The Canadian Snowboard Federation has invited almost 60 athletes to take part in FIS World Cup events this December in the run-up to the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino.
With the window of opportunity to qualify for the Olympics, fielding a large World Cup team between now and the end of December will increase Canadas chances of maximizing quota spots while ensuring the top athletes will be named to the national team.
It wont cost that much, either, since the next two World Cup events are taking place on Canadian soil.
Snowscene, the Whistler World Cup, takes place Dec. 8-11 and includes two halfpipe and two snowboardcross events for both men and women.
The World Cup at Le Relais Quebec takes place Dec. 16-18, and includes a halfpipe and a pair of parallel giant slalom races.
As usual the team includes several athletes that live and ride in Whistler, mainly in the halfpipe discipline. There is also some overlap with several riders competing in more than one event.
World Cup team:
Snowboardcross Women
Maëlle Ricker (Whistler)
Dominique Maltais
Erin Simmons
Candice Drouin
Dominique Vallée
Jessica Kimura
Christelle Doyon
Nicke Rodgers
Cori Olafson (Whistler)
Sarah Hunter
Snowboardcross Men
Jasey-Jay Anderson
François Boivin
Drew Neilson (Whistler)
Tom Velisek
Rob Fagan
Adam Livingstone
Don Schwartz
Carl Cowtan
Matt Horne
Ryan Hickey
Simon Benefant
Mike Robertson
Matthew Tunnicliffe
Alternate 1: Cale Bowden
Alternate 2: Pat Tunnicliffe
Freestyle Women
Mercedes Nicoll (Whistler)
Dominique Vallée (Whistler)
Maëlle Ricker (Whistler)
Anne-Marie Gauthier
Sarah Conrad
Caylynn Irwin
Natalie Gough
Alex Duckworth
Amanda Mourant (Whistler)
Katie Tsuyki
Charmaine Ironside
Catherine Rochette
Alternate 1: Helen Schettini (Whistler)
Alternate 2: Kelsey Borsa
Alternate 3: Koko Wright
Freestyle Men
Justin Lamoureux (Whistler)
Crispin Lipscomb (Whistler)
Brad Martin
Hugo Lemay
Dan Raymond (Whistler)
Mike Michalchuk (Whistler)
Kory Wright
Jeff Batchelor
Guillaume Morisset
Jared Anderson
Daniel Longo
Dustin Craven
Alternate 1: Kael Hill
Alternate 2: Michael Gotuaco
Alpine Women
Alexa Loo
Aimee Newton
Kimiko Zakreski
Christelle Doyon
Ekaterina Zavialova
Caroline Calvé
Constance Boisvert
Marianne Leeson
Alternate 1: Lilliam Halme
Alternate 2: Megan Bishop
Alpine Men
Jasey-Jay Anderson
Philippe Berube
Michael Lambert
Matthew Morisson
Mike Robertson
Charles Boivin
Justin-Claude Dumont
Adam McLeish
Alternate 1: Matt Horne
Alternate 2: Cody-Devin Ratcliffe