Alberta Alpine is pleased to announce the following para-alpine athletes will represent Alberta in the upcoming Canada Winter Games in PEI February 27- March 5^th, 2023. Over the beginning of this year these athletes have shown grit, speed, and a wonderful commitment to their craft. Please join us in congratulating them, their clubs, and their families!

The Canada Winter Games event schedule can be found at 2023canadagames.ca.

The Arctic Winter Games in Wood Buffalo were the first in 5 years; certainly, a joy for the games to return in 2023 as athletes, coaches, officials, and supporters from across the Arctic came together to compete in 19 different sports from January 29^th to February 4^th.

Congratulations to Team Alberta North Alpine Ski Team, who won 2^nd place in the Team Alpine event, and to Team Yukon who won 1^st! Despite the challenges of cold weather, the games went on. We love to see the athletes having so much fun on the hill!

Thank you to everyone involved in making the AWG happen. We encourage you to view the AWG website to find information on the importance of the AWG and the various events, and to explore photo galleries.

We also extend a huge Thank You to the ROC, The City of Fort McMurray, all the Volunteers, the Fort McMurray Ski Team and the Nitehawk Ski Team from Grand Prairie.

See the Land Acknowledgement here: https://awg2023.org/land-acknowledgement/

See Arctic Winter Games information and photos on the website here: https://awg2023.org/

Alberta Alpine is please to announce the following athletes will represent Alberta in the upcoming Canada Winter Games in PEI February 27- March 5^th, 2023. Over the beginning of this year these athletes have shown grit, speed, and a wonderful commitment to their craft. Please join us in congratulating them, their clubs, and their families!

The Canada Winter Games event schedule can be found at 2023canadagames.ca.

The KARBON P.I.T.A. uniform program makes it easy for you to create garments that best suit your needs. For over 25 years they’ve been delivering custom solutions for all of their partners around the globe.

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Customizing your look shouldn’t mean compromising quality. With P.I.T.A. you get proven performance with a unique style to support your team’s identity.

View the P.I.T.A. catalogue now.

We wish you good health and happiness this holiday season. 

Please note that our office will be closed for the holidays from December 23^rd till January 2^nd. 

Stay safe and healthy, and enjoy the holidays!

Ski season is here — save up to 40% off at your nearest Sporting Life, or shop online.

Shop Now: https://www.sportinglife.ca/…/the-ultimate-ski-snow-event/

Thank you for your support of the Highest Peak Gala 2022 and the Alberta Ski Team. The community support was truly overwhelming, from sponsors, volunteers, speakers, live & silent auction donors, raffle supporters, alumni, the Malcolm Hotel and everyone who came out to support the athletes and inductees.

As with many of the inductees to the Canadian Rockies Ski Racing Hall of Fame, Terry Maddison’s beginnings in the sport were humble and happenstance. His involvement, however, has grown along with his family, and he has become an instrumental part of the success of many ski racing clubs in Alberta. Our Sport and community are incredibly lucky to have this wonderful, enjoyable, and resourceful person in our midst. 

Growing up as teenager in Edmonton, Terry remembers that his first ski outing came about when a girlfriend asked him to join her. Eager to impress, off he went, but what stands out in his memory was the full yard-sale he took when his snowy ski boots slipped on the concrete cafeteria floor of the Lake Eden Ski Hill! He persevered and his love of skiing grew during a trip to Marmot Basin in Grade 12 and was further cemented when he skipped his Grade 12 Physics final exam to go skiing. He continued to ski as a University of Alberta student and it was the big school trips to exotic locales, such as Fortress in 1979, and his bright yellow ski boots that still make him smile. 

Terry’s involvement in skiing was his own choice – his family had no history in Alpine skiing although his father had skied cross country to and from school in Estonia before immigrating to Canada in 1952. This would contrast years later with Terry and wife Pamela’s own young family and their involvement in alpine racing. Son Andy was playing hockey, but they felt their daughter Rebecca needed an organized sport activity of her own and after much research, they landed at Norquay’s Bow Valley Quikies then run by Ellen Brenner. Andy soon “saw the light,” started to ski with the club, and continues to this day as a U14 coach with Banff Alpine Racers while Rebecca coaches at BVQ. 

Terry has strong opinions about ski racing being an exceptional sport for a family over many others and strongly believes that “being in a high-level sport develops discipline in young athletes and promotes making good life-choices. It gives them a sense of belonging and helps them to not drift away.” As the days on snow increased each week, the family embraced it and found a weekend home close to the hill. For Terry, it was incredibly rewarding – he loved watching his own and other kids develop and have fun. As well, he loved that “an important part of the sport is how kids connect with others – even at other clubs. Your own club becomes less important and, for families as well, your social circle grows and will last long past the end of direct involvement in the sport.” 

This insight into and love of the sport led Terry to bring ski racing into his professional life. As the Director of Accounting Services and Controller for Jack Carter Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC Ltd., Terry saw an important need that Alberta Clubs had that his automotive dealership organization could address – guidance and support in the provision and management of fleet vehicles for moving equipment and athletes to the hills around the province and further afield for training and racing. Although he’s quick to insist these relationships, some of which have run for over 15 years, benefit Jack Carter tremendously, they have been absolute and positive game-changers to the clubs, athletes, and families in the sport. Terry was the catalyst and took the initiative to bring these two worlds together.

Prior to his long-term role at Jack Carter, Terry was lured away from Edmonton to Calgary work at another dealership, GSL. Not long after starting there, his long commitment to volunteering began when co-workers convinced him to come along to an information evening at the Calgary Zoo after which he became a Docent and Educator there for many years. In ski racing, Terry remains an active and important volunteer and is often the Chief of Gates at races at Norquay and elsewhere. Outside of skiing, family life and work, Terry is an avid road-cyclist and is still involved in German folk dancing, where he first met Pamela.

Besides Pamela, Terry would like to recognize Kari Gordon, Damien Mills, Robb Beeman, Dr. Scott Timmermann, Bob Vargo, Sandy Webster, and Gregg Ferguson as important influencers in the sport.

Terry Maddison is an alumni member of the Banff Alpine Racers and Bow Valley Quikies, a past Director of those clubs, and a senior official in the sport. 

Congratulations! 

Please join us on November 8^th at the Malcolm Hotel in Canmore to honour the Class of 2022.

Join us at the Highest Peak Gala 2022 and take part in our amazing auction!

WHERE: The Malcolm Hotel, Canmore

WHEN: Tuesday, November 8, 2022

TIME: 5:30 pm

REGISTRATION INCLUDES: Cocktail Hour, Buffet Style Dinner, Entertainment, Canadian Rockies Ski Racing Hall of Fame Awards Presentation.

AUCTION ITEMS:
-Exclusive Don Bell Eastern Rockies helicopter tour, with departure and return from Springbank Airport.
-Calgary Stampede Chuckwagon Experience. Enjoy a unique experience at the 2023 Rangeland Derby, donated by the Calgary Stampede Chuckwagon Committee.
-A day of skiing (for a party of 4) with Alberta Ski Team athletes during their Nakiska training block in March 2023.

Please note that if you cannot attend and are interested in these incredible experiences, reach out to memberservices@albertalpine.ca to discuss the option of having a proxy available.

Dedication to athletes and relentless effort to providing outstanding events in our community.

Canmore, AB – People familiar with Ski Racing understand there are a few typical paths to falling in lifelong love with the sport: either your family has participated for generations or someone in the family has accomplished great success… Andrew Abbott took a path little travelled.  Known to many as AA (pronounced: Eh! Eh! Double Eh! A Squared, or many other variations), Andrew is well known in the ski community not because he was a famous Canadian Downhiller, or married a ski racer, or was the son of ski racers.  No, Andrew is a familiar name because of the countless hours he’s spent on the hill supporting our racers. 

Andrew’s ski story begins at the age of 5 when his parents decided to move the family out West to Calgary.  Peering up at slopes of the Rocky Mountains his parents thought if they were going to live here Andrew better learn how to ski.  He quickly took to the sport and was encouraged by his instructors to join SkiMeisters at Mount Norquay where he entered the Nancy Greene program.  Andrew discovered early on that his passion was not to be on the National Team but instead “be able to ski anything, anywhere with anyone!” He also knew that the best way to refine these skills was through ski race programs.  He remembers the great advice given by coaches like Glenn Thomsen, Ken Marchand, Vanita Haining, Cam and Stu Bailey, and Dave Greig who kept on pushing him to improve as he worked his way into racing FIS.

Not long thereafter, school and business took over the majority Andrew’s time but the sport was not forgotten.  He realized he had entered the next phase of his love for the sport… a bit of coaching and volunteering lead him to a conversation with Mike Irwin and Cam Bailey.  They convinced Andrew to join them at Interbourse, the annual international stock exchange ski race championship. This annual event brings together many former top athletes who work in the industry where these captains of finance compete head-to-head.  Andrew’s first competition was in Aspen in 1996, the Alberta Team won its first Interbourse Championship!  The competitive nature of the event re-ignited his passion for the sport and Andrew would spend the next 20 years travelling the World to well-known Ski Racing destinations like Kitzbuhel, Wengen, Val d’Isere, Chamonix and St. Anton contributing to the success of Team Alberta at many Interbourse Championships.

Exposure to these epic Ski Racing destinations inspired him to re-commit to the sport and again begin to volunteer and support the young racers of the next generation.  He would spend time earning credentials and watching the “dedication of others like Marj Ritchey, Dorothy Bailey, Mike and Bill Irwin, Darrell McLachlan, Doug Campbell, Randy Tarchuk, Lisa Thomson and countless others who have spent tireless hours ensuring safe and fair ski racing exists in Alberta and Canada.”  He admits he was fortunate to “learn from the best, so he too could help and give back to the ski community”.  This crew of volunteers has earned a deserved reputation as one the most efficient and reliable race organizers in North America. 

Among numerous Nor-Am and FIS officials’ postings, Andrew’s greatest accomplishment, so far, was the recent World Junior Ski Championship in Panorama 2022 where he was Chief of Race for the Slaloms.  A slalom track that’s gained an international reputation as the toughest technical track in Canada.  Andrew comments: “It was fantastic to contribute to the success of the next generation… helping to provide a safe and challenging venue for all competitors”. 

Andrew independently paved his own way into the ski racing world.  He is thankful for his wife Carolyne “who has let (him) live out childhood dreams of racing again and exploring the world”.  He also recognizes he could not have accomplished all he has without the support of his parents and his siblings.

When asked about what advice he would like to pass on to young racers Andrew comments “Work hard to attain your goals and keep pushing to be better – your dedication to the sport will provide you with the life skills to assist you in your future success”.  Andrew recognizes the sport provided him skills such as perseverance, risk management, independence and initiative which have all contributed to his success on the hill and in the business world.

Well done Andrew!

The Canadian Rockies Ski Racing Hall of Fame is pleased to recognize Andrew Abbott, our 2022 Honoured Volunteer, for a lifetime of passion for ski racing and as an ambassador to the sport.

Please join us on November 8^th at the Malcolm Hotel in Canmore to honour the Class of 2022.

Author: Geoff Irwin

Sharing a lifelong passion for speed and sharing experience through leadership.

Canmore, AB – My ski racing journey began in 1975 with the Skimeisters NGSL at Mount Norquay. Not only did we begin to develop our skills as young ski racers we also developed the grip strength of rodeo cowboys hanging on for dear life on the Memorial rope tow. ‘

Under the direction of Ken Marchand I learned very early that 100% effort every day, every time was the standard to live by. To this day those ethics I learned way back in the day still apply.

I remember dryland training at River Park was essentially a 10k cross country race every week. I was very fortunate to have competed in the days of the Crazy Canucks. These guys were our idols and mentors and of course DH was the name of the game.

Most of my memories are from the many DH events we competed in. Of note the Whitefish DH is a favorite. A van load of us aspiring Crazy Canucks arrived in Whitefish under the direction of Dave Greig. As per usual the Whitefish track was in great condition with some great jumps and wide open turns. The weather however was another story. Preparing for the first training run, the Start Referee stated that because of the low light conditions “Athletes please! This training run is only to be run at 60%!!” I remember looking at ‘Coach Greig’ and asking “so what does that mean?” Dave responded “what do YOU think that means?” I got the message. I proceeded to the start gate and got the start cadence from the starter and blasted out pushing and skating to the first gate. The Start Ref burst outside the tent and screamed at the line-up of athletes ready to go. “I said PLEASE ONLY 60%’” Dave told me later that my old pal Gord Taciuk looked at the starter, leaning on his poles and said “That was 60%” ……I think we had a pretty good weekend down there.

The next season, in 1983, I made the Alberta Ski Team under the coaching staff of Jacques Morel and Glenn Thomson. So many great memories but again, the DH stories are the most memorable. I wasn’t the fastest dude out there, but I could hold my own and I always worked hard, sometimes too hard. I remember vividly racing in the Rossland DH. The week of terror. Fast, rough and always foggy Rossland was our own little Kitzbuhel. The Canadian Champs were held there that year and we were all eager for great results. My day however did not go as planned as I was yellow flagged on the top pitch and had to return for a re-run. As it turned out my re-run was slotted in at the end because of the long turn around. So I finally made it back to the start, armed with my ‘never anything less than 100%’ attitude and blasted into the fog on the ridge then a hard left footer onto the steep pitch above the Women’s Start. In full view of the entire Women’s field at 70 mph I hooked an edge and exploded into the compression losing everything including 1 glove and my helmet!….day over. Unfortunately I also caused a fair bit of trepidation to the Women’s field as they watched in horror before their run.

Another highlight was forerunning the 1983 Lake Louise WC DH. Rubbing elbows with all of my ski racing heroes was incredible. Looking back at how Lake Louise has evolved from those early days is amazing. In 1983 we started from the very top of the Summit Platter lift. I remember during inspection thinking to myself “JEEZ this is gonna be fast”. Based on the forerunners the set was way too fast. They shut it down and lowered the start! I thought ,hey this is WC I thought it was supposed to be like that!!

I retired from ski racing in 1984/85 and transitioned to my new sport of Cycling through the summer program Skimeisters started called “Cyclemeisters” under the direction of Ed Novotini. I balanced my Cycling career with both University and coaching with the Mount Norquay Racing Club from 1985 to 1995 (now known as CARC).

This new passion took me all the way to the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games where I competed in the 100K Team Time Trial and. after the Games I turned professional and competed in the Professional World Championships in Benidorm Spain. Cycling had definitely taken over but I remained committed to ski racing now as a coach with MNRC. Coaching the Alberta Team at the ‘Topolino’ Children’s event in Monte Bondone, Italy in 1993 was a highlight for me in my coaching career.

Life goes on and in 1993 my wife Joanne and I started a family and our first was born in July of 1993. Gavin entered the world and shortly thereafter Kerri arrived. Another transition from career coaching to a career with Calgary Police Service (CPS) and now, volunteering as a ski racing parent.

The connection with our ski racing community and volunteer involvement has been a grounding and very rewarding part of my life while being a member of CPS. I owe a lot to those who encouraged me to continue as a ROC member, Board member (South Zone Chair 2007-2011) and as an official. Jim Brewington, Bruce Hamstead and Darrell McLaughlin are my mentors and friends that I hold dear. And of course, Bob Leitch my good buddy and sidekick though out this life long ski racing journey. It was 2006 when Bruce Hamstead floated the idea of Bob and I running the Nor Am DH at LL…….I was terrified but also excited at the prospect. 18 years later I think we can say that it was a great success and a significant legacy for our sport. Jim Brewington nominated me as a FIS TD Candidate and I earned my FIS TD Licence in 2014. As a FIS Technical Delegate, it has been incredibly rewarding to work with various Race Organizing Committees throughout the country. The highlight has been the Men’s WC DH at Beaver Creek in 2017.

I believe that none of the great people who have received this recognition before me set out for these honors. They all have contributed for the love of the sport, and to be a part of a family of great people who come together year after year to share in the best sport in the world.

The Canadian Rockies Ski Racing Hall of Fame is pleased to recognize Todd McNutt, our 2022 Honoured Alberta Ski Team Alumni, official and sport leader, for a lifetime of passion for ski racing and working to provide safe environments and opportunity for speed events as a respected international leader. Dave Greig interviewed our Honoured Inductee.

Please join us on November 8^th at the Malcolm Hotel in Canmore to honour the Class of 2022.