Calgary AB, (December 21, 2020) – He was right, he isn’t going anywhere. Reece Howden (Cultus Lake, BC), just a day after the second podium of his career, was back, this time in first place. Marielle Thompson (Whistler, BC) made it a trifecta for the season with her third podium in as many races, finishing in third spot to close out 2020. 

Reece was dominant on the second day of racing from Val Thorens, FRA, cleaning up some areas he felt needed improvement after yesterday. The changes paid off as he crossed the line first, ahead of Ryan Regez of Switzerland. 

“Today I had an awesome day, it was a lot of fun. I was able to achieve a goal I set for myself a long time ago. It feels amazing, hard work pays off,” Reece said after his win. 

Reece, who has been on the team since 2016, has been able to devote more time to skiing this season after graduating from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in the spring. He heads into 2021 as the leader of the Ski Cross World Cup. 

“I’ve got a lot more skiing in this year after finishing a diploma in May, I’m super stoked it’s paying off.” 

Marielle Thompson, who is always a force on the tour, was on the podium again and she fought her way to a third-place finish. 

“Today I tried to be a bit faster on my starts, still ended up having to make a few moves and some pretty good passing. I’m really happy with how I skied today and I’m really excited for a break,” Marielle said. 

Hannah Schmidt (Ottawa, ON), who is returning from injury, had a personal best 12th place finish on the day. 

The team will be back in the World Cup start gate on January 15, 2021, in Montafon, AUT.

Team Results

Men’s Ski Cross
1st – Reece Howden
22nd – Brady Leman
32nd – Carson Cook 
34th – Kris Mahler 
36th – Chris Del Bosco
42nd – Zach Belczyk
48th – Jared Schmidt 
49th – Gavin Rowell

Women’s Ski Cross
3rd – Marielle Thompson
7th – Zoe Chore
10th – Courtney Hoffos
12th – Hannah Schmidt 

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For more information or media inquiries please contact:
Whitney Hunter I Manager of Communications 
whunter@alpinecanada.org I 403-471-6032

About Alpine Canada
Alpine Canada is the governing body for alpine, para-alpine, and ski cross racing in Canada, as well as for Canadian ski coaches, providing education, certification, insurance, and compliance with the coaching code of conduct. With the support of valued corporate partners and donors, along with the Government of Canada, Own the Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Coaching Association of Canada, Alpine Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic, World Championship, and World Cup athletes to stimulate visibility, inspiration, and growth in the ski community. In 2020, Alpine Canada celebrates 100 years of rich tradition in competitive skiing in Canada.