At an early age Mark Andreassen became a great skier and mountain enthusiast. In 1950 at 18 years of age Mark bought a cabin on Grouse Mountain for $300 00 which he sold shares in to his good friends. At that time there was no bridge and no lifts on Grouse Mountain so the boys used to take the sea bus across from Vancouver, the street car to the top of Lonsdale then hike to the bottom of The Cut on Grouse where Mark's cabin "ICICLES" was located. It has been recorded that Grouse Mountain in those times used to receive over 20 feet of snow at the bottom of The Cut and it could take a better part of the weekend to dig the cabin out, even before they could hike to The Peak and start skiing.
Mark joined the Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Runners Club in 1950 and enjoyed skiing, racing and the partying with the club members at the time. When Grouse Mountain put the chairlifts in on The Cut and then the Village Chair to access the mountain easily Mark decided to give up his cabin as it was much easier to go home after skiing than to work on the cabin. Mark rejoined the Tyee Ski Club in the early 1970's as his son Blake was ski racing for the club and then moved on to the Vancouver Ski Team.
Mark was a great supporter of Alpine Ski Racing in Canada and he bought Patron Ski Passes for years to support the National Ski Team and went to all the World Cup events and functions to promote our sport.
When Whistler Village was just starting out in the early 1980's Mark bought a small one bedroom condo above Tapley’s Pub in the town center and it was very common to have 10 to 12 people staying on weekends.
Whistler Mountain was the birth place of Masters skiing in Western Canada. The former Crazy Canucks Dave Murray, started up Masters Ski camps and the Canadian Masters Alpine Ski Series across Canada. Mark became an avid Masters Ski Racer, who would never miss a Masters Ski race he travelled all across western Canada.
Mark and son Blake had a common love for Alpine Ski Racing. The Andreassen boys both followed the Masters circuit all over western Canada, traveled to the US Masters Nation Championships in Winter Park Colorado, Heavenly Valley, Alpine Meadows, Mammoth California and Jackson Hole Wyoming to compete. They knew everyone and made friends at every ski resort they travelled to.
Back home at Whistler, Mark won the Dave Murray most improved Masters Racer award one year, was on several #1 winning teams at the Whistler Fantastic Over The Hill Downhill Mark Andreassen's name is on the most coveted Trophy for winning the Whistler Peak to Valley Race. His team which included Gar Robinson had the fastest combined time for the oldest age group, in the longest Giant Slalom race in the world.
In 2013, 81 year old Mark still enjoyed skiing with Blake, on the Easy-out run on Blackcomb and his favorite run of all times – The Cut – on Grouse Mountain, which looks out over the city of Vancouver where he lived all his life.
On May 2, 2013 Mark Andreassen passed away suddenly. Family members and hundreds of Ski Racing friends, were shocked and saddened that they were unable to take that one last run with their old friend Mark.
January 11 2014 is Race Day in Canada
Blake Andreassen along with the Grouse Mtn. Tyee Ski Club are hosting a Master's style, two run Giant Slalom Race, in Mark's honor, on Grouse Mountain where skiing all started for Mark. All funds raised by this Ski Race will be donated to the Tyee Ski Club to help support programs for young Alpine ski racers. The memorial race is a no pressure, fun event that will allow many of Mark's skiing friends to get together to reminisce and have a few beer and laughs. Following the day's race, there will be a prize draw presentations; Slide show of the old Molson Canadian Masters Alpine Series races will also be shown, along with the day s memorial race video in the Grouse Mountain Chalet.
Please come out and help celebrate the life of Mark Andreassen!
RACE NOTICE:
Event. Giant Slalom, 2 Runs. Saturday January 11, 2014 at 10:00 am
Location: Grouse Mountain, North Vancouver, BC.
Hosted by Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Club – Everyone welcome! $25.00 Cdn/racer. All funds raised will be donated to the Tyee ski club to help fund programs for young Alpine Ski Racers
Entry Deadline: January 10, 2014 at 6:00pm. Any late entries will be accepted but could be subject to late fee, payable to Race Administrator
Reqistration: Registration of entries to be made through www.qrousetyee.com
Lift tickets: Discount Race Day tickets available $38.00
Volunteers: Volunteers are needed to run a great race. Please send name and phone number to Grouse Tyee Chief of Volunteers Bob Walton Race@qrousetyee.com Volunteers check in 7am at the base of Grouse Mtn.
Awards: Awards will be held on Saturday, 45 minutes after completion of the second run in the Grouse Mtn. Chalet Race orqanizinq committee: Chief of Race; Blake Andreassen blakesusanmitchell@shaw.ca Technical Delegate, Greg Williamson french93@telus.netTHE