Contributor: Ben Steiner

Wearing the maple leaf on the global stage isn't an easy task. Add the pressure of a winning history, and it only gets more challenging. 

The Canadian ski cross team has always been one of the most successful. With World Champions, Olympic Champions, Nations Cup, and Crystal Globe winners, there has seldom been a time when Canadian skiers haven’t been medal contenders.

As they approach the 2024-25 season, those standards remain. In some ways, the expectations are rising for a group led by veterans in a World Championship year in the final season before the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Games. 

“The most pressure for me is probably what I put on myself,” said Whistler, B.C.'s Marielle Thompson, coming off her fourth Crystal Globe title in 2023-24. “Being in the top three in the world is tough because everybody is always chasing you and trying to beat you, but I think I've learned to use it to my advantage and thrive off that pressure a little bit.”

With 13 athletes across the men’s and women’s teams, the Canadians will kick out of the gates for the first time in Val Thorens, France, before taking on a 19-race World Cup season, in addition to World Championships in Engadin, Switzerland, from March 21-23

While Thompson leads the team with 31 career wins, the Canadian contingent on both the men’s and women’ side is the envy of other nations. In 2023-24, four Canadian women landed on the podium, while the Canadian men also boasted strong performances -- Reece Howden leading the way with five podiums and two wins. 

“I think everyone feels ready, which is important at the start of the season,” said head coach and Canadian ski cross legend Stanley Hayer. 

“We’ve had some training, including some racing, here in Europe with the Germans, the Austrians, and the Italians. Preparation has gone well for our athletes, so the start of the season is looking promising. But it's just always a little bit different when the World Cup season hits.”

Rolling with the punches

The team had preseason prep in Corralco, Chile in September, and with poor snow conditions in Canada left for training in Pitztal, Austria, and then a final staging camp in Idre Fjäll, Sweden, ahead of the World Cup opening races. 

The offseason brought much-needed respite for the Canadian crew, which often lives out of suitcases for extended periods, with only one North American World Cup stop on the schedule. In 2025, that stop heads to Craigleith Ski Club, in Collingwood, Ontario, March 14 and 15. 

Tied for the most Crystal Globes, Thompson spent time in Whistler, training with former Canadian national team member Chris Del Bosco, among others. Meanwhile, Howden focused on getting back to his roots while also developing recovery habits to allow him to bounce back as he did as a young superstar, winning the Crystal Globe in just his second full season on the World Cup. 

“Stretching can't be overlooked at this point,” Howden, now 26, said, with his well over six-foot frame not offering much rest in travel. “Now, every day, I spend 20 to 30 minutes working on my back and hip flexibility every morning, and it's made a huge difference. It took a while to get there, but now I'm in the rhythm. It's come a long way, and I’m feeling good heading into the season.”

For both Thompson and Howden, a sense of maturity and confidence helps guide them. After all, they’ve found success on nearly every course, learning the twists and turns that can play into a veteran’s advantage.

In a sport with hundreds of variables, any edge is critical, and that’s what they’ve been able to develop through their success. At the same time, their experience and leadership has helped the team to grow. 

“It’s something I picked up last year, is that you can do well, even though you don't feel great. Some days, you might not be super confident, but you can still win races; it's just about pulling out of the start gate. Once you're there, just pull out. Don't let yourself overthink it,” Howden said.

“I’ve researched some high-performing individuals through podcasts and working with some of the psychologists we have...I do like being relatively analytical with my thought process and that's kind of how I work.  I’m learning try to pull emotion out of decision-making when I can.”

Deep rosters

Led by analytical expertise and further experience, Canada’s premier athletes are ready to lead the way once again as they continue pushing to intense heights. 

On the men’s side, Howden is joined by podium contenders Jared Schmidt, Kevin Drury, Kris Mahler, Carson Cook and Gavin Rowell.  Schmidt enters this year off a career-best season, which saw him win three consecutive races. The highlight was topping the podium on the same day as his sister Hannah Schmidt in Arosa, Switzerland, becoming the first siblings to win the same race on the same day. 

The women’s team sees Hannah Schmidt, India Sherret and Abby McEwen as podium contenders. However, the group is dealing with some absences, with Brittany Phelan, Tiana Gairns and Courtney Hoffos, all regular contenders, missing at the season’s start. 

Still, it’s a veteran group, with Thompson’s burning desire to win as strong as ever. As they kick off the new season, pressures abound, pushing them to a higher level at every turn. 

“Now we just want to show what Canada is about. We always try to show our excellence on the field of play and also while training,” Thompson said. 

“I think the reason we've always been so strong is because of our team and our teammates, everyone is always pushing each other every day in the gym and on the hill.”

Fans can tune into Canada’s ski cross races on CBC Sports’ digital platforms throughout the season and check out the thrill of live racing in Craigleith in March, the final races ahead of the World Championship.