Instructor bios

"The only boundaries are in your mind"

We've brought together the top talent for the Women's Camps. This season, Kirsty will be joined by an unbelievable lineup of world-class champion competitors and experienced and talented instructors including: Aleisha Cline, Edith Rozsa, Lyne Grenier, Lisa Korthals, and Lee Anne Patterson. You won't find a line-up of instructors like this in any other ski camp anywhere! You will have this unique opportunity to be coached by North America's finest ski athletes and coaches...

They all know Red Mountain like the back of their hand and will show you the best it has to offer...

Quote from Freeskier magazine: (Red Mountain was ranked as being) "one of the most underrated things about skiing. This small mountain outside of Rossland has produced more Winter Olympians than any other ski hill in the country.”

Check out more info on these great instructors ...

Kirsty Exner
Lyne Grenier
Lee Anne Patterson
Susan Medville
Tracey Billet
Ollie Nagy
Karen Reader
Emily Grady
Amy Exner
Rachael Roussin

 

Kirsty Exner

Kirsty grew up skiing at Red Mountain. She is a two-time silver medallist in the World Extreme Freeskiing Championships, a judge for Freeskiing competitions, mountain bike coach, Pilates instructor, personal trainer, CSIA Level III candidate and a CANSI Level I XC ski instructor.

She has finished her Kinesiology / Business degree, had her own business promoting health, fitness and fun to as many people as she could reach, and has now been accepted into a Masters of Physiotherapy program at UBC in the Fall of 2008. She also competes in various bike races and triathlons throughout the year.

Kirsty's fun instructional style and attention to personal detail ensure that these camps will exceed your expectations.This will be her fifth year running Women's Ski Camps at Red Mountain.

 

Lee Anne Patterson

Lee Anne Patterson lives in Whistler, BC. Her ski career has taken her to the heights -- of freeskiing film stardom, a clutch of first ski descents, and the top-spot on IFSA ( International Free Skiing Association ) competition podiums. Through it all, when she's not ripping big lines down bigger mountains, she's kept her feet on the ground and her eyes planted on the next big challenge.

Lee Anne's trailblazing attitude has taken her to the forefront of nearly every facet of the skiing. She made the first ski descent of Peru's Inshinca Mountain (18,500 ft), as well as a host of other peaks in BC's Bella Coola region. She was the first woman to represent the Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance at Interski, having attained full certification at the age of 21. And has been a household name on the International freeskiing circuit, clocking up numerous podium finishes.

Lee Anne's focus now is squarely on first ski descents of steep lines and building the skills to qualify as a certified mountain guide. Winter 2004 sees Lee Anne heli-guiding for Mike Wiegiele in the Monashees and Caribous, pursuing several first descents of mountains in her home coastal range and representing Whistler Blackcomb on their Legends team.

 

 

Lyne Grenier

Lyne is a French-Canadian, athlete extraordinaire. Not only is she a CSIA Level III ski instructor (training for Level IV now), CSCF Level II coach and PE teacher, she is also an amazing skier. She was part of the National Development Freestyle ski team and was awarded the Canadian “Athlete of the Year” during the peak of her skiing career. Her victories in sport don’t stop with skiing. She instructed in Kirsty Exner's Women's Freeskiing Camps last season and received raving reviews so is back this year by popular demand!

Lyne is a World Class triathlon champion who has been on the Canadian National Triathlon team since 1990. She came 8th in the World Triathlon Finals in Perth, Australia. She also conquered the hardest race in the World – the Ironman Canada in 1997 coming in a very reputable and commendable 21st place.

Lyne has instructed in Kirsty's camps since day one, and has received rave reviews, so she's back by popular demand! Kirsty's right-hand gal!

 

Susan Medville

Susan Medville, admits she has a "split-personality" life. "I have this
librarian-sounding job, then I go chuck myself off of cliffs." She works professionally helping to set up Museums and as a curator.

Susan also competes on the International Freeskiers Association circuit and won the 2003 North American Freeskiing Championships at Kirkwood , CA . She has been the two time second place finisher in on the North American Freeskiing Tour. In April of 2002, she joined four other women on the first-ever ski expedition to Bhutan. In 2004 she climbed and skied Mt. Blanc in France . 

Last winter she split her time between Crested Butte, Colorado and British Columbia - climbing and skiing. This winter she is looking forward to competing in a couple of big mountain contests and continuing to develop her ski mountaineering skills from Colorado to the Coast Range.

Susan also worked with Fischer on the
development of their women's specific ski line - the Vision Series.

 

Tracey Billet

Tracey grew up skiing at Whitewater and raced on the BC team. Her best placing was 4th overall and she was junior gold medallist at a Nor-am Super G.

Tracey is a C.S.I.A. Level II instructor, level II coach, Level III NCCP.

She also coached at Whitewater and Salmo for 8 years.

Skiing, mountain biking and playing hockey (she plays goalie) are her all-time favourite sports.

When not playing, Tracey works as a Phys-Ed teacher. She also coaches in the DevineRide mountain bike camps.

 

Ollie Nagy

  • Started skiing when I was 2 years old; grew up in the mountains in the Czech Republic
  • Competed in elementary and high school ski races
  • Became a full time ski instructor at the age of 14
  • Moved to Austria to continue my ski instructing career and to enjoy the deep powder and moguls
  • Part of avalanche rescue team for 3 years
  • Taught skiing and coached in Austria for 3 years
  • Moved to Canada and joined the CSIA and the CSCF
  • Became a level 4 CSIA at the age of 20
  • Love all winter and summer sports
  • Worked in a summer sports adventure program in Europe for 2 summers (including paragliding, rock-climbing, rafting)
  • Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance

 

 

 

Karen Reader

Karen has spent the past 10 years living in Crested Butte, Colorado and has recently moved to Rossland. In recent years she has specialized in teaching women's skiing events for various companies including Babes in the Backcountry and Alison Gannet's Steeps Camps, “I love facilitating experiences for women that help give them the tools to ‘hold their own' in the sports they have a passion for…I love watching women gain confidence and in doing so - unlock their incredible potential to be amazing and graceful athletes”

Karen has competed in the US National Telemark Freeskiing championships twice and earned a spot on the podium both times. She is a two-time champion of the infamous Al Johnson Uphill-Downhill race and has placed in the top three for the past 5 years. She has filmed with Tough Guy Productions and Snowlion Productions and tests telemark ski equipment for Skiing Magazine. Karen is a professional ski instructor in both Canada and the US and holds certifications in Adaptive, Alpine and Telemark skiing.

Karen is also a WEMT and has worked on the local ambulance and with search and rescue for the past several years. She currently teaches wilderness medicine courses for Crested Butte Outdoors.

 

Emily Grady

  • Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance (CSIA) Level III (instructor + evaluator)
  • Canadian Association of Nordic Ski Instructors (CANSI) Level III Telemark (instructor + evaluator)
  • Canadian Ski Coaches Federation (CSCF) I

Emily lives, works and plays in Nelson, BC. Her ski career has taken her all over the world from South America and New Zealand to various resorts across Canada . During this time she has played an assortment of roles as: an instructor, Snow School Director, avid free skier, gear tester, backcountry ski touring fiend, and course evaluator.

She is now involved with program development for the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) assistant ski guides program, instructing with the Nonstop ski program out of Red Mountain Resort, helping out with teaching the Kirsty Exner Women's Freeski Camps, conducting instructor-level courses for alpine and telemark skiers, and putting on Ski Improvement Clinics at cat-skiing and ski touring operations in the Kootenays.

Apart from skiing in the winter months, Emily spends her summers on rock climbing road trips, backpacking expeditions, and mountaineering adventures. Basically the great outdoors is where she likes to be .

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amy Exner

Amy grew up skiing at Red but when snowboarding started to emerge, she jumped on it….literally! Amy was officially the first girl to ride a snowboard at Red Mountain …no wonder she's such a shredder! Her first board was a heavy piece of metal “Storm” that she charged around on everywhere she went and it proved to be beneficial to her riding because when she finally got on a decent board, she was….and is! unstoppable. Amy lived at Whistler for a few years where she did her CASI Level I and taught snowboarding. While she was there, she also competed in a few bordercross competitions and had some great results. Her first competition earned her podium!

When Amy isn't riding, she's doing artwork, treeplanting, being a mom, making occasional appearances singing in punk bands and karaoke and generally living an action-packed good life in Rossland!

 

Rachael Roussin

Rachael taught snowboarding in Whistler from 1997-2000 in Whistler with a CASI level one certification. Whistler was where she learned what free riding really was and fell in love with it. She entered many boarder crosses and pipe competitions but found that she got true satisfaction when shredding the pow in the trees.

She completed a BA from UBC with a major in Latin America Studies and a minor in Political Science. While at university, she shredded Cypress while in Vancouver and Red when at Selkirk in Castlegar. She's now had 3 seasons at Red and loves it so much she even bought a house!

Best trick: bid methods and finding a good line in any sticky situation…as well as a keen nose for pow lines!

When she's not riding, she's traveling in Latin countries, mountain biking, hiking, and camping.