INTERSKI 2023 FINLAND

I might be slightly biased, but I have to say that the Canadian delegation were the stars of the show today!

At an Interski where the theme is “The Future of Snowsports” a fully integrated demonstration from CASI, CSIA, CANSI, and CADS truly showcased the best of what Canada has to offer the world of snowsports and reinforced the message that we are stronger together!

Coordinating all of the disciplines into a single demonstration run that allows each of us to profile our individual techniques and strengths while playing a supporting role to the others is no easy task but the outcome reflected the commitment to the goal of each of our organizations. On top of that, the message is clear; regardless of how we slide on snow we all contribute to the strength and health of the snowsports industry.

While many other nations featured all disciplines on the slope at the same time, few mixed them to same degree that we did, and none as successfully as the Canadians.

Clearly a successful demo run isn’t going to secure the future of snowsports but I like to think the intention behind our run sends a clear message. No matter how we slide, Canada is a leader in the snowsports industry and in an increasingly global market this will be critical to our continued success.

Thanks for reading!

Well its been 2 good days in Bulgaria so far. A fun day of training and meeting up with some old familiar faces, as well as meeting some new ones.

Today was the opening ceremony runs to be spotlighted on the demo pitch with a giant crowd below as well as being televised live on TV.

The wait to drop in was pretty long, but not as long the 3 years that I’ve known that I was coming over here. Theres been no other event in my life that I’ve known 3 years in advance that was happening, but this didn’t seem to add too much stress after all this build up as I found myself trying to control the stoke level more than nerves! I was proud to be the first Canadian to drop in (aside from the flag boys) with a crew of skiers and snowboarders following behind.

I didn’t know what to expect as this is my first interski experience, but its definetly a cool vibe between all the nations and disiplines over here. Everyone is so passionate about what they do, but whats surprised me so far, is how stoked people are on what the other nations are doing.

Here’s a great example, Not once back home I’ve ever had a hardcore ski racer type roll over and strike up a conversation with me about how excited the are to see some snowboarding, this happened to me multiple times over the last 2 days. I’m mind blown blown by the level of stoke and interaction between nations and disiplines!

The upcoming week has a good vibe to it and I’m stoked to spend some more time with some of the new folks I’ve met from around the world and chat about shredding! Stay tuned for more updates!

Adam

With an epic day of travelling behind us we were ready to hit the slopes today in Pamporovo!

Today was all about getting some time on the demo slope, getting our bodies used to moving again, and re-familiarizing ourselves with the formations we would be riding in during our demonstration runs and the opening and closing ceremonies.

The excitement of the event is also building as we catch up with old friends and colleagues from around the world, and watch the other teams finalizing their runs.

As I watch the other teams dialing in their runs, I find myself analyzing their technique and watching how they move on their boards. This to me is one of the biggest benefits of Interski and also why we put so much effort into our own demo runs. Our aim is not to be in perfect sync but rather to showcase the Canadian technique through the various turn shapes. The opportunity to watch and ride with some of the top instructors from across the globe helps us to analyze our own technique and approaches against what others are demonstrating. This helps us to see where we are excelling and where others are perhaps having greater success. Through this we can continue to strive to leaders in snowsports instruction. I’ve already seen some interesting things and am looking forward to following up on some of those observations and deepening my understanding throughout the event.