KSC History

The history of the Kimberley Ski Club

About Us

Kimberley Ski Club is a family ski and snowboard racing club based at Talisman Mountain Resort near the village of Kimberley Ontario in the scenic Beaver Valley. Talisman has a large skiing terrain with a 600-foot vertical drop and four chairlifts. The un-crowded slopes, along with expert snow-making and grooming, make it an ideal skiing environment for families with young children.

The primary focus of our club is our racing program for children and teens aged 5 to 19. We have about 50 member families and almost 100 young racers in our programs which are affiliated with the Alpine Ontario South ski racing organization. The Club is administered by a volunteer executive and coaching is provided by the Talisman Snow School. Our racers have won many victories on the Alpine Ontario racing circuit. However, our primary values are inclusiveness and good sportsmanship. Our Club is dedicated to developing a child's self-esteem and self-worth through ski racing. Any child who can ski can ski with KSC.

The cost of racing through the Club is very affordable. Membership provides most of the benefits of a large private ski club, at a much lower cost.

A few words about us

In the winter of 1966 the Kimberley Ski Club was born - named after the village of Kimberley, Ontario near Talisman Mountain Resort - located in the Beaver Valley about 40 km west of Collingwood. Our founders were parents who enjoyed skiing at Talisman and who were enthusiastic about creating a volunteer-based club that would focus on the development of skiing and racing skills for their children within an inclusive and family-oriented environment. The original membership consisted of about ten families. Several of Talisman's instructors were hired as the club's first coaches.

In the seventies and eighties, freestyle skiing was an active part of our program. One of our freestyle competitors, Chris Robinson, whose family were early club members was a medalist at the first Canadian Freestyle Championships. Another of our club members, Meredith Gardner (whose family joined KSC in 1970), spent eight years as a member of the National Freestyle Ski Team. She won 77 World Cup medals (21 gold) and was the World Aerial Champion in 1985 and 1988. Meredith was elected to the Canadian Skiing Hall of Fame in 1995. Currently, our club focus is on ski racing for children and teens in the Nancy Greene, K1, K2 and J Alpine Leagues of the Alpine Ontario South racing organization.

For the adults, ski improvement and race technique sessions have been introduced. Our club is based on a rich history of volunteerism and parental involvement - from gatekeeper to President.

Parents administer the club through an Executive Committee, with various sub-committees for racing and social events. Our long-standing social traditions include regular apres-ski gatherings for the parents with entertainment for the children, Hot Dogs on the Hill bbqs, skating parties, Crazy Helmet day, Club Race and Awards Night Banquet.

What we offer

Our Club also has a variety of programs for the whole family to enjoy both on and off the slopes.

There are adult ski programs as well as a lively schedule of social events, such as "Hot Dogs on the Hill", skating parties, apres-ski get-togethers for the adults with entertainment for the children, and our season-ending Awards Banquet and Dance. Our family-oriented philosophy has been so successful that three-generation ski families are becoming increasingly common in our Club. Our club offers the following to all of our members: