Marcoux, Ramsay win Canadian Ski Racing Awards

Mac Marcoux and Alana Ramsay have been named as the male and female para-alpine athletes of year in the 2016 Canadian Ski Racing Awards following a public vote.

This year, Alpine Canada Alpin (ACA) reinstated a national awards program with a fresh new lens, to recognise impassioned members of the ski racing community, along with its athletes, for their extraordinary contributions and success in ski racing.

The 2016 Canadian Ski Racing Awards recognise Canada’s top athletes in alpine, para-alpine and ski cross racing, as well as deserving coaches and volunteers who have shown outstanding dedication and commitment to the sport. Over 20,000 Canadians participated in voting for their favourite athletes.

Marcoux made a splash last year on the IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup circuit and continued to prove his dominance again this year securing the crystal globe in both men’s downhill and super-G visually impaired disciplines. Guided by brother BJ Marcoux, Mac landed on the podium a total of nine times this season.

Ramsay’s breakout season was culminated by seven podium-finishes across slalom, giant slalom and super G races. This season was the first time Ramsay landed on the World Cup podium, showing consistency race after race, and ending the season ranked third overall in the women’s standing category.

“The ACA Awards are an important initiative for Canadian ski racing, giving recognition to the lifeblood of our sport. Athletes, volunteers, coaches and builders deserve to be acknowledged for their tireless dedication to ski racing,” said Mark Rubinstein, CEO and President of Alpine Canada Alpin. “We are overwhelmed by the number of nominations and votes we received. It’s an honour to recognise several individuals that have given so much to our sport. Congratulations to all the nominees and this year’s winners.”

The independent Awards Committee, chaired by former World Cup champion Emily Brydon, selected the winners based on specific criteria developed prior to the launch of the awards. Other committee members include ACA alumni Kelly Vanderbeek and Julien Cousineau, along with Shannon Sullivan, Joanna Magee and Gordie Bowles.

"It was an exciting and inspiring inaugural year for the Canadian Ski Racing Awards. There were a lot of fantastic nominations and applications across all categories, which all deserve merit and recognition,” said Brydon of the engagement from the ski racing community. “The volunteers are the backbone of the sport we love so much and the coaches empower athletes to develop, grow and achieve amazing accomplishments throughout their careers. The stories of our athletes inspire and educate us on the power of sport and achieving our goals and dreams; excellence is very apparent. On behalf of the committee, I would like to congratulate all winners, nominees and applicants - there were a lot of tough decisions but we are extremely proud of the winners selected.”

The 2016 Canadian Ski Racing Awards recognised a series of volunteers, athletes, coaches and course builders for their contribution to the sport.

Award recipients will be honoured at the 2016 Sport Chek Canadian Championships on Saturday, 26 March, 2016 in Whistler.