Jason Claude Lapierre Sport: Alpine Skiing Year Inducted: 2010
Jason Claude Lapierre proved you don’t have to grow up on a ski hill to become a World class competitor and instructor.
Born in 1971 and mostly raised in Cornwall, Jason began his love affair with skiing at the tender age of two. He would frequent ski hills at Carling Lake, the Laurentians, Quebec’s Eastern Townships, and New York State.
While residing in Whistler, B.C. in 1982 he was a member of the Blackcomb ski team.
After completing high school at CCVS, and University at Lakehead in Thunder Bay, he would assist his father, Claude at coaching the Cornwall Alpine Racing Club based at Titus Mountain in New York.
Jason went on to coach the Lakehead Alpine Ski team while earning the highest certification of Level 3 with the Canadian Ski Coaches Federation.
Jason would then serve as Head Coach and Director of the World class Calgary Alpine Racing Club which travelled to Colorado, Utah, Wyoming for both training and competition. His team would also frequent Austria to spend three weeks preparing for upcoming seasons.
Jason was tragically struck by a vehicle near Cochrane, Alberta while cycling in preparation for an Ironman Championship in July of 2006.
Jason’s most famous student, 2009 World Alpine Downhill Champion John Kucera paid tribute to his coach on CBC Sports by saying, “He believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.”
As an athlete in 2003, Jason became the Canadian Duathlon Champion, combining cycling and running. He followed that up with a 55th place finish in the Hawaiian Ironman Championship which had more than 1,000 competitors.
In 2006, Jason was recognized posthumously as Alpine Canada Domestic Coach of the Year.
Each year Mount Nakiska hosts the Jay Cup Memorial Provincial Alpine Races while Calgary hosts the Annual Jason Lapierre Memorial Cycling event.
Bursaries have been set up in his honor at Calgary University and at CCVS in Cornwall.