Big names in the world of ski cross are in North Bay this weekend
A major ski cross event is taking place in North Bay this weekend.
While the competition at Laurentian Ski Hill is for young skiers many members of the National Team and former Olympians are on hand.
About 70 youth athletes from across both Ontario and Quebec have made the trek to North Bay for the Live Like Miki Fundraiser.
"It's absolutely unbelievable this has never happened in northern Ontario, that I know of,” said coach Jason Sullivan.
“To have 10 World Cup athletes on a small hill, in North Bay, Ont. is pretty amazing. I'm just so ‘tickled pink’ that these guys are here, the athletes are in heaven."
Two of the A-list athletes have strong connections to the area – Olympic skiers Hannah and Jared Schmidt’s parents grew up in North Bay.
"We're here just to help out the younger athletes and watch them kind of grow threw out the weekend,” said Hannah.
“I think having the technical and that kind of background, hearing that from us is pretty cool for them and I think they really enjoy it."
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Jared told CTV News it was ‘cool’ to be here in the winter and see the ski hill city has to offer.
"Out west, it's pretty strong, the ski cross community – but to have this happening in the east, from where we're from, where my families from it's super special to see here,” said Jared.
The Schmidts say they are hoping that this event will inspire more young skiers to work towards bigger goals like the Olympics or the National Team.
"It's really cool to watch all these athletes rip down this track, ski down and progress even through the first few runs and make those changes and come at it with different approaches,” said Jared.
“It's really cool to see the younger and even the older athletes in the 15-16 age group, develop and ski faster."
The event will wrap up on Sunday.
For more information on the event, visit the Laurentian Ski Hill’s Facebook page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.