Conditions Report
Report from Friday, March 14 – Saturday, March 15, 2025
The beauty of FIS World Cup races is that they are events spread out across the world not only to showcase some of the best athletes in skiing and snowboarding but also to present an opportunity to bring the local community together to celebrate the sport. The goal of all World Cup events is to attract and bring new eyes to the sport in hopes of continuing to help all FIS competitions grow.
With this in mind, when I first heard that Craigleith Ski Club, a fully private members-only ski area 2-hours north of Toronto, Ontario, was going to be hosting a FIS World Cup event for the first time two years ago, I was a little puzzled by the move. It’s a very public event to put at a place where families pay $54,000 CAD ($37,774 USD) to join and avoid the crowds and public. So what exactly inspires Craigleith to continue hosting FIS World Cup events like this year after year?
Craigleith Ski Club Quick Facts
- Date Opened: 1958
- Multi-Destination Pass: Private (n/a) – reciprocal passes with nearby private ski clubs including Alpine, Georgian Peaks, Osler Bluffs, Beaver Valley, Devil’s Glen, and Mansfield.
- Number of Trails: 29
- Skiable Acres: ~200
- Vertical Drop: 680 feet
- Base Elevation: 780 feet
- Summit Elevation: 1,460 feet
- Terrain Breakdown:
- Beginner: 14%
- Intermediate: 28%
- Advanced: 35%
- Expert: 24%
- Number of Lifts: 6
- Night Skiing: Yes (select evenings, beginner area only)
- Other Activities:
- Snowshoeing
- Tennis (summer only)
Even though Craigleith Ski Club is a fully private ski area, it opened its doors to the general public for the four days the race was held. The base area was transformed into a World Cup venue, with bleachers, TV screens, sponsorship tents, and private company suites that consisted of mobile trailers on what is usually the bottom of the beginner hill.
A weekend that typically sees dwindling crowds instead saw a packed patio and a very patriotic atmosphere.
Viewers who turned out for the Friday and Saturday races were not disappointed, with Canadians taking four out of the six podium places available. The Men’s final on Saturday saw a dramatic final race, with Sweden’s David Mobaerg flying into the b-netting after flying off a jump midway down the course.
As the middle of March passes, most people in southern Ontario are done with the ski season. Bringing a World Cup Ski Cross event to the region during this time of year rejuvenates excitement and attention to skiing in the final weeks of winter. This time of year is also in line with the provincial March Break, meaning children are off school and are able to attend the event, which was primarily held during the week.
Earlier in the week kids in Craigleith’s racing camps were able to meet and learn from a handful of skiers on the Canadian National Team by getting autographs and attending a practice course inspection with the World Cup athletes. At such a formative age, memories like these are what inspire kids to truly fall in love with the sport of skiing and make it become a lifelong passion.
Canada was also lucky to have Craigleith local Kevin Drury compete in the race, who ended up placing third during Friday’s Men’s race. Drury, who is a two-time Olympian and 2020 SkiCross World Cup Champion, carries on a long line of racing excellence produced by Craiglieth Ski Club. The private club’s Alpine racing program is one of the largest in the country and has produced skiers such as Alpine ski racer Steve Podborski (a member of the ‘Crazy Canucks‘).
The most notable ski-cross alumni of Craigleith is Nik Zoricic, who tragically lost his life at a World Cup Ski-Cross race in Grindelwald, Switzerland, after crashing head-first into b-netting back in 2012. Although this was a horrific loss, the Nik Zoricic Foundation was born from this event and continues to grow the sport of ski racing while emphasizing the importance of safety measures for the sport. NZ Foundation stickers can still be spotted on countless people’s helmets when skiing at Craigleith and other nearby ski resorts.
Besides the World Cup, the skiing at Craglieth was empty and offered peak spring conditions. A heavy investment in state-of-the-art snowmaking alongside one of the best snow seasons mother nature has provided in the past decade means that Craigleith is holding strong against consistently high temperatures and rain. At this rate, they should be skiing into April on some of their most well-maintained trails.
While it might be easy to write off having a FIS event at a private ski area, taking a deeper look at the opportunities it can bring with an event that can otherwise be underappreciated on different stages of the World Cup tour shows why Craiglieth will continue to host the ski cross for the following two years. The event is cash-neutral, meaning that when taking into consideration costs but also sponsorship opportunities, Craigleith neither gains nor loses money on the event.
Love them or hate them, it makes sense to ask the question of why someone would ever pay a $50,000 initiation for a private ski club that offers a mere 680 feet vertical drop and only 200 acres of skiable terrain, especially when it is quite literally directly beside Blue Mountain. Hosting the World Cup Ski Cross and cultivating a deep sense of community and passion for the sport is one reason, and stands as an example of how private skiing in Ontario really isn’t about the skiing, but rather the atmosphere, culture, and socializing that surrounds it.
Craigleith Ski Club Conditions
Craigleith Ski Club Weather
Craigleith Ski Club Photos
For more information, check out Craigleith Ski Club’s website.
