Dreadnaught Ski Racing’s monumental 2023/24 season is well underway. From Feb. 12 to 16, around 45 athletes and 10 coaches are at Kimberley Alpine Resort, training and competing in the Canadian and USA National Para Alpine Championships and FIS Speed Series.
The Kimberley Bulletin caught up with Chief of Race Rob Tupper on Tuesday, Feb. 13, while the athletes and coaches were training, and dealing with the blustering snow and fog that had rolled in.
There’s a joke within the ski racing community that if you need it to snow, put some racing on your calendar, so if you’re a skier or snowboarder and are grateful for this fresh of winter, maybe thank the next racer you see.
“Let’s hope the fog lifts. I think the forecast for our race days looks great, we’re going to have a great end to the week and the athletes are doing well at training, so we’re looking forward to it,” Tupper said.
READ MORE: Kimberley’s Kalle Ericsson gets three podiums in FIS Para Alpine Ski World Cup
Tupper grew up in Deep Cove, North Vancouver and ski raced for the Mount Seymour Race club, before moving to Vernon and getting involved with the Vernon Ski Club at SilverStar Mountain Resort, where got back into racing, but he became more interested in the organizational aspect of it.
“I got more into the officiating side of things after my daughters were done [racing] and then just got interested in the organization of races, the officiating side of things and thought it was a good way to spend my winter,” he said.
He met Lloyd Steeves, of Dreadnaught Ski Racing, around 1o years ago when Steeves came to SilverStar as an official, and met Donna Briggs, a few years later.
READ MORE: Day one at the 2023 Para Alpine Canadian and USA National Championships
Tupper came to Kimberley last season to work the Canadian Senior National Championships and knew that Dreadnaught was in the midst of a big season of racing and had an even bigger one slated for winter 2023/24.
This winter Tupper came to help out for the Dreadnaught Downhill and then stuck around and became Chief of Race for the U16 BC Alpine Series that followed. He knew Dreadnaught had the Para Alpine races scheduled for February, so asked if he could also help out with that.
“So the thing about being here at Kimberley is if you come here, it’s easy to get promoted,” Tupper said with a laugh. “They asked if I would do Chief of Race for this and it’s something I was interested in and there’s some great supports here, so it was an easy thing to say yes to.”
He explained that as Chief of Race, he is a member of what’s known as the Jury, representing the organizing committee. The Jury is also made up of a technical delegate, who is appointed by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), and a coach who acts as referee and represents the athletes.
READ MORE: Massive season ahead for Dreadnaught Ski Racing in Kimberley
Those three people form the decision-making body for all aspects of the race including safety, athlete fairness, the final results and the running of the races themselves.
“The Chief of Race is kind of the quarterback for the whole thing,” Tupper explained. “I get to speak to everything from the race administrator before, to the signing of the final results and make sure that the technical delegate is happy and then everything from course maintenance and setup and teardown, everything kind of falls under that.
“You have to be aware of everything that’s going on and have a great team, which we do here in Kimberley.”
Many athletes and coaches who race here say Kimberley Alpine Resort is perfectly equipped for hosting high-calibre races for a number of reasons.
“The resort is set up perfectly for ski racing, where you have one lift accessing such an incredible run like Dreadnaught and then the main run can host races as well,” Tupper said. “They’ve got great equipment, the office infrastructure is right at the base of the lift, it’s really the perfect setup for ski races.
“Accommodation on the hill is great, the vibe downtown is perfect for evenings out, it’s just such a great community. When you get the view across the valley to the Rocky Mountains and those early morning sunrises, it’s just spectacular. So it’s one of the best in the world for sure and just a great community.”
While he’s raced and been involved with racing for years, this is Tupper’s first experience working as Chief of Race for a Para Alpine event.
“It’s been phenomenal,” he said. “I’m aware of some of the athletes from social media, from watching them at the Paralympics. My home ski club in Vernon has two visually impaired athletes that have come through our program, they’re here racing now, so it’s great to be more involved and not just watching from the sidelines.
“And Kimberley’s just got such a history and legacy of doing this at the highest level that it’s just the perfect place to come and do it.”