Many will remember the magic of last January all too well.
Jack Crawford charged out of the start gate at the legendary Hahnenkamm downhill in Kitzbühel wearing bib 20 and attacked the Streif with full commitment, capturing Canada’s first victory on the iconic course since Todd Brooker in 1984. Longtime teammate Cam Alexander, also a Whistler Mountain Ski Club alum, added to the celebration with a third-place finish, delivering a memorable double podium for Canada.
It was a stunning performance on one of the world’s most demanding racecourses, played out in front of more than 45,000 passionate ski racing fans.
Fast forward to 2026, and Alexander appears to be rounding into top form once again. He posted a strong seventh-place finish last weekend on the Lauberhorn in Wengen, Switzerland—one of the sport’s most storied venues. Fittingly, his first post-race thoughts turned to Kitzbühel.
“Today is a good confidence boost and I’m feeling good heading into the upcoming races, especially Kitzbühel next week,” Alexander said to Alpine Canada. “I tweaked my knee in Val Gardena and wasn’t feeling good enough to race the downhills, and I didn’t feel like myself there or in Livigno. Being able to really push today felt great.”
Crawford finished 26th in the race, while Brodie Seger—also of the Whistler Mountain Ski Club—placed 46th. Seger’s result came one day after a close call in the super-G, where he spun out and narrowly avoided the safety nets, missing them by inches.
Top: Jack Crawford in the start gate at the 2025 Kitzbuhel downhill. Photo: Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool. Above. Cam Alexander charging the Lauberhorn last weekend. Photo by Alpine Canada/GEPA.
For those in the trenches of ski racing in B.C. — or even for the casual observers — the mark and brand of Karbon on the sport is unmistakable. From early-morning warm-ups to Nor-Am podiums and everything in between, the Karbon logo is visible everywhere on ski hills across the country.
The Canadian brand has been outfitting world-class winter athletes for more than two decades and is now entering its sixth season as the exclusive outerwear and racewear supplier for BC Alpine and the provincial ski team.
The partnership is rooted in shared values: innovation, athlete-first thinking and a deep belief that potential has no limits.
Five Years In: A Partnership Hitting Its Stride
BC Alpine CEO Anders Hestdalen is thrilled with the success of the partnership to date.
“In working with Karbon we have a Canadian ally who actually gets ski racing,” said Hestdalen. “They understand the grind, the weather, the long travel days, the early-morning lifts at –20°C — and the difference that high-performance gear can make in an athlete’s confidence.”
“This is more than new jackets and ski pants,” he added. “It’s a shared commitment to elevating ski racing in B.C., giving our athletes every advantage possible and celebrating the passion that keeps this community thriving.”
The provincial ski team now trains and competes in gear backed by decades of research, athlete insight and Canadian design. The partnership also reaches the club level — opening the door for young racers, coaches and families to connect with a grassroots Canadian brand.
Dressing Future Champions
For decades, Karbon’s commitment to winter sport has empowered some of Canada’s best athletes, supporting their high-performance development at every stage of the pathway. The company currently supports 12 organizations worldwide, including four alpine PSO’s in Canada: Alpine Ontario, Ski Quebec, Alberta Alpine and BC Alpine.
From future Olympians still learning to carve the perfect turn, Karbon has built its reputation on blending technical performance with real-world athlete feedback. Their gear is tested on some of the toughest hills in the world and refined by the people pushing hardest against their own boundaries.
The #NoLimits tagline isn’t simply a marketing slogan — it reflects how Karbon designs, and why its product team works hand-in-hand with elite athletes to shape every new collection.
Karbon has been busy since the brand was launched in 1997 … with 450 World Cup medals, 91 World Championship medals and 24 Olympic medals.
The Karbon Story
For Karbon, supporting BC Alpine is more than a sponsorship — it’s a continuation of its commitment to the full athlete pathway. Behind the scenes is Schure Sports, a family-owned Canadian company that has been advancing winter-sport apparel since 1982. Based in Toronto and proud of its Canadian roots, Schure Sports has built Karbon into one of the sport’s most trusted outerwear brands.
“I am very proud that BC Alpine is part of the Karbon family,” said Peter Schure, VP of Teams and Resorts. “This partnership exemplifies our commitment to sport at all levels, and we look forward to continuing this mutually beneficial relationship with BC Alpine and its athletes.”
Looking Ahead to a Bright Future
Five years into this partnership between BC Alpine and KARBON, the momentum keeps climbing. And with new gear on their backs, B.C.’s ski racers are more than ready to take the reins and charge ahead.
As a fourth generation “Rossland’er”, Catherine Adair has had front row seats to countless family skiing moments, many of them involving local or regional ski competitions.
Now, in her career as a Manager of Community Development for Teck Resources at their Vancouver head office, Catherine’s favourite topic may still be her Kootenay roots.
“I had a ski pass every year so it’s what we did as a family every weekend,” Catherine explained, about growing up on the slopes of Red Mountain. “I wasn’t much of a ski racer – I did the Nancy Greene ski league for a while – but my sister and my two cousins Jenni and Julia Delich raced competitively.”
During her youth, Catherine got to know many of the ski areas across the province when the family travelled to various ski areas in the interior and Coast, one of the perks of being in a skiing community.
“My grandfather on one side and great grandfather on the other side moved to Rossland to work in the mines,” she explained, when BC Alpine connected with her in March. “Then my grandparents [the Delich’s] operated “Delich Jewelry” in town for a number of years.”
All in the family
Catherine’s mom (Teresa) was a successful national-ranked ski racer, winning the Pontiac Cup in the 1970s, as she trained on the slopes of Red Mountain. And Mike Delich – Catherine’s uncle – was instrumental in the development of ski racing in both Rossland and Fernie. Mike, a long-time FIS Technical Delegate as well as the former Chair of BC Alpine, is a developer and builder in Fernie, where he laid roots in the 1980s, raising daughters Julia and Jenny, both former national team skiers for Canada as well as graduates of NCAA ski racing university programs in the United States.
“Ski racing builds so many of the skills that you need to be a successful adult. We have many people who work with Teck who used to be ski racers.”
For Catherine, her professional journey brought her back to Rossland in 2010 when she worked at the Teck Trail Operations Smelter – one of the world’s largest fully integrated zinc and lead smelting and refining complexes – for close to 10 years.
The experience allowed her to experience her hometown as an adult, including all of the outdoor pursuits and snow-filled recreations.
Natural partnership
As a long-time sponsor and supporter of BC Alpine and ski club programs across the province, Teck employees are passionate and engaged in community activities. As Catherine explained, a large number of Teck employees live in the communities across the province where ski clubs exist.
“A huge part of living in BC, particularly in the rural areas, is the opportunity to recreate in nature and skiing is such a big part of that,” she said. “A huge amount of our employees are involved with ski programs in BC so we want to support what they are involved in.
“What our communities care about is where Teck wants to be.”
As a sponsor and engaged partner with various sports and arts programs across the province, Teck continues to nurture and help build these community connections through their involvement.
First-hand perspective
Catherine attended a BC Alpine Teck Coast Zone U16 race in Whistler in February, and was impressed with the skiing level of the racers and the hard working volunteers.
Catherine Adair (left) and Anders Hestdalen (BC Alpine CEO) in Whistler.
“I saw so many people helping with the races, and it seemed to me like a really fun and welcoming community,” she said. It was really fun, it was my second time skiing Whistler. Anders [Hestdalen] showed me around the mountain and it truly is a spectacular and world class resort … and to see the facilities that ski racing has set up there was really impressive.”
Ski racing in BC is no doubt a close-knit community and Catherine can appreciate the volunteerism and professionalism shown by the ski clubs and BC Alpine.
And the experience of growing up in Rossland was something Catherine certainly doesn’t take for granted.
“I was so lucky, it’s such a safe and welcoming community where everyone takes care of each other and there was always something fun to do outside … Rossland will always be home.”
Photo at top: The Teck U16 Western Championships were held at Red Mountain in March. Photo by Steve Hilts – freshshots.ca
An emerging Canadian ski racing phenom made headlines and collected some serious hardware in Prince Edward Island at the 2023 Canada Winter Games.
With steely resolve, a focussed attention to details and an obvious set of impressive skills, Roxy Coatesworth, from Golden, B.C., dominated the competition at Canada’s largest multi-sports games and claimed an impressive four gold medals in four events – super-G, giant slalom, slalom and ski cross. It was a clear sign that a star was unveiled on the slopes of Crabbe Mountain, New Brunswick.
Coatesworth was chosen as the British Columbia flag-bearer at the Closing Ceremony on Sunday. “’Being chosen to hold the flag is a huge honour,” said the 16-year-old with a big smile. “It’s amazing to be able to represent everyone back home and all the athletes around me. I’m proud that I can be looked upon as a good representative for BC.”
“I wouldn’t be here without all of my support from my family, friends, coaches, sponsors, and so many more,” says Coatesworth. “All of my results this week happened with them at my side.”
Overall, Team BC finished in second place in the medal standings (see table below) behind Quebec who claimed a whopping 151 medals. BC finished with 103 total medals, including 46 gold, 26 silver and 31 bronze medals. In total, 3,600 athletes across 20 sports and 175 events were contested at 18 venues. The event is massive.
The alpine team scored multiple top 15 finishes and five medals in total – including Maddox Johnson, of the Fernie Alpine Ski Team taking a bronze in men’s ski cross – and along with Coatesworth’s four-medal dominant performance, the alpine skiers from BC (full roster below) contributed to the overall success of the provincial totals.
The para skiers from Team BC also had a strong performance at the Games, taking home three medals – a gold, silver and bronze – over two events. Matthew Leach, from the Vernon Ski Club, and Sam Peters, of the Big White Racers finished second and third respectively in the men’s para giant slalom. Leach, 15, went on to win the men’s para slalom, capping an impressive few days of racing for the youngster from Lumby, B.C.
“We went there with the goal of being the best team in all aspects, not only on the hill, but also off the hill, being respectful, engaging, supportive and energized,” said BC Alpine VP Johnny Crichton. “Our team delivered and it was noticed by the rest of the country. Well done, team!”
After a two-year hiatus, the Nancy Greene Festival hosted by Kimberley Alpine Team was reborn and took place February 11-12 at Kimberley Alpine Resort. Under bluebird skies, 150 athletes from Lake Louise (Black Dogs Ski Club), Windermere (Windermere Valley Ski Club), Golden (Golden Kicking Horse Alpine Team), and Fairmont (Team Fairmont) challenged the disciplines of Long Jump, Giant Slalom, Moguls, Speed Trap, and Dual Slalom.
Athletes, volunteers, and coaches were treated to a bbq event at the base of the famous Dreadnaught run. A celebration of participation and team spirit for the athletes’ concluded both days in the main plaza area with everyone taking home a souvenir of their experience in Kimberley.
All in all, the spirit and camaraderie of the Nancy Greene program is alive and well in the Kootenay Zone and the event truly displayed a passionate next generation.
Kimberley Alpine Team would like to thank Kimberley Alpine Resort for the grooming, bbq support, and PA equipment for the awards ceremony. Also a special thanks to Dreadnaught Racing for the use of their timing shack to support our bbq lunch. A special shout out to Save-On-Foods and Shoppers Drug Mart (Kimberley)for their lunch and award donations. To our corporate sponsor Sporting Life, thank you for recognizing the value and importance of development ski programs in British Columbia.
Finally, to all the volunteers (timing, bbq, course workers), coaches, and parents – thank you for going above and beyond in supporting this event – you set the bar high! Until next year….ski fast!
