This blog will meander—perhaps appropriately for a piece about ski racing. Like a racecourse, it takes twists and turns; I’m covering a lot of ground in few words, so I’ll try not to hook a tip. The people behind ski racing at The Quay are far less ephemeral than ruts carved into a slope. Their names mark the runs themselves, carrying legacies that guide us through the mountain’s racing history. Like ski runs, these figures never stood alone; they connected and converged, shaping Norquay’s vibrant racing culture.
Henderson’s Turn nods to former national team coach Scotty Henderson; Robinson’s Return honours Doug Robinson’s contributions as coach, course designer, and club developer; Giver Grandi and Monod’s Legacy recognize Banff’s strongest racers and enduring ski families. Crosby’s Run is a tribute to Rob Crosby, who won gold in the downhill and silver in slalom at the 1939 Canadian Amateur Ski Association Championships, followed by gold in slalom and silver in the senior downhill in 1940. And EDge Hunter—that one’s named for my dad.
Sitting with him in long-term care, old photographs bring names to life. One from 1942 shows Dad at fifteen, holding the Paris Trophy—a cup nearly a third his size. Cyril Paris’s vision helped establish Norquay as a training ground for champions and a venue for national and international events. Another photo from 1949 shows the early Banff Ski Runners. Dad remembers some names—Lois Woodworth, Gordie Morrison, Don Hayes, Barb White—but others escape him.
Years later, I raced with the Banff Ski Runners, founded as the Banff Ski Club in 1916 and renamed in 1931. In December 1966, when I was thirteen months old, a photo of my sister and me outside the Norquay Lodge appeared on the Calgary Herald’s front page. Maybe it’s no surprise I ended up in the gates. While my fame peaked as a toddler, teammate Karen Percy carried our dreams to the 1988 Olympics, winning two bronze medals. About Norquay, she says: “Everything brings back only joy and the best times ever.”
Beneath a photo Dad took of Canada’s national team training at Norquay in 1966, I reveal a black-and-white print of Nancy Greene, alpine skiing legend and Olympic gold medalist, captured in perfect form rounding bamboo gates. Decades later, she autographed it: “To Eddie with best wishes, Nancy Greene Raine,” dated 2012. Dad has no recollection of the meeting, so I tuck the photo away for safekeeping.
The run named Crazy Canucks needs no explanation. When I ask Ken Read what Norquay means to him, his answer is simple: “The common thread across generations—from my mother’s competitions in 1948, to my own racing, to raising a family and taking on ownership—has always been Norquay as family.”
The hill hosted the Dominion (national) Championships in 1937, 1940, and 1948. In February 1948, his mother Dorothy (Dee) Read won the senior women’s downhill and combined, and placed third in the slalom. Read recognizes the audacity those early championships demanded— asking young athletes to board trains from across Canada to race on a mountain where the only way to the start was by human power – climbing.
Another run, Wiegele’s, pays tribute to Mike and Bonnie, founders of Norquay’s home team, the Banff Alpine Racers. Established in 1970, the club gave structure to Norquay’s racing culture, turning our backyard playground into a proving ground for generations.
Ski racing at Norquay has always had an enduring effect: camaraderie and friendships forged at the finish line. Ray’s Run nods to that longevity. Through Rutrunners adult racing, launched in 1980, Ray Seguin created space for anyone wanting to improve their skiing and feel the exhilaration of the gates. Along with former national team coach Bruce Henry and Scotty Holland, he built a program that remains a true asset to Norquay’s history
Another lasting tradition is the Bruno Engler Memorial Race, now in its 58th year. As the longest-running annual ski race in Canadian history, it continues to bring together generations of skiers and is an outstanding family event. Bruno’s Gulley on Mystic also honors this legendary photographer, filmmaker, storyteller, and mountain guide, keeping his spirit alive on the slopes.
For one weekend in April, legacy, friends, family, speed, and joy come together at the Rob Bosinger Memorial Weekend (Bozo Cup and Kinder Cup). Rob loved gathering his friends and welcoming anyone drawn to the thrill of ski racing—something the Bozo Cup continues in his memory. His brother Pete’s favourite moment is watching Rob’s son, Mats, race—first in the Kinder Cup, now in the Bozo Cup—echoing memories of racing with Rob in the 1980s. The slope called Rob’s Run is another tribute: a place to make a turn and remember him.
I’ll close this with a run down Silver Legacy, designed by Norquay’s General Manager André Quenneville and Ken Read. Named for World Champion silver medalists and Banff Alpine Racers graduates—Jan Hudec and the Alpine Mixed Team including Trevor Philp and Erik Read—the vision is one day to rename it Gold Legacy, in honour of a future World Champion.
