David Rees

Dave Rees’s career in cross-country skiing spans more than 70 years as an athlete, coach, official and administrator.

Dave grew up as a “four-way” skier, competing in cross-country, jumping, slalom and downhill. During his junior years he won and placed at provincial, national and U.S. events. At the Canadian Junior Championships, he finished in the top three for four straight years (1959–62), winning three gold, three silver and one bronze medal across cross-country, jumping and Nordic combined events.

In 1962 Dave was selected to the Canadian National Cross-Country Ski Team, remaining a member for 10 years until 1972. He was named alternate for the 1964 Olympic team and earned a spot at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble. In senior national competition, he collected 11 national medals. In 1963 he was named Carleton University’s Athlete of the Year and was also recognized by the City of Ottawa as a top athlete.

After retiring from the national team in 1972, Dave embarked on a second career as a volunteer, beginning with his local ski club and division, and continuing on to the Canadian Ski Federation and then Cross Country Canada (CCC – now Nordiq Canada) and the International Ski Federation (FIS).   He chaired numerous CCC committees, including the National Ski Team Committee and the Technical Committee and wrote some of the earliest coaching and officiating manuals.   As President of CCC from 1987 to 1990, he rewrote the organization’s constitution and by-laws leading it to become its own corporate entity. From 2006 to 2008, Dave served a second term as President.   He was a member of the FIS Popular Ski Committee in the 1990s.

Dave authored a best-selling book on cross country skiing in the 1970s that went through three editions.  A founding member of the Canadian Masters Cross Country Ski Association, Dave has competed successfully at many Canadian Masters Championships and 17 Masters World Cups since 1981 right up to the present day, with no plans to retire yet!   In 2022 Dave was Chief of Competition for the Masters World Cup held at Canmore, AB (over 800 competitors from around the world).

He attended four more Winter Olympics (1976, 1984, 1988 and 1992) and two FIS World Championships in various capacities as coach, manager and race official, and served as a National and FIS level technical delegate until 2010.   In 1975, Dave was the founding President of the Canadian Association of Nordic Ski Instructors (CANSI).   He was a senior official at six FIS World Cups held in Canmore, AB between 1987 and 2016.

Cross Country Canada created an annual volunteer award in Dave’s name in 1989.   He was inducted into the North Bay Hall of Fame in 1983 and was named one of North Bay’s top 35 male athletes of the previous 100 years in 2025.

In 2012 Dave initiated and continues to manage a comprehensive display of cross country and biathlon history at the Canmore Nordic Centre (CNC).   Projects have included re-establishing two of the 1988 Olympic racing trails (Men’s 15 km and Women’s 10 km) and spear-heading the installation of the Olympic rings at the CNC.

Dave earned a PHD in geoscience and taught geoscience and hydrology at Nipissing University in North Bay for 30 years. He lives in Cochrane, Alberta, with his wife, Jean Bristow.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• 1959–62 — Three gold, three silver and one bronze at Canadian Junior Championships in cross-country, jumping and Nordic combined
• 1962–72 — Member of Canadian National Cross-Country Ski Team
• 1964 — Named alternate for Canadian Olympic team
• 1968 — Competed at Winter Olympics in Grenoble
• 1972 — Retired from national team; began volunteer leadership with Canadian Ski Association, Cross Country Canada and FIS
• 1981–90 — Competed at Canadian and World Masters Championships
• 1983 — Inducted into North Bay Hall of Fame
• 1987-1990 – President of Cross Country Canada;  rewrote constitution and by-laws
• 1988 – 1988 Winter Olympic Games – Chief of Courses and Jury Member
• 1989 — Cross Country Canada creates annual volunteer award in Dave’s name
• 1991 – Air Canada Amateur Sports Awards – Finalist for Executive of the Year
• 2000 — Named one of North Bay’s top 10 male athletes of 75 years
• 2025 – named one of North Bay’s top 35 male athletes of past 100 years
• Author — Wrote best-selling book on cross-country skiing (three editions, 40,000 copies sold)

Note: Information compiled from several sources; may not include all accomplishments. © Canadian Ski Museum & Hall of Fame. For personal/educational use only. All rights reserved.