AHA Media

Calgary, AB – Having watched from the sidelines during the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, the Canadian women ski jumpers are now soaring after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced Wednesday that women’s ski jumping is now officially recognized as an Olympic sport and will be included in the 2014 roster of events.

Following a unanimous vote to start a woman’s ski jumping World Cup circuit during the FIS Congress last year and impressive jump results at the most recent competition in Oslo, Norway, Ski Jumping Canada had faith that the IOC would reveal a positive outcome during today’s media conference.

“This is a truly historical occasion for women’s ski jumping,” said Brent Morrice, chairman of Ski Jumping Canada. “Canada has some of the top ranked female athletes in the world and they will finally have an opportunity to display their talent and hard work on an Olympic stage. This couldn’t have happened without the support and much needed funding from sponsors like Lesley Stowe.”

Lesley Stowe, the Vancouver-based owner and creator of the raincoast crisps and self-described skiing enthusiast, became the official sponsor of the Canadian Ski Jumping team two years ago when the organization was severely underfunded and fighting to be competitive leading up to the 2010 Winter Olympics.

“Today is an amazing moment for Canadian women in the sport of ski jumping and I’m honoured to be a part of it,” said Stowe. “From the first competition I attended, I was captivated by the talent, drive and courage the sport demanded and I knew I wanted to help Canada’s teams go the distance.”

With Sochi three years away, the women will now start training for the World Cup circuit in 2012 to prepare for the challenges of international competition. In addition, Ski Jumping Canada has launched a nationwide search for more high-flying female athletes to join the team and train for the Winter Games.

“We already have a very strong team of women leading up to the 2012 World Cup, but are always looking for new talented skiers,” says Ted Bafia, coach of Ski Jumping Canada and three time Olympian. “We have one of the best training and development facilities in the world at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. Our ski jump hills are situated to accommodate numerous jumps in a short period of time, meaning that the athletes can learn and improve very quickly.”

To learn more about joining the Canadian ski jumping team, visit the website at www.skijumpingcanada.com.

About Ski Jumping Canada
Based in Calgary, Alta., Ski Jumping Canada (SJC) is the national sport governing body for ski jumping in Canada. SJC works closely with the Calgary Olympic Development Committee (CODA) to ensure the best possible high performance program for ski jumpers in Canada and equal access by all athletes to the training centre programs available at the National Training Centre. Committed to working with all partners to provide an effective and supportive program of training, coaching, travel and competitions, the various functions of SJC include:

About Lesley Stowe

Lesley Stowe is a Parisian-trained chef who began her catering company 25 years ago in Vancouver. A culinary pioneer, Lesley helped to develop and refine the palettes of Vancouverites with her specialty fine foods store. The store’s success, combined with Lesley’s ability to predict and capitalize on food trends resulted in the creation of raincoast crisps – a revolutionary snack food beyond compare. Also the author of her own cookbook, the Lesley Stowe Fine Foods Cookbook, Lesley is a regular contributor to other popular cookbooks including The Girls Who Dish series.

Below is  a photo and video of Lesley Stowe with Peter Davies of AHA MEDIA