Big White Ski Resort is throwing its support鈥攂oth financial and moral鈥攂ehind Ian Deans as the Lake Country athlete makes his push to compete in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
Deans, a 26-year-old member of the national ski cross team who grew up skiing at the 麻豆精选 area resort, joins two other Big-White sponsored athletes, ski cross racer Kelsey Serwa and snowboarder Tess Critchlow, in their bid for success in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
鈥淲e鈥檙e very happy to be supporting another Big White athlete on their road to the podium,鈥� said Michael J. Ballingall, Senior Vice President at Big White Ski Resort. 鈥淚 know the entire community of the central Okanagan joins us in supporting Ian, Kelsey and Tess.鈥�
Deans originally started ski racing in Grade 5 while living at Big White and attending the Big White Community School. He raced with the Big White Ski Racers until he graduated high school.
鈥淲hile in college, a friend suggested I try a ski cross race at Big White,鈥� said Deans. 鈥淚鈥檇 retired from alpine racing, but thought I鈥檇 try out the race. I came in third, figured it was fun鈥攖hen raced the Nor-Am circuit the following year and won the overall title for that.鈥�
From there, Deans earned a spot in the World Cup and was chosen for the Canada Alpine ski team.
He鈥檚 earned multiple Nor-Am and Europe Cup podium results over the last two seasons and claimed eight top-30 World Cup finishes during the 2015-16 season. Deans鈥� next goal is, of course, to qualify for the Olympics.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really fun to be involved in the same sport as other local athletes such as Kelsey and Ned Ireland,鈥� Ian added. 鈥淲e all grew up here in such a tight community and loved it. I know Big White so well that I could ski it with my eyes closed. The terrain is fun, you can play on the entire mountain. It鈥檚 my favourite place to ski in the world and I鈥檝e skied a lot of places.鈥�
Deans, who has a degree in kinesiology and plans to pursue his professional career in Physical Therapy in the future, is excited to continue his journey towards competing in ski cross at next year鈥檚 Olympic Games.
鈥淚 love the adrenaline rush with ski cross. The fact that you put all this hard work into accomplishing on goal and when you execute it, it鈥檚 the best feeling in the world,鈥� explained Ian. 鈥淭he satisfaction is second to none.鈥�
