Look out ski world, Erik Read is starting to make a name for himself.
The 21-year-old Calgary alpine skier won the overall Nor-Am title this past season and earned a promotion to the Canadian men’s national team.
His dad, Ken, of course, was a member of the famed Crazy Canucks team of successful Canadian alpine skiers in the 1970s and 1980s. His mother, Lynda Robbins, won the 1979 GMC Cup overall title. And his grandmother, Dee Read, is a skiing legend in her own right, earning her a spot into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame.
“It’s nice, people recognize the name and say, ‘Oh you’re the son of Ken Read.’ It’s a cool thing, it’s not a hindrance, and it does benefit me,” Read told Michael Mastarciyan of fisalpine.com. “That’s actually the good thing about our family, there’s such a legacy here, but there’s been no extra pressure from my dad or my mom. They want me to succeed and I’m loving it and only doing it for myself, not for my family name or anything like that.”
It’s not an easy jump to the World Cup circuit from the Nor-Am tour, so Erik will have to take baby steps.
“I’m excited because it’s the next big step in my career and nervous at the same time because it’s such a huge step,” he said in the interview. “The World Cup is not as forgiving as some of the races you have out here. I think next year will be a transition year, so hopefully I’ll be doing a mix of World Cup and Nor-Ams and it’ll help me make the full leap into World Cup.
Dad Ken knows full well how big that jump can be.
“Today, a quota spot must be earned in World Cup and to move past the speed-bump of earning WCSL ranking means a top 30 finish – which often takes several years to gain the experience, strength and maturity,” Ken told the website. “Thus, the importance of patience with these athletes, to give them time to mature, good guidance from their coaches and world-class equipment is something to keep in mind. It may take up to 3-plus years to bridge from Nor-Am to World Cup.”
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