Kane Gascoigne has always been in the presence of great skiers.
His father, Adam, teaches skiing full-time at Whistler Blackcomb. His older brother, Leif, reached the podium twice this year on the Freeride World Qualifier (FWQ) circuit. Through Leif, he's also gotten to know some of Whistler's top young talent, such as incumbent Freeride Junior World Championships (FJWC) king Marcus Goguen and newly-minted Freeride World Tour (FWT) athlete Wei Tien Ho.
Combine that with the tried-and-true mentorship of coaches like Derek Foose of the Whistler Freeride Club (WFC), and it's no surprise that Kane himself finished his season as the sixth-best male North American skier in his age bracket. His 3,438 points place him within a stone's throw of club-mate Lukas Bennett, who is ranked by the IFSA as the continent's fourth-best athlete aged 15 to 18.
"My parents' support makes it all possible," the Whistlerite said in an email interview. "They love the sport too, especially my dad. He’s my number one fan, manager, ski tech and bank account. They sacrifice everything to enable us to succeed in our sport and life."
'It's my turn'
Kane's season highlights include a victory at the Kicking Horse National (where he edged out Bennett for the win), a second-place finish in the Crystal Mountain Regional, and two third-place results at the Whistler National and Whitewater Regional events. He wound up 10th at the North American Championship.
Adam is exceptionally proud of his sons for exceeding his own skiing ability years ago. He was there from the start, teaching Kane and Leif as they learned to hone their catlike reflexes on the mountain. At times, they can be at each other's throats, but they share a deep bond and have always spurred one another on.
"Leif and I are close," Kane said. "We fight, like all brothers, but he has always pushed me and shown me what is possible in our sport. He’s a good role model."
There's rarely a dull moment with the Gascoigne family, an active bunch that enjoys camping and various forms of recreational sport. Kane intends to do some fishing this summer (taking advantage of a pink salmon year) and eventually purchase a snowmobile to explore more of the Sea to Sky backcountry he's grown up in.
He also plans to join Bennett and a few more of his WFC peers at the 2024 FJWC, where his aspirations are anything but modest.
"I am super stoked with my achievements this year, and even more stoked to go to Junior Worlds next year," revealed Kane. "That has been my goal all along, ever since I went with my brother in 2020 [as a spectator]. Now it’s my turn, and I’m going to win.
"Proud to be among the elite in the sport."
