Hall of Famer

Christopher Simboli

Affiliated Discipline(s): Freestyle
Hometown: Ottawa, ON
Active Career Period: 1984 - 1989
Induction CSHF: 1993
Induction Category: Freestyle: Moguls, Ballet, Aerials, Combined
Chris Simboli. Canadian Freestyle Ski Association.

In his era of competition from January 1984 until his retirement from the national Freestyle Team at the end of March 1989, Chris Simboli was undoubtedly the most talented all-round freestyle skier in the world. In 217 Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS) World Cup and World Ski Championship events, he placed among the top-10 finishers an astonishing 123 times. More impressive perhaps was that in a period of increasing specialization in the freestyle disciplines, he remained a threat in all events, Ballet, Moguls and Aerials confirmed by his 29-time top-3 finish in Combined events. Of the three disciplines, his strength was primarily in Ballet and Aerials in which he placed in the top-3 on 13 occasions.

In his final, memorable year in 1989, he won both the World Freestyle Championship Combined title and the Grand Prix Championship awarded to the best overall competitor in a full year of FIS World Cup competition.

In 1989 he was awarded the prestigious John Semmelink Memorial Award established in 1960 by the Canadian Ski Association to honour the memory of a member of Canada’s Alpine Ski Team who was killed in 1959 while racing the Arlberg-Kandahar downhill race. It is presented to “…the skier who through sportsmanship, conduct and ability best represents Canada in international competition”. He was also Ottawa’s Athlete of the Year in April1990 and nominated for both the Ontario and Canadian Athlete of the year in the same year.

Competitive record in international competition (top ten finishes)

1981
2nd place, Ballet event, International Youth Championships, Saas-Fee, Switzerland

1984
6th place, Aerials, World Cup, Stoneham, Quebec
10th place, Combined, World Cup, Stoneham, Quebec
6th place, Ballet, World Cup, Breckenridge, USA
7th place, Combined, World Cup, Breckenridge, USA
9th place, Aerials, World Cup, Breckenridge, Quebec
8th place, Ballet, World Cup, Courchevel, France
9th place, Aerials World Cup, Courchevel, France
5th place, Combined, World Cup, Courchevel, France
7th place, Ballet, World Cup, Gostling, Austria
5th place, Combined, World Cup, Gostling, Austria
8th place, Aerials, World Cup, Oberjoch, Germany
6th place, Combined, World Cup, Oberjoch, Germany
8th place, Combined, World Cup, Campitello Matese, Italy
3rd place, Aerials, World Cup, Campitello Matese, Italy
10th place, Ballet, World Cup, Salen, Sweden
8th place, Aerials, World Cup, Salen, Sweden
5th place, Combined, World Cup, Salen, Sweden
5th place, Ballet, World Cup, Tignes, France
3rd place, Aerials, World Cup, Tignes, France
2nd place, Combined, World Cup, Tignes, France
9th place, Ballet, World Cup, Tignes, France
5th place, Combined, World Cup, Tignes, France
6th place, Aerials, World Cup, Tignes, France

1985
3rd place, Ballet, World Cup, Mt Gabriel, Quebec
4th place, Aerials, World Cup, Mt Gabriel, Quebec
4th place, Combined, World Cup, Mt Gabriel, Quebec
5th place, Ballet, World Cup, Lake Placid, USA
2nd place, Combined, World Cup, Lake Placid, USA
7th place, Aerials, World Cup, Lake Placid, USA
6th place, Aerials, World Cup, Lake Placid, USA
7th place, Ballet, World Cup, Breckenridge, USA
8th place, Aerials, World Cup, Breckenridge, USA
2nd place, Combined, World Cup, Breckenridge, USA
3rd place, Ballet, World Cup, La Sauze, France
6th place, Aerials, World Cup, La Sauze, France
6th place, Combined, World Cup, Pra Loup, France
3rd place, Ballet, World Cup, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia
3rd place, Aerials, World Cup, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia
3rd place, Ballet, World Cup, Oberjoch, Germany
3rd place, Combined, World Cup, Oberjoch, Germany
7th place, Aerials, World Cup, Oberjoch, Germany
8th place, Ballet, World Cup, Mariazell, Austria
2nd place, Combined, World Cup, Pila, Italy
5th place, Ballet, World Cup, La Clusaz, France
2nd place, Aerials, World Cup, Salen Sweden
3rd place, Combined, World Cup, Salen, Sweden

1986
2nd place, Combined, World Cup, Mt Gabriel, Quebec
5th place, Aerials, World Cup, Lake Placid, USA
3rd place, Aerials, World Cup, Lake Placid, USA
4th place, Combined, World Cup, Breckenridge, USA
6th place, Ballet, World Cup, Breckenridge, USA
4th place, Combined, World Cup, Breckenridge, USA
8th place, Aerials, World Ski Championships, Tignes, France
5th place, Combined, World Ski Championships, Tignes, France
5th place, Aerials, World Cup, Mariazell, Austria
4th place, Aerials, World Cup, Mariazell, Austria
2nd place, Combined, World Cup, Oberjoch, Germany
6th place, Aerials, World Cup, Oberjoch, Germany
9th place, Ballet, World Cup, Voss, Norway
7th place, Aerials, World Cup, Voss, Norway
1st place, Combined, World Cup, Voss, Norway
6th place, Ballet, World Cup, Tignes, France
3rd place, Combined, World Cup, Tignes, France

1987
5th place, Combined, World Cup, Mt Gabriel, Quebec
9th place, Aerials, World Cup, Lake Placid, USA
5th place, Ballet, World Cup, Breckenridge, USA
2nd place, Combined, World Cup, Lake Placid, USA
3rd place, Ballet, World Cup, Lake Placid, USA
3rd place, Combined, World Cup, Breckenridge, USA
8th place, Aerials, World Cup, Breckenridge, USA
2nd place, Ballet, World Cup, Calgary, Alberta
4th place, Combined, World Cup, Calgary, Alberta
7th place, Aerials, World Cup, Mariazell, Austria
9th place, Aerials, World Cup, Voss, Norway
6th place, Combined, World Cup, Voss, Norway
3rd place, Combined, World Cup, Oberjoch, Germany
4th place, Aerials, World Cup, La Clusaz, France
5th place, Combined, World Cup, La Clusaz, France
4th place, Ballet, World Cup, Tignes, France
3rd place, Combined, World Cup, Tignes, France
5th place, Ballet, World Cup, La Plagne, France
3rd place, Combined, World Cup, La Plagne, France

1988
5th place, Ballet, World Cup, Mt Gabriel, Quebec
4th place, Combined, World Cup, Mt Gabriel, France
4th place, Ballet, World Cup, Lake Placid, USA
3rd place, Combined, World Cup, Lake Placid, USA
5th place, Ballet, World Cup, Breckenridge, USA
6th place, Aerials, World Cup, Breckenridge, USA
3rd place, Combined, World Cup, Breckenridge, USA
4th place, Combined, World Cup, Inawashiro, Japan
7th place, Ballet, World Cup, Madareo, Japan
3rd place, Ballet, World Cup, Oberjoch, Germany
1st place, Combined, World Cup, Oberjoch, Germany
10th place, Aerials, World Cup, La Clusaz, France
3rd place, Combined, World Cup, La Clusaz, France
4th place, Combined, World Cup, Madareo, Japan
6th place, Ballet, World Cup, Meiringen-Hasliberg, Switzerland
1st place, Combined, World Cup, Meiringen-Hasliberg, Switzerland
8th place, Aerials, World Cup, Meiringen-Hasliberg, Switzerland
10th place, Moguls, World Cup, Tignes, France
3rd place, Combined, World Cup, Tignes, France
6th place, Ballet, World Cup, La Plagne, France
4th place, Combined, World Cup, La Plagne, France

1989
4th place, Ballet, World Cup, Mt Gabriel, Quebec
8th place, Aerials, World Cup, Mt Gabriel, Quebec
2nd place, Combined, World Cup, Mt Gabriel, Quebec
4th place, Ballet, World Cup, Lake Placid, USA
6th place, Aerials, World Cup, Lake Placid, USA
2nd place, Combined, World Cup, Lake Placid, USA
7th place, Ballet, World Cup, Calgary, Alberta
2nd place, Combined, World Cup, Calgary, Alberta
3rd place, Ballet, World Cup, Breckenridge, USA
2nd place, Combined, World Cup, Breckenridge, USA
2nd place, Combined, La Clusaz, France
8th place, Ballet, World Ski Championships, Oberjoch, Germany
8th place, Aerials, World Ski Championships, Oberjoch, Germany
1st place, Combined, World Ski Championships, Oberjoch, Germany
5th place, Ballet, World Cup, Voss, Norway
10th place, Aerials, World Cup, Voss, Norway
2nd place, Combined, World Cup, Voss, Norway
9th place, Aerials, World Cup, Are, Sweden
3rd place, Combined, World Cup, Are, Sweden
4th place, Ballet, World Cup, Suomutunturi, Finland

 

Please Note: The ski information gathered here is compiled from a number of sources; it may not be inclusive of all accomplishments.
Copyright © 2021, Canadian Ski Museum. For Personal/Educational use only. All Rights Reserved.

Meredith Gardner and Chris Simboli both win Freestyle competition
Meredith Gardner and Chris Simboli both win Freestyle competition. Canadian Freestyle Ski Association.
Chris Simboli
Chris Simboli. Canadian Freestyle Ski Association.

Canadian Freestyle Ski Team 1985 [L to R back]: Alain LaRoche, Dave Walker, Dave Walker, Bill Keenan, ?, Pat Henry, ?, Pierre Poulin, ?, ?, ?, ?, Richard Peirce, Craig Young, Chris Simboli, Peter Judge (coach) [L to R front]: Lee Lee Morrison, Meredith Gardner, Janice Cannon, Lucie Barma. Canadian Freestyle Ski Association.

National Freestyle Ski Team at 1985 Oberjoch World Cup [L to R]: ?, Yves LaRoche, Janice Cannon, Pierre Poulin, ?, Alain LaRoche, ?, Chris Simboli, Lucie Barma, ?, Daniel Cote, Meredith Gardner. Canadian Freestyle Ski Association.

National Freestyle Ski Team 1985 [L to R back]: Michel Longtin, Lloyd Langlois, Murray Cluff, Pat Henry, ?, Jacques Dumaine, Daniel Cote, Peter Judge (coach), Chris Simboli [L to R front]: Lucie Barma, Anna Fraser, Janice Cannon. Canadian Freestyle Ski Association.

National Freestyle Ski Team 1987 [top row]: Lucie Barma, Murray Cluff, Anna Fraser [middle row]: Meredith Gardner, Pat Henry, Peter Judge, Lloyd Langlois, Alain LaRoche [bottom row]: Lee Lee Morrison, Richard Peirce, Chris Simboli, Dave Walker, Craig Young. Canadian Freestyle Ski Association.

Chris Simboli at 1993 Canadian Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. CSHFM Collection.

Chris Simboli - Breckenridge Freestyle World Cup 1987

Chris Simboli's jump at the Breckenridge Freestyle World Cup in 1987 with commentary.

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