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The 2023 Alpine Ski Racing Season is shaping up to be a very prestigious season with Dreadnaught Racing have been awarded four National Level Championships. With all the extraordinary events that have taken place over the past couple of years with COVID and our lift disruption this has created a gap for our aspiring Canadian Athletes that rely on Kimberley as an athlete development location to help propel their careers.
The season will kick off with the return of the annual 10 day FIS Speed Camp, Downhill and Super G races and an athlete favorite, the Night Slalom from January 23 – February 01.
The Alpine Canada Masters will then arrive from across Canada and potentially the US to compete in a special Canadian Championships that for the first time in Kimberley will be combined with FIS Masters level racing during this event.
The addition of the FIS Masters level racing component within this event is significant as this will be a test event. If all goes well, which we are confident it will, then Kimberley will play host the World Master’s Criterion in March 2024. The Criterion has never been hosted in Canada, so this is an exciting opportunity to showcase our community to both European and North American athletes.
The premiere events of the season take place in March, the Canadian National Alpine Championships and the Canadian and USA Para National Championships. Between these two events Kimberley will have the opportunity to showcase our mountain and city to over 400 participants from Canada and the USA.
“We are super excited to see some returning events and the opportunity to host the Canadian National Championships and the future World Master’s Criterion which will earmark the first time, at least in recent history, that either of these events have been hosted in Kimberley,” said Lloyd Steeves, Co-Chair of the Race Organizing Committee.
“Our dedicated Race Organizing Committee has been very busy over the past year working on bids and equipment replacement grants to ensure we were awarded these high profile events but also that we had the equipment needed to execute at a professional level.
“Alpine Canada is excited to be headed to Kimberley, BC for some exceptional ski racing this coming March. We are delighted to be working with such a well-respected resort and to be supported by outstanding volunteers and ski racing fans.”
The racing in Kimberley gets underway with Alpine Senior Nationals from March 13th – 17th, and then continues with Para-alpine National Championships, co-hosted with the USA, March 24-28.
“Our National Team athletes are looking forward to competing for national honours in Kimberley; and to enjoying the resort, meeting the organisers, and seeing the whole community,” said Matt Hallat, Athletic Director, Para-Alpine Canada Ski Team on behalf of Alpine Canada.
Johnny Crichton, Vice President, BC Alpine Ski Association who is no stranger to Kimberley noted:
“BC Alpine is super excited about Kimberley hosting the Senior Alpine and Para Nationals! These events bring the best athletes in the country and will be targeted by some top international athletes as well. Hosting events of this magnitude in British Columbia is an excellent opportunity for not only our athletes, but also our volunteers, clubs, partners and communities in the surrounding area. The hosts are top notch and we can look forward to some incredible competition.”
“It is a big returning line-up this year,” said Co-Chairman Donna Briggs, “but our dedicated volunteers are excited and up to the challenge. Our partners Kimberley Alpine Resort and the Kimberley Alpine Team are also onboard as part of Dreadnaught Racing to work together to produce these world class events”
Dreadnaught Ski Racing’s greatest asset is our dedicated volunteers who help run our events. Volunteers will start by putting up safety features such as B-Nets/Course set-up (mid-January ‘23) and during the Race Events our volunteers will assist our course maintenance, slipping and timing teams, plus there are also some indoor office and volunteer check-in positions available.
“We welcome all levels of volunteers as training is provided, so if you can SKI, love the outdoors and want to work with a great bunch of people who like to have FUN,” said Lynn Tuttle, ROC Volunteer Coordinator.
Please email us at dreadnaughtvolunteer@gmail.com to learn more and sign-up.