Greg Athans

Greg Athans was one of Canada’s earliest freestyle skiing pioneers, launching his competitive career in 1976. Over the next six years, he delivered numerous victories and trailblazing performances before retiring in 1982.

Born into a family of champions, Athans had an exceptional athletic pedigree. His father won gold and silver diving medals at the 1950 Commonwealth Games and captured 14 Canadian diving championships. His older brother George was a 10-time consecutive Canadian water ski champion and three-time world champion. Their mother held Canadian synchronized swimming titles and national breaststroke records, while Greg’s younger brother Gary competed on the Canadian alpine ski team for eight years.

Proficient on both snow and water skis, Athans remains the only athlete to win gold medals at both the Canada Summer and Winter Games — in alpine slalom in 1971 and water skiing in 1973. He spent much of his life involved in both sports, winning eight national water ski titles and competing on the Pontiac Cup and Can-Am circuits before turning to freestyle skiing in 1976. During a stop in New Hampshire on the Chevy Pro Tour in the 70’s Greg won 3 cars in one weekend.

In his debut year, Greg stunned the freestyle skiing world by winning moguls, ballet and combined titles on the Professional Freestyle Alliance circuit. He repeated this feat in 1978 by winning moguls and ballet titles again, and in 1980 he claimed the moguls title and earned the prestigious World Cup Grand Prix Award for best all-around competitor.

When he retired in 1982 with more than 20 World Cup victories, Greg shifted to coaching and became a strong advocate for freestyle skiing’s inclusion in the Olympic Winter Games.

In retirement, Athans was an enthusiastic fundraiser for the Vancouver Children’s Hospital Foundation. Olympic gold medallist Nancy Greene Raine, named Canada’s Female Athlete of the Half-Century, once said:

“Greg was like a pebble in a pond. Those close to the first ripple were indeed fortunate, yet as the ripples expanded he continued to touch and influence a vast network of friends, colleagues and competitors.”

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• 1976 – 1st moguls, AFSA, Waterville Valley, N.H., U.S.; 1st moguls & ballet, AFSA, Boyne Mountain, Mich., U.S.; 2nd combined, AFSA, Boyne Mountain, Mich., U.S.; 1st ballet, AFSA, Keystone, U.S.; 1st moguls, AFSA, Heavenly Valley, Calif., U.S.; 2nd ballet & combined, AFSA, Heavenly Valley, Calif., U.S.; American Freestyle Association world mogul and ballet champion.
• 1977 – 3rd moguls, Midas Men’s World Trophy Championships, Stratton Mountain, Vt., U.S.; 2nd combined, Midas Men’s World Trophy Championships, Stratton Mountain, Vt., U.S.; 1st ballet & combined, Labatt World Trophy Championships, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que.; 3rd combined, Midas Men’s World Trophy Championships, Heavenly Valley, Calif., U.S.; Men’s overall world freestyle trophy standings: 2nd moguls, 5th ballet, 8th aerials, 2nd combined.
• 1978 – 2nd moguls & ballet, 1st combined, World Cup, Kranska-Gora, Yugoslavia; 1st ballet, 3rd moguls, 2nd combined, World Cup, Praloup, France; 1st moguls, 2nd combined, World Cup, Isola, France; 1st moguls, 2nd ballet, 3rd combined, World Cup, Kitzbuhel, Austria; 1st moguls, 3rd ballet & combined, World Cup, Piancavello, Italy; 3rd moguls, 1st ballet, moguls & combined, World Cup, Edelweiss, Que.; 2nd ballet & combined, World Cup, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que.; 1st ballet, 3rd combined, World Cup, Vernon, B.C.; men’s overall world freestyle champion: 1st moguls & ballet.
• 1979 – 1st moguls, World Cup, Bromont, Que., & Saalbach, Austria; 1st combined, World Cup, Oberjoch, Germany; 2nd moguls, World Cup, Bromont, Que.; 1st ballet, World Cup, Bromont, Que.; 3rd moguls, World Cup, Grouse Mountain, B.C.; men’s overall world freestyle standings: 2nd moguls, 4th combined.
• 1980 – 1st (×2) moguls, FIS World Cup, Poconos, U.S.; 2nd ballet, FIS World Cup, Poconos, U.S.; 1st (×2) combined, FIS World Cup, Poconos, U.S.; 3rd combined, FIS World Cup, Oberjoch, Germany; 1st combined, FIS World Cup, Tignes, France; men’s overall world freestyle Grand Prix standings: 1st moguls, 1st combined.
• 1981 – 3rd (×2) ballet, FIS World Cup, Livigno, Italy; 3rd moguls, FIS World Cup, Tignes, France; 3rd (×2) combined, FIS World Cup, Laax, Switzerland; 2nd combined, FIS World Cup, Seefeld, Austria; 2nd (×2) moguls, FIS World Cup, Oberjoch, Germany; 3rd ballet, FIS World Cup, Poconos, U.S.; 3rd ballet, Pepsi Challenge Cup; 2nd moguls, World Cup, Mount Norquay, Alta.; men’s overall world freestyle Grand Prix standings: 2nd moguls, 2nd combined.

Note: The information gathered in this biography was compiled from a number of sources; it may not be inclusive of all accomplishments. Copyright © Canadian Ski Hall of Fame & Museum. For personal and/or educational use only. All rights reserved.