Industry News
On Tuesday, July 29, Canadian ski racer James Crawford was honored with his very own gondola in Kitzbühel, Austria. The ceremony is a tradition for the victor of the famous Hahnenkamm race and was attended by nearly 200 guests. The 28-year-old was presented with a gondola bearing his name on the Hahnenkamm lift, commemorating his stunning downhill victory in January. “I had to start 17 times in Kitzbühel before finally winning,” Crawford said during the ceremony. “Words can hardly describe what this means to me.”
On January 25, 2025, the Canadian stunned the ski racing world by claiming his first-ever World Cup win on what is widely considered the most difficult Downhill course in the sport. Starting 20th, the reigning Super-G World Champion attacked the bottom half of the Streif with precision and composure, overtaking Switzerland’s Alexis Monney by just 0.08 seconds. His teammate Cameron Alexander joined him on the podium in third, marking Canada’s first double podium in Kitzbühel since the days of the legendary “Crazy Canucks” in the early 1980s.
Tuesday’s gondola dedication was more than a symbolic gesture; it was a celebration of Canadian alpine skiing history coming full circle. Among the guests were past and present Canadian ski heroes, including Ken Read, Jon Kucera, Jan Hudec, and current teammates Brodie Seger and Jeffrey Read. Crawford was also joined by his parents Angus Crawford and Laurel Scott, sister Candace, girlfriend Tess Thompson, and other close family members. “You never win just for yourself, you win for everyone who means something to you,” Crawford added. “I feel that especially today when I look around and see who came to Kitzbühel with me.”
- Related: Gold for Canada’s James Crawford in Super-G at 2023 World Championships in Courchevel, France
In a surprise twist, the ceremony also paid tribute to one of Canada’s original downhill icons. Ken Read—who won on the Streif in 1980—was officially honored with a gondola of his own. While the lift car bearing his name has been in circulation since 1996, the 69-year-old finally received his formal dedication this week. It was a fitting nod to a pioneer who helped put Canadian ski racing on the map and whose legacy continues to inspire new generations.
For Crawford, the gondola dedication is not a finish line but a milestone in a still-rising career. “May the course always stay as icy and intimidating,” he said with a grin, referring to the Streif’s famously treacherous conditions. “That’s what makes it so unique. As long as it stays that way, I’ll gladly come back every year and take the risk.”
And maybe, just maybe, he’ll return to claim a second—or even third—victory on the Streif. Because as Crawford himself put it, “Anyone who wins on the Streif two or even three times becomes one of the greats.” With his name now etched into one of ski racing’s most iconic venues, James Crawford has already taken a first step in that direction.
