That’s a Wrap! The 2014 Paralympic Winter Games have come to a close, with outstanding performances from our Canadian athletes! A huge congratulations to all the Snow Sports Canada athletes who participated and earned 14 of the 16 medals for Team Canada. Here are the highlights for our Snow Sports Canada athletes.

Alpine

Mac Marcoux
Gold-Men’s Giant Slalom
Bronze-Men’s Downhill
Bronze- Men’s Super-G

Sixteen-year-old Mac Marcoux‘s dream came true this year at Sochi. Guided by Remy Femy, Mac left Sochi with three medals!
Josh Dueck
Silver-Men’s Downhill, Sitting
Gold- Men’s Super Combined,Sitting

Sit Skier Josh Dueck was selected as the flag-bearer for the Canadian Paralympic team at the Sochi 2014 closing ceremonies. Dueck left sochi with a Gold in the super combined and a silver in the downhill.

 

 

 

Chris Williamson
Bronze- Men’s Slalom, Visually Impaired

Toronto native Chris Williamson, guided by Nick Brush, made a remarkable comeback from an injury and a last-minute change to his guide by winning bronze in the Men’s Visually Impaired Slalom at Sochi.

 

 

 

Kimberly Joines
Bronze-Women’s Slalom, Sitting

Kimberly Joines conquered the rough, low-visibility course conditions in Women’s Slalom, leaving Sochi in the end with a bronze medal. Joines fell from silver to bronze after a jury overturned the disqualification of a German skier who took home gold.

 

Caleb Brousseau
Bronze-Men’s Super-G, Sitting

Caleb Brousseau, of Terrace, B.C., earned a bronze in Men’s Super-G sitting. It has been a dream in the making since watching the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics.

 

 

Cross Country

 

Chris Klebl
Gold- Men’s 10km, Sitting

Chris Klebl put down the performance of the Games when it counted most , winning Canada’s final gold medal at Sochi. Klebl’s performance secured Canada’s place in the top-three Countries for medal count.

 

 

 

 

 

Brian McKeever
Gold- Men’s 10km
Gold-Men’s 1km sprint
Gold-Men’s 20km
Visually Impaired

Brian McKeever secured the nation its first, with three golds at Sochi, he raised his medal count to 13 (10 golds). With the help of his guides Erik Carelton and Graham Nishikawa, McKeever scored a golden-hat trick in Sochi! 

 

 

 

 

Mark Arendz
Biathlon:
Bronze- Men’s 12.5km, Standing
Silver-Men’s 7.5km, Standing

24-year old Mark Arendz, battled through brutal race conditions to win the bronze medal in the men’s 12.5-kilometre standing. Earlier in the games Arendz became the first Canadian to win a silver medal in a Para-Biathlon event!

 

Congratulations to all of our Snow Sports Canada and Paralympian Team athletes.You have demonstrated strength and perseverance and continue to prove that anything is possible!

 

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Paralympic news and information can be found on :

http://www.sochi2014.com

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/paralympics

 

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Action Camera Company Set to Own The Snow as it Enters Canadian Market

Snow Sports Canada announced today that it has signed a groundbreaking partnership agreement with iON America, a world-leading Point of View (POV) camera company, about to enter the Canadian marketplace. iON America is well established in the American snow market, having just been the Official Camera Sponsor of the Dew Tour in Breckenridge and signing on a number of high profile snow athletes as part of Team iON. As the official camera of Snow Sports Canada, iON cameras will be used for video capture, enhanced real-time review and performance feedback by technical staff and coaches involved in Canada’s premier winter sports organizations.

“We are very excited to announce iON America as the first corporate partner for Snow Sports Canada,” says Steven Hills, Executive Director, Canada Snowboard. “The support of the corporate community is key to success for Canada’s athletes, and this multi-year commitment from iON will help drive financial stability for the seven National Sports Organizations that form Snow Sports Canada. This comes at a particularly exciting time as we are only a few days away from the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, where our athletes are poised to own the snow.”

Snow Sports Canada is a unique and innovative partnership of seven of Canada’s premier winter sport organizations that have joined forces to support the overall development of winter sport in Canada. As a new marketing effort, Alpine Canada, the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association, Canada Snowboard, Cross Country Canada, Biathlon Canada, Ski Jumping Canada and Nordic Combined Canada have pulled together to leverage their assets to offer a more cohesive option to Corporate Canada and international brands.

iON athletes Nick Goepper and James Woods“Coming into the Canadian marketplace with this multifaceted partnership with Snow Sports Canada is the ideal situation for iON Canada,” says Giovanni Tomaselli, Founder and CEO, iON America. “Leveraging seven of Canada’s snow sport organizations while introducing our product into the market is incredible. We know that Canada is the land of snow, and we can’t think of a better way to reach winter sport enthusiasts who want to capture and immediately share their snow experiences.”

“iON is all about innovation and a desire to differentiate themselves, so breaking new ground in Canada with this partnership is a perfect match,” says Bill Cooper, Chief Operating Partner, TwentyTen Group, the Agency of Record for Snow Sports Canada. “The potential for engagement with consumers through Snow Sports Canada is extraordinary and iON is the first to harness this opportunity. We welcome their vision to dive into blue water and we look forward to nurturing a positive return on investment for both iON and the seven sports.

“The sponsorship industry is changing rapidly. It is no longer sufficient to approach corporate partnerships without strategy, integrated activation and a powerful story-building platform by which to create a meaningful connection with consumers. iON America is set to harness an incredible opportunity with Snow Sports Canada, and the timing couldn’t be better with their athletes taking centre stage in Sochi in a matter of days.”

About iON America

iON America pioneered the concept of Shoot/Share™ Wi-Fi connectivity in point-of-view (POV) cameras with its aerodynamic and fully-waterproof Air Pro, Speed Pro, Adventure and The Game lines. Designed for pros and amateurs alike, iON cameras make it easy to capture and share high-definition video and still images, with Wi-Fi connectivity and free cloud storage. iON America’s experienced team has been involved in the design, development and manufacturing of digital imaging products worldwide for over 20 years. For more information, visit www.ioncamera.com and its social sites:

https://facebook.com/ioncamera

http://twitter.com/ioncamera

http://instagram.com/ioncamera

http://youtube.com/ioncamera 

ABOUT SNOW SPORTS CANADA
Snow Sports Canada is a partnership of seven of Canada’s premier winter sport organizations that have joined forces to support the overall development of winter sport in our country. Representing over 93,000 registered members and 5.4 million recreational participants, Snow Sports Canada seeks to leverage the combined experience and expertise of their coaches, trainers, athletes and support staff to deliver high performance content to recreational snow sport participants in Canada.

Our mission is to ensure the safe participation in, and growth of, winter sport in Canada by providing access to the expertise of our national teams and to support the development of winter sport through the acquisition of corporate partners. For more information, visit snowsportscanada.ca.

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MEET THE 2014 CANADIAN PARA SNOWBOARD TEAM
:

Tyler Mosher (Whistler, BC)
Michelle Salt (Calgary, AB)
Ian Lockey (Trail, BC)
John Leslie (Armprior, ON)

Tyler Mosher

The team will be lead by 2009 Para Snowboard World Champion Tyler Mosher, who made a previous appearance at the Paralympics as a Cross-Country skier before concentrating solely on snowboarding. “After you’ve had a spinal cord injury snowboarding it’s a dream come true to learn to walk again and then help develop the sport to the point where it is part the Paralympic games,” said Mosher, “It’s a blessing to still be young enough to compete but better still to compete at the level where you can come back with a gold medal. It is truly an honor and I feel very lucky to be able to represent my country.”

In his three years on the Para-Snowboard National Team. Tyler has made his mark on the adaptive snowsport world. From winning the first Adaptive Snowboard World Cup in 2008 to being a founding board member of the Whistler Adaptive Sport Program, Tyler has been a leader and a driving force in the para snowboard movement. When he is not snowboarding, Tyler is an active adaptive cross-country skier and an inspirational speaker. Tyler sustained an injury resulting in incomplete paraplegia.

Michelle Salt

New on the team is rookie Michelle Salt of Calgary, AB. Salt was involved in a nearly fatal motorcycle crash only two years ago; she underwent numerous surgeries including the amputation of her right leg. Her accident did not stop her from getting back on her board as soon as she could and two weeks after her accident she was on the phone with current National Team coach Candice Drouin to make it a reality.

She currently lives in Calgary, AB where she trains with Evolve Snowboard Club at COP and Lake Louise. When she’s not training, she enjoys other sports such as cycling, wakeboarding and kayaking. She also spends time speaking for STARS and Canadian Blood services as patient/recipient. She is relatively new to the para-snowboard world as she lost her leg above the right knee in June 2011.

 Ian Lockey

Ian is entering his third year with the Canada~Snowboard Para Snowboarding team. Outside of the sport, he enjoys mountain biking, gardening and listening to punk rock music. Ian sustained an injury resulting in incomplete paraplegia.

 

John Leslie

John is currently living in Ottawa in his first year of university. John trains with the Ottawa Akademy Club and looking forward to competing on the World Cup circuit. Off the snow, John enjoys spending time with his friends and family as well as mountain biking and water sports. John has a below the knee amputation.

 

For full bios and information on the Para-Snowboard team visit: http://www.canadasnowboard.ca/en/team/parasnowboard/

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After more than two weeks of intense competition the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games have come to an end. A huge congratulations to all of the Snow Sports Canada athletes who participated and helped earn 12 of the 25 medals for Team Canada. Here are the medal highlights for our Snow Sports Canada athletes.

Freestyle Skiing  

Ladies Moguls:
Gold – Jusine Dufour-Lapointe
Silver – Chloe Dufour-Lapointe

No one will forget the unbelievable and intense day of competition for Ladies’ Moguls, when the Dufour-Lapointe sisters topped the podium and made Olympic history.

 

 

 

Men’s Moguls:
Gold – Alex Bilodeau
Silver – Mikael Kingsbury

In Men’s Moguls  Alex Bilodeau became the first Freestyle Gold Medallist (and the first Canadian male in any event) to repeat as Olympic Champion! He was joined on the podium by Mikael Kingsbury who took home the silver medal.

 

Women’s Ski Slopestyle:
Gold – Dara Howell
Bronze – Kim Lamarre

In a dazzling display of substance and style, Huntsville, Ontario’s Dara Howell won gold and Kim Lamarre from Quebec City captured the bronze medal.

 

Men’s Ski Halfpipe:
Silver – Mike Riddle

Sitting sixth after the first run of the two-run final, Sherwood Park, Alberta’s Mike Riddle took home silver.

 

 

 

 Snowboard

 

Men’s Slopestyle:

Bronze – Mark McMorris

Despite his rib injury, Regina-born snowboarder, Mark McMorris won Olympic bronze in the Slopestyle competition.

 

 

 

Ladies Snowboard Cross:

Silver – Dominque Maltais

Dominque Maltais raised her arms as she crossed the finish line for the silver medal in the women’s snowboard cross. Maltais knew she had done all the preparation and all the training to be at her best on the right day.

 

 

 

Alpine 

 

Ladies’ Ski Cross:
Gold – Marielle Thompson
Silver – Kelsey Serwa

 

 

 

 

 

Marielle Thompson of Whistler, B.C won a gold medal and Kelsey Serwa of Kelowna, B.C., captured a silver medal in women’s skicross at Sochi.

Men’s Super-G:
Bronze – Jan Hudec

 

 

 

 

 

A high pain threshold and the  belief he had more to accomplish in ski racing put a bronze Olympic medal around Jan Hudec’s neck in Men’s Super-G.

Congratulations to all of our Snow Sports Canada and Olympic Team athletes. You have made the country proud and continue to prove that anything is possible!

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Olympic news and information can be found on:

http://www.sochi2014.com/en 

http://olympics.cbc.ca/

 

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Three men and three women officially nominated to Canadian Olympic Team

Alpine Canada Alpine today announced the six athletes who are formally nominated onto the Canadian Olympic Ski Cross Team for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. The three men: Dave Duncan, Chris Del Bosco and Brady Leman; and three women: Kelsey Serwa, Marielle Thompsonand Georgia Simmerling were nominated during an announcement at the Vancouver Convention Centre, in Vancouver.

“Our team is heading to Sochi with fire in our hearts,” said Kelsey Serwa, Vancouver 2010 Olympian and 2011 world and X Games champion. “I know I’m not only speaking for myself when I say that we will do everything in our power to make our nation proud next month as we race for gold. We are winter, and we are competing to win.”

Ski cross made its Olympic debut in 2010 when Whistler, BC’s Ashleigh McIvor – who has since retired – won gold. Canada’s ski cross team has been ranked No. 1 in the world in four of the past five years and the six nominated athletes include World Cup winners, world champions, X Games gold medallists and a Crystal Globe winner.

“All three of us on the men’s team are heading into Sochi looking for redemption. We all feel like we have a second chance,” said Chris Del Bosco, Vancouver 2010 Olympian. “We all have the potential to go out there and win gold and that’s what we’ll be trying to do. Canada has been the top ski cross nation in the world for four of the past five years and we have nothing to fear in Sochi. We believe this is our year.”

“The sport of Ski Cross requires athletes to have a real competitive edge and today’s nominated team is a true reflection of that,” said Marcel Aubut, President, Canadian Olympic Committee. “I have full confidence in our ski cross athletes and will cheer with all of Canada when they take to the Olympic snow in Sochi.”

The FIS allocates up to 26 quota spots for each nation for all five freestyle disciplines. The minimum requirement from the FIS is a top thirty ranking in order for an athlete to eligible for the Games. All six ski cross nominees were ranked in the top 10 in the world when the Olympic qualification window closed and they have all earned at least one World Cup podium since the start of the 2012-13 season. No more than four athletes per gender in each discipline can be nominated.

The Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games will take place from February 7-23, 2014. The Canadian Olympic Team has set a goal to contend to be the top nation in overall medals won.

List of Ski Cross athletes nominated to the Sochi 2014 Canadian Olympic Team:

Women:
Kelsey Serwa - Kelowna, B.C.
Marielle Thompson - Whistler, B.C.
Georgia Simmerling - West Vancouver, B.C0.
Men:
Dave Duncan - London, Ont.
Chris Del Bosco - Montreal, Que.
Brady Leman - Calgary, Alta.

These six ski cross athletes now join 27 speed skaters, 10 curling athletes, 16 bobsledders, eight lugers, four skeleton athletes, 21 women hockey players, eight biathletes, 24 snowboarders, 25 men hockey players, three skiers, 17 figure skaters, 11 cross-country skiers, three women alpine skiers, 20 freestyle skiers, seven ski jumpers as the next members on the Canadian Olympic Team.

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Canadians excel at these sports internationally too. We love to watch our best nordic, alpine and freestyle athletes compete, particularly during Olympic years when they make us proud on the podium. Always a winter sports nation, Canada has enjoyed increasing success at the Winter Olympic Games, culminating in our best ever performance at the 2010 Games in Vancouver, where our athletes won a best-ever 26 medals on home soil.

“Canadian athletes are in the hunt for gold, and there’s a lot of emotion and excitement attached to that. But training for their sports is these athletes’ careers. They do it day in, day out with very little attention. They wouldn’t be here if we didn’t support them outside Olympic years.”

Inspired by this success, young Canadian athletes join ski clubs all over the country that are the training ground for Canada’s national teams. There are approximately 93,000 registered members of Canada’s seven national snow sports organizations: Alpine Canada, Biathlon Canada, Canada Snowboard, Cross Country Ski Canada, Freestyle Canada, Nordic Combined Canada and Ski Jumping Canada.

Each of these organizations has invested in a wealth of expertise and resources to help its athletes achieve their best possible level of performance. “There’s a very technical focus,” says Davin McIntosh, executive director of Cross Country Canada. “National team athletes don’t just have a coach, they have a whole integrated support team of experts in physiology, medicine, bio-mechanics, nutrition, psychology – you name it.”

Now, they are reaching out to share this expertise with recreational snow sport participants, hoping to ensure safety, awareness and growing participation in each of their sports. To do so, they’ve formed a partnership called Snow Sports Canada.

“There’s a lot of money invested in research and development for Canada’s high performance athletes, and it seems a shame not to share it,” says Bill Cooper, partner at the Twentyten Group, a marketing and sponsorship agency working closely with Snow Sports Canada. “We think there’s an appetite among Canadians for fitness and nutrition advice, equipment tips and other ideas to help them get the most out of their snow sports experiences.”

Asked what led to this collaboration, McIntosh explains, “There are a lot of ties between our sports. Many families who downhill ski also enjoy cross country. They might be interested in watching a biathlon race or trying something new themselves. We have a supportive, enthusiastic cross country community, but we also have a lot to gain by reaching out to a broader group.”

The eyes of millions of Canadians will be on Canada’s national team athletes when they compete in Sochi this February, but in fact they need our support outside Olympic years. “Any time we have an Olympics, it’s a rallying point for our sports,” says McIntosh. “Canadian athletes are in the hunt for gold, and there’s a lot of emotion and excitement attached to that. But training for their sports is these athletes’ careers. They do it day in, day out with very little attention. They wouldn’t be here if we didn’t support them outside Olympic years.”

Snow Sports Canada and its seven partners hope that by sharing their expertise with Canada’s recreational snow sport participants, they can create a valuable asset that will attract sponsorship that can be invested in this athlete support.

“Snowsportscanada.ca will provide tips gathered from experts and athletes. We hope Canadians will get on board and help us steer the ship going forward, by telling us what kind of information they’re most interested in,” says Cooper.

 

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Eight women and 11 men join five snowboarding athletes already nominated to Canadian Olympic Team

Canada Snowboard announced today their remaining 19 athletes who are formally nominated onto the Canadian Olympic Snowboarding Team for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

The eight women: Jenna Blasman (Kitchener, ON); Caroline Calvé (Aylmer, QC); Alexandra Duckworth (Kingsburg, NS); Ariane Lavigne (Lac Supérieur, QC); Marianne Leeson (Burlington, ON); Dominique Maltais (Petite-Rivière-St-François, QC); Mercedes Nicoll (Whistler, BC); Katie Tsuyuki (Toronto, ON); and 11 men: Jasey-Jay Anderson (Mont-Tremblant, QC); Rob Fagan (Cranbrook, BC); Kevin Hill (Vernon, BC); Jake Holden (Caledon, ON); Michael Lambert (Toronto, ON); Crispin Lipscomb (Whistler, BC); Derek Livingston (Aurora, ON); Brad Martin (Ancaster, ON); Matt Morison (Burketon, ON); Maxence Parrot (Bromont, QC); and Charles Reid (Mont-Tremblant, QC) were nominated during an announcement at the beautiful l’hôtel de Glace in Quebec City.

“Going to Sochi is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and one that I am honoured to have been chosen for,” said Caroline Calvé, Vancouver 2010 Olympian. “I have been working on perfecting my game for such a long time now and am excited to be competing against the world’s best. It will be an honour to be representing Canada at the Olympics.”

“Today is such a special day for me. To be named a Canadian Olympic snowboarder and being made part of the Canadian Olympic Team is one of the proudest moments of my career,” said Maxence Parrot. “I can’t wait to hit the snow in Sochi and show the world what Canada is made of.”

“This is an incredibly talented group of athletes who have all earned the right to don our country’s colours in Sochi,” added Marcel Aubut, President, Canadian Olympic Committee. “Each of the snowboarders nominated today has the potential to compete and win against the world’s best. I look forward to seeing their stunning performances as they attempt to land on the Olympic podium.”

Canada Snowboard earned the maximum of 24 quota spots for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games and each discipline received six. This means a full team will be heading to Sochi aiming for medal success. Canada’s snowboarders will be competing next at the X-Games (January 23-26) in Aspen, Colorado, where Mark McMorris and Dominique Maltais go in as defending champions in their respective disciplines. This, as well as the Sudelfeld PGS World Cup, will be the last international competitions for our Canadians prior to Sochi.

“Congratulations to the Canadian snowboarders who make up the Olympic snowboarding team for Sochi. We are anxious to see you go up against the best athletes in your discipline, achieve great things and demonstrate your skill to the world,” said Jacques Gourde, Member of Parliament (Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière). “Your fellow Canadians are cheering you on at every stage of your journey. Good luck in your preparations and in the competitions!”

The Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games will take place from February 7-23, 2014. The Canadian Olympic Team has set a goal to contend to be the top nation in overall medals won.

List of Snowboarding athletes nominated to the Sochi 2014 Canadian Olympic Team:

First Last Hometown Sport
Jasey-Jay Anderson Mont-Tremblant, QC Snowboard – Men’s PGS/PSL
Jenna  Blasman Kitchener, ON Snowboard – Women’s Slopestyle
Caroline  Calvé Aylmer, QC Snowboard – Women’s PGS/PSL
Alex Duckworth Kingsburg, NS Snowboard – Women’s Halfpipe
Rob Fagan Cranbrook, BC Snowboard – Men’s SBX
Kevin Hill Vernon, BC Snowboard – Men’s SBX
Jake  Holden Caledon, ON Snowboard – Men’s SBX
Michael  Lambert Toronto, ON Snowboard – Men’s PGS/PSL
Ariane Lavigne Lac Supérieur, QC Snowboard – Women’s PGS/PSL
Marianne Leeson Burlington, ON Snowboard – Women’s PGS/PSL
Crispin Lipscomb Whistler, BC Snowboard – Men’s Halfpipe
Derek  Livingston Aurora, ON Snowboard – Men’s Halfpipe
Dominique Maltais Petite-Rivière-St-François, QC Snowboard – Women’s SBX
Brad  Martin Ancaster, ON Snowboard – Men’s Halfpipe
Matt Morison Burketon, ON Snowboard – Men’s PGS/PSL
Mercedes Nicoll Whistler, BC Snowboard – Women’s Halfpipe
Maxence  Parrot Bromont, QC Snowboard – Men’s Slopestyle
Charles  Reid Mont-Tremblant, QC Snowboard – Men’s Slopestyle
Katie  Tsuyuki Toronto, ON Snowboard – Women’s Halfpipe

These newly-nominated 19 snowboarders now join five other snowboarders (Mark McMorris, Sebastien Toutant, Spencer O’Brien, Maelle Ricker and Chris Robanske), 10 speed skaters, 10 curling athletes, 16 bobsledders, seven lugers, four skeleton athletes, 21 women hockey players, eight biathletes, 25 men hockey players, six alpine skiers, 17 figure skaters, 11 cross-country skiers and 20 freestyle skiers as the next members on the Canadian Olympic Team. Up to four more teams will be announced between now and February.

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John Leslie of Arnprior, Ont., took another giant step in his career this past weekend as he won bronze medals in both men’s snowboard cross races at a Para-snowboard World Cup competition.  They were his first career medals on the circuit.

The below knee amputee, who is also developing an impressive set of freestyle skills on the board, moved to Whistler recently to train and his dedication continues to pay dividends.

‘’It’s nice to see the hard work and training pay off,’’ said Leslie, 21. ‘’I’m super proud of myself to have made these accomplishments for the first time in my career.’’

Leslie’s coach Candice Drouin said the results augur well for the future.

‘’John showed he can be consistent,’’ said Drouin.  ‘’I’m proud of our entire team.  All the pre-season training has been effective and we are looking forward to racing some more.’’

On Saturday, Michael Shea led the U.S., to a 1-2 finish clocking 1:21.10 with the fastest times on all three runs.  The two best times are combined for the final result.  Evan Strong was second at 1:24.18 and Leslie followed in 1:27.01.  Ian Lockey of Trail, B.C., was fifth and Tyler Mosher of Whistler, B.C., sixth.

On Sunday, Strong turned the tables on his teammate winning in 1:22.40 with Shea second in 1:22.49.  Leslie posted a 1:25.79.   Mosher was 12th and Lockey decided to sit out the race to heal a sore ankle.

Leslie has worn a prosthetic leg since being treated for cancer at age 10, but that never slowed him down to be an active part of the Arnprior community.   He is a recipient of Ontario Community Newspapers Association junior citizen of the year award.

Just last month, Arnprior gave Leslie a huge Ottawa Valley send-off as he headed out west for his final set of training and competitions before the Sochi Games.  Leslie took the opportunity to visit schools including Arnprior District High School, where he graduated and which also organized the send-off.

Leslie’s long-term goal has always to peak for the 2018 Paralympics in South Korea, but if this weekend’s results are indication, Leslie may be on the fast track to the podium in Sochi.

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