Bob Parsons to be enshrined in Canadian Ski Hall of Fame

Forty-five years after his death, Bob Parsons will be inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame.

Parsons' name is familiar to almost anyone who grew up skiing in the Sea to Sky area. He was chief of course for each of Whistler's national-level races between 1970 and 1978, including the 1975 World Cup. He founded the Weasel Workers, a group of volunteers who help ready local courses and still boasts hundreds of members to date. 

The Bob Parsons Memorial (formerly known as the Back Bowl Downhill) is Whistler's oldest recurring ski race, having taken place annually since 1980 with the exception of 2021 due to COVID. More than 70 athletes from across British Columbia, Alberta and the United States took part in the 44th edition of the contest this year, with the Bob Parsons Memorial Fund continuing to provide $1000 bursaries to two racers each season. 

Furthermore, Parsons started the "C" class racing program at Mount Seymour in the late 1960s. He and his wife Lee were instrumental in the formation of the Vancouver Ski Team in 1971, which eventually became the BC Ski Team. Parsons also erected the Vancouver Ski Foundation, which through various fundraisers subsidized many athletes and Alpine Canada itself. 

The Vancouver Ski Foundation is still operating and financially supports BC Alpine programs, the Whistler Cup International Ski Race and recent local NorAm Cup finals.

"I think it's been a long time coming," said Parsons' daughter Chris Leighton about the Hall of Fame nod. "I put the first application [for my dad] five years ago and I've been putting it in every year since. Bob Parsons was a ski racer himself. In those days, there were three events for each competition—jumping, cross country and giant slalom. His love of skiing and competition carried over into countless volunteer hours." 

Leighton's younger brother, Jim Parsons, is likewise thrilled. He will be travelling to Montreal for the Nov. 15 induction ceremony which will see his father honoured alongside Erik Guay, Michel Daigle, Joanne Hewson-Rees, Louis Dufour, Mike Delich, Ornulf Johnsen, Kim Kawaguchi, Bob Disbrow, Georgia Manhard, Dale Swanson and Paul Throop in the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame Class of 2024. 

Safety first

Growing up in Vancouver in the late 1940s, Bob Parsons and his brother Stan were frequently sighted upon the North Shore Mountains. They competed in a variety of disciplines, including ski jumping, Nordic and downhill skiing. 

By 1966, the Parsons family had purchased land in Whistler, built a family cabin and joined the Whistler Mountain Ski Club (WMSC). Leighton was roughly eight years old when she began to cut her teeth as a racer, with Jim quickly following suit—and their dad was virtually omnipresent in their endeavours. 

"My brother and I would like to think that Bob did contribute a lot to the safety and well-being of all ski racers in all that he did on the hill," Leighton said. "He worked countless hours. We had a race in Fernie once, and he was there. We drove up and I remember seeing the hill and … it was just this huge mogul field. Two days later, it was a downhill track." 

Parsons' summer job wasn't what you might expect. As a veteran of the carnival industry, the man travelled to fairs across British Columbia whenever he wasn't heading to his kids' ski races. These gigs helped him pay bills and stay active, which in turn enabled him to foster his true passion: making speed courses ever safer for the young men and women who took them on. 

'He was the guy'

Others began to follow Parsons by example, and the Weasel Workers were born. They are named after one particular section on the Dave Murray Downhill course named "The Weasel" that, back in the 1970s, was too steep to drive a snowcat down for grooming purposes. 

As a result, Parsons and his fellow parent volunteers would form a line and walk down the track in their ski boots to pack the snow firmly and make sure it was good to go for race day. 

"Everyone knew if they wanted a ski race prepared properly, they should call the Weasel Workers to come and help out," recounted Leighton. "I like to think that Bob [did it first], and then other ski clubs in different locations would name their group whatever they wanted. It kind of started a trend." 

Canada has certainly enjoyed a trend of producing top-flight downhill and super-G racers, from Murray and the Crazy Canucks to Guay and his fellow Canadian Cowboys. Yet they may not have realized success without people like Parsons, who encouraged kids to go fast but nurtured them to do it safely. 

"People my age still remember Bob because he was always at the top of the course," Leighton said. "If your hands were cold, he'd give you his gloves to warm you up before you went down the hill. He was the guy. [Seeing him recognized] makes me very proud." 

More details about the 2024 Canadian Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony can be found at skimuseum.ca/events/event-details/.