MOURNING DAVE PYM

January 12, 2025

Canadian Snowsport is mourning the passing of DAVE PYM, a dedicated national and international leader of our sport, who provided valued guidance and leadership to the snowsport family for more than 60 years

Dave wore many hats in the snowsport community. The Vancouver native was introduced to alpine skiing in his teens on a pair of borrowed wooden skis. Dave picked up the basics at nearby Hollyburn ski hill. While watching local athletes train, he graduated to Mt. Seymour where watching U.S. ski star Bud Werner inspired him to take up the sport seriously as a competitor. Upon completion of his law degree, Dave then took the next step, to introduce his own children to the fun of ski racing through the Nancy Greene Ski League.

Ever the outspoken participant, Dave was soon involved in the re-birth of the sagging Mt. Seymour Ski Club as President, spurred on by Billie Bartley in the Western Division office, as well as Lorne O'Connor and Dr Peter Andrews, all of whom became members of Canada's Snowsports Hall of Fame.

Dave's willingness to pitch in, his knowledge of FIS rules and his love of skiing led to duties as a race official in the organization of Pontiac Cup and other alpine ski races before the arrival of World Cups in Canada. Training alpine Officials followed, and 15 years leading the training and assigning of the FIS Alpine Technical Delegates for Canada. Dave was the first North American invited to be the FIS TD for the legendary Hahnenkamm races at Kitzbuhel, Austria, and repeated the next two years. He was named Men's FIS TD for the 1998 Nagano Olympic Winter Games, considered one of the toughest TD assignments of all time, as Mother Nature threw every curve-ball imaginable at the organizers. Every race was held, safely and fairly.

When Canadian skiing needed representation on the important committee works of the International Ski Federation (FIS) in the late 1980s, Dave responded to the call for help with a series of Alpine committees, including World Cup, Legal, Classifications, Rules, Technical Advisors, Timing and Data as well as leads the Canadian FIS delegation at FIS meetings. He built respect and friendship amongst his colleagues, through his tireless work, focus on athletes, his remarkable knowledge of the FIS Rules and fairness.

Dave served as Chairman of the Olympic Winter Games evaluation team that was called upon to evaluate all proposed Canadian locations for the 2010 Games bid. He also served as a member of the Board of ACA.

When the Canadian Snowsports Association faced a fiscal and administrative crisis in 2004, Dave stepped away as a Director of Alpine Canada to take the helm of the CSA. For twenty years he led the organization, offering stable and consistent leadership, reliable advice and fiscal prudence. He guided the CSA through the 2010 Games, through a change of leadership for the Lake Louise World Cup to the independent Winterstart Events Organizing Committee and through multiple changes of administrative leaders within CSA member disciplines.

The mantra was always the same: we do this for the athletes

As CEO & Managing Director of the CSA, Canada became a highly valued member of the FIS. Working in tandem with former FIS Council Member/Vice President Justice Patrick Smith, Canadians were nominated to chair four influential FIS Committees. Canadian officials were named to prestigious FIS Technical assignments. Justice Smith carried the corporate memory of the FIS largely thanks to Dave and became the backbone of FIS Council. Canada s voice was heard.

Klaus Leistner, long serving Secretary General of the Austrian Ski Federation shared how much he relied on "his close friend Dave", to vet the FIS rule proposals and hold the FIS leadership accountable. Former Alpine Rules Committee Chair Michael Huber relied on Dave as his Vice Chair to set the Agenda, vet rule proposals, divert the hubris and help him run an efficient meeting. No one knew the FIS rules and hierarchy better than Dave Pym.

In 2002 Dave received the Pat Ramage Memorial Award for exemplary service as an international official representing Canadian Snowsports. In 2008, he was inducted into the Honour Roll of Canadian Skiing as a member of Canada's Snowsport Hall of Fame. In recognition of his exemplary service to the International Ski Federation and to snowsports world-wide, in 2022 he was named an Honourary Member of the FIS Alpine Rules Committee.