ALPINE CANADA & CADS ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP TO DEVELOP & ENCOURAGE PARA SKIING
Calgary, Alta. (March 7, 2017) - On the eve of the IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup Finals held in PyeongChang, South Korea – site of next year’s 2018 Paralympic Games – Alpine Canada is happy to announce an enhancement of its long standing collaborative relationships with CADS.
The goal of this enhancement is to formalize, strengthen and develop new initiatives for participants arising from the evolution of the Adaptive/Para-Alpine Long-Term Skier Development (LTSD) plan. It is also to collaborate on providing quality training and certification to instructors, volunteers & coaches. The ultimate goal is to increase the visibility and opportunities for Canadians living with disabilities who wish to learn to ski and develop the confidence and competence to ski independently, with speed.
“One year out from the PyeongChang Paralympic Winter Games I’m excited to make our partnership with CADS official," said Alpine Canada's Para-Alpine Ski Team Athletic Director, Matt Hallat “The road to any Paralympic dream starts at the grass roots on local ski hills from coast to coast. It’s here that participants learn to ski, but more importantly learn to; work hard, fall down, get up, and push their own limits.”
“Adaptive Snowsports in Canada is more than just learning to ski, but also how CADS supports our athletes with disabilities to progress to intermediate and advanced skiing skills," says Christian Hrab, Managing Director of CADS. “Many of the Paralympians that have represented Canada internationally have come up through the CADS adaptive snowsports system. ACA and CADS aim to continue to work with the next generation of skiers regardless of whether they are inspired to ski the blue runs on their local hills with their families or aspire for Paralympic greatness."
This partnership is designed to provide more opportunities for the adaptive skiing community to experience the fun of racing through the Carving the Future (CTF) Camps held yearly in each of the big skiing provinces. These free multi-day camps enable skiers with a disability and CADS instructors, volunteers & coaches to receive high quality entry-level coaching and thus provide a positive first experience to competitive ski racing. It is also a good venue to identify future athletes within Canada.
The 2017 CADS Ski and Snowboard Festival is held at Sun Peaks, BC from March 27th to 31. It will host the final 2017 Carving the Future race camp series for this season. Opportunities are offered to all skiers with a disability, at all levels.
The IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup Finals are being held PyeongChang, South Korea, in from March 9th to 18th will include the Downhill, Super-G, Giant Slalom, Slalom and super-combined events.
ABOUT ALPINE CANADA
Alpine Canada is the national governing body for alpine, para-alpine and ski cross racing in Canada. With the support of valued corporate partners along with the Government of Canada, Own the Podium and the Canadian Olympic Committee, Alpine Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic, world championship and World Cup medalists to stimulate visibility, inspiration and growth in the ski community.
About CADS
CADS is a multisport organization recognized nationally and internationally with a mission to develop and promote adaptive snowsports through partnerships, training, and instructor certification programs. With over 4,000 active members, CADS, directly and through its 10 Divisions and network of over 60 local Programs from coast to coast, provides quality opportunities for people with disabilities in Canada to experience the joy of participating and/or competing in adaptive snowsports.