Dave Wood

As a highly respected and renowned coach, Dave Wood had a formula for success.  He inspired and motivated his skiers and helped them produce world-class results.

Dave was born in Vancouver, British Columbia.  He considers Prince George his hometown and currently resides in Rossland, BC.  He is a nationally certified Level 4 cross country coach who only began skiing in his late teens.

In 1980, Dave joined the Hickory Wing Ski Club of Prince George and was very active for the club. Progressing from competitor, in 1986 Dave had an opportunity to assist the Head Coach of the BC cross country team and played an important role in preparing athletes for the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Games. Following the Olympics, Dave moved into the head coach position and remained in that role for the next two years.

In 1990, Dave took on a critical technical role as head wax technician for Cross Country Canada’s international program.  In 1994, he returned to Cross Country BC to lead the BC Team and the Provincial Training Centre starting up in Prince George. While in this role, he maintained his relationship with the national ski team program and was part of the coaching support staff for the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer. 

In 1995, Cross Country Canada restarted the national junior development program, operating out of Canmore, Alberta. With a reputation of guiding Canada’s best young racers, Dave left Prince George and moved to Canmore to coach this program. 

In 1998, Dave took over the struggling national cross country ski team. Under his guidance as head coach and team leader, Dave rebuilt a program in disarray resulting in some of its greatest success stories. Under his helm, Beckie Scott won gold at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.  In 2006 at the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Chandra Crawford won gold while Sara Renner & Beckie Scott won silver in Team Sprint. 

Dave raised the bar with unprecedented results and is considered to be one of the most respected Canadian cross country coaches of all time.  His 25 year career included 12 years as head coach of the national team, 7 Winter Olympic Games, 9 World Championships, 4 World Junior Championships and multiple World Cups. He rose to become a world-class coach and a deserving recipient when in 2014 he was inducted into the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame.  

Dave resigned from Cross Country Canada in 2010 and returned to BC where he worked with the Blackjack Nordic Ski Club to develop the Nordic academy for skiers 13-18. Although now retired, Dave continues to support cross country events and enjoys life in Rossland with his wife Allison and his two spaniels.  He skis most days, Alpine or cross country, sometimes both on the same day and he keeps in touch with the many athletes he coached and in whose lives he made a significant difference. 

Please Note: The ski information gathered here is compiled from a number of sources; it may not be inclusive of all accomplishments. Copyright © 2022, Canadian Ski Museum & Hall of Fame. All Rights Reserved.