and coffee to warm-up bellies and provided even more draw prizes. Organizers also had music playing for a fun, party atmosphere in the finish for athletes and spectators!

Event results can be found here.

Mt. Norquay, AB – The Bow Valley had 3 days of rain prior to the annual BVQ Invitational which made for difficult conditions and a change of race format for this year’s event.  On Saturday, the snow was extremely challenging, and much of the resort was ungroomed and closed due to slides. That morning, so many incredible parents from visiting clubs joined the Bow Valley Quikies’ course crew to keep the race track safe for the athletes who were competing in 4 slalom runs each in one day.  Rallying like that to successfully get those race runs completed really shows how supportive our ski community is and how everyone is here to achieve the same goal of developing ski racers and skiers for life.

AASA Program Director Josh Benge commended the Banff Alpine organization and BVQ team on their near-heroic efforts. “All the volunteers and coaches did a phenomenal job adapting and adjusting to make it happen for the kids.” At the end of the event, which included 3 runs of GS on the Sunday as well, the count was just shy of 180 participants between the U8 and U10 age groups both days. Event results, beyond the hundreds of smiles from athletes and spectators alike, can be found here.

Lake Louise, AB – Two races on two ski runs from one start + four courses per gender + eight race runs and eight podiums PER DAY = a recipe for two very successful days at the Lake Louise FIS GMC Cup Slalom Extravaganza!! It was a first-time running two races simultaneously for the Lake Louise Ski Club ROC (X2!), but the efforts were worth it. Athletes had two opportunities per day to score results which, for some, meant a little less pressure to contend with, and with both provincial and national team athletes on the start lists, the competition was tight.

Course conditions were a bit soft in sections after lots of new snow fell in the days leading up to the race, but the sunshine shone especially bright Friday, and DJ Marzzy kept the fans and racers entertained with a play-by-play from the finish.

Congratulations to the many athletes making huge gains in the rankings over the two days, and shout outs to multi-podium performances from Jesse Kertez-Knight (CAST), Caleb Brooks (AST), Gavin Johnson (AST), Katie Smith (AST), Noemie Brooks (BAR), and Jessica McLellan (BAR).

Full results from the Lake Louise FIS GMC Cup Slalom Extravaganza races can be found here >>

Watch for more results coming soon from Alberta Ski Team athletes competing this week in Aspen at the Stifel Success NorAm Finals, streaming here >>    
FIS Results here >>

Banff, AB – Team race fans take note, the Crazy Canuck Challenge is slated for Friday, April 17th ahead of the Bozo Cup weekend at Banff Mt. Norquay. Planned as a fun corporate fundraising race, the goal is to make a substantial contribution to Alberta Alpine athletes representing the province and country at the Junior World Ski Championships, the World Cup and the Olympic Winter Games.

Each Team will consist of four (4) participants who will be joined for the day by a “ski legend’ – who will coach, race and share their stories of their time with the Canadian or Alberta Ski Teams. Build your team of friends or colleagues, challenge other competitors to do the same, and enter the Crazy Canuck Challenge before April 10, 2026 (Maximum 16 Teams)!

The event will be a fun dual giant slalom format – no jumps – on the Cascade Race Venue, directly in front of the Norquay day lodge. The winning team will be determined by the best combined time of all five members.

The day includes lift pass, light breakfast, lunch and après, coaching for the day with your Team Legend, and post event auction at the après-ski with amazing opportunities for great gift items, ski gear and memorabilia.

Registration is open now >>  for a great day of fun, action, camaraderie, and community on the slopes of Norquay in support of a fantastic cause! 

Banff, AB – This past weekend’s U12 Caribou Cup at Mt. Norquay was a true spectacle of ski racing, camaraderie, and event coordination like no other!

Day one tracked 180 racers skiing two Giant Slalom (GS) runs each, recorded in under two hours in both the morning and afternoon. A timing accomplishment for sure, it was the young athletes who truly stepped up and demonstrated the progress they’ve made in their technique and skills in the race course, now more than midway through the season.

Day two was the team event, where those same athletes were mixed into teams from all the participating clubs, with coaches shuffled as well, and everybody taking part in a head-to-head relay. Whether it was the promise of cookies, the adrenalin of being paired with new friends from different clubs, or the hilarity of some of the team names including Team Peachy Penguins, Team Pink Pony Club, Team Chicken Nuggets and Team Zesty Symammun Buns, the combination of all of it delivered a really fun event and winners all ‘round…volunteers included! BVQ Manager Claire Horton estimates no less than 1880 timed race runs over the two days!

Like the Jasper Junior Olympics and Lauberhorn events held recently in the North Zone, and the Linda Putnam Invitational at Pano last weekend, the Caribou Cup is a long-standing tradition (with a few versions along the way) for this age group in the ski racing pathway in this province. Some spectators and now-parents of athletes in the event shared their own fond memories of being in the race themselves as kids. And while we weren’t able to nail down an exact date of origin for this one, we can be sure it will be back next year and for years to come!

Saturday results from the SZ U12 GS event can be found here >>

Big thanks to Mt. Norquay, celebrating 100 years of quality time this season, for their constant support and love of ski racing. If you’ve yet to watch The Mighty Quay, treat yourself to an entertaining history lesson tonight >>   

Club spotlight: In 1978, Mike and Bonnie Wiegele formed the Banff Quikies Ski Club to offer basic ski instruction for children in the Banff area.  Shortly after, the Banff Alpine Racers (BAR) Ski Club was formed to allow graduates of the Quikies program to begin competitive racing in the Bow Valley and provide a pathway to Canadian Ski Team.  Over the past four decades thousands of children have called BAR home including current and alumni members of our provincial and national ski teams.

The BAR/BVQ Mission Statement is

“To foster a passion for ski racing and the mountains by providing opportunities
for members to develop life skills, community spirit and friendship while in
pursuit of personal and athletic excellence.”

The U12 program athletes will begin to learn life skills such as hard work, dedication, time management, team-work, self-belief, goal setting, visualization and sportsmanship just to name a few. We want to make athletes the best skier, racer and person they can be. Coaches are here to guide your athlete through a path that will make them grow as a person and an athlete. U12 ski a combination of training and racing, with technical free skiing. This program is set in a competitive environment preparing them for U12 Provincial Race Series. Teams will free ski at Lake Louise and Sunshine Village, to ensure a variety of terrain and snow conditions, and athletes will receive feedback from coaches, video sessions and self awareness. For more information on the Bow Valley Quikies and Banff Alpine Racers, contact Claire >>

Nine North Zone athletes and two coaches from Ft McMurray and Grande Prairie made up the Team Alberta North roster and competed at the Arctic Winter Games (AWG) in Whitehorse, YT March 7-14, 2026. AWG is an international, multi-sport games bringing together culture and competition, in celebration of the Northern circumpolar world. The Games host teams from Alaska, Yukon, Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland), Nunavik-Quebec, Nunavut,  Northwest Territories, Sapmi (northern Scandanavia – Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russian’s Kola Peninsula) and Northern Alberta. Team Alberta North brought home 9 Ulu medals and showed just how strong we are together. Alpine events included SL, GS, and Dual SL and in the Ski-Cross, Alberta athletes stood on the podium in every category!!

The team brought home a gold, three silvers and three bronze medals from the event, not only crushing it on the slopes, but earning recognition as joint recipients of the Hodgson’s trophy for the first time. Considered the most prestigious award of the Games, the Hodgson goes to the team who best exemplifies fair play, team spirit and the philosophy of the Games. It was an honor to share the award with Team Nunavut.  

Besides athletes and coaches, Alberta Alpine was also very well represented by a couple of amazing volunteer officials in key roles, namely Don Boyce as Technical Delegate (TD) and Thu Pystynen as Race Administrator (RA). 

Athletes on the 2026 Team Alberta North included: Erik Anderson (NAST) , Cormac Reddy (FMSC), Julianna Ryan (FMSC), Kiara Gagne (FMSC), Alyssa Cardinal (FMSC), Carol Anderson (NAST), Luca Pilote (FMSC), Nick Woytuik (NAST), Riley Anderson (FMSC), coaches Alyvia Penner (NAST) and Mike Cox (FMSC).

Full results can be found here >>

Red Deer, AB – North Zone Regional U14 athletes and above participated in a giant-slalom at the Canyon Ski Area on the Red Deer River Valley this weekend. Despite Mother Nature dishing out some extreme weather, these athletes excelled in three separate races held over the weekend. The Technical Delegate (TD) Brent Molesky noted that the race organizers and course volunteers pulled out all stops in order to make the event happen, dealing with sunny, slushy conditions on Saturday and a morning squall with 70kmh wind gusts on Sunday. North Zone races are always a collaborative effort, with race organizers pooling resources and working each others’ events, and this weekend was no exception, with a Chief of Race in from Cold Lake, the timing team coming out of retirement from Snow Valley and Rabbit Hill ski clubs, and a first-year club dad from the home team stepping up as Chief of Course to work alongside the seasoned veterans.

Snow Valley Ski Club sisters Gabrielle and Elise Cawsey took top 2 spots on the podium in Race One on Saturday, separated by just shy of half a second, while Cold Lake’s Annabelle Iverson clinched gold by less than two-tenths of a second in the afternoon race. Elise Cawsey earned gold again on Sunday, followed by two-time silver medallist this weekend, Table Mountain’s Chenae Bowker. In the boys event, the podium was pretty consistent through all three events with Ryan Jamieson (Table Mountain, SK) owning the top spot, Jasper’s Camden Ferenczi earning 2 of the 3 silver medals (the trifecta foiled by Jamieson’s teammate Cole Mack in the afternoon race on Saturday), and bronze won in all three races by hometown racer Christopher Cooper (RDSC).

Complete results can be found here >>

Club Spotlight: The Red Deer Ski Club was formed in 1985 to offer competitive alpine racing programs in Central Alberta. Our mission is to provide the youth of Central Alberta with the highest quality alpine ski racing program, in which they can flourish and achieve their individual goals and personal best.

The Red Deer Ski Club is a family-oriented club that provides alpine racing and training programs for children ages 4 to 20. The program is run at Canyon Ski Resort. Children are fully supervised and our coaches are certified by the Canadian Ski Coaches Federation (CSCF). In addition to races, fun events are planned throughout the season and parents are encouraged to participate. Emphasis is on the development of ski racing skills in a safe, structured learning environment. For more info on what the Red Deer Ski Club has to offer, visit us here >>

Panorama, BC – Nearly 200 athletes gathered at Panorama Mountain Resort this weekend for the 20^th Annual Linda Putnam Invitational. Linda was a dedicated volunteer and mother of two children in the Team Pano program, and her husband Todd was in position as Starter as he has been since the inaugural event.

“What I love about this race every year,” said Race Co-chair Joanne Gray, “is the overwhelming sense of community. It just fills my heart. This weekend it was even more powerful – you could look to your left, or look to your right, and literally see and feel the strength of our ski community all around you.”

The event itself is an amazing feat of timing…that’s where 20 years of practice certainly shows! Athletes get eight timed runs each, which means 1600 timed runs are tracked, in less than four hours! Then everyone takes off to ski the mountain before returning for awards at 4:00 pm sharp. A notable keepsake for participants is the ‘Ski for Life’ hat in honour of Linda. Results from all the action can be found here Putnam 2026 >>

Drone coverage was shot for this year’s anniversary race after two years of planning and approvals to do so. How many of the 1600 runs can you see!? 

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Day Two features a different kind of event, with all the kids participating in more of a scavenger hunt. Armed with a bingo card to complete, the activities are varied, one being to have a conversation with somebody on the hill ‘not from Canada.’ Imagine the stories going home with visitors from around the world about the especially friendly youngsters from Panorama, BC!

Club Spotlight: The Team Panorama philosophy is that the cornerstone of a great sporting program is a seamless progression of knowledge and coaching from the grass root to the elite levels. Our programs are based on the AIM 2 WIN Long Term Athlete Development System, teaching the right things at the right time; solid foundations established at each level are necessary to move to the next stage.

The Entry Level program is the beginning of the journey as a skier and ski racer and it is our goal to ignite the flame in each and every child by developing a culture of learning and fun. Our programs are all about introducing the sport of skiing and ski racing as a fun sport to the children and their families.

Our U8-U10 program is introduces the world of skiing on the mountain and the game of ski racing. The goal at this level is to introduce the initial critical basic skiing skills at an early age in a fun relaxed environment.

Click for more info about Team Panorama programs >>

Lake Louise, AB – The U14 PSO SG camp and race series took place last week. Saturday’s event brought soft, challenging conditions as warm weather settled over the hill. Despite the demanding surface, athletes were focused and raced hard. The organizing team ran four single-run races throughout the day – two for each gender – giving athletes multiple opportunities to compete and learn from the course. It was a rewarding effort for all involved, and memorable for more than this experience alone.

As is customary at Lake Louise when an athlete passes, they are honoured with a final ride, and bib F1 is reserved for a dedication run. On Saturday, in memory of Emilio Hrazdira, F1 was called to the start. The course was cleared through each section as Emilio was announced down the hill and through the finish.

“We honour Emilio by going faster, higher, further together.

Bib F1 Emilio Hrazdira in the gate going in 30 seconds.

B1 Emilio has finished safely.

God speed Emilio.”

It was an emotional moment for athletes, coaches, officials, and volunteers alike, and a powerful way for our community to pause and remember Emilio together.

Sunday arrived and marked a unique moment for the club. In a rare occurrence — and fittingly on International Women’s Day — the race jury was made up entirely of women, with Julie, Steff, and Michie serving in those roles. Emilio seemed to have other plans for the race day, however. Overnight snowfall turned the mountain into a powder day, and the race was ultimately cancelled. Instead, athletes and coaches embraced the conditions and spent the day doing what skiers love most — skiing powder together.

Full race results from Saturday can be found here >>