Alpine Skiing
The BC Winter Games are an important milestone for ski racers as it marks their first multi-sport experience as they enter the Learn to Train pathway.
The Games feature racers 12-13 years old and are the youngest group of carded racers in the national ski racing system. Two different disciplines are part of the BC Winter Games – Giant Slalom and Slalom. The Giant Slalom race consists of two runs with a combined time while the Slalom is a single-run race.
Notable BC Games alumni who have gone on to compete internationally include three-time Olympian and multiple World Cup Champion Rob Boyd (1980 BC Winter Games), 2010 Olympian and three-time World Cup Champion Britt Janyk (1995 BC Summer Games), and Ski Cross World Champion and 2014 Olympic silver medalist Kelsey Serwa (2002 BC Winter Games).
Alpine skiing developed from the sport of cross country skiing in the European Alps over 150 years ago. Using a fixed heel binding to descend a mountain slope, alpine ski racers compete against the clock, with the fastest time determining the winner. Racing courses are made more difficult with the addition of gates to mark the route the skiers must follow. Alpine skiing has been an Olympic sport since 1936 with different disciplines added over the years, including Ski Cross at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games.
The BC Alpine Ski Association is the organization responsible for developing alpine ski racing in British Columbia.
