Meet the Team
Our coaching team is comprised of highly experienced, passionate skiers from diverse backgrounds. From ex-professional athletes competing on the World Tour, to film skiers, to born and bread locals, terrain park specialists and powder hounds, our team is as multi talented as it gets. Athletes have a special opportunity to learn a wealth of knowledge from our legendary coaching staff. Learn more about these amazing humans below!
Ryan Lachapelle - Club Director
Ryan grew up skiing at Blue Mountain in Collingwood, ON. Looking back he feels super fortunate to have been able to night ski pretty much everyday after school until 10pm. He quickly became obsessed with terrain park skiing and joined the Blue Mtn. Park & Pipe team at age 14. He went on to compete for the Ontario Team at age 16 and began coaching the Blue Mtn. Freestyle Team at age 17. After high school Ryan fulfilled his childhood dream and moved out west to ski in the mountains. He bounced around over a number of years working at various ski resorts; from Sunshine Village, to Nelson, Revelstoke, Castle Mountain and finally ended up at RED. It was at RED where he felt right at home, running the events at the resort for 8 years and organizing his favourite of them all: The Canadian Open Freeride Championships. Ryan also was the Head Freeski Coach in 2016 for Team Treblecone in Wanaka, New Zealand and coached the Red Mtn. Freeski Team in 2021. Ryan skis for Faction Skis and has a deep passion for the outdoors and working with youth in sport. @ryangiver
Dane Tudor
The name speaks for itself. Dane Tudor is one of the best all around freeskiers in the World. Earning the Male Skier of the Year in 2022 and in 2009, he has been a professional skier / backcountry film athlete for over 15 years and an X-Games Medalist. Dane has countless jaw dropping film segments with Poor Boyz Productions, Matchstick Productions and Teton Gravity Research. From skiing the biggest spine lines in Alaska, to the most technical pillow lines in BC, and huge tricks in the backcountry and terrain park; Dane’s talent shines through in a multitude of skiing disciplines. We couldn’t be more stoked to have him a part of the team and to create our Club Content through his company -Shred House Media @danetudor @_shredhousemedia_
Sally Steeves
Sally is a Rossland local who started skiing by following her ski patrol parents around RED, learning their secret stashes and setting up the occasional bamboo line. She started competing in junior big mountain freeski competitions at age 11. In her first competition, the head judge said that she would be “a threat to the future of freeskiing” and she took that to heart, winning 16 competitions over the next 6 years.
Her biggest highlights include winning the North American Freeski Championships twice at Snowbird and Crystal Mountain. Sally was in the Red Freeski Academy her entire highschool career, growing from a young straggler to a team leader by her final year. After high school, she moved to Calgary to pursue electrical engineering degree and took a hiatus from competitive skiing. During that time she helped coach the Red Freeski Team when they competed at Lake Louise.
Sally is now embracing being a weekend warrior and has competed in multiple FWQ events over the past 3 years, and loves passing her competition experience to other athletes! @sallysteeves
Kirsty Exner
Kirsty grew up skiing Red Mountain and has been involved in the ski industry for over 25 years. She competed on the World Freeskiing Tour for 4 years earning many podium finishes, including two silver medals at the Worlds in Alaska. From her own personal freeskiing background, she created her own women’s freeskiing camps at Red Mountain, and coached hundreds of women through her multi-day camps. This competitive skiing and coaching background, paired with her physiotherapy expertise, makes her a sought-after coach.
Though she is a busy, working mom, she still likes to get after it in the mountains and each year has a few personal goals to ski big peaks and technical lines. In the summer months, she loves biking, rock climbing, and hiking and enjoys sharing her passion for outdoor adventure with her family. @kirstyexner
Cameron Farmer
Cameron started skiing with his family in Ontario at the ripe age of two, but the real progress came from an annual pilgrimage to Jay Peak, Vermont; which would become his stomping grounds for both tree skiing and Freeski. Cameron started instructing at fifteen and has been teaching (nearly) consecutive seasons ever since. In 2011, he fulfilled his dream to live in the mountains and taught at Whistler. In 2013/14, Cameron worked at Mike Wiegele Heli-skiing BC and received guidance and training with the heli-ski pioneer and industry legend himself. To the detriment of his teachers, Cameron was always that kid asking “why?” too often. On the snow, Cameron recognizes how important it is for students to know “the why”. Lack of confidence and mental blockages nailing that trick, stomping that landing, committing to that line, or even back-seat riding; Cameron works with the athlete to align mind and body. Cameron is professionally certified with the Avalanche Operations industry training standard and has coached the Junior RED freeride team during the ‘15/16 and ‘19/20 seasons. Cameron eats, sleeps, and breathes mountain culture and freeskiing. He’s passionate to share with others and loves to challenge students with trivia on mountains and topography. @farmer.flow
Jess Kuzik
Born and raised in Canmore, Alberta, it is inevitable growing up in the mountains would foster an appreciation for the outdoors. Jess started young ski racing at Mount Norquay, a foundation she later built upon as she transitioned into a big mountain rider skiing at the larger nearby resorts. Upon completion of college in Calgary; a combination of job prospects, Pandemic re-routing and the hunt for more powder led her to Rossland where she began to deepen her passion for freestyle skiing - and hasn't looked back since.
Jess rides for Rossignol and POC Sports and is passionate about being a female figure in an evolving industry with opportunities to further break down barriers for future generations. Excitedly embarking on her coaching journey, she looks forward to creating a fun and positive learning environment. @jesskuzik
Pete Burkitt
Introducing Coach Pete! Originally from the UK and with a background in Outdoor Education, he moved to Canada in 2014 and enjoyed his first proper BC winter in 2016. Since then, he has worked multiple jobs across different resorts in BC until landing in Rossland in 2019.
His extensive coaching experience in the mountain biking world means he has been able to transfer his skills to coaching on skis to help our team’s athletes reach their goals! He also runs Kootenay Mountain Biking, our local mountain bike coaching provider.
He has called Rossland home since 2019, and worked various jobs in the ski industry including Ski Patrol, Tail Guiding with Big Red Cats and also Adaptive Ski Coaching.He loves working with Team Give’r athletes to progress and support them in any way he can! @peteburkitt
Christie Cunneyworth
Christie grew up in Squamish BC. She was on skis soon after she could walk and spent her childhood winters with Whistler Kids and racing with Whistler Mountain Ski Club. In her early teen years she transitioned to snowboarding with the Whistler Valley Snowboard Club, competing in slopestyle competitions, rail jams and BC provincial races. She is a multi-disciplinary athlete in a variety of sports, being awarded junior + senior athlete of the year in high school. In the warmer months Christie competed in mountain biking and swim racing, earning many medals in local and provincial competitions and invitations to BC Summer Games in both sports. After completing Science Degrees in Kinesiology and Nursing she moved to Rossland in 2016, returning back on skis to work for Red Mountain Ski Patrol. Christie also had the privilege of participating in Powder Magazine’s “Powder Week” 3 years in a row. When not playing outside she works as an Emergency/Critical Care Travel Nurse and as a Mystical Coach of Oneness with Masters of Self University. She is stoked to share her passion of sports and her love of this magical human experience with Team Give’r! @christieelou
Guillaume Tremblay
Hi I'm Guillaume Tremblay, I'm 32 years old. I grew up skiing the Eastern Townships in the province of QC. I got my first pair of "twin tips" at 10 years old right when freestyle skiing started. All I wanted to do was learn new school tricks and I was lucky enough to be introduced to the trampoline. We had two nice ones at my highschool and I would go jump everyday. Every year I went to ski movie premieres to see my idols like JP Auclair (RIP), Tanner Hall, TJ Schiller, Jon Olson, etc! I landed my first 720 at 12 yo on a XL jump, then I broke my collar bone on my first backflip attempt! It took me 5 years to overcome that fear and land it on snow again... Now I'm hooked! Like a true ski bum, I left home at 18 yo and did a season at Sunshine Village. It was a record snow year! Then I coached the freestyle team back home for 3 years and got certified Air 2 and really enjoyed going to comps with the kids, but for me it's the big mountains and the powder so I left home again after I heard about Red from a fellow coach. It's year 8 for me here and I love to share my passion and see the progression of everyone and I think there is talent in Rossland and I love the people that's the reason why I'm staying! GIVER
Parks Boutilier
Parks Boutilier is from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and has been skiing since the age of two. His parents introduced him to the sport at local community hills, including Falcon Ridge in Whiteshell Provincial Park and Spring Hill, located on the Winnipeg floodway. Parks was part of the Spring Hill ski racing team for several years before discovering Rossland in 2015. After experiencing Red Mountain, he knew he never wanted to turn back.
A year later, Parks joined the freeride team and spent seven years competing before transitioning to coaching. He has now been coaching for a year, inspired by his old coach, Kenneth McAlpine, whose incredible energy brought so much to the team. Parks strives to bring that same passion and enthusiasm to Team Giver.
Outside of coaching, he takes every opportunity to ski at Red Mountain, embracing every moment on the slopes.
Max Anhel
My parents put me on skis when I was two years old living in Sherwood Park Alberta and we were skiing out of a not so great hill in Edmonton. After being put in the race program my parents made the sweet decision to move to Rossland when I was 5. Followed through with Nancy Greene for a few years but I didn't want to ski groomers and gates. Once I was 8 I was in the free ride programs and competing in the IFSA regional and national competitions. Gaining a few sponsors here and there my highlight in competing would be landing a 2nd place at the NORAMS. My happy place is most definitely red mountain and skiing so it feels both natural and awesome having the opportunity to help coach and influence the new generation of groms.
Natalie Cooper
I grew up in Rossland, BC, and started skiing at the age of three. At thirteen I found my love for skiing, I joined the Red Mountain Freeski Academy, where I spent four seasons training and competing. During that time, I participated in IFSA competitions and qualified for NORAMS. In addition to my competitive background, I’m a certified Level 2 CSIA instructor and currently teach with the Red Mountain Ski School. Whether i’m coaching or just out for some turns I’m always stoked to be on the mountains and share my love for skiing.