Gerry Sorensen

Born in Kimberley, British Columbia, in October 1958, Gerry Sorensen was a member of Canada’s women’s National Alpine team from 1980 until her retirement in March 1984, a brief but superb racing career. In her first year on the team, January 1981, she scored her first success in a World Cup downhill race in Mégève, France. Just one week later, she served notice on her international competitors that she was a real threat by winning a World Cup downhill event at Haus, Austria, the first Canadian woman to do so since Nancy Greene Raine in 1968.

She confounded those who believed her first win was an aberration when, a year later in January 1982, she repeated her success of a year earlier by winning back-to-back World Cup downhill races at Grindelwald, Switzerland. Her reputation was assured a month later when, on February 4th, she won the World Downhill Championship title at Haus, Austria. She was the first Canadian woman to win a World Championship since Lucille Wheeler’s victory in 1958.

Described by her coaches as a highly dedicated and thorough athlete, she thrived on challenge and was considered one of the best “gliders” on the World Cup circuit and physically, one of the strongest. Her career was no less spectacular in Pontiac Cup and Canadian National Championships.

Recognition Highlights

• Voted ‘Athlete of the Month’, February 1981 by the Sports Federation of Canada
• World Champion Award from the Federal Government of Canada at the 1982 Tribute to Champions
• Bobbi Rosenfeld Award for ‘Female Athlete of the Year 1982’
• Runner-up for the Velma Springstead Trophy for ‘Female Athlete of the Year 1982
• Named British Columbia’s “Best Athlete of the Year’ in both 1981and 1982
• Inducted into the Canadian Amateur Sports Hall of Fame in 1983
• Sport Excellence Award from the Federal Government of Canada at the 1984 Tribute to Champions

Competitive Highlights in National and International Competition (top ten finishes)

1978
4th place, Downhill event, Canadian National Championships

1980
3rd place, Downhill event, Canadian National Championships
8th place, Giant Slalom event, Canadian National Championships
10th place, Slalom event, Canadian National Championships
3rd place, Combined event, Canadian National Championships
5th place, Downhill event North American Championships, Squaw Valley, USA
5th place, Downhill event, United States National Championships, Squaw Valley, USA

1981
6th place, Downhill event, Europa Cup, Mégève, France
5th place, Downhill event, World Cup, Mégève, France
1st place, Downhill event, World Cup, Haus, Austria
3rd place, Giant Slalom event, Canadian National Championships
1st place, Downhill event, Canadian National Championships
1st place, Downhill event, Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS) event
8th place, Downhill event, World Cup, Saalbach, Austria

1982
1st place, Downhill event, World Cup, Grindelwald, Switzerland
1st place, Downhill event, World Cup, Grindelwald, Switzerland
1st place, Downhill event, World Championships, Haus, Austria
8th place, Downhill event, World Cup, Arosa, Switzerland
3rd place, Downhill event, World Cup, Arosa, Switzerland
4th place, Downhill event, World Cup, Val d’Isere, France

1983
5th place, Downhill event, World Cup, Schruns, Austria
7th place, Downhill event, World Cup, Mégève, France
3rd place, Giant Slalom event, Canadian National Championships
2nd place, Giant Slalom event, Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS) race
2nd place, Downhill event, North American Ski Trophy Series
1st place, Downhill event, Canadian National Championships
7th place, Giant Slalom event, Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS)
4th place, Downhill event, World Cup, Val d’Isere, France

1984
1st place, Downhill event, World Cup, Puy-St-Vincent, France
5th place, Super G event, World Cup, Puy-St-Vincent, France
6th place, Downhill event, World Cup, Bad Gastein, Austria
5th place, Downhill event, World Cup, Mégève, France
6th place (tied), Downhill event, XlV Olympic Winter Games, Sarajevo, Jugoslavia
2nd place, Downhill event, Canadian National Championships
2nd place, Downhill event, North American Championships, Mont Ste Anne, Quebec
3rd place, Giant Slalom event, Canadian National Championships
4th place, Downhill event, World Cup, Mont Ste Anne, Quebec

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.