BC Alpine has been partnered with Ski Canada Magazine for decades, which has allowed all of our members to receive the Ski Canada Magazine delivered to their homes for free. This offer has recently been extended to also allow members access to their digital offerings – but only those who OPT IN via the BC Alpine Member Update page.
Along with regular columnists, award-winning photography, gear reviews, instructional tips, nostalgia, news, gossip and racy photos, Ski Canada has been telling stories for 50+ years. From what’s in store in new gear to where to go play with it across the country, the U.S., the Alps and beyond!
Benefits of adding your email include:
Access to digital editions to read anytime, anywhere.
Access to the Ski Canada Insider’s Report monthly e-newsletter.
Ski Canada can communicate with you directly about any delivery problems.
Simply visit your BC Alpine Member Update page and scroll down to your subscriptions. Then make sure you have enabled both that you’d like to receive the magazine by mail, as well as you consent to sharing your email address with Ski Canada Magazine, as shown in the image below.
The 2024/25 season registration is under way! Online registration by the club through the BC Alpine’s registration database is all that is require to get on the FIS list however athlete will not be start eligible until such time that their paperwork is accepted by BC Alpine.
SAIP Changes
The SAIP (Sport Accident Insurance Program) is under a new provider this season which includes a new category allowing for travel up to 210 days out of country. The updated SAIP options are already available at https://bcalpine.com/programFees/#_saip. Please remember that all FIS registered athletes must have a SAIP insurance selected in order to be considered start eligible. Information about the new SAIP coverage and claims process should be made available next week and will be posted in the BC Alpine SAIP Information folder as soon as it’s available.
FIS Paperwork
Following last year’s new feature update all FIS paperwork can now be found and uploaded via the BC Alpine Members page at https://bcalpine.com/memberUpdate/. FIS members need to get their yearly medical completed, so please be sure to book with your doctor soon if you have not already done so. Note: A link to this page is sent to registered members provided that their email address is valid. Thank you to all of the members who I’ve seen already getting their forms uploaded!
Out of Country FIS Racers
ACA will again be applying a $150 International FIS Athlete Service fee. This applies to Canadian FIS licensed athletes who are participating in an international program outside of Canada and electing to start in FIS competitions as well as Canadian FIS Licensed Masters athletes who are participating in an international FIS race outside of Canada. This fee allows ACA to appropriately service CAN FIS licensed athletes participating in programs and/or Masters races outside of Canada, additional time and resources are required to ensure that their program(s) can be supported in the manner to which is expected. Contact KevenD@bcalpine.com via email to verify you are correctly listed if you believe this applies to you.
The SAIP Exclusion Waiver has been retired this season. Athletes who are training in NCAA or other out of country programs this year will no longer be able to sign off insurance requirements. These athletes will need to purchase a valid SAIP program in order to complete at a FIS race this season. Please note that the SAIP insurance only covers direct ACA sanctioned activities such as FIS races not training or non-FIS events, so they would need to have accident insurance either provided by their school/program for non-ACA sanctioned activities.
CWSAA All Areas Pass – Important Deadline: August 8th
Alpine and Ski Cross athletes in FIS programs born between 2004 and 2008 are on the qualification for this season. Deadline for selection is August 8th so any athlete or FIS traveling coach wanting to qualify for an All Areas Pass must be registered with BC Alpine and then the club registrar needs to submit those requesting passes via the “All Area Passes” registration form found in the BC Alpine Club Admin Login by that date. Cost of the pass this season is $761.25 for athletes and $1522.50 for coaches.
In order to qualify all applicants must both be registered as well as complete the appropriate CWSAA Waiver found on the link below. Failure to do either of these steps by the deadline may result in ineligibility.
All Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance and Sport Accident Insurance Policy (SAIP) purchased during the 2023/2024 season will expire as of July 1st 2024. Because of this, all insurance must be renewed for anyone participating in summer programs on or before this date. To make this transition easier BC Alpine will be accepting early registrations for the 2025 season as of June 15, 2023. Clubs running summer programs must have their registrations for both coaches and participants completed before the summer programs get underway.
Increased Membership Fees – BC Alpine
For the 2024/25 season, BC Alpine has increased its membership fees by 4% to account for inflation. The BC Alpine Board of Directors has also approved a $2 per member fee to subsidize the costs associated with reporting through our Safe Sport mechanism and the independent third party handling all complaints. Distributing the fee to all members ensures BC Alpine clubs and individual members are not deterred from utilizing the reporting system due to financial constraints. Alpine Canada have also increased their membership fees by an average of 8.6% (varies by category). Influencing factors for this increase include inflation, cost of providing service and enhanced programming (SnowStars).
You can’t purchase a FIS card or membership directly from BC Alpine. In order to be a member, you must register through one of our member clubs. A full list of current clubs and their contact information can be found at https://bcalpine.com/contact/
Access to all RCR Areas: Fernie, Kicking Horse, Kimberley and Nakiska
CWSAA has just been informed that RCR will be issuing a season pass again to all CWSAA Competitor Passholders for the 2023/24 season. Please notify all ski clubs and athletes / parents that have been issued 2023/24 CWSAA Competitor Pass of the direct lift to access process.
Steps:
Athlete & Coach to fill out on-line waiver (link is below).
After completing the waiver, they will enter their ‘Pass Release Agreement ID” that is generated at the end of the waiver process.
Step Two – enter in personal information including CWSAA Pass Number.
RCR will approve and send email confirmation they have been approved. Please allow 3 to 4 days for this process to be completed.
They can go to any one of Resorts of the Canadian Rockies ski resorts and pick up their season pass.
The seasons pass issued with this application is valid only for the person whose photograph appears on it. Should any other person attempt to use this pass it will be confiscated without rebate and that person will be prosecuted under the Criminal Code of Canada.
In the event of misconduct or non-observation of the ski area safety regulations (or Skiers Responsibility Code) on the part of the pass holder, he/she will be prohibited use of the lifts as determined by the management.
The holder of this pass assumes all risk of personal injury or loss or damage to property.
The season pass is nontransferable.
If lost or stolen, there is a $20 charge for a replacement pass.
Passholders without their pass may receive a lift ticket on the first occurrence. On additional days the pass-holder will be required to purchase a replacement pass.
This pass remains the property of Resorts of the Canadian Rockies Inc and affiliated companies and resorts.
Sign up is now online for the BC Alpine 2023/24 season Officials Update. This event is available to anyone who is interested, but we have limited capacity for the in-person portion, so please sign up as soon as possible if you intend to attend!
Sign up via the calendar (dark blue button below) with your ACA Officials Profile in order to get attendance credit on your officials transcript.
Also, to help us better plan for the event, please complete the required form using the light button below.
An official agenda will come out closer to the event time, but expect a similar schedule to last season with the meeting running from noon through 5pm and including rule updates for the season, case studies from previous seasons and overviews of what’s happening with this year’s race calendar in British Columbia. – Keven
