LAKE LOUISE – Conditions are golden and preparations on schedule for the 2022 Lake Louise Alpine World Cup next week.
The world’s fastest skiers are eagerly waiting to jump out of the gates and start their seasons with downhill and super-G races beginning Nov. 25-27 for the men, and Dec. 2-4 for women.
And unlike Europe, western Canada currently has snow.
“We are fortunate to host this event in Banff National Park … a majestic destination in western Canada where Mother Nature is very supportive,” said Brian Lynam, event director for the Lake Louise Alpine World Cup, in a statement.
Lake Louise Ski Resort, the host resort of the world cup, has reported 87 centimetres of snowfall so far this season on its lower mountain and more than a metre on the upper portion.
Snow blowing into the national park has been a ski-lovers dream to date and a mega relief for local organizers and racers alike following a bumpy start to the FIS season in Europe.
So far, the European tour of the world cup has been plagued by cancellations as three of four events have been called off due to weather and safety concerns.
The poor conditions overseas have set Lake Louise up as the season opener for both the men’s and women’s speed events – nearly a month after the first events in Switzerland were cancelled.
“This event is a very concerted effort by our Alpine Canada leadership, enthusiastic volunteer Sled Dogs and our talented Net Crew,” said Lynam. “We could not be successful without the strong support of the Lake Louise Ski Resort and the dedicated volunteers, partners, contractors and suppliers who make this event possible.”
The home country world cup will see the return of the Canadian men’s speed team, which has gained hype internationally for their outstanding results on the world cup and Olympics such as Jack Crawford, the team’s top skier, winning bronze in men’s combined at 2022 Beijing.
It’s the final time in the foreseeable future that the women’s speed world cup will be featured in Lake Louise. Starting next season, it will be replaced by recently announced women’s world cup technical races at Mont-Tremblant, Quebec.
The men’s world cup in Lake Louise, however, is still undecided.
