How Many Clubs Are There? There are 37 registered clubs from the four divisions of Alpine Ontario Alpin

Where Does AOA Fit In the Hierarchy? Alpine Ontario Alpin is one of the Provincial Territorial Sport Organizations (PSTO) and a member of Alpine Canada Alpin (ACA), the national governing body for ski racing. Alpine Canada’s website is www.alpinecanada.org

Where Are AOA Headquarters?  Alpine Ontario is based out of Collingwood, Ontario. AOA is managed by full-time office staff and a staff of coaches working with the Ontario Ski Team, SOD FIS Team and the U16 High-Performance Development Program. All Alpine Ontario Alpine operations are governed by an elected independent Board of Directors.

How Is Alpine Ontario Funded? AOA is funded by corporate sponsorship, the Ontario government (through the ministry of Health and Promotion), membership fees and via various fundraising events held throughout the year.

How to enroll as an AOA Member?  Check out our NEW 2023 HOW-TO VIDEO to help you enroll as an AOA Member

How Can I Keep Up To Date? In addition to this website Alpine Ontario issues two e-newsletters (RACELINE & RACE REPORT – subscribe here), Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.

What Sort of Events Does AOA Host? AOA and its four divisions hosted hundreds of races in Ontario during the ski season. AOA also hosts several marquee events including the return of the NorAm Cup to Ontario (2018) and the U16 Eastern Finals (2019 replacing the former CanAms).

What Sort of Athlete Development Opportunities Are There? AOA organizes skills camps for U10, U12, U14, & U16 and manages the U16 High-Performance and U19HPP for selected athletes. The regional FIS Teams are also typically ‘criteria-based’ with athletes having to qualify.

What is the Ontario Ski Team? AOA manages the Ontario Ski Team (OST), which is comprised of selected FIS athletes between the ages of 17* and 21 who meet the posted criteria based on National ranking by birth age. The OST is a feeder team to the NCAA programs for those wanting to race at University and the Canadian Alpine Development Team. *The OST is open to FIS athletes who meet the criteria. See the Selection Criteria document for specifics (listed under Resource Documents)

At the U14 level in the Southern Ontario Division, athletes must choose between SOD Cup or OCUP…What is the difference and how do we decide? Think of this as “League Racing” vs. “Rep. Racing” …League is less travel, less of a commitment and falls under the “Skier for Life Stream” vs. “Elite or High Performance”. “Rep. Racing” or OCUP stands for Ontario-Cup racing so athletes will race in events that open to the full Province. They will travel and more and have the opportunity to qualify for Provincials and then Nationals (at U16) and even International opportunities (U16 France Project). In 2018 AOA published an excellent blog on this very topic..read it here>

NEW for 2023-24 SCUP – Race League Entry Fee – $120 – Explained – The SOD SCUP Race League fee is a $30 per race fee for the four race SCUP series.  The fees include lift tickets for all athletes and is one of the lowest priced ski race entry fees in the country!  The fees are used to support the host clubs who put on the races for SOD/AOA as well as support the administration of a race series with over 1,800 athletes.  The fee is aimed at improving race experience, with a focus on Safe Sport, athlete well-being, and sport development.  

What Role Do Coaches and Officials Play? AOA oversees the organization of the EL Canadian Ski Coaches (CSC) courses and annual coaching conferences. Up to 270 new coaches can be certified in Ontario each year. In addition AOA along with its volunteers the AOA Officials Program, there are more than 20 Officials’ Courses held in Ontario in the last season.

How Safe is Ski Racing? Ensuring ski racing is as safe as possible is a key objective for Alpine Ontario.  Through the promotion of fitness, and by providing training for coaches and officials, AOA strives to keep the race environment as safe as possible. AOA also partners with the NZ Foundation, an organization dedicated to the safety of ski racing.