Ken Read

Ken Read was a member of Canada’s national alpine ski team from 1973 to 1983 and one of the original leaders of the fabled “Crazy Canucks” — the fearless Canadian downhill racers who, from 1975 to 1984, challenged Europe’s best for World Cup supremacy.

Between 1975 and 1983, Ken earned five World Cup victories and 14 podium finishes in downhill. His first World Cup win on December 7, 1975 at Val d’Isère, France, was a Canadian sport breakthrough as first time a North American man had won a World Cup downhill. He went on to become the only Canadian to win all three of alpine skiing ‘classic’ events: the Hahnenkamm in Kitzbühel, Austria, the Lauberhorn in Wengen, Switzerland and the Arlberg-Kandahar in Chamonix, France.

Nationally, Ken claimed six Canadian championship titles before retiring in March 1983.

He represented Canada at two Olympic Winter Games. At Innsbruck 1976, he finished fifth in downhill, just 0.24 seconds off the podium. Heading into Lake Placid 1980, he was considered a gold-medal favourite after a strong World Cup season and carried Canada’s flag at the Opening Ceremony. However, only 15 seconds into his Olympic run, his ski bindings released and he did not finish.

Ken was a leading athlete activist, elected Chair of the Canadian Olympic Committee “Athletes Council” in 1981. He was named to the IOC Athletes Commission (1985-1998). He succeeded Al Raine as Canada’s member and Voce Chair of the Alpine Executive Board of the International Ski Federation (FIS) (1988-2021) and currently serves as Chair of the FIS Coordination Group for Youth and Development.

At the Calgary 1988 Olympics, Ken carried the torch in the Opening Ceremonies. In 1992, he was appointed chef de mission for the Canadian Olympic team at the Barcelona Summer Games.

After retirement, Ken remained active in the sport as a television analyst, magazine columnist and founder of the “Breath of Life” Ski Challenge, which raised millions for cystic fibrosis research. His story, and that of his teammates, was chronicled in The Dream Never Dies (1980) and Crazy Canucks (2004).

Ken settled in Canmore, Alta., with his wife, former national team skier Lynda Robbins. Together they raised three sons, all ski racers. Their eldest, Erik, represented Canada at Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022 and has earned nine World Cup top-10 finishes in 188 starts. Kevyn competed for Dartmouth College, while Jeffrey is active on the World Cup speed circuit and captured silver in super-G at Kvitfjell, Norway, in 2024.

In 2006, Ken became co-owner of Mount Norquay ski resort in Banff National Park. He also served as president and CEO of Alpine Canada Alpin from 2002 to 2008.

Among his many honours, Ken received the Northern Star Award (formerly the Lou Marsh Award) in 1978 and was named Canadian Male Amateur Athlete of the Year in 1979. He was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame (1984), Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (1985), the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame (1986) and the International Ski Racing Hall of Fame (2010). In 2006, along with the Crazy Canucks, he was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame. He was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1991.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• 1975 — 1st, downhill, World Cup, Val d’Isère, France
• 1976 — 5th, downhill, Olympic Winter Games, Innsbruck, Austria; 1st, downhill, Canadian championships
• 1977 — 4th, downhill, World Cup, Val d’Isère, France
• 1978 — 1st, downhill, World Cup, Les Houches, France; 1st, downhill, World Cup, Schladming, Austria; 3rd, downhill, World Cup, Val Gardena, Italy; 1st, downhill and combined, Canadian championships; Lou Marsh Award (Canada’s outstanding athlete of the year)
• 1979 — 3rd, downhill, World Cup, Crans-Montana, Switzerland; national downhill titles in Canada, New Zealand and Australia; Norton Crowe Award (Canada’s outstanding male amateur athlete of the year); John Semmelink Memorial Award, Canadian Ski Association (1979–80)
• 1980 — 1st, downhill, World Cup, Kitzbühel, Austria; 1st and 2nd, downhill, World Cup, Wengen, Switzerland; 2nd, downhill, World Cup, Val d’Isère, France; 1st, downhill, Canadian championships
• 1981 — 3rd, downhill, World Cup, Crans-Montana, Switzerland; 2nd, downhill, U.S. national championships
• 1982 — Two 3rd-place finishes, downhill, World Cup, Kitzbühel, Austria; national downhill titles in New Zealand; podium finishes in Canadian and U.S. championships
• 1983 — 2nd and 4th, downhill, World Cup, Val d’Isère, France; 3rd, downhill, World Cup, Kitzbühel, Austria; 5th, downhill, World Cup, Sarajevo, Yugoslavia; Sport Excellence Award, Government of Canada, Tribute to the Champions
• 1984 — Inducted into Canadian Amateur Sports Hall of Fame
• 1985 — Inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
• 1986 — Inducted into Canadian Ski Hall of Fame
• 1991 — Appointed Member of the Order of Canada
• 2006 — Inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame with the Crazy Canucks
• 2010 — Inducted into the International Ski Racing Hall of Fame

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.