CANMORE – There were smiles and laughter when retired Olympian Kelly VanderBeek presented her latest work of art to Canada’s best 20-year-old skier Britt Richardson.
On a sunny morning in Canmore, with a tint of blue covering the distant snow-specked Three Sisters mountain range, it was symbolic for Richardson to receive her new and uniquely designed helmet for the upcoming world cup season among family and friends and in her community.
“I look back to being the skier I am today and I think, first of all, my family and my background of being from Canmore is what has brought me there,” said Richardson, Canada's youngest national team athlete.
“[The helmet] will always remind me of my biggest supporters back home and who’s always up at 3 a.m. to watch my races and texting me on the good days and texting me on the bad days."
The little kid in Richardson was screaming inside when the rising slopes star received her helmet made by idol VanderBeek following eight weeks of work from the world cup medallist.
“She was someone I wanted to be for a long time,” said Richardson. “Now being in this position and having a custom helmet similar to what she had is really cool.”
A personalized helmet design is common for skiers to have, and for Richardson it was no different. Prominently displayed on hers are the Three Sisters, Canmore’s most iconic three-peak mountain, which smoothly transitions into the Maple Leaf, with room for sponsor stickers. The helmet’s colours include red, white and Richardson’s favourite shade of blue, with black outlines.
An avid artist and photographer, VanderBeek had once drawn the designs for her own helmets when she was on the national team, however, this was the first time the 2006 Olympian had gone through the entire process from scratch.
Looking over her neatly considered work at the hand-off, VanderBeek saw a tiny imperfection and pulled out a little needle to pick it off as she wanted to make sure it looked pristine. It was an amusing moment for the former world cup skier.
“I kind of laughed to myself because, for lack of a better term, she’s gonna go and take it on a course and beat the shit out of it,” said VanderBeek.
“That’s exactly what she’s supposed to do. I was like that. When I handed it off to her I said, ‘just so you know, you are precious, but this helmet isn’t precious. Go and beat the crap out of it and be a ski racer and have fun.’”
As a pro skier, VanderBeek’s 13-year career saw three world cup medals and a fourth place at the Turin 2006 Games in super-G.
Richardson is one of Canada’s top technical skiers and is already a world championship bronze medallist when she, Canmore brothers Erik Read and Jeff Read and Ontario’s Valérie Grenier won bronze in mixed team parallel earlier this year in France.
It was Canada’s first-ever world championship medal in the team event when the Canucks defeated ski giant Austria in the small final.
On the podium, the four Canadians all wore the same uniform, with the only difference in gear being their helmets.
For the 2023-24 season, the young gun Richardson wanted “something special” for the slopes, so she reached out to VanderBeek, who’s known the Richardson family long before Britt was born, in hopes she could create a personalized brain bucket for her.
“It’s a way I can stand out and show something that is special to me on the hill, which I think is really cool,” said Richardson.
VanderBeek had a rush of excitement when she was tasked to create the helmet and design. Of course, VanderBeek could showcase an artistic side, but the project had a feel that hit closer-to-home.
The retired skier sees many parallels in herself and Richardson following more than a decade in the “White Circus”, describing Richardson as a “strong young woman who's passionate and loves the sport.”
Though, as VanderBeek says, the world cup circuit can be very lonely and challenging, with the realities of being on the road and missing out on holidays and special days on the calendar being very strenuous.
At times, a loving reminder of home and principles gives athletes an extra push of motivation.
“It means a lot to me because I also can understand that connection intimately because I lived it,” said VanderBeek. “That’s why it meant so much to me. That’s why I put so much time and investment into creating this for her because I recognized the meaning behind designing a helmet and painting a helmet. It goes beyond that. It is a connection to your home, to your community and it's a connection to what you value.”
It was a new process for VanderBeek, using one of Richardson’s old helmets to practice air-brushing and learning everything before attempting the real thing. She also sought out friend David Arrigo, who designs goalie masks for NHLers, to ensure she didn’t compromise the helmet’s integrity.
“That was my first phone call and I said 'alright, am I an idiot for even trying and attempting this?’” said VanderBeek. “I spent a month just learning and ordering all the products to make sure I had that really dialled before I even attempted to do any of the artwork itself.”
With connections around the Bow Valley, VanderBeek enlisted the help of local businesses such as CanSign for sponsor stickers and Fix Auto Bow Valley for the final clear coat.
“It really was like a team effort from the Bow Valley of bringing people together,” said VanderBeek.
Richardson starts the world cup season Saturday (Oct. 28) in the giant slalom.
