My Story
Kaleb’s Story
When I was 6 years old, I saw my first World Cup Ski Cross race at Blue Mountain in Collingwood and was so lucky to ride up the chair lift with four members of the Swiss Ski Cross team. There were huge features and a super fast track with head-to-head action. Watching that race, I knew that I wanted to be a Ski Cross racer!
At 7, I moved with my mom and dad from Ontario to Kicking Horse, where I skied with the Golden Kicking Horse Alpine Ski Team (GKHAT) for one season. It was such a good change from ice to powder skiing.
At the end of the 2010 / 2011 season, we moved to Fernie, British Columbia, where I joined the Fernie Alpine Ski Team (FAST). Some of my best memories are from the training and racing days with FAST.
FAST was excellent, and still, some of my best friends are a result of being part of this team. Summers were spent on our mountain bikes, hiking, swimming, FAST Dryland training camps and, if were lucky, on snow at Mt. Hood, Oregon.
Typically, during winter, I would spend over 100 days on snow, not all in the gates, as Fernie has some of the best powder on the planet. As you can see in the video below.
A few highlight memories from races other than having fun with my friends were winning gold in slalom at the B.C. Winter Games, and Gold for the B.C. Provincials in slalom. In the Western Ski Cross series, I have won 7 Gold medals, 3 Silver Medals, and 1 Bronze medal.
In the fall of 2022, I started skiing with the University of Calgary (UofC) Dinos Ski Team (NORAM) in all the alpine events. We travelled throughout eastern Canada and the U.S.A. to many great events, and I won my first NORAM Super G in February 2023.
Even though I wanted to go to full-time Ski Cross racing when I was 14, on the advice of my head coach Rod Timm (FAST), I was encouraged to continue in alpine racing for at least a couple of years of F.I.S. before making the switch to Ski Cross. This seemed like forever! I always trusted Rod, and he told me that to be a great ski cross racer, I needed to be an excellent alpine racer. I am so happy I listened to his excellent advice.
In the fall of 2023, after racing four years at F.I.S. Alpine, I transitioned to Ski Cross with the Evolve Ski team in Nakiska AB. Ski Cross is a different sport with a huge learning curve at this level. The start gate had prominent features and was no longer just me on the course. Having three other athletes on a course simultaneously is so different from alpine racing but also so much fun. The head-to-head action, to me, is the purest form of ski racing!
My current short-term goal is to win my second World Juniors. My long-term goal is to win Gold in Ski Cross at the Winter Olympics for Canada, and I have committed myself to doing whatever it takes to accomplish this goal.
I am passionate about Ski Cross, have an uncompromised focus, strong training standards and a determined work ethic to overcome adversity. My best attribute is working as a team player. I lead by example, with my number one goal to always have fun in training and on race day while inspiring my teammates with humour and humility.
Mentors / Role Models
Two of my biggest role models for Ski Cross have been Canadian Gold Medal Olympians Kelsey Serwa and Brady Leman. Both have been there for me anytime I have a question or need guidance. It was such a great honour to have Brady and Kelsey present me with a medal at past events.
As I develop in the sport, my goal is to be a great role model for young racers. I always remember how generous Kelsey and Brady have been with me by helping out with clinics, attending races, and answering emails, texts, and phone calls to help them with their learning curve.
Education
I am a full-time University of Calgary (UofC) student studying Biomechanics. The university has been very flexible, helping support my studies with classes, labs and exams while allowing me to pursue my passion for ski racing. I am part of the UofC Dino’s Ski team and Canada’s Next-Gen Ski Cross Team.
Summer Season
In order to help support my passion for Ski Cross racing in the summer months, I work for the Canadian Coast Guard as a member of the Inshore Rescue Boat student program. I am part of a three-person Fast Rescue Craft crew performing search and rescue operations. The shifts are two weeks on and two weeks off. This still allows me time to participate in summer ski camps, on and off the snow. While on duty in between my calls for service, I still eat well and train hard to maintain a high physical standard.
