Contributor: Ben Steiner 

There’s remarkable confidence in the Canadian women’s alpine team heading into the 2024-25 FIS World Cup season. 

With younger athletes entering their prime, another home World Cup race and the continued success of experienced stars, the World Championship year is brimming with excitement for the eight athletes set to represent the red and white.  

After a season that saw Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, added to the World Cup tech schedule and three top-five finishes for Canadian athletes, the group took on a late post-season training camp with 20 days in Deux Alpes, FRA, before heading off their separate ways for the summer.  

While the summers included injury recovery for some, notably Valérie Grenier and Laurence St-Germain, others took camping trips, cycling, and time at home. Meanwhile, coaches and technical staff got some time off while meticulously planning for the season, keeping in touch with the athletes, and heading to ski factories to ensure everything was set for the preseason’s start. 

“Grenier and St-Germain made a big effort to come back from their injuries; they worked hard with all the staff behind them, and they were able to be back on snow in September,” said Laurent Praz, entering his second season as the Canadian women’s head coach. “We spent June in Deux Alpes in a training camp, 20 good days of skiing.” 

For Grenier, returning to top form will be critical in a World Championship year and the final season ahead of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. The St. Isidore, Ontario native boasts three podium finishes in giant slalom, including two wins and a bronze medal in downhill from Cortina d’Ampezzo, ITA in 2024. 

While downhill and super-G are less of a focus for the Canadian group this year, they still present an opportunity for the 27-year-old as she continues establishing herself among the world’s elite in sport.  

"I realized that I'm pretty resilient and that it seems like nothing can really get me down that much, even though I've had a lot of injuries, or chronic injuries and things like that," Grenier told the Canadian Press in September. "It seems like I always get back up and just really fight all the way through." 

With the season set to begin on Oct. 26-27 with the traditional early season giant slalom races in Sölden, Austria, the team has since jolted down to Chillan, Chile to prepare, bringing Grenier and St-Germain through return-to-snow programs and setting the team up for the year to come.  

After the Soelden GS races, athletes look north to Levi, FIN, for a slalom (SL) race on Nov. 16, and then on to Gurgl (AUT) for another SL on Nov. 23, all before the World Cup schedule heads to North America, highlighted by two GS races in Tremblant from Dec. 7-8.  

“The GS group will move to Schnalstall to prepare for Soelden, and they will probably go to Sölden one week before the race to test the race hill,” Praz said. “For the slalom group, we will have almost a month off. The goal is to do the last push with the dryland preparation. Also, for them, it will be time to go for one week in Schnalstall for specific preparation on hard surfaces and then fly north to Levi.” 

While Grenier looks to continue her success in GS and speed, Toronto's Ali Nullmeyer focuses on taking the step onto the podium. She posted four top10 results in 2023-24 and has continuously been in the running for a significant breakthrough, setting her up nicely to take the next step in 2024-25.  

With the veterans on the team battling for hardware, Praz and his staff have a deep roster. Cassidy Gray returns for her fifth World Cup season at 23 years old, Amelia Smart is looking to continue building on her eight top-30s in 2023-24,  and Kiki Alexander returns to competitions after being hampered by injuries. Reigning Junior World Champion in GS Britt Richardson and Justine Lamontagne will bring a vibrant, youthful edge to the group. 

Still, it’s a World Championship year, and contending on the slopes of Saalbach, AUT, from Feb. 4-16 is at the forefront of Praz’s mind while also giving his athletes the best chance to bring exciting moments for Canadian ski racing fans.  

“The idea is to get [to World Championships] rested and in perfect shape. We might take some more time off the weeks before the event and take time for good training blocks, depending on the athletes' needs,” he said.  

“Every weekend and every race are important. There are some events where the feelings and the wish to have a good race will be "major," like the home race in Mont Tremblant or Killington, Vermont...but I think our team can be competitive in every race.”