Big White Welcomes Ski Cross Athlete Ned Ireland to the Team

Posted On: October 02, 2019 |

Big White Ski Resort is excited to announce the newest addition to its roster of professional athletes, 25-year-old Canadian Ski Cross member Ned Ireland. Ireland spent his formative years as a Big White local, growing up slope-side, attending the Big White Community School, and honing his skills on Big White’s famous Okanagan Champagne Powder – and on his favourite run, the Parachute Bowl.

“It is pretty awesome to have my home hill supporting me,” Ireland says. “Especially the hill I grew up on and have been supportive for so long, and now this just make things official. It’s so cool to have the whole Brig White crew behind me.”

Ireland was unable to race in the 2018/2019 season due to an injury, but after a long recovery and a lot of time spent in the gym, he’ll be back on skis for the 2019/2020 season. “I’m excited to be getting back into the racing atmosphere, getting out there with my teammates, travelling over to Europe to ski some of the bigger courses, skiing fast and getting on some podiums,” he says.

Ned Ireland — Photo credit: Malcolm Carmichael

As a child, Ireland spent all winter, from November to April, at the resort, attending the local school until he hit high school. In his third year competing in ski cross, he saw the success of his friends and fellow Big White Community School athletes Kelsey Serwa and Ian Deans, and realized he too could progress onto the national team, compete in bigger races and hit bigger courses – and that he could ski with his friends a bit longer.

“I have known Ned since the day he put on his first pair of skis," says Michael J. Ballingall, Senior Vice President at Big White Ski Resort Ltd. "He grew up on Big White Ski Resort with my two boys. It was all we could do to get them to slow down. Now it’s time to go fast Ned! You have the entire community behind you."

While Ireland’s professional race schedule doesn’t allow him to ski Big White as often as he would like to any more, he says he still spends time at his parent’s cabin near Christmas and in the spring – and since the opening of Bike Big White, a lot more in the summer. “I always wanted to bike up there as a kid, now it’s awesome. It’s just growing and growing, and I get to go ride some of the best trails in the area.”

With the recent snowfall, and winter right around the corner, the young athlete is excited to get back on the course, with the long term goal of making the Canadian Olympic team and heading to Beijing in 2022.

“I’m really grateful to have Big White supporting me this year,” he says, “and hope to make the town of Big White, the Okanagan and Kelowna proud.”