Reflecting on the Past and Preparing for a Big Season Ahead with Ski Racer Erik Read
Erik Read entered his first ski race at the age of 6, and he hasn’t slowed down since — rather, he has continually gotten faster, stronger and more confident as he competes on the world stage. Today, at age 30, he has a full decade of racing on the Canadian Alpine Ski team and one […]
Trading One Plank for Two: My First Beginner Group Ski Lesson with Norquay’s Ski School
As a child, I happily threw myself into every athletic opportunity that came my way. There was soccer, volleyball, gymnastics, cross country skiing, snowboarding… just to name a few. I even admittedly went through a unicycling phase (story for a different day). But somehow among all the activities, downhill skiing slipped through the cracks. Fast […]
Catching Up with the Read Brothers
Ski racing has always been at the heart of Norquay ski culture, with the first races starting back in 1929. The mountain has since seen some of the biggest names in racing, and been their training ground for refining skills, gaining confidence, and preparing to compete on the world stage. Two of those names who […]
Tackling the Via Ferrata As a Couple
From the bottom of the North American Chairlift, Mt Norquay looks big. There’s no other way to describe it, it’s just big. As the chairlift ducks below the tree line and periodically re-appears, the only gauge for the distance is the Cliffhouse Bistro sitting mid-mountain, where you disembark. My partner, Tim, and I have lived […]
Larissa Arthur Honours Her Late Father with #OneHundredHikesForDad
Mt Norquay’s Via Ferrata Marks Summit 87 When we invited Larissa Arthur to join us on the Via Ferrata on her journey to complete #onehundredhikesfordad, we weren’t quite sure what she would think of the experience. As someone who grew up in the mountains and now hikes, climbs, and ice climbs regularly, we couldn’t predict […]
50 Years Later, Bryan and Christine Feagan Recreate Wedding Reception at Cliffhouse Bistro
As Bryan and Christine plan their 50th wedding anniversary, they look back on the beginning of their relationship. An unlikely story of a boy from Ontario and a girl from Santa Barbara, California who crossed paths, fell in love, and tied the knot in Banff, Alberta with a celebration at Mt Norquay’s very own Cliffhouse […]
Cliffhouse Bistro’s Tea House Past Celebrated with New Tea-Infused Cocktails
Park Distillery and Natur’el Tea Partner with Norquay to Bring You the Latest Summer Sips When life gives you tea and local craft spirits, make tea-infused cocktails! Stop by the Cliffhouse Bistro this summer and raise a glass of tea-infused goodness to our 1950’s teahouse past! We’ve partnered with two of our local Banff favourites […]
Eddie Hunter – Memory Maker
You may not think of it at the time, but it doesn’t take much to realize the beautiful days you now spend with your family or friends will be the golden days in your memory bank when you go searching memories in later years. I know I didn’t. Maybe I just thought I deserved all […]
Every Lap, Every Rep Counts for Jeffrey Read
Jeffrey Read might be young, but his experience growing up in a ski family, getting strapped into skis as a young child, and his accomplishments to date have left him extremely knowledgeable when it comes to ski racing. Here he shares his tips and tricks, along with his learnings throughout the years as he watched […]
Erik Read’s Money-in-the-Bank Attitude Towards Training to be a Top Ski Racer
At 27 years old, Ski Racer Erik Read has accomplished more than his fair share when it comes to racing down the slopes. With over 10 years of professional experience and countless more strapped into skis, Erik has learned a lot along the way. What is his advice to up-and-coming racers and what does he […]
The Ski Legacy Lives on with Jeffrey Read
Mt. Norquay wouldn’t be the same without its long line of ski racers that flow through the veins of this ski resort. For generations, these slopes have been used as a training ground for ski athletes and it has become a part of the inherent identity of the hill worldwide. This has been a safe […]
Reflections of Norquay: 70 Years of the North American Chair
From its earliest introduction to the Banff area by Scandinavian Canadian Pacific Railway workers and Swiss mountaineering guides, for more than a century skiing has been the very soul of Canadian Rockies culture. At Norquay, this living history is represented by an iconic piece of infrastructure, still in use to this day: The North American Chairlift. The “Big Chair,” as known by locals, has offered a gateway to some of Canada’s most challenging terrain, and best viewpoints, since 1948—and 70 years later, in winter 2018/19, it’s still spinning. But riding the Big Chair is more than just a way to get from A to B—it has a lifetime of stories to tell. To celebrate its 70th year, join us on a ride through some of Norquay’s most memorable moments.
