The Crazy Canucks was the nickname for a group of World Cup alpine ski racers from Canada who rose to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. Jungle Jim Hunter, Dave Irwin, Dave Murray, Steve Podborski, and Ken Read earned themselves a reputation for fast and seemingly reckless skiing in the downhill event. [1]
These five men earned their title "Crazy Canucks" from ski journalist and World Cup co-founder Serge Lange, who after watching their different styles came up with the name that caught on with sports journalists throughout the skiing world. [2] Other similar nicknames included "Kamikaze Canadians." [3]
These five men were at the top of their game and better known in Europe than in North America. Once they hit the Alps, they consistently challenged the Europeans on the World Cup circuit at a level previously unseen. [1] [4]
Canadian Corner is a section of the Lauberhorn downhill course near Wengen, Switzerland. The heavily twisting curve at the left-hand transition to the Alpweg is named after the Crazy Canucks, Dave Irwin and Ken Read, who fell there in 1976.
From here the route briefly follows the valley of the Hasenbach parallel to the Wengernalpbahn. The Girmschbiel hill on the opposite side of the small valley has become a fan stadium in the middle of the route for several years thanks to its location right next to the Wengernalp train station. More than 10,000 visitors follow the race on the hill and in the bars and VIP zones temporarily set up there - only here do they have a direct view of the famous key points Hundschopf, Minsch-Kante, and Canadian Corner.
Four of the five "Crazy Canucks" live on today; Murray died of skin cancer in 1990 at age 37. [5] The downhill course at Whistler Creekside, utilized for World Cup and Olympic races, was named for him.
In 2006, it was announced that the four original Crazy Canucks would receive stars on Canada's Walk of Fame, inducted as one group. The only other ski racer on the walk is Canadian alpine legend Nancy Greene.
Crazy Canucks was a TV movie named after and based on the history of the team. It was released in 2004 in Canada. The film was directed by Randy Bradshaw and starred Sandy Robson (Hunter), Lucas Bryant (Read), Curtis Harrison (Podborski), Kyle Labine (Murray) and Robert Tinkler (Irwin).
Downhill is a form of alpine skiing competition. Whereas the other alpine skiing events emphasize turning and technique, downhill emphasizes "the six components of technique, courage, speed, risk, physical condition and judgement", according to the FIS "International Ski Competition Rules (ICR)". Speeds of up to 130 km/h (81 mph) are common in international competition. Athletes must have an aerodynamically efficient tuck position to minimize drag and increase speed.
Kenneth John Read is one of the most respected sports leaders in Canada. This World Cup alpine ski racer from Canada was a specialist in the downhill and a two-time Olympian. He won five World Cup races during his ten-year international career, all in downhill.
Stephen Gregory "Steve" Podborski, is a Canadian former World Cup and Olympic downhill ski racer.
Kerrin Anne Lee-Gartner is a former World Cup alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medallist from Canada.
Wallace Jerold "Buddy" Werner was an American alpine ski racer in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Alpine Canada is the national governing body for alpine, para-alpine and ski cross racing in Canada. Alpine Canada represents coaches, officials, supporters and athletes, including the racers of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team, Canadian Ski Cross Team and the Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team. Alpine Canada is also involved in promoting participation within Canada's four million recreational skiers. Alpine Canada celebrated 100 years of ski racing in Canada in 2021.
Erik Guay is a Canadian former World Cup alpine ski racer. Racing out of Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Guay won the World Cup season title in super-G in 2010 and was the world champion in downhill in 2011, as well as in the super-G in 2017. With 25 World Cup podiums, he is the career leader for Canada.
The 16th World Cup season began in December 1981 in France and concluded in March 1982, also in France. Phil Mahre of the US repeated as overall champion, the second of his three consecutive titles. Erika Hess of Switzerland won the women's overall title.
Dave Irwin is a former alpine ski racer who represented Canada at two Winter Olympic Games and won a World Cup downhill. He was one of the "Crazy Canucks", a group of Canadian downhill racers who rose to prominence on the World Cup circuit in the late 1970s. He lives in Canmore, Alberta, near the Rocky Mountains.
Katharine Kreiner-Phillips is a former World Cup alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist from Canada.
Guy Périllat Merceroz is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from the resort of La Clusaz, Haute-Savoie, one of the top ski racers of the 1960s.
David Murray was an alpine ski racer. He was noted for being a member of the Crazy Canucks, the Canadian downhill racers of the late 1970s and early 1980s known for their fearless racing style. His teammates in the group were Ken Read, Dave Irwin, and Steve Podborski.
Todd Brooker is a former alpine ski racer member Crazy Canucks and a ski commentator on television.
William Archibald Irwin was a Canadian competitive skier who competed in six events across four disciplines at the 1948 Winter Olympics. In St. Moritz he competed in the downhill, slalom, combined, 18 km, Nordic combined, and ski jumping events, placing 60th, 50th, 36th, 81st, 37th, and 39th respectively. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he won his first race at the age of nine in 1930 and his last in 1983. He served with the Canadian Army during World War II from 1943 through 1945 and taught Scottish Commandos how to ski after the conflict. In 1956 he founded a ski area and club at Loch Lomond near Thunder Bay, Ontario, owning and operating it for 23 years. In 1975 he was awarded the Ontario Tourism Award for "...dedication to the tourist industry of Ontario through the development and promotion of skiing" and in 2000 he was inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame in the jumping, Nordic, and builder categories. Over the course of his career as a competitor he acquired more than 200 trophies, at the national and international levels, and won numerous Central Canadian championships. His brother Bert also competed at the 1948 Games and his son Dave attended the 1976 and 1980 Winter Olympics and became known nationally as one of the "Crazy Canucks".
Jim Hunter, nicknamed "Jungle Jim", is a Canadian former alpine ski racer who represented Canada at two Winter Olympic Games in 1972 and 1976, and won a bronze medal in the 1972 World Championships. He was a member of the Canadian Men's Alpine Ski Team nicknamed the "Crazy Canucks", and is considered to be the original Crazy Canuck.
Erik Read is a Canadian World Cup alpine ski racer specializing the technical events of slalom and giant slalom. Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, he represented Canada at two Winter Olympics and five World Championships.
The Lauberhorn ski races (Lauberhorn World Cup alpine ski races are among the highest-attended winter sports events in the world, attracting around 30,000 spectators each year. An established attraction is the airshow by the Patrouille Suisse, the aerobatic demonstration team of the Swiss Air Force. The 2016 races were held 15–17 January.
James "Jack" Crawford is a Canadian World Cup alpine ski racer. He specializes in super-G, and also competes in giant slalom, downhill, and combined.
Jeffrey Read is a Canadian World Cup alpine ski racer. He specializes in the speed events of downhill and super-G, and made his World Cup debut in January 2018.
