Calgary, Alta. (February 10, 2025) — The good times continued on Monday at the FIS Para Alpine World Championships in Maribor, SLO, for Canada’s Kalle Ericsson (Kimberley, BC) and his guide, Sierra Smith (Ottawa, ON). 

On Monday, Ericsson skied the pair to a second World Championship silver medal in the visually impaired slalom, earning a second podium performance after winning silver in Sunday’s Giant Slalom. 

“It feels really good; I’m super pumped for the results today. To be honest, I wasn’t feeling super confident coming into today, not having a lot of slalom days under the feet, but we stuck to a good plan, trusted our skiing and were able to nail a good run out,” Ericsson said. 

“It felt really good [to cross the finish line]. I knew when we crossed that we had put down a fast run and that we were going to be on the podium with it."

After finishing the opening run in third place,  Ericsson kept a tight line and skied cleanly on their second run, posting the fastest time and lofting the Canadians into the silver medal position with a combined time of 2:00.81. 

“We came into [the second run] with the same approach,” Smith added. “I just told Kalle to run me over and see how fast we could go.”

Ericsson, 20, and Smith, 24,  have not finished in the top three in a World Cup or World Championship slalom since February 1, 2024, when they won a World Cup race in Cortina d’Ampezzo, ITA. Most of their success in 2024-25 has come in Giant Slalom and speed events of Downhill and super-G.

Monday’s slalom saw a complete repeat of Sunday’s GS podium as well, with Italy’s Giacomo Bertagnolli and guide Andrea Ravelli adding a slalom gold to their medal haul in a combined time of 2:00.56 and Poland’s Poland’s Michał Gołaś, with guide Kacper Walas claiming bronze behind the Canadians in 2:02.35. 

“It feels really good to leave with two silver medals, super excited that we were able to come out with that result and that at our first World Championships, two silvers is nothing to complain about,” Ericsson added. 

With their latest European foray and debut World Championships behind them, the duo will return back to Canada for a training block before returning to Europe to close out the FIS Para Alpine Ski World Cup season. 

“We’re feeling good; we’ll get some good training and then come back strong and finish the season with some good results,” Smith said. 

In the men’s sitting category, Kurt Oatway finished sixth with a combined time of 2:03.81.

With speed races being cancelled at the Maribor 2025 Para Alpine World Championships, the Canadian team will close out competition with the women’s slalom on Tuesday. 

Next CANskiteam World Cup races: (link to FIS Calendar)

Men's and Women's Alpine World Championships run in Saalbach (AUT) run until February 16

Para Alpine World Championships run until February 11 in Maribor (SLO)

Ski cross races in Gudauri (GEO) on February 28

Follow Canada’s Ski Team this season on Alpine Canada’s website, across our social media accounts and subscribe to our newsletter.

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For more information or media inquiries, please contact: 

Mark Halliday
Alpine Canada
403 777 3204
media@alpinecanada.org

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.