Ken Read
Skiing Athlete — Inducted 1980
Ken Read is best known as a member of the legendary “Crazy Canucks,” Canada’s bold and
downhill race, capturing the opening event of the season on December 7, 1975, in Val d ’Isère, France.
A member of the Canadian National Ski Team from 1974 to 1983, Read competed at the 1976 Innsbruck and 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games. At Innsbruck in 1976, he achieved an outstanding fifth-place finish in the downhill event. Over a ten-year period, he won 5 World Cup downhill races and recorded 14 World Cup podium finishes, including victories at 3 of alpine skiing’s most prestigious events — the legendary Hahnenkamm at Kitzbuhel, the Lauberhorn at Wengen, and the Arlberg-Kandahar at Chamonix. During the height of the Crazy Canucks era, Canadian racers dominated Kitzbuhel, winning the famed Hahnenkamm downhill four consecutive years while earning five additional podium finishes.
For eight consecutive seasons, Read ranked among the world’s top downhill racers, finishing second overall in the World Cup downhill standings in 1980. He also captured 5 Canadian National Alpine Ski Championship titles during his career. Read was named Canada’s Athlete of the Year in 1978 and Calgary’s Athlete of the Year in both 1979 and 1980.
After Induction
Following his competitive career, Read remained deeply involved in sport leadership and athlete advocacy. He co-authored the book White Circus with the late Matthew Fisher, chronicling his experiences during the Crazy Canucks era from 1974 to 1983. He also worked as a respected alpine skiing commentator for CBC Television.
Read served as Chef de Mission for the Canadian Olympic Association at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. A strong advocate for athletes, he was the Founding Chair of the Canadian Olympic Committee Athletes’ Council and served on the International Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission from 1985 to 1998.
He held senior leadership roles within the International Ski Federation Alpine Committee, including serving as Vice Chair, and helped advance athlete safety and international competition standards. Read also played a leadership role in the creation of Canada’s “Own the Podium” targeted funding program for high-performance athletes. From 2002 until July 2008, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Alpine Canada. He later served as Director of Winter Sports for Own the Podium from 2010 to March 2013 and was elected to the Board of Cross Country Canada in June 2013.
Beyond sport administration, Read contributed significantly to community initiatives through the “Breath of Life Ski Challenge,” helping raise substantial funds for cystic fibrosis research. His legacy in skiing also continues through his sons, Erik and Jeffrey Read, who have represented Canada as World Cup alpine ski racers.
Awards and Honours
- 1978 — Northern Star Award (formerly Lou Marsh Trophy), Canadian Athlete of the Year
- 1979 — Norton Crowe Award, Canadian Male Amateur Athlete of the Year
- 1980 — Flag Bearer, Canadian Olympic Team
- 1986 — Inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
- 1987 — Inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame
- 1991 — Appointed Member of the Order of Canada
- 1992 — Chef de Mission, Canadian Olympic Team, Barcelona
- 1999 — Named among the Top 20 Canadian Athletes of the Century
- 2005 — Alberta Centennial Salute for Sport and Recreation Award
- 2006 — Crazy Canucks inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame
- 2010 — Inducted into the International Ski Racing Hall of Fame
Did You Know
- Ken Read became the first Canadian male — and the first North American male — to win a World Cup downhill at Val d ‘Isère, France, on December 7, 1975. The victory also made him the third youngest male skier ever to win a World Cup downhill race. During his career, he earned five World Cup downhill victories and 14 podium finishes, including wins at alpine skiing’s three classic events: the Hahnenkamm (Kitzbühel), Lauberhorn (Wengen), and Arlberg-Kandahar (Chamonix).
- Read competed at the 1976 Innsbruck and 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games and later served as Chef de Mission for Canada at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. His pursuit of World Cup success was featured in the 1980 documentary film The Dream Never Dies, which followed his quest for downhill racing excellence.
- Skiing excellence continued within the Read family, as his sons, Erik and Jeffrey Read, also became Canadian National Team alpine ski racers competing on the World Cup circuit.
