Hi, My name is Logan Dunn. I’m from Calgary, Alberta and this is my second year with the Alberta Ski Team and my 5th year of FIS. My home team is NASA (Nakiska Alpine Ski Association) 

I was recently selected to be a part of the 2022 Canadian Ski Team at the World Junior Championships in Panorama. Qualifying for this team and event has been a goal of mine for some time now, and it was truly an amazing experience representing my country on an international level. I had the Opportunity to train, live and be teammates with the best junior athletes and coaches from across Canada. During World Juniors, I not only got an opportunity to see what the next level is like and compete against the best in the world. The field was extremely competitive but I was able to earn two top 30’s and one top 10. Racing at home and having the Canadian gear on is something I will never forget and will continue to use as motivation for the rest of my career.

Thank you to GMC Canada, Raymond James, Karbon and sporting life. Thank you to my family and friends. Thank you to my team and coaches for all your support this season! 

Hello Alberta ski racing community!

I am writing to you from the beautiful town of Falcade in the Italian Dolomites. We are on the tail end of a long two month trip on the road! Our trip began in Calabogie Peaks, Ontario for a series of two Nor-Ams. I was able to make the podium both days with a pair of third places. After spending a few days in Toronto (huge shout out to the Ralphs for being amazing hosts!!), we were off to Europe for Europa Cups.

It had been two long seasons since I was last racing in Europe and I was both excited and nervous to get back into some aggressive racing! Our first stop took us to Grasgehran, Germany. We ended up with some exceptionally warm weather, enough so that we were unable to run heats the first day. I narrowly qualified for heats on the second day. It was a humbling race for me, going out first round when in the past I had been used to achieving top 8 results consistently. We were then off to Reiteralm for one of the biggest and fastest tracks many of us have skied. Reiteralm is a track that has challenged me greatly in the past, and I was ready for redemption. Unfortunately, our first Europa Cup was lost due to heavy snowfall. The men were able to run quali runs but it was determined to be too dangerous for the women to run. The second day started off much better for me. I was able to put down a great quali run of 5th place. My first heat did not go as great. In trying to avoid a crash in front of me, I crashed in a roller pack and took a very hard hit to my body. I winded myself so badly that I lost consciousness. I was later diagnosed with a concussion and some very bruised ribs. I am very grateful that Canada Ski Cross was at this event and they were able to provide me with physio to get started on concussion protocol! After just over two weeks, I was cleared to get back on skis! Instead of jumping straight into racing, I got to play coach for a FIS race. I had a lot of fun helping out my teammates and awesome to watch them get a handful of podiums! However, I was not willing to stay in that position too long.

Last weekend I was able to get back into the start gate and race again. We had a FIS race and Italian Nationals in the beautiful resort of Passo San Pellegrino (yes like the water). In my first race back, I was able to qualify first. It was amazing for my confidence as I was worried I was falling behind due to being out so long. Unfortunately, the injury to my ribs reared its ugly head throughout the day and I had to dig deep to try and stay competitive. At the end of the day, I ended up 4th. While I had hoped to make the podium, I was still very pleased with what I was able to accomplish coming back from injury and still skiing with a significant amount of pain. I sat out the second day of racing in order to heal more and be ready for the upcoming Europa Cups on the same track. While I was very confident I would be able to get some podium performances, I have suffered another set back that made me sit out of this weekend’s Europa Cups. It is a bitter pill to swallow as my two major setbacks this trip have not allowed me to achieve the results I know I am capable of achieving, especially since the factors have not been in my control. The only thing I can control now is staying positive and getting myself healthy for the last race of our trip in Les Contamines, France.

I will definitely be going into that race with a lot of motivation to get on the top spot of the podium. I want to thank my teammates for being so supportive on this trip. Being on the road this long can be hard but they make everyday positive and fun! I want to also thank our coaches Shayne and Kya. They work so hard for us and I have felt so supported by them through the highs and very low lows of this trip. I could not do this without all of you!

Until next time,
Alexa

Hi, I am Kaite Fynn and am 18 years old. This is my first year on the Alberta Women’s Ski Team and I am a Canmore local. I competed for Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont, USA for my first two years of FIS while still in high school, prior to coming back home.

I recently returned from a trip over to Europe with Kiki, Cyd, and Gavin. Our first stop was in Meiringen, Switzerland where we got a couple of days of training before all starting in our debut Europa Cup. It was definitely a much different crowd than us Albertans are used to, with a field full of top-tier skiers from across the world. We then moved onto Italy for some National Championship races and high-quality training in Pozza di Fassa. Here we definitely had some of the best views of the Dolomites and personally, I’d say it was the most breathtaking place I’ve been so far in Europe. After eating more pizza, pasta, and gelato than we thought possible in such a short time we hit the road, headed for Zel Am See, Austria for our final Europa Cup races. Unfortunately, we got almost two feet of snow on the second day in Zel Am See and were unable to race but this meant we were able to take our time driving and make it safely to our next destination.

With how the timing worked out the group of us were able to go to Venice, Italy to sightsee, something that we don’t normally get to do, because of how busy we are racing and training. I’ve been to Europe several times and have never really seen anything besides the hill, the hotel, and the views from the top of the chairlift so this was an exciting change for all of us.

On our way back from Europe we landed in Toronto and met up with the rest of the Women’s team and drove to Collinwood for a NorAm tech series (2GS, 2SL). The team had some great results, and I definitely laid down some decent turns but had a hard time putting two runs together. From there we drove a quick 8hrs to Whiteface, New York for another NorAm series (2SG, 2AC, 1GS, 1SL). Unfortunately, it was very cold and I took a hard crash in the first SG race. But I have to say it was quite a masterpiece, lots of spinning and ballerina moves were accomplished that day and to my surprise, very minimal injuries were sustained. Thankfully I was able to race GS the next day and scored my first NorAm Cup GS points. We then headed home for some much-needed rest after a long five weeks on the road.

Now, the team is currently in Panorama for World Junior Championships. Kiki is competing and ready to kick butt, and the rest of the women’s team is here forerunning. This is a great opportunity as we are able to watch some of the next generation of World Cup skiers, and get some valuable race scenario training in the books before our upcoming races at Castle Mtn. and Canadian National Champs in Collingwood, Ontario.

Bringing my little recap to an end I’d just like to thank all of our sponsors; Karbon Sport, Sporting Life, GMC, and Raymond James! Along with my amazing coaches, Jim and Gavin, who have helped me make huge improvements in my skiing throughout the season so far and gotten me ready for the final push through the last races of the season. Thank You!!

Hi everyone! Alex Rubinoff here from ASXT with your monthly athlete journal

This season is making out to be a whirlwind experience. We started with a month-long trip to Europe which for me was the longest continuous stay out of Canada. The training opportunities and tracks available to us was an invaluable part in everyone achieving success this season. And especially at the Nakiska ski cross venue where we had access to a local track and cheering on my teammates dicing it up on the World Cup.

While we’re all enjoying skiing at the cusp of spring, I’d like to still caution everybody about the risks of cold weather snaps and very real threat of frostbite and other cold traumas. You never know how bad it can get until it happens to you.

In early January I had been out on the hill and unfortunately, became a victim of frostbite myself. I didn’t think too much of the weather that day after all us hearty Canadians are brave to the cold. My feet got exposed, and the end result for me was days in the hospital for treatment to save my toes. I will be making a full recovery but the consequences are I’ve had to take the rest of the season to heal.

If you feel cold: go inside

Want to push through frosting: get warm

And above all

Get medical attention if you or someone else recognizes the signs of frostbite

I’d like to thank my family, teammates, coaches, members, AHS, Alberta Alpine, sponsors and supporters for all you do to make the dream happen. 

Till next time!

It’s hard to believe we’re nearing the end of February, time flies when you’re having fun and constantly on the move.

Given this platform, I’d like to take this time to recognize the athletes for their work and dedication to the ski team. It is incredible what this group of women have achieved on and off snow to date and every time I get a chance to reflect on the successes of the team, it inspires me to keep pushing to be better. To the athletes’ parents, thank you for your un-waivered support of your children and trust you’ve put in Jim and I and to the sponsors of the ski team and Alberta Alpine, none of this could happen without you.

To the up-and-coming ski racers in our community, this season more than any other has taught me some valuable lessons. Most importantly, keep focused on the process and know that what you may feel like is the biggest race of your life is only the next step along your path, so enjoy the moment, ski as fast as you can, take what you can from your experience and use it to propel you to be better at what will inevitably be the next biggest race of your life.

Secondly, embrace the infamous “grind!” Getting to the top of this sport requires countless hours, long days, and consecutive weeks that can turn into months of hard work. If you want to be the best, you need to get on that grind and know that over time it will not only make you a better ski racer but will also translate into an incredible trait of resilience that will benefit you in all aspects of life. The best victories in life are the ones you work extremely hard for.

Lastly, find time to breathe and reflect on what you’ve accomplished periodically, this sport comes at you fast, it’s important to recognize the small victories and celebrate the goals you’ve achieved along the way.

With that said, I’m off to Panorama for the World Junior Championships, keep your eyes on Team Canada, there are some extremely talented athletes representing your country and home province of Alberta including Kiki Alexander, Cassidy Gray, Britt Richardson and Logan Dunn!

Hey everyone,

My name is Jesse Kertesz-Knight, I am 18 years old, and this is my first season with the Alberta Ski Team. I am checking in midway through our season from Whiteface, New York, as we are just finishing up the first Noram stop of our US tour. So far, thanks to great weather and competitive racing, it has been an amazing experience for myself and the team to really show our stuff on a higher level. The boys have been skiing really well out here with Logan notably already racking up two junior Noram podiums, and myself with multiple point scores and personal bests in Slalom, Super G and alpine combined.

During our days off in Lake Placid we enjoyed ourselves playing some fast paced hockey on the lake and watching Olympic ski racing on TV as a crew. At the time of writing I am just driving with the team to our next series in Vermont.  We are off to Burke Mountain for 2 more norams (1 Slalom, 1 GS),  and Bromont Quebec for some more racing before heading home for some well needed rest and a training block. Although the beginning of the year was super exciting with lots of racing and training in the Bow Valley and Panorama, it has been amazing to have the opportunity to travel and race somewhere new.

This year has been amazing for me so far thanks to the great teammates and coaches I have pushing me every day to become better. I also want to say a huge thanks to our team sponsors Raymond James Mission Wealth Advisors, Sporting Life, World Cup Supply and Karbon for their support this season, and to all the people who have helped me reach my goals so far, your support means everything. Hope you all have a great rest of your winter and thanks for reading!!

Jesse

Hello there! I am Ryan Webster and I will be giving you an overview of the last month as an Alberta Ski Cross athlete. This is my third year on the Alberta Ski Cross Team, and I have made some major strides towards my goal of making the national team in the last few months.

Coming back well rested from the Christmas break we had some days at the Nakiska ski cross training center. This center gives opportunities to race head-to-head working on technical and tactical skills in a track. This center gives us a consistent training venue to prepare for the heavy race schedule ahead. I had a huge milestone in January starting my first world cup in ski cross. It is something I have always wanted, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to ski up to the next level. The course was challenging but I had a lot of fun rising to the calibre needed to ski a World Cup track. It was tough conditions but in ski racing, we must adapt to different types of snow and weather. I placed 51st and 53^rd but I learned a lot and I know I can improve on those results in the future.

Following the World Cup, we raced a North American Cup on the same track. It was a lot of fun to race with a larger field and I placed 11^th and 13^th. After the Nor ‘am in Nakiska, we had a week off to prepare before the team left for a 64-day trip starting in Calabogie, Ontario. It was a bitterly cold -30 our first training day but again we must adapt to the conditions we are given. After a tough first race, I reset and won the second race. We packed up and spent a day in Toronto and then headed to Munich which kicked off the next part of our trip. We will be spending almost two months travelling across Europe to ski the back half of the Europa Cup circuit chasing criteria to make the National Team. Our first race was in Grashgern Germany, there were 75 men in the field which is the largest field I have competed in ski cross thus far. I placed 52^nd in both qualifications. Unfortunately missing out on heats however I cheered my teammate Alexa on and was able to watch my European competitor’s race. It is always important in ski cross to know your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses, especially in heats.

Looking forward we have three more Europa Cup races in Riteralm, Bardonecchia, and Les Contamines, with three more FIS races in Collere, Allgehe, and San Pellegrino. I am so excited to be back to racing after taking a year off competition due to COVID. My goal is to make finals, top 8, in the Europa cups and gain more experience in the FIS races. I want to make the most of this season, ski hard, and have fun. I am confident I can generate results and show the advances I have made in my skiing and in the gym. I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given and with the support of my team and coaches, I know that I can be successful.

Hey everyone! My name is Haley Cunningham. This is my second year on the Alberta Ski Team. I started the year on the Alberta Women’s Ski Team (ASTW), transitioned to a hybrid of alpine and ski cross that started to slowly shift more toward ski cross. I thought I’d be writing this at an airport waiting to meet up with the ski cross team to travel to Europe but unfortunately that is no longer the case as I have injured my knee in a fall during a ski cross race. I’m currently waiting on the MRI report but more on that later.

This season has been filled with more downs than ups for me so far with a few bright spots in between. Luckily once January started, things seemed to be on the up and up. Every day I was having so much fun and coming home with a big smile. I was given the opportunity by Josh Benge, the AB Alpine Athletic Director, to compete in a downhill race series in Aspen Colorado. Downhill racing is something I have been wanting to do more of my whole FIS career. The Aspen race series offered lots of training on the track prior to the official training runs, allowing me to gain lots of experience and a little bit of confidence in a short amount of time. We were very fortunate to have Katrina Van Soest, of Banff Alpine Racers, accompany us which made for a fun and educational speed trip. We had a blast and the pair of us topped the podium on both DH days as well. The world of covid makes for a lot of funny anecdotes. On this particular trip we had to squeeze our PCR test in between training runs, due to schedule delays, so that we could fly home. We were a bit late for the second training run but Josh did his best, changing in to one shoe to get us there safely.

After this short but sweet trip, I got one night in my bed before I ventured into the world of ski cross with ASXT at the Nakiska NorAm that followed right after World Cup event. This being my first ski cross race and the track being a “toned down” version of the World Cup track, it was intimidating in inspection knowing it would be the biggest and longest NorAm track of the year. The start sections always scare me the most because there’s no direct comparison from alpine racing but once I got past that I was settling in for some fun. After the first training run, I wasn’t nervous, and I knew I was about to have one of the best weeks of my life! Shayne, Kya and all the athlete’s on the ASXT were all so helpful and encouraging making the transition into the environment seamless and exciting. I out-performed my own expectations in qualifiers placing 6^th, with the top five qualifiers being the Canadian national team women. So qualifying went well but I still knew race day would be a whole other beast. I needed to learn the strategy of blocking people from passing and passing when the opportunity arose. I took the first race day as a “learning-race” and placed 7^th (or 3^rd in the Small Final); a pleasant surprise. The second day I wanted to go for it a little more. I pulled off my first pass ever in the morning training and that is one of the most exhilarating moments of my skiing career. I passed again in the quarterfinals sending me to the semi finals where I would then end up in either the Big or Small Final. During my semi-final run I felt like I was gaining on the national team girls, so in trying to make up a little more distance I went into a turn more aggressively than my legs could manage, and I ended up crashing and hurting my knee. I’m awaiting the MRI results but it’s looking like an ACL tear and possibly some other damage as well.

This is a new challenge for me. To my recollection, I’ve never had to miss two consecutive days of training due to one injury. Sickness and mental health yes, injury no. I struggle a lot with uncertainty and not knowing everything. It’s my way of having control so the waiting between appointments and results has already tested me. All the same though, I feel like I’m already learning. It’s forcing me to walk the walk I’ve dipped my toe into a couple times over the last couple of years. The walk of focusing on what I can control now and how I act/react. I don’t think any of this will hit me until I get the official MRI report and that will be a tough day. For now I get to live in a small bit of denial. Before racing the SX NorAm I said I didn’t know what was happening with my skiing after the conclusion of the ski cross series Wednesday. Would I be meeting up with the ASTW in the states then headed east for some NorAms races or would I be staying with the ski cross team for a few days of training here and then travelling to Calabogie and then off to Europe? Fate has chosen door number 3 for the rest of my season so it’s time to keep my chin up and shift into prehab/rehab mode with our trainer Nate Morris and CSI physio Izzy Aldrich-Witt while I await the plan for my recovery. My plan is to keep skiing but if it turns out that is not possible, thankfully, I was fortunate to receive a second year of deferral for the Engineering program I accepted at the University of Waterloo so I have some comfort in knowing I have options if need be.

The success I had in January wouldn’t have been possible without Josh, the coaches who enabled the opportunities and the teammates I got to compete alongside at those events. This has helped me clarify plan for my future. Of course our season wouldn’t be possible without the help of our sponsors Raymond James, Karbon, Sporting Life, GMC and BioSteel (ASTW sponsor)!

Hope everyone is having fun and best of luck to the kids of all age groups that are returning to racing after the long wait!

Haley Cunningham

Hi Guys! Zac Reynolds here checking in for my mid-season athlete journal!

So far, this season has been such a blast! Not only have we had the chance to travel to Europe for preseason training and race a few NorAm Cups before Christmas, but I have also had the amazing opportunity to compete in my first two World Cup races. What can I say other than what an amazing experience! I was able to see how true World Cup athletes conduct their daily routines and race their runs. Although the conditions were less than ideal and I was unable to qualify for the heats, I was able to learn so much from spending time on a high caliber World Cup track, whether it was from taking to the track run to run or by watching the other athletes compete. After the World Cup ended, Nakiska was gracious enough to hold two NorAm races on the same track where the level of racing was higher than usual! The National team stayed around to race and we got the chance to go head to head against them to see where we stacked up.

I learned a lot from these experiences and can’t wait to take them into my next races. As I embark upon the second half of my season, I will be on the road for the next two months. We begin with a NorAm double header at Calabogie Peaks in Ontario where the racing is sure to be quite exciting and then my team and I head over to Europe for a 54-day block of racing and training amongst Europe’s best. So far, the plan is to race two Europa Cups in Grasgehren and then head over to the Reiteralm training center in Austria for two Europa Cups as well as a FIS race. The plan is to stay after those races and to get in some quality training. Then we will travel across Europe for various FIS races until our next Europa Cup stop in Bardoneccia followed by Europa Cup finals in Les Contamines France. We will then be coming home for Canadian National Champs at Nakiska and some spring training.

Overall, this season is lining up to be the best one yet and I absolutely cannot wait to see where it takes me! Follow along on the Alberta Alpine (@albertaalpine) and Alberta Ski Team (@albertaskiteam) Instagram’s for updates.

Thanks for tuning in!
Zac Reynolds
Member of the Alberta Ski Cross Team

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Hello Everyone!

Happy new year! I hope 2022 has treated you well so far!

I know what you are thinking… “ANOTHER long athlete journal from C Timmy”. Although I may also be C Timmy, I can assure you I am the younger, funnier, and definitely faster one of the two. My name is Cydnie Timmermann and this is my first year representing the Alberta Ski Team. I started ski racing at the age of 4 with Banff Alpine Racers.

After 5 different race series in 5 weeks, it is safe to say the women’s team left Panorama on the 22nd of December with major improvements, great results, and some sore legs. With the anticipation of Christmas, family, and some much-needed R and R we were all excited to spend some time at home. Although it was only a quick visit, I was lucky to have both of my sisters home for the holidays.

As 2022 began, the team was united again at Nakiska to start our largest training block before the upcoming months of racing. These weeks are very valuable because it gives us an opportunity to challenge ourselves without the added pressures of a race. This is a rare block mid race season, so we braved the cold to take advantage of the empty lift lines and much needed repetitions. To finish off, we shredded some turns back on home soil at Norquay.

January 11th, 2022 was a special, exciting and inspirational day for the Alberta Women’s Ski Team. We huddled on the floor of the mid-mountain lodge to watch our very own, Kiki Alexander, start her first-ever World Cup.

We have now all packed our bags to start racing again. While half of the girls are traveling to Montana to win some college races, Kaite and I are currently on route to meet Kiki and Gavin in Meiringen, Switzerland. Here we all will race our first-ever Europa cup and then continue on our tour to Pozza di Fossa, Italy where we will compete in the Italian National Slalom Championships. To follow, we will race another Europa Cup event in Zell am See, Austria. I can’t wait to measure up against some of Europe’s finest in pursuit of the World Cup stage. I’ll be honest… I mostly can’t wait to sample more flavours of gelato and other fine foods.

Thank you to our sponsors Sporting Life, Karbon Sports, BioSteel, GMC, and Raymond James.

Cheers!

Cyd the Kyd

For those who don’t know me my name is Kiersten Vincett, I am from East Central Alberta and this is my second year on ASXT. Follow my season from summer dryland to Europe preseason and finally the National Training Center in Nakiska. I have had an awesome preseason, finishing 1st and 3rd in the December Nor’ams in Nakiska. My sights are currently set on the World Cups and Nor’ams in Nakiska then a trip out east for some more racing.

Happy New Year!

I hope this update finds everyone safe and healthy.

January 1^st is the start of many new goals and resolutions for most; in ski racing, however, January 1^st is more of a half way marker. So let’s recap what the team has been up to.

Mid November saw half the group head down to Colorado to kick things off with the opening NorAms of the season. It has been life on the road with race after race ever since. The four weeks leading up to Christmas was mostly spent in Panorama with the exception of a few days in Lake Louise for the Speed NorAms. To start we had a four day Canada Cup series in Panorama which was a solid start for the group. From there we headed into Lake Louise. The Lake Louise Speed races are a tough but enjoyable time of year. With not many days on speed skis it is a steep learning curve getting back into the technique and tactics of speed. On the flip side, Lake Louise is a great venue to make the return to DH happen. Following the Men’s and Women’s World Cup in Lake Louise the track is always in great condition for the NorAm races. The team had some success at these early races which kept the group hungry for more.

Back to Panorama, our second home… and host to the 2022 World Junior Ski Championships! This was the final but biggest stop before Christmas with 11 starts in 11 days. These included the NorAms and the MacLachlan FIS Series races. This block of racing saw some strong performances with Top 20, Top 15 and Top 10 results in the NorAms and podium performances during the FIS series.

The team just wrapped up a much deserved Christmas break spent with family as well as doing some training with their home clubs. Leading into 2022 the group will be split two ways for the month of January with half the group racing in Europe and the other half getting some training and racing in at home. The next set of NorAm races start on February 7^th in Mont Edouard, QC. Coming into these races the team will be back together as a group again which should carry through for the remainder of the season.

I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has volunteered at races and events so far this year. Also, a big thank you to all the ROCs, admin and coaches who have jumped through the necessary COVID hoops to make ski racing in Canada possible again this season. A big thanks to our team sponsors as well, GMC for getting us around safely and in style, Sporting Life for helping us with gear and equipment, Karbon for keeping us warm and looking fresh, and Mission Wealth Advisors Raymond James for coming back on board and continuing to support ski racing in Alberta and Canada for many-many years. I hope everyone had a great Christmas Holiday and a fantastic New Year. Stay safe and stay healthy! See you on the slopes soon.

Cheers,

Jonas