On March 27, 1968, Red Mountain made history, bringing the world’s top ski racers to Rossland for Canada’s first-ever World Cup event: the du Maurier International.
The competition was the second-to-last stop on the circuit that year, featuring slalom and giant slalom races for both men and women.
But for the 7,000 spectators packed along Red Mountain’s racecourse (pictured), there was one athlete they were most excited to see: Rossland’s own Nancy Greene.
At just 24, Greene had already cemented herself as a skiing legend, but this race held special weight.
With the crowd roaring and her hometown behind her, she secured the final points needed to claim her second World Cup title.
Greene later recalled, “That was the best World Cup race of the year. I think there were more people at the race in Rossland lining the course […] than there were at the Olympics! You know it’s nerve-wracking to come home and race in front of your hometown crowds; it doesn’t always go well… For me, the most amazing thing was to show off your home Club to all these great European racers that you’ve been racing with for five or six years. And the fact that they ran a fantastic race.”
The du Maurier International not only celebrated Greene’s victory but also proved that Rossland, a small mountain town, could pull off an event worthy of the world stage.
It was a defining moment in Red Mountain’s history, one that showcased the passion and skill that still define the local ski community today.
Want to dive deeper into Rossland’s World Cup legacy?
Explore the museum’s digital exhibit at rosslandmuseum.ca.
Click on “exhibits” in the top banner and scroll down to “Gold Mining to Gold Medals: A Century of Ski Racing in Rossland.”
Museum staff invite the community to help keep the stories and smiles alive: if you have historical photos that capture the city’s rich past, consider sharing them with the Rossland archives.
Photos can be digitized for preservation and originals retained.
