100 Peak Moments
EXPLORE 100 MOMENTS AT THE PINNACLE OF CANADIAN SKI HISTORY.
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SERWA, PHELAN & LEMAN
Canadian Ski Cross takes winning to new heights with double Olympic gold.
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The culture of winning as a team for the Canadian Ski Cross Team was never more apparent than on two occasions at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
In his third Olympic Games, after overcoming injury and heartache, Brady Leman struck gold winning Canada’s first men’s ski cross Olympic gold after a string of success for Canadian women in the sport. In the crowd cheering Leman on were teammates Kelsey Serwa and Brittany Phelan.
Days later, Serwa won gold leading Canada’s second straight 1-2 finish in women’s ski cross as she shared the podium with silver medalist, teammate, fellow Dirt Squirrel, and best friend Phelan.
ERIK GUAY & MANUEL OSBORNE-PARADIS
Historic double podium day in Garmisch.
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The most decorated Canadian alpine ski racer of all time proved it when he stood on the podium three times, in two Alpine World Ski Championships, twice on the elusive top step. Guay won the downhill at the 2011 Alpine World Ski Championships in Garmisch.
In 2017 in St. Moritz, Switzerland he was back on top. After barely escaping serious injury 10 days prior, Guay triumphed to gold in the super-G. He was joined by teammate Manuel Osborne-Paradis, who was celebrating his 33rd birthday, and who won the bronze.
Three days later Guay found himself on the podium again, this time in the downhill.
DEL BOSCO, SERWA, MURRAY
Family ties bind winning ways for Canadian Ski Cross.
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The familial ties that bind the Canadian ski world are what make it easier for us to bounce back from injury and adversity. This is no truer than with the members of the Canadian Ski Cross Team who made their families, and all Canadians proud at the 2011 Freestyle World Championship. Julia Murray, who grew up skiing the slopes of Whistler and dreamed of following in her father, Crazy Canuck Dave Murray’s, footsteps. At the 2011 World Championships after blowing out her knee the week prior Murray won the silver medal. Who was on the top step? Teammate Kelsey Serwa, who broke her back at the X-Games just seven days before, who’s own familial ties to Canadian skiing run just as deep. Serwa’s grandfather Cliff is the co-founder of Big White Ski Resort in Kelowna, B.C.
Family isn’t always who you are born with sometimes it’s who you surround yourself with. For ski cross veteran and founding member of the team in Canada overcoming adversity surrounded by your ski cross family is what has been a constant in his career. Through injury and perseverance, Del Bosco has one of the most decorated ski cross careers including a gold medal at the 2011 FIS Freestyle World Championship, 26 World Cup podiums, and five X-Games podiums. The ties that bind us together are also what makes us strong and able to continue to stand on top of the world just like Julia, Kelsey, and Chris.
VIVIANE FOREST
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Viviane’s dominant debut makes history.
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Viviane is the first Canadian female to win Gold medals in both Summer and Winter Games (Olympic or Paralympic). Formerly a champion goalball player, she was making her Winter Games debut in para-alpine skiing on home soil. She received the Best Games Debut award at the 2010 Canadian Paralympic Sport Awards for her remarkable results at her first Paralympic Winter Games. Viviane became the first Canadian woman to win gold in both the summer and winter Paralympics. She finished Vancouver 2010 with a podium finish in all five races for a total of one gold, three silver, and one bronze medal. The visually impaired Montreal native, who was born with four percent vision, opened with a silver in the slalom and followed it up with a bronze in the giant slalom before she achieved her historic gold in the downhill.
CRAZY CANUCKS
Crazy Canucks put Canada on the map in Kitzbühel.
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The Crazy Canucks’ domination at the revered Kitzbühel started in 1980. Ken Read was the first of the Crazy Canucks and the first Canadian male to win the world’s most famous ski race. Steve Podborski followed when he won in 1981 and followed it up with a repeat performance in 1982. In 1982, Podborski also became the first North American to win the World Cup season title Crystal Globe in the downhill.
Call it a four-peat! Todd Brooker won the race in 1983. His win came as a surprise and was his first World Cup win.
Knowing he was within a fraction of a second of the leaders, Brooker threw all caution to the wind and ‘just pointed his skis down the hill’. It was the Canadian way.
1980: 1st Place Ken Read – Hahnenkamm
1981: 1st Place Steve Podborski – Hahnenkamm
1982: Friday Downhill: 2nd Place Steve Podborski * 3rd Place Ken Read
1982: Saturday Downhill: 1st Place Steve Podborski * 3rd Place Ken Read – Hahnenkamm
1983: Friday Downhill: 2nd Place Steve Podborski
1983: Saturday Downhill: 1st Place Todd Brooker * Ken Read 3rd Place – Hahnenkamm
**Friday Downhill races were normally a make-up race from another venue due to cancelation.
**Saturday Downhill: Saturday race is called Hahnenkamm and winners win the traditional trophy is the “Goldener Gams”
THOMPSON, LEMAN, DRURY
Canadian Ski Cross cracks the podium code.
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The best step up on the biggest stages and in 2019 that was the FIS Freestyle World Championship. Marielle Thompson whose name is synonymous with Canadian Ski Cross victory raced to gold at the 2019 FIS Freestyle World Championship, which put Canada on the podium for the third straight World Champs. On the men’s side of things Brady Leman, who was coming off a win in front of Canadian fans at the Blue Mountain Ski Cross World Cup in Collingwood, ON. The next week he captured the silver at the 2019 World Championships along with teammate Kevin Drury who captured the bronze.
LAUREN WOOLSTENCROFT
‘Golden Girl’ earns five gold medals in Vancouver.
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Known as the Paralympic Winter Games “Golden Girl,” after claiming five gold medals at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games, Lauren was unbeatable, each race continuing to place her on top of the podium. Woolstencroft is hailed as one of the best Alpine skiers in the world winning eight gold, one silver, and one bronze medal over three Paralympic Games. Woolstencroft became the first Canadian winter Paralympian to win five gold medals at a single Game and was named Canada’s flag bearer for the closing ceremony. She was an electrical engineer with B.C. Hydro, part of the team that designed power delivery systems for Whistler mountain events. If someone’s name was going to be in lights, it might as well be hers.
LANA SPREEMAN
Pair of Paralympians put together a string of dominant performances.
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Lana Spreeman competed in alpine skiing at five Winter Paralympic Games. In her career, she won 13 medals for Canada, making her Canada’s most decorated Winter Paralympian until passed by cross country skier Brian McKeever, who earned his 14th medal at the 2018 Winter Paralympics.
She won the first-ever gold medal for giant slalom 2A at the 1980 Winter Paralympics. At the 1994 Winter Paralympics in Lillehammer, she was the Canadian flag bearer at the closing ceremonies.
Gold – 1980 Geilo Giant slalom 2A
Silver – 1984 InnsbrucK Downhill LW4
Silver – 1984 Innabruck Giant Slalom
Silver – 1988 Innsbruck Slalom LW4
Silver – 1992 Tignes-Albertville Super-G LW3,4,9
Silver – 1992 Tignes-Albertville Slalom LW3,4,9
Silver – 1994 Lillehammer Slalom LW3/4
Bronze – 1988 Innsbruck Downhill LW4
Bronze – 1992 Tignes-Albertville Downhill LW3,4,9
Bronze – 1992 Tignes-Albertville Giant slalom LW3,4,9
Bronze – 1994 Lillehammer Downhill LW3/4
Bronze – 1994 Lillehammer Super-G LW3/4
Bronze – 1994 Lillehammer Giant slalom LW3/4
CHRIS WILLIAMSON
Williamson crystalizes icon-status with unprecedented 100th win.
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March 14, 2009 Williamson became the first skier in the history of the IPC to win 100 World Cup medals, when he won a gold medal in the slalom race in Italy. Williamson dominated the Paralympic World Cup circuit in alpine skiing, winning a remarkable 56 gold medals and 105 medals in total between 2003 and 2013. Over the course of his 17-year career, he won 14 individual World Cup titles and 8 Crystal Globes, making him the longest standing member of the Canadian Para Alpine team, as well as the most decorated competitor earning gold, silver and two bronze medals at the Paralympic Games.
KEN READ
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Ken conquers Val-d’Isère.
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Ken Read became the first North American to win a men’s downhill World Cup race when at just 20 years old he stood on the top step in Val-d’Isère, France scoring a major upset in the first downhill of an Olympic season. He was one of four Canadians to finish in the top ten at this race, a impressive feat. His fellow Crazy Canucks who also cracked the top 10, include Dave Irwin was 4th, Jungle Jim Hunter was 9th and rounding out the top 10 was Steve Podborski placing 10th.
ASHLEIGH MCIVOR
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Hometown hero – McIvor crosses up the competition to win Gold in Whistler.
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Ashleigh McIvor was one of the faces of the Canadian Olympic Team at Vancouver 2010 after winning the first-ever Olympic gold medal in women’s ski cross, which was making its Games debut. McIvor had gone to the Games as a medal favourite thanks to her 2009 World title and four World Cup medals in the season leading up to Vancouver 2010. McIvor, who has been competing internationally since 2004, is one of the sport’s true pioneers. McIvor retired with 11 World Cup podiums to her name. She has already passed the torch to a new generation of female ski cross stars that includes long-time teammate Kelsey Serwa of Kelowna, B.C., the reigning world champion, and fellow Whistler skier Marielle Thompson, the overall women’s ski cross World Cup champion.
THOMAS GRANDI
Grandi goes for gold in grand homecoming.
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Thomas Grandi’s first win on the World Cup came in December 2004, when he won the giant slalom in Alta Badia, Italy; the country he was born in. The victory at Alta Badia made Grandi the first Canadian man in the 38-year history of the World Cup to win a giant slalom. Two days later he won his second race in Flachau, Austria. Grandi also ended a 30-year drought in Canadian giant slalom World Cup history by matching Kathy Kreiner’s 1974 World Cup win in Pfronten, GER.
KATHY KREINER
Kreiner carves her path to Olympic Gold
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Kathy Kreiner made the first of three Olympic appearances at Sapporo 1972 with modest results in the slalom and downhill. At her second Olympics at Innsbruck 1976, on Friday the 13th, a confident 18-year-old Kreiner just knew she was going to win despite being such a long shot. Kreiner won the same Olympic gold medal Nancy Greene had won eight years earlier at Grenoble 1968, becoming Olympic and World Champion. She had become the youngest-ever alpine skiing Olympic champion and produced the only gold medal for Canada at Innsbruck 1976. At Calgary 1988, Kreiner was a bearer of the Olympic flag in the Opening Ceremony. In 1976, Kreiner received the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as Canada’s top female athlete and was inducted into Canada’s Sports and Canadian Olympic Halls of Fame; the Canadian Skiing Hall of Fame in 1984, and Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2015, she was inducted along with her father as a builder, posthumously, and sister into the Timmins Sports Hall of Fame.
JOSH DUECK
Dueck’s destiny realized with Paralympic success.
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Born in Kimberley, B.C. Josh Dueck was always destined for the slopes. Six years after an accident changed his plans slightly, he was making his Paralympic debut at the 2010 Paralympic Games in Vancouver where he won a silver medal in the men’s sitting slalom race.
At the Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Dueck served as Canada’s flag bearer for the closing ceremony thanks to his silver medal in downhill and gold medal in the super-combined.
Off the slopes, Dueck is also a valued member of the international sport community for his work to advance the Paralympic Movement and inspire others to find their paths.
Josh has been named Chef de Mission for the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing, China.
NANCY GREENE
Canada goes Greene with Nancy’s dominant Olympic performance.
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After a silver medal earlier in the 1968 Grenoble Olympics Greene was still dissatisfied and was a heavy favourite in the giant slalom and determined to win Olympic gold. To distract from her race day nerves, her coaches took her out for a snack and chat about ski politics, arriving at the start hut with minutes to spare. With technical precision, Greene executed an impeccable run, winning by a massive 2.64 seconds, in what was the largest margin of victory in the history of the event. As Olympic and World Champion, Greene went on to win every race for the next month in all disciplines and won her second World Cup title. She was greeted by more than 100,000 fans dressed in green in Vancouver when she finally arrived home. Greene was named Canada’s Female Athlete of the 20th Century.
ROB BOYD
BOYD ON TOP IN OWN BACKYARD
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In 1989 Rob Boyd’s win in the downhill at the Whistler World Cup wrote his name in the history books of a nation, expediting his status of Whistler’s hometown hero. With his win, Rob became the first Canadian alpine skier to win a World Cup downhill on home soil. Rob’s family home was located 100 metres from the finish line and his father Sandy was general manager of Whistler Mountain making his win all the more special.
The history of ski racing in Canada and that of the Whistler Mountain Ski Club are deeply intertwined. The club, which held its first function in April 1968 has held national championships, hosted World Cup races and most recently been a part of the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
LUCILE WHEELER
Olympic first for Wheeler.
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Lucile Wheeler became the first North American Olympic medalist in the downhill, winning the bronze in 1956 at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. This was also classified as the World Championship for 1956. In the early 1950s, Lucile’s parents had sent her to spend several winters training in Kitzbühel, Austria as they recognized the talent their daughter had. This paid off as Wheeler was the first Canadian and only female alpine skier to win on the Hahnenkamm in 1957 in the downhill and combined. Wheeler would go on to win two gold medals at the 1958 World Championships in Badgastein, AUT in the downhill and giant slalom as well as a silver medal in the combined.
Wheeler’s breakthrough performance resulted in an increase in government funding that enabled other Canadian skiers to compete at the international level. Her achievements were also instrumental in increasing the popularity of the sport both nationwide and in her native home of Quebec, which was once a remote destination in the Laurentian mountains that now attracts hundreds of thousands of skiers every winter.
CANADA SKI CROSS TEAM
Canada rules the X Games.
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X Games dominance began even before the sport made its’ Olympic debut in Vancouver in 2010. Aleisha Cline was the queen of skier X at the X Games reaching the podium 6 times in 7 years with 3 consecutive gold medals in 2001, 2002 and 2003! Stanley Hayer, who is now the head coach of the Canadian Ski Cross Team won the gold in 2009. The next year Chris Del Bosco, David Duncan, Brady Leman swept the X Games podium. The dominance continued when Kelsey Serwa crashed her way through the finish line in 2011 when she suffered a fractured spine on her way to a gold medal. The Canadian Ski Cross team would continue their X Games podium streak until 2016 when Brady Leman, Chris Del Bosco, Kelsey Serwa and Marielle Thompson all reached the podium!
KERRIN LEE-GARTNER
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Lee-Gartner defies odds, delivers gold for Canada.
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She made her Olympic debut on home soil at Calgary 1988 where Lee-Gartner raced in five events, her two best finishes were eighth in the combined and 15th in the downhill. Four years later on February 15, 1992, the day of the Albertville 1992 downhill, the odds of a Lee-Gartner victory were 20-1 in Las Vegas. She overcame incredible adversity and defied career-ending injuries, but the dream never died. Lee-Gartner skied the race of her life on the Meribel course and won the Olympic downhill by 0.06 seconds ahead of American Hilary Lindh. It was the closest race in Olympic history with eighteen one-hundredths of a second separating first to fifth. Lee-Gartner became the only winner of the women’s downhill to ever come from a non-German speaking country and the only Canadian to ever win the event.
ANNE HEGGTVEIT
Anne of Gatineau grabs Canada’s first ever Gold medal.
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Seventeen-year-old Anne Heggtveit made her Olympic debut at Cortina d’Ampezzo in 1956, after learning to ski at Camp Fortune in the Gatineau region. Four years later at Squaw Valley, Heggtveit finished 12th in both the downhill and giant slalom. Coming into her second Olympics at age 21, Anne Heggtveit was the only skier in the slalom race who did not survey the course the day before, choosing to sleep instead. After the first run, Heggtveit led the slalom event by 1.5 seconds and was in second after the second run, ultimately destroying the field by 3.3 seconds in what was the largest margin of victory ever recorded in the event and winning Canada’s first-ever gold medal in alpine skiing. She returned to her hometown of Ottawa as Olympic and World Champion where they held a welcome home parade for her, as they had 12 years prior when eight-year-old Heggtveit sat on her father’s shoulders watching Olympic champion figure skater Barbara Ann Scott’s welcome home parade.
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