Calgary, AB, (February 28, 2021) – Teamwork makes the dream work for Canada in the inaugural World Cup ski cross mixed team event held in Bakuriani, GEO today. The Canadian Ski Cross Team stood tall on the podium with Canada 2 made up of Chris Del Bosco (Montreal, QC) and Courtney Hoffos (Windermere, BC) finishing in 2nd! 

“It feels awesome. The guys kept it tight to give the girls a shot. It was all on her, she fought all the way through the final,” said team veteran Chris. 

 “It was awesome just going with momentum. Del kept it close for me every single heat so it was really fun,” added Courtney. 

The team event which is run in a knock-out format functions as a two-competitor-per-team relay, the gate drops for the second athlete based on the time difference between the first two athletes. The first team to have both competitors across the finish line in the big final is the winner.

Chris and Courtney were joined in the big final by Reece Howden (Cultus Lake, BC) and Tiana Gairns (Prince George, BC) who battled it out to finish in 4th. A personal best finish for Tiana.

“It was a lot of fun, it was cool to race with someone else and have a combined event,” Reece Howden, who clinched the overall title after yesterday's race said of the new event. 

“It’s a fun event but as the second racer you feel like you have a bit more pressure but this guy set me up well each round,” Tiana added. 

The Canadian Ski Cross Team showed just how deep the talent runs with four Canadian teams in the big and small finals. 

“The team event was pretty cool, and the racing was actually really good. It was nice to pull together and rip down the course as a team. That’s how we get all of our result, we are a big team, and we back each other. To show that on the track was really cool,” said Head Coach Stanley Hayer. 

This is the first time this event has been held on the World Cup tour but according to FIS, the aim is to bring it into future World Championship and Olympic competition. 

Team Results
2nd – Canada 2: Courtney Hoffos/Chris Del Bosco
4th – Canada 3: Tiana Gairns/Reece Howden 
5th – Canada 1: Marielle Thompson/Jared Schmidt 
8th – Canada 4: Zoe Chore/Kris Mahler
9th – Canada 5: Hannah Schmidt/Carson Cook 

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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 2020/21, Alpine Canada celebrates 100 years of rich tradition in competitive skiing in Canada.