As we plan for the 2020/2021 season, we are considering how COVID-19 has affected all sports, including ours. We wish to reassure that our plans will fall in accordance with recommendations put forward by our public health leaders, Alberta Alpine, Alpine Canada, and the Canadian Snowsports Association, as athlete safety and well-being remain out first priority.

We invite you to place a $150 deposit down to hold a spot for your athlete/s, that will be added to your full registration, and assist our Club to prepare for the season.  You will also be added to our mailing list to receive the 2020/2021 Program fees and full registration.

Deposit is 100% refundable should your family circumstances change. Open until July 15th, 2020

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE DEPOSIT

If you have any program questions please contact us.

BRING ON 2020/2021 SEASON!!

Alpine Canada Alpin has launched their awards for the 2019/2020 season.  Last season Banff Alpine Racers were crowned Ski Racing Club of the Year!  Which was very exciting to receive, and was followed up with Alberta Alpine Development Club of the year.  We are now excited to have Mt Norquay nominated for “Resort of the Year”.

“The Helly Hansen Resort of the Year is awarded to one or more Canadian Ski Resorts who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to Canadian ski racing, through support of local, provincial or national ski racing programs, including training, competition and related activities. Nominate a resort that exemplifies dedication to the sport of Canadian ski racing.”

Ski Clubs are not just a group of athletes being coached in alpine skiing, it’s a whole operation.  Ski Clubs need a resort that understands and supports ski racing, show top athletic development with athletes reaching Provincial and World Cup ranks, volunteers to run races from NGSL to world class level races and committed sponsors.  Clubs would be nowhere without every part of this puzzle.

Mt Norquay is such a great supporter and advocate to ski racing in Canada.  Each season BAR/BVQ hosts up to 7 races at Mt Norquay, where the first slalom course was set back in 1929. General Manager Andre Quenneville, shows support for locals, tourists and ski racing.  Andre himself participates in fundraiser Bozo Cup each year, giving BAR Executive Director Pete Bosinger a run for his money!  Friday night skiing is accompanied by ‘Masters Cup – Beer League’ racing.  Many skill levels join in for a night of racing under the lights and create a fun environment for past racers, CSIA Level 4 hopefuls, locals and city slickers.  Before the season was cut short, BAR BVQ hosted two FIS races, U16 series, NGSL BVQ Invitational and World Transplant Winter Games.  Unfortunately the Bozo Cup, Kinder Cup and Caribou were cancelled due to Covid-19.

At Norquay, coaches and ROC members work closely with different departments of the resort.  Andre and his team at Norquay have been in the process of transforming ‘Silver Legacy’ a dedicated training run, to a homologated FIS GS and Slalom run. Longtime Cat driver Nick builds start ramps, adds terrain, and ensure the race runs are in tip top shape for race days.  Lift ops assist with early lift spins, transport and resort operations.  Snow makers work long hours overnight in preparation for pre season training and opening as much terrain early winter.  Teha organizes race details, including racer lift tickets, volunteer lunches, and keeping all the personal informed.  Ski patrol ensure we have onsite response teams, hazards marked, and neccesary avalanche control. Norquay is also known for its majestic views from all around the mountain, Mt Rundle, Cascade Mountain and the Bow Valley all featured from various view points on Mt Norquay.

February 2020, BAR hosted alpine events for World Transplant Winter Games with over 75 athletes from 17 countries around the globe.  The bi-annual event hosts recipients of organ donations donors and family members.  Athletes of all ages including some over 70 years of age arced under the Banff Alpine flags at Mt Norquay.  Canadian Transplant Association thanked Mt Norquay and BAR staff:  “Thank you again for the first class races you ran for us last week. Everyone was thrilled by your team’s professionalism. The care you took with everyone, your communication, the race organization and start to finish work ethic. It was simply awesome!”

BAR have developed many World Class athletes including Paul Stutz, Jan Hudec, Thomas Grandi, and currently Trevor Philp, Erik and Jeffrey Read and Claire Timmermann representing Canada.  These athletes have become the athletes they are through BAR and Mt Norquay dedication.  Trevor and Erik reached personal best results on the World Cup circuit, while gaining confidence and valuable experience to excel in the years to come.  Jeffrey raced in NORAM and World Cup events, with podiums in slalom, super G and alpine combined.  Alberta ski team member Claire Timmermann and BAR athlete Katrina Van Soest were selected for the World Juniors in Norway.  Although the series were cut short, ladies gained valuable insight into competing at an international level. Erik, Trevor and Jeff are up for Athlete of the Year – vote now! https://alpinecanada.org/awards/vote-now

Thank you to our sponsors, who make the Club we are today.  Tech Shop, Jack Carter Cadillac Calgary, Budget Rentals, Banff Lodging Company, Descente & Legree Agency, Nic Zoricic Foundation and of course Mt Norquay.

We are all going through tough times right now with the ski season ending suddenly, weekends are quiet, and we all miss our second home at Mt Norquay.  How can we support each other though this period?

• REACH OUT to your friends that you see every weekend, make sure they are ok.
• THANK your coaches that helped you be the athlete you are today.
• CREATE GOALS – start small and reach higher as you complete tasks.
• STAY ACTIVE – whether it’s a walk outside, work out at home, meditation, yoga or a dance party, be creative!
• STAY SAFE – take recommendations seriously and practice social distancing
• SCHOLARSHIPS to assist towards next season – http://albertaalpine.ca/about/awards-scholarships/
• WIN GEAR for next year with Alberta Alpine! http://albertaalpine.ca/2020/03/18/win-your-gear-for-next-year/
• VOTE FOR ACA SKI RACING AWARDS – Recognize those that motivate you and make ski racing possible.  Athlete, Resort, Volunteer & Coach of the Year awards. Nomination open now! https://alpinecanada.org/awards/guide
• BE POSITIVE – we will get through this and appreciate everyone and everything more and more each day.

Thank you: @mtnorquay @budgetrentals @cartercadillacyyc @banfflodgingcompany @niczoricicfoundation @techshop @alpinepeakphotographybanff

If you want to share ideas or experiences with us, post an instagram story and tag @banffalpine we would love to see what you are doing to stay positive.  Take care everyone, 2020/2021 is going to be the best season ever!

North American Chair

Morning views

We are an Alpine Club based at Mt Norquay.  Improve your athletes skills on the slopes, while being introduced to racing in a fun environment! #friendsforlife #lifeskills #welovetoski #nobaddays #community #mtnorquay 

Don’t miss out on being apart of Alpine Canada’s Club and Alberta Alpine’s Development Club of the 2019/2020 Season with 3 Alumni on the Canadian Alpine National Team! 

ONE DAY PROGRAMMING – Saturday’s OR Sunday’s

• Q16 – 16 day program aimed at 5 year old athletes , program starts December 14/15
• Q18 – 18 day program for 5-13 year olds, program starts December 7/8
• Q18 ALL MOUNTAIN *Saturday ONLY – All Mountain program for athletes aged 11-13.
• Q22 – 22 day program transition to race program, one home race, one away race
• Register HERE

TWO DAY PROGRAMMING – Saturday & Sunday

• U8 – Just a few places left! 30-35 day program for athletes born in 2012, starting December 7th
• U10 – 3 spots left! 50-55 day program for athletes born in 2010 & 2011, starting November 23rd
• U12 & U12+ – 2 spots left! 55 OR 70 day program for athletes born 2008 & 2009, starting November 16th
• Register HERE

More details on programming available on http://www.banffalpineracers.com OR email bvq@banffalpineracers.com.  Registration is only open for a few more weeks. http://www.zone4.ca “Bow Valley Quikies”

Cookie Cup Races for everyone

We love snow!

Team building with our coaches

Skating skills

Checking out Lake Louise

Team Events

Club Cookie Cup Race

U12 Caribou Cup Team Event

Off Season activities

All smiles

Free Skiing

Our coaches are awesome

Teamwork

Warm up with Q16

Q16 athlete

The snow has arrived and we are excited to provide an opportunity to clear out your storage, and get all your new winter gear! We have over 6 retailers, and anyone is welcome to bring their gear for our volunteers to sell.

• GEAR DROP OFF – Saturday October 12th, 10am-6pm
• EARLY BIRD SALE – Sunday October 13th, 9-11am – tickets $10 available on Saturday
• FREE ENTRY – Sunday October 13th, 11am-5pm
• UNSOLD ITEM & SALE PICK UP – Monday October 14th, 9-11am

DO YOU have lots of gear? Get a head start on tagging your items.
DO YOU have any questions? SKI & SPORTS SWAP
DO YOU want to never miss out, get on our mailing list!

CONTACT US: bvq@banffalpineracers.com

Alpine Canada’s Club of the Year will be hitting the slopes in 3 months for the 2019/2020 season.  Be sure to sign up today!

Online registration:

Bow Valley Quikies – Athletes aged 5-12
https://banffalpineracers.com/bvq/
Register: https://zone4.ca/register.asp?id=21495&lan=1&cartlevel=1
Or Search “Bow Valley Quikies” on www.zone4.ca

Banff Alpine Racers – Athletes aged 12-20
https://banffalpineracers.com/bar-programs/
Register: https://zone4.ca/register.asp?id=21410&lan=1&cartlevel=1
Or search “Banff Alpine Racers” on www.zone4.ca

Please send any questions to – bvq@banffalpineracers.com

 

U12 Caribou Cup Team Event

 

This past weekend over 200 members joined the End of Season celebrations at Mt Norquay Lone Pine Lodge.   The evening began with  BVQ U10/U12 athletes awards.

U10 – Most Improved – Stella
U10 Sportsmanship – Miller
U10 Abby Award – Riley Moran – http://abbyaward.com
U12 Outstanding Female – Rebecca P
U12 Outstanding Male – Nicholas
U12 Most Improved – Molly
NGSL Sportsmanship – Nolan & Georgia
Cary Mullen Award – Nicholas Berthiaume – Alberta Alpine

Following a fabulous dinner, we had the honour of Ken Read introducing our Alumni that have excelled past Banff Alpine Racers FIS Program.  Erik Read followed with an inspirational speech about his career up to date and his pathway to World Cup level ski racing.

U14 Outstanding Female – Shae
U14 Outstanding Male – David
U14 Most Improved – Alice & Will
U14 Sportsmanship – Claire & Mathieu
U16 Top Female – Cydnie
U16 Top Male – Colin
U16 Most Improved – Casey
U16 Rob Bosinger Sportsmanship Award – Anya

Isla and Bella were recognized for 13 years of ski racing with Bow Valley Quikies & Banff Alpine Racers.  We wish these athletes the best at university next year.

Jim Tracy long time coach at BAR, was recognized as coach of the year.  Jim has trained many exceptional athletes over the years, this season sent 3 athletes to Canada Winter Games and 2 athletes represent Alberta, 1 represent Canada at Whistler Cup.

Top Junior Female – Katrina
Top Junior Male – Konstantin
Most Improved FIS athletes – Madalyn & Cody
FIS Sportsmanship Award – Jessie

Finishing the athletes awards for the evening, Bella was recognized by her peers as the recipient of the Tiger Cup.  This athlete shows commitment, team spirit, courage, passion and the desire for excellence in ski racing.

Cam was awarded with a ‘BAR Maid’s’ belt buckle, recognizing his volunteering over the years, and most of all this year, coming out for just about every BAR hosted race throughout the season.  Executive Director Pete presented past president Gina with Club Builder award, thanking her for her endless hours making BAR/BVQ the Club it is today.

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March 30/31 marked the 14th year of the Rob Bosinger Memorial Race hosted by Banff Alpine at Mount Norquay. Rob was a prominent athlete, mentor, friend and father who carried his passion for ski racing through all walks of his life. In May 2005 Rob passed away due to cardiac arrhythmia at the age of 38, leaving behind his wife and son. In honour of his legacy his friends, family and community dedicated the Bozo Cup in his memory.

The knockout style race features head-to-head racing in a panelled slalom format. Each person continuing based on the winner of each race. Obstacles include two jumps, screaming commentators and less than practical costumes.

Registration saw the women’s pro category sell out for the first time in years following strong numbers in the amateur category. Men’s pro, amateur and masters categories were also close to capacity. Money raised from this weekend goes towards a set of scholarships for two young Alberta Alpine athletes and research and support for the Canadian Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes (SADS) Foundation.

This year Alberta Alpine hosted the first practice night at COP for retired enthusiasts who may have needed more than one run to get back into it (cough* most of us). Coaches retired athletes and business professionals came out of the woodwork in preparation for the big day.

The spring weather graced its presence yet again as past, present national, provincial and local athletes queued up to support the cause. Cowboys, Retro and the Canadian Tuxedo were amongst many costumes paraded on the track. We’re pretty sure we saw a Kim Kardashian inspired costume amongst others! Coaches (sometimes) gave their past athletes a run for their money, while dads and moms arced like they hadn’t missed a race in years.

As part of tradition, Pete Bosinger opened the race by hosting a toast to everyone in attendance, celebrating the legacy of his brother as well as the community we continue to value.

Younger athletes even took some time off their training schedule to come and cheer on their coaches, parents and mentors (while giving some much-needed racing advice).

Pro winners

Best dressed “yip yip”

Mt Norquay GM Andre

The legend ‘Mix’

Not the easiest outfit to race in

They may be retired, but they still go hard!

The award for best Costume was awarded to Ross McKercher for his exquisite hand-made ‘yipyip’ design.

A big thank you to Damien and Maggie Mills who designed and curated new medals for this year’s participants. Thank you to the volunteers whom we all rely on the make this special day a success.

Sunday followed with Kinder Cup, U14 & U16 athletes battling it out on the course for top spot.

Story by Hannah Willinger, Photos by John Evely

2019 Bozo Cup Results

Women’s Pro

1. Mikayla Martin – Current Canadian Alpine Team Member
2. Georgia Willinger – past New Zealand Ski Team Member
3. Emma Carmichael – Current BAR FIS athlete

Women’s Amateur

1. Mariana Tellez – Past BAR athlete and current BAR coach
2. Lara Kattler – Past BAR athlete and current BAR coach
3. Emily Coles

Men’s pro

1. Paul Stutz – Past Canadian Ski Team Champion
2. Louie-Pierre Helie – Past Canadian Ski Cross
3. Cedric Gangon

Men’s Amateur

1. Cole Lamoureux – Past FIS athlete
2. Adam Matejko – Past FIS athlete
3. Cody Pederson – Past Alberta Ski Team Member

Men’s Masters

1. Andre Quenneville – Mt Norquay GM, past alpine racer
2. Pete Bosinger – Past Canadian Ski Team Member
3. Matt Hyndman – Past Alberta Ski Team Member

The spirit of St. Patrick was alive and well March 16/17 for the annual Caribou Cup hosted by Banff Alpine at Mount Norquay.

The warm weather brought a long-awaited spring vibe that was perfect for the weekend race. The sun radiated through the panels as over 200 athletes from over 18 clubs participated, including teams from Saskatchewan. Since the race came to fruition in 1978, thousands of athletes have launched out of the start gate in this U12 championship. Making this year the 41st installment of the Caribou Cup!

Saturday hosted 4 GS (giant slalom) raced runs on Rob’s Run showcasing some wickedly fast skiing from across the province. Athlete results were chosen on the best/fastest run of two in the morning and best of two in the afternoon. Three teams tied for first in the girls’ division, followed closely by the boys who had solid first through third finishes.

Sunday saw some more spectacular weather with the team event commencing in front of the Mount Norquay lodge. Many parents could be seen cheering on their children from the sidelines or from the patio (the best view, from our biased opinion). Many even dawned their St. Patrick’s day spirit with lucky green hats and dazzling glasses.

The team event witnessed a record-breaking 1800 starts and 9 race runs in the Round Robin style race. Racers were mixed and paired with athletes from different clubs and put into groups, each group totaling 10 athletes each. This was done as an opportunity to contribute to our racing community by meeting children from other teams while racing in a team environment.

Many athletes stuck around after their runs or raced up to the start to cheer on their teammates, embodying the team spirit many coaches and parents actively encourage. There was never a dull moment in either area!

Adding to the energy was Coach Ross and parent Betty Jo could also be heard commentating the race in live time, everything from reminding everyone to wear their sunscreen to introducing each athlete and their team, with a few jokes tossed in between.

At the end of the rainbow finish line was a photo for each athlete provided by Malcolm Carmichael, our local photographer.

A big thanks to the clubs who traveled to attend the race, to the volunteers, Mount Norquay and our sponsor Caribou Lodging Company for making it possible to continue to host such a monumental tradition.

Story by Hannah Willinger, Photos Malcolm Carmichael

Our own Crazy Canuck Ken Read recently wrote about the history of the Caribou Cup. Find that story here:  https://skierone.com/2019/03/17/the-caribou-albertas-premiere-u12-alpine-ski-race/

Coach commentating U12 Caribou Cup team event

Chief of course and fun at Caribou Cup

– Eight men, seven women to represent Canada in Are, Sweden, Feb. 4-17, 2019 Calgary, Alta. (Jan. 31, 2019) – Alpine Canada is sending a mix of experienced veterans and up-and-coming racers to the first FIS Alpine World Championship of this Olympic…

https://alpinecanada.org/news/alpine-canada-names-15-athletes-to-fis-alpine-world-championship-team