Ken Read says Canada may host alpine World Cup giant slalom next season

Ken Read says Canada may host alpine World Cup giant slalom next season{mosimage}LAKE LOUISE (Alberta) March 2, 2005 – Early this week, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies and the Lake Louise ski resort hosted two men’s and women’s giant slalom (GS) races. As hundreds of racers coming from Canada, the USA, Great Britain, New Zealand, Japan and Ireland battled for gold, the race’s organizing committee evaluated the track’s potential of hosting a men’s World Cup giant slalom. The competitions were a success and consequently, the likelihood of adding a men’s GS race to the men’s Lake Louise World Cup weekend set for late November continues to increase.

The Lake Louise ski resort has been Canada’s only World Cup stop and has, in recent years, hosted exclusively men’s and women’s downhill and super-G races in late November and early December. In recent years, efforts have been made to increase the number and diversity of races showcased at Lake Louise, including the potential hosting of a men’s giant slalom event.

This week’s races served precisely as a test to evaluate the feasibility of running a technical competition on Lake Louise’s famed track. The races were a success, which has prompted involved parties to continue discussions with the Fédération Internationale de Ski in the hope of ensuring compliance with the governing body’s requirements for hosting a technical event at Lake Louise.

“Alpine Canada Alpin is extremely excited at the prospect of bringing World Cup technical events back to Canada, ” said Ken Read, President, Alpine Canada Alpin. “We are aiming to increase our capacity of hosting slalom and giant slalom races at the World Cup level and this is an important first step.”

“By hosting a giant slalom race at Lake Louise, we would have the opportunity to showcase our team’s core strengths while allowing our top technical athletes – such as Thomas Grandi and JP Roy – the opportunity to compete on home turf in anticipation of 2010.”

Matt Mosteller, senior director of business development for Resorts of the Canadian Rockies acknowledged the revival of technical race events at Lake Louise and confirmed RCR’s commitment to winter sport in the Rockies.

“RCR supports Alpine Canada’s Podium plan for 2010 and RCR is committed to getting kids involved in the sport of skiing and enjoyment of the benefit of skiing and the healthy lifestyle it provides. RCR and our resorts of Fernie Alpine Resort, Kimberley Alpine Resort and Nakiska, host events from Nancy Green to World Cup downhill’s. It is a true testament of support by the RCR Team as we see the benefits that the youth of Canada receive from the sport of skiing- health, fun, teamwork, development of individual strength and quality family time,” concluded Mosteller.

Alpine Canada Alpin Race Quality Coordinator, Bruce Hamstead, explains that there is a multi- stage process that must be facilitated in order for FIS to approve the GS race at Lake Louise.

“The test event at Lake Louise is running smoothly, with tremendous volunteer, hill and club support. Banff Alpine Racers (BAR) have been successful at organizing and running this important series and we are ‘cautiously optimistic’ Lake Louise will be the host of a men’s giant slalom this upcoming 2005/2006 season,” confirmed Hamstead.

Lake Louise hasn’t hosted a World Cup technical race since 1991. The last World Cup scheduled technical race held in Canada was a men’s slalom in Stoneham (QC) in 1993. The last World Cup giant slalom race held in Canada was in 1991 at Lake Louise for the women.