Skiers will hit the slopes soon as the Red Deer Ski Club gears up for the upcoming season.
The RDSC is hosting a live registration at Realty Investments (3722 57 Ave.) Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration is also available online at anytime.
“We’re not just about skiing in the club,” said Lyle Johnson, RDSC president. “There’s good camaraderie amongst the kids … and it’s just a ton of fun.”
Even if people have already registered online, they can come to the live registration to meet organizers or sign up as a volunteer, said Johnson.
There are 50-60 members in the RDSC, which runs out of the Canyon Ski Area, with ages ranging from four to 20.
Johnson said he hopes the club grows over the next couple years.
“I think a lot of people in Red Deer don’t realize what a great hill Canyon is - we’re right beside the city, so it’s easy access and it’s good for training,” he said.
Plenty of great skiers, including Olympic bronze-medalist Jan Hudec, have been in the club, he added.
Johnson said skiing could become more popular in the area with the Canada Winter Games coming to Red Deer in 2019. The ski cross event at the games with take place at the Canyon Ski Area.
“We’re trying to incorporate ski cross into our program in the next couple of years. It’s one of those sports that’s on the upswing,” he said.
Ski cross is a timed racing event, but is often considered part of freestyle skiing because it incorporates terrain features traditionally found in freestyle.
Experienced skiers looking to race and people learning to ski for the first time have places in the RDSC, said Johnson.
More details on the RDSC can be found at www.rdskiclub.ca.
sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com