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Our History

From its origins in 1920 with Scandinavian ski jumpers in Elbow Park to today's recreational ski club, the Club's history is the story of the city's ski pioneers who helped establish skiing in Calgary and Banff National Park.  From a ski jumping club to back-country skiing, to a downhill racing club to a multisport outdoor recreational club, the Calgary Ski Club has evolved with its members and the sport.

 

We host the annual Lake Louise Loppet, Western Canada's first open cross country ski race, begun in 1952. We started the Calgary New and Used Ski Sale in 1963 and added the Canadian Ski Patrol (Calgary Zone) and the Lake Louise Ski Club as co-hosts as it grew. 

Our history is documented in the book, Calgary Goes Skiing, a History of the Calgary Ski Club, written by David Mittelstadt.  Here is a link to a draft of the book.  Contact the office, we may have a copy or two of the final book laying about. Here are some of the Photos from the book.  Sorry, they are not in order.

Much of our history is also archived at the University of Calgary in the form of older newsletters, meeting minutes etc.. Please see List of Archived Files.

For you history buffs, we are working on sorting and attaching links to other historical documents and a list of past presidents.

1948 Race Team

Throughout the years, the Calgary Ski Club operated or organized:

  • Ski jumps in Elbow Park in the 1920s
  • Back-country skiing at Skoki Lodge in the 1930s
  • Ski trains to Banff in the 1930s and 40s
  • Early days at Norquay and Sunshine in the 1930s and 40s
  • Western Canada's first volunteer Ski Patrol in the 1940s
  • First National Downhill Ski Championships in the west in 1937
  • Creation of ski hills at Shaganappi and Bowness in the 1950's, ancestors of today's Canada Olympic Park.
  • Canada's earliest training programs for ski guides in the 1950s
  • Construction of back-country huts with the Alpine Club in the 1960s
  • Advocacy for better ski facilities during the 1960s and 70s
  • The New and Used Ski sale from 1963 to present
  • The Lake Louise Loppet, Western Canada's first cross country ski race and still going strong over 50 years later.
  • Created and maintained ski trails at Lake Louise from 1979 to present
  • Provided volunteers and staff from CSC to the Calgary Olympic Games in 1988
  • Created and maintained ski trails at Shaganappi Golf Course for the City of Calgary from 1993 to 2019
  • We continue to advocate on your behalf with Banff National Park.

Join us and continue making history. 

Honorary Members

The following people have the distinction of being designated honorary members for exceptional dedication and commitment.


Rudy J. Verne * first president

Hubert Rielinger

Lynn Bowers

Eileen Coffin   

Dave Donald

Alasdair Fergusson

Helen Isaac

John Robinson

Graham Smith

Larry Tibbitts

Craig Tillison

Bob Wilson

Donna Gerbrandt

Al Ulmer                  

Len Gottselig                                

Gary Davies                    

Greg MacCulloch    
Lori Davidson - our latest inductee AGM Sept 2023- congratulations Lori   

1920 Elbow Park Jump
Ski Hill
First Bus Trip

Local Lore: (from the June 2023 edition of the Elbow Park Gazette)

Skiing in Elbow Park

Curated by Tracey J. Johnson, EPRA Director of History
In winter, before ski hills like Sunshine and Lake Louise existed, Calgarians had fun in the snow and ice curling, skating, and playing hockey. In 1920, when skiing was still relatively unknown in Calgary, it made its first known debut in Elbow Park.

In the fall of 1919, a small group of Scandinavians in Calgary decided to form a ski club. Two had competed in the cross-country race at the first Banff Winter Carnival in February 1917 (one taking second place). They set out to find a place in the city to build a hill for ski jumping. The club needed money to pay for the ski jump, so their membership fee was a stiff five dollars for men and three for ladies, raised to ten and five respectively, at a time when five dollars a day was a decent wage.

The group had chosen the south escarpment of the Elbow River, overlooking Riverdale Avenue in the district of Elbow Park, as a site for a jump. Realtor Freddy Lowes, a well-known Calgary sportsperson (and the main developer of Elbow Park), owned the property and gave the club permission to use it. In return the club made him the honorary president. A tower was still necessary to create enough speed for a decent jump, so the club built a 40-foot structure.

The first contest was organized for February 16 and 17, 1920. The dates took advantage of the fact that the fourth Banff Winter Carnival was scheduled for the previous week. This ensured that top jumpers, some of international calibre, would be on hand to inaugurate the Elbow Park jump