Whistler and Panorama, B.C., are candidates to host men91裸聊视频檚 World Cup downhill ski races in the future.

Alpine Canada president and chief executive officer Therese Brisson intends to find a replacement in Western Canada for the men91裸聊视频檚 speed event held annually until 2022 in Lake Louise, Alta.

91裸聊视频淲hat we really want to do is build, I91裸聊视频檒l call it a national alpine speed training centre. There are not too many places in the country where our athletes can train speed in early winter, late spring,91裸聊视频� Brisson said.

91裸聊视频淲here can we build a national training centre for speed with safety equipment, air fence, crash pads and where do we have the right weather patterns for that? And also, what would be a sensible location for a World Cup?

91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 places like Panorama and Whistler that rise to the top.91裸聊视频�

Staging a World Cup in Canada is crucial for Alpine Canada on multiple fronts, including its business operations. The cancellation of women91裸聊视频檚 giant slalom races Saturday and Sunday in Mont-Tremblant, Que., because of lack of snow and warm temperatures was a blow.

Mont-Tremblant91裸聊视频檚 races drew an announced 15,000 spectators in 2023, when World Cup returned to the resort town northwest of Montreal after a 40-year absence.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a bit of a stalling of the momentum of everything we were building around that event. Motivating to have an even better event next year,91裸聊视频� Brisson said.

91裸聊视频淓specially for our Canadian athletes to not have that chance to race at home, they don91裸聊视频檛 get to race at home very often. It91裸聊视频檚 certainly disappointing for them.91裸聊视频�

She estimates Alpine Canada loses at least $1 million on the cancellation in lost fundraising opportunities and race costs that can91裸聊视频檛 be recovered.

91裸聊视频淚f we were to have the event, it would be a significant revenue driver,91裸聊视频� Brisson said. 91裸聊视频淣ot the event itself, but everything we build around the event, the fundraising activities, the sponsor activations. When you have an event that people want to come to and people are excited by, there91裸聊视频檚 everything around it.

91裸聊视频淣ot being able to have an event this year will have a significant financial impact.91裸聊视频�

Minus the 2020 races cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada had hosted an alpine World Cup annually for 30 years.

While ski cross falls under the freestyle ski umbrella internationally, it91裸聊视频檚 under Alpine Canada91裸聊视频檚 jurisdiction domestically as a speed event. A World Cup is scheduled for March 12-15 at Craigleith near Collingwood, Ont.

Domestic races featuring the world91裸聊视频檚 best ski racers help forge a connection between Canadians and what is a Eurocentric sport as the bulk of World Cup races are held outside of North America.

That connection is key to Alpine Canada91裸聊视频檚 goal of growing the sport, so there91裸聊视频檚 an urgency to return a men91裸聊视频檚 speed event to Canada.

91裸聊视频淚f we build that national training centre first, we91裸聊视频檒l have a World Cup in fairly short order afterward,91裸聊视频� said Brisson, who said a location should be in place by 2026.

Lake Louise in Banff National Park west of Calgary hosted men91裸聊视频檚 and women91裸聊视频檚 downhills for decades but became a money-losing venture for Alpine Canada because of the high operational costs, the remoteness of the venue and a lack of paying spectators.

Races won91裸聊视频檛 return there without a major injection of cash.

91裸聊视频淚f someone said, 91裸聊视频業91裸聊视频檇 be willing to invest in this $3 million a year for five years91裸聊视频�, it could be doable,91裸聊视频� Brisson said. 91裸聊视频淚t was a bit of a challenge to get fans out, but the big thing is really cost structure and just a resort who91裸聊视频檚 bought in, willing to build snow and build a track.91裸聊视频�

An element of Alpine Canada91裸聊视频檚 strategic plan for 2021-2026 is to host races that break even or make money. A nearby community of ski racing fans that can easily access the hill is the 91裸聊视频渟ecret sauce91裸聊视频�, which Brisson said contributed to Mont-Tremblant91裸聊视频檚 success.

Panorama, near Invermere, B.C. close to the Alberta border, hosted downhill, super-G, giant slalom and slalom Nor Am finals in April and the world junior alpine ski championship in 2022. Brisson estimated an investment of $3 million could provide what91裸聊视频檚 needed for a training hub and World Cup downhill there.

91裸聊视频淚n Panorama, they have early winter training,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淲ith some very modest modifications and investment in safety equipment, we could envision a national training centre in Panorama with an annual World Cup and maybe hosting a para world championship.91裸聊视频�

Whistler is a tested downhill venue having hosted alpine ski races at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and a World Cup in 2008, although snow conditions and the international racing calendar dictate spring racing there as opposed to late fall.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e got a really nice training centre in Whistler,91裸聊视频� Brisson observed. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not a speed training centre with a full Dave Murray downhill, but maybe that91裸聊视频檚 what we need to bring back.91裸聊视频�