Ken Read facts for kids
| Alpine skier | |
Read in 2006 at Canada's
Walk of Fame ceremony |
|
| Disciplines | Downhill, Combined |
|---|---|
| Club | Lake Louise Ski Club |
| Born | November 6, 1955 |
| World Cup debut | December 6, 1974 (age 19) |
| Retired | March 1983 (age 27) |
| Olympics | |
| Teams | 2 – (1976, 1980) |
| Medals | 0 |
| World Championships | |
| Teams | 4 – (1976, '78, '80, '82) includes two Olympics |
| Medals | 0 |
| World Cup | |
| Seasons | 10 – (1974–1983) |
| Wins | 5 – (5 DH) |
| Podiums | 14 – (14 DH) |
| Overall titles | 0 – (11th in 1978, 1980) |
| Discipline titles | 0 – (2nd in DH, 1980) |
Kenneth "Ken" John Read (born November 6, 1955) is a famous former alpine ski racer from Canada. He was a specialist in the downhill event. Ken Read competed in two Olympic Winter Games. During his ten-year international career, he won five World Cup races. All of his victories were in the downhill discipline.
Ken Read grew up in Vancouver, Kingston, and Calgary. Today, he lives in Calgary and Canmore. He is also the father of two World Cup alpine racers, Erik and Jeffrey Read.
Contents
Ski Racing Career
Ken Read was a member of the Canadian alpine ski team from 1973 to 1983. He competed for nine seasons on the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup circuit. He also took part in two Olympic Winter Games and two FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.
Read was part of a famous group known as the "Crazy Canucks". This was a Canadian downhill team from the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were known for their daring and aggressive racing style. They often challenged the top European skiers. A part of the Lauberhorn race course in Switzerland is even named "Canadian Corner" after two Crazy Canucks, Dave Irwin and Ken Read, fell there in 1976.
First World Cup Wins
Ken Read's first top-ten finish in a World Cup event happened in January 1975. This was during his first season on the World Cup Tour. It was in a combined event at Kitzbühel, Austria.
The next season, he made history for Canada. On December 7, 1975, he became the first Canadian male to win a World Cup event in any sport. This victory was in the opening downhill race of the 1975-76 World Cup Tours. It took place at Val-d'Isère, France. This was also the first World Cup downhill win for any North American man. In that race, four Canadians finished in the top ten!
More Victories and Challenges
Read went on to win four more World Cup downhill races. In the 1980 season, his total points placed him second in the downhill standings. He was the first non-European skier to win two classic downhill races:
These wins added to his 1978 victory at Les Houches near Chamonix, France. This was in the Arlberg-Kandahar, which is ski racing's oldest classic event.
In January 1979, he had another victory at Morzine. However, this win was later cancelled. It was because his racing suit did not meet the rules due to a small manufacturing problem. His amazing 1980 season had another setback. During the Olympic downhill race, his binding released just fifteen seconds into the course. Many people thought he was a favorite to win the gold medal that day.
World Cup Achievements
Ken Read had a very successful career with:
- 5 wins (all in Downhill)
- 14 podium finishes (all in Downhill)
- 40 top ten finishes (35 in Downhill, 5 in Combined events)
Honours and Awards
Ken Read has received many important awards for his achievements:
- In 1978, he was named Canada's Athlete of the Year (Northern Star Award).
- In 1980, he was named Canadian Male Amateur Athlete of the Year.
- In 1991, he became a Member of the Order of Canada. This is one of Canada's highest civilian honours.
- He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.
- He joined Canada's Skiing Hall of Fame in 1986.
- He was inducted into the International Ski Racing Hall of Fame in 2010.
- In 2006, the "Crazy Canucks" team, including Ken, was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.
After Ski Racing
After retiring from racing in 1983, Ken Read continued to have a huge impact on sports in Canada and around the world. The Globe and Mail newspaper recognized his influence by naming him to their "Power List" for three years in a row (2005, 2006, and 2007).
Broadcasting and Charity Work
After competing, Read became a broadcaster for CBC TV Sports and a newspaper columnist. He also started the "Breath of Life" Ski Challenge. Over 23 years, this event raised over $3.8 million for cystic fibrosis research.
Two movies have been made about the "Crazy Canucks":
- A documentary called "The Dream Never Dies" (1980).
- A TV movie called "Crazy Canucks" (2004), based on a novel he co-wrote.
Leadership in Canadian Sport
From 2002 to 2008, Ken Read was the President & CEO of Alpine Canada Alpin. This is the national organization for alpine and para-alpine skiing in Canada. Under his leadership, Canadian ski teams achieved record performances. The organization also became financially strong.
Some key achievements during his time at Alpine Canada include:
- Canada's ranking on the FIS World Cup improved from 14th to 6th.
- The Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team (for disabled skiers) became number one in the world.
- He helped create "Own the Podium," a program that helped Canadian winter sports excel at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
- He developed programs to help young athletes become high-performance skiers.
After leaving Alpine Canada in 2008, he worked with younger athletes at the Alberta Alpine Ski Association. In 2010, he became the director of Winter Sport for Own The Podium. He helped Canadian winter sports achieve top rankings in gold and total medals in 2012.
International Sport Involvement
Ken Read has been active in Canadian and international sports for over 40 years. He was the first chair of the Canadian Olympic Association Athletes Council. He also served on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes' Commission from 1985 to 1998.
In 1992, he was the Chef de Mission for the Canadian team at the Barcelona Olympics. The team won 18 medals, including a record 7 gold medals. He also served on the International Ski Federation's (FIS) Alpine Committee Executive Board. In 2007, he led efforts to improve youth development programs for the FIS. In 2022, he retired from FIS committee work and was named an "Honorary Member" for his great work.
Family and Current Life
Between 2006 and 2014, Ken Read was part of the ownership group of the Mount Norquay ski resort in Banff National Park. He lives in Calgary with his wife, Lynda, who was also a ski racer. Their three sons all competed in alpine skiing. Two of them, Erik Read and Jeffrey Read, are members of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team.
See also
- Crazy Canucks
- Jeffrey Read
