Kelly VanderBeek
Encyclopedia
Kelly VanderBeek (born January 21, 1983 in Kapuskasing, Ontario
) is a Canadian
alpine skier
originally from Kitchener, Ontario
. She currently resides in Chilliwack, British Columbia with husband (five-time Olympic kayaker) David Ford
. Although she has trained at countless ski clubs over the years, she lists Chicopee Ski Club
, Kitchener, Ontario as her home club.
events on the Nor-Am Cup held in Aspen, Colorado
. In 2004, she continued to make her mark on the Nor-Am Cup by winning two Super-G races at Big Mountain, Montana
. She placed a remarkable 3rd in the Super-G at both the 2002 and 2003 FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Tarvisio, Italy and Puy St.Vincent, France, respectively. Kelly competed in numerous Europa Cup events as well.
On December 3rd, 2002, Kelly VanderBeek made her FIS
World Cup debut at Lake Louise, Alberta
. VanderBeek then won the Canadian Junior Athlete of the Year that same year. On December 3rd, 2006, VanderBeek became the first Canadian woman to reach the podium on home soil, posting a 3rd place finish at the World Cup downhill in Lake Louise. Later, she posted two 2nd place finishes at World Cup events in 2007 and 2008.
she picked up a 4th place finish in the Super-G event, missing the podium by only 0.03 of a second. On December 17th 2009, Kelly VanderBeek saw her season end along with her 2010 Winter Olympic
dream when she suffered from a torn posterior cruciate ligament
(PCL), medial collateral ligament
(MCL), and a tibial
plateau fracture in her left knee after a crash on the second downhill training run at a World Cup in Val d'Isère, France. That same week at Val d'Isère also ended up being a season ending stop for two other Canadian Olympic hopefuls, Larisa Yurkiw
and Jean-Philippe Roy
. Although VanderBeek did not compete on home soil, she was given the opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame
as the torch passed through New Westminster, British Columbia. Along with other current and former members of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team
, VanderBeek also appeared on live television as an alpine skiing analyst for broadcaster, CTV
.
. The club provides young athletes with high performance training and is based out of her home club, Chicopee Ski Club.
Bindings: Marker
Boots: Lange
Poles: Lange
Helmet & Goggles: Uvex
Sponsor: Teck
Other Sponsors & Suppliers: CB Richard Ellis Ltd., Comcor Environmental
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
alpine skier
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
originally from Kitchener, Ontario
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
. She currently resides in Chilliwack, British Columbia with husband (five-time Olympic kayaker) David Ford
David Ford (kayaker)
David Watson Ford is a Canadian slalom canoeist who has competed since the early 1990s. He won two medals in the K-1 event at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships with a gold in 1999 and a silver in 2003....
. Although she has trained at countless ski clubs over the years, she lists Chicopee Ski Club
Chicopee Ski Club
Chicopee Ski Club is a ski club in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, founded in 1934 as a not-for-profit organization providing winter recreation on . The club is located on land owned by the Grand River Conservation Authority....
, Kitchener, Ontario as her home club.
Career
In 2002, VanderBeek won both the Super-G and downhillDownhill
Downhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the Downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
events on the Nor-Am Cup held in Aspen, Colorado
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
. In 2004, she continued to make her mark on the Nor-Am Cup by winning two Super-G races at Big Mountain, Montana
Whitefish Mountain Resort
Whitefish Mountain Resort is a ski resort located at The Big Mountain in northwestern Montana, located west of Glacier National Park in the Flathead National Forest...
. She placed a remarkable 3rd in the Super-G at both the 2002 and 2003 FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Tarvisio, Italy and Puy St.Vincent, France, respectively. Kelly competed in numerous Europa Cup events as well.
On December 3rd, 2002, Kelly VanderBeek made her FIS
International Ski Federation
The International Ski Federation, known by its name in French, Fédération Internationale de Ski is the main international organisation for ski sports...
World Cup debut at Lake Louise, Alberta
Lake Louise Mountain Resort
The Lake Louise Ski Area is a ski resort located in Banff National Park, near the village of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. It can be reached from Banff, from where it is a 35 to 45 minute drive west on Trans-Canada Highway, or Calgary, a 2-hour drive...
. VanderBeek then won the Canadian Junior Athlete of the Year that same year. On December 3rd, 2006, VanderBeek became the first Canadian woman to reach the podium on home soil, posting a 3rd place finish at the World Cup downhill in Lake Louise. Later, she posted two 2nd place finishes at World Cup events in 2007 and 2008.
Olympics
At the 2006 Winter Olympics2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
she picked up a 4th place finish in the Super-G event, missing the podium by only 0.03 of a second. On December 17th 2009, Kelly VanderBeek saw her season end along with her 2010 Winter Olympic
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
dream when she suffered from a torn posterior cruciate ligament
Posterior cruciate ligament
The posterior cruciate ligament is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the medial condyle of the femur...
(PCL), medial collateral ligament
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
(MCL), and a tibial
Tibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....
plateau fracture in her left knee after a crash on the second downhill training run at a World Cup in Val d'Isère, France. That same week at Val d'Isère also ended up being a season ending stop for two other Canadian Olympic hopefuls, Larisa Yurkiw
Larisa Yurkiw
Larisa Yurkiw is a Canadian alpine skier, specializing in downhill and super-G.On January 13, 2007, Larisa made her debut on the FIS World Cup at Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria in a downhill event. From 2008 to 2009, she reached the top 30 seven times...
and Jean-Philippe Roy
Jean-Philippe Roy
Jean-Philippe Roy is a Canadian alpine skier.Roy's best finish on the World Cup circuit is a 5th place in a giant slalom in Alta Badia...
. Although VanderBeek did not compete on home soil, she was given the opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame
Olympic Flame
The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a symbol of the Olympic Games. Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, where a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. The fire was reintroduced at the 1928...
as the torch passed through New Westminster, British Columbia. Along with other current and former members of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team
Alpine Canada
Alpine Canada Alpin is the governing body for alpine ski racing in Canada. Alpine Canada represents coaches, officials, supporters and athletes, including the elite racers of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team, Canada's Ski Cross Team and the Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team...
, VanderBeek also appeared on live television as an alpine skiing analyst for broadcaster, CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
.
Kelly VanderBeek Racing Club
In 2009, VanderBeek created the Kelly VanderBeek Racing Club in an effort to support young racers in Southwestern OntarioSouthwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario, centred on the city of London. It extends north to south from the Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron to the Lake Erie shoreline, and east to south-west roughly from Guelph to Windsor. The region had a population...
. The club provides young athletes with high performance training and is based out of her home club, Chicopee Ski Club.
World Cup Results
| Season | Top 10s |
|---|---|
| 2010/2011 | 0 - injured |
| 2009/2010 | 0 - injured |
| 2008/2009 | 7 |
| 2007/2008 | 5 |
| 2006/2007 | 7 |
| 2005/2006 | 2 |
| 2004/2005 | 1 |
Equipment and Sponsorship
Skis: VolklVölkl
Völkl is a sports equipment manufacturer based in Germany. It is a subsidiary of the Jarden Corporation. Initially it manufactured skis, but has extended its line to snowboards, outerwear, and tennis gear...
Bindings: Marker
Marker (alpine bindings)
Marker has been a manufacturer of alpine ski bindings since 1952. Founded by Hannes Marker, the company is known for pioneering releasable binding technology. Marker's first model, the Duplex, led the way and was followed in 1953 by the highest binding ever, the simplex toe...
Boots: Lange
Poles: Lange
Helmet & Goggles: Uvex
Sponsor: Teck
Other Sponsors & Suppliers: CB Richard Ellis Ltd., Comcor Environmental