2006 Whistler Cup

The world's best youth skiers come together for a weekend of competition, fun and friendship at the 2006 Whistler Cup in Whistler, BC.

Winter Olympians Of The Future

The 2006 Whistler Cup is the only juvenile ski race in North America sanctioned by the International Ski Federation and was one of the first international ski races for most of the 390 skiers from 15 countries who raced at the event. The races give young skiers a chance to race against the top kids in their age group and get a feel for what it's like to compete on an international stage. Karin Nagy of Austria is one of the top juvenile skiers in the world and she hopes her first-place finish at the Whistler Cup will be a stepping stone to one day competing at the Winter Olympics. "I'm really happy how I raced at the event. It was my first chance to race against other girls my age from around the world, so I'm quite happy. I hope to compete at the Olympics one day, either in 2010 or after that but for now I just wanted to race well here."

Road To The Olympics

Skiers who eventually compete on the World Cup ski tour and at the Olympics usually start skiing when they're six or seven years old. Most juvenile ski racers who are hoping to one day make it to the Olympics train almost every weekend during the winter. Madeline Wiltgen from the USA finished third in the Giant Slalom at the Whistler Cup. She enjoys competing, but also says competive skiing takes a lot of time and commitment. "Racing is fun and and I meet a lot of friends at races, but you need to train most weekends and sometimes you don't have a chance to do other things. But that's okay, because I'd rather be skiing than doing anything else."

Whistler Cup - Fun Facts

Five-time Olympic medalist Anja Paerson of Sweden and four-time Olympic medalist Benjamin Raich of Austria both raced at the Whistler Cup when they were kids.

The Whistler Cup featured Giant Slalom, Slalom and Super G events, as well as a Kombi ski course which included slalom gates, banked turns and small jumps.

Some of the skiers that competed at the 2006 Whistler Cup may end up competing at the 2010 Winter Olympics, which will also be held in Whistler, BC.

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