When it comes to stunning natural landscapes, there are few locales on earth that rival the beauty of Banff National Park, located in Alberta, Canada. The country’s first national park stretches across 2,564 square miles of wilderness that includes over 1,000 glaciers, countless peaks in excess of 11,000 feet of elevation and seven national historic sites. Banff National Park is also a skiing mecca, home to the trifecta of ski areas known as SkiBig3, luring lovers of gravity-fed snow sliding from all corners of the world.
Austrian and Swiss mountain guides first introduced skiing to the area in 1909, and the national park’s first ski area, Norquay was established in 1924 with its first mechanical lift opening in 1941. Banff’s other two ski resorts, Sunshine Village and Lake Louise, opened for winter business in 1945 and 1959, respectively. Each winter, upwards of 300 inches of cold-smoke snow blankets the gargantuan uprooted blocks of sedimentary rock, providing a beloved playground for skiers. However, the only thing better than the skiing in Banff-Lake Louise, are the people.
The mountain folk that call Banff home are as rugged and wild as the mountains in their backyard, but their welcoming nature and warm dispositions provide a contrast to the overwhelming scenery of the national park. In this seven-part series, we’ve profiled a handful of local SkiBig3 skiers. Each of them looks at their home in a different way, and were gracious enough to provide insight into why Banff National Park should be at the top of your list when planning your ski vacation this season.
INTERVIEW • SAM TAGGART | PHOTOS • DAN EVANS
When Matt Monod was 21, his family gave him an ultimatum. The options were stark: either he was to take over the family business, or he was on his own. He never hesitated with his answer. Now 23 years old, Monod is the hardgoods buyer for the Monod Sports retail shop in downtown Banff, a staple of the town’s Main Street since 1949. He’s on track to eventually become head honcho at the shop, continuing a nearly 70-year legacy of providing Banff’s residents and countless visitors the advice and equipment needed to explore the town’s surrounding wilderness with confidence.
Growing up in town and learning to ski and bash gates while racing at Mt. Norquay, Monod is now focused on high-alpine ski mountaineering objectives, often accessible just a short drive from downtown Banff. Although he’s been exploring the area since he was a young tike, he notes that “there’s so much here that hasn’t even been skied yet,” a notion that’s kept him grounded in his hometown for all these years.
Have you ever wanted to leave Banff?
For myself, the grass can [seem] greener on the other side, but what keeps me here are the insane, high-alpine features that are so accessible. You can get into the alpine in just about a half an hour. Just being able to get onto glaciers so easily—to way up high in the mountains is so easy. It’s amazing to have that contrast between all the insane banter in town, and [tourists] don’t even realize you’re way the hell up in the mountains, just away from it all. What brings me back are the mountains. The mountains are calling… and I must stay [laughs].
Is it exciting to have all of that tourism in your face?
It’s great because you get to meet all kinds of people. There is an abundance of climbers, skiers, bike riders; so you get people who are just really excited to be here. You meet like-minded people from all over the world, and you get to show them what’s happening. In return, [locals can] head downtown and experience the same hospitality. I think between all these different mountain towns, people can really connect.
What’s Mt. Norquay like on a dream day?
[At Norquay], you’re bound to get lots of fall line skiing—no traversing. Just head straight up [the lift] and ski down. There are some steeper sections there, too. It’s super fun, with lots of terrain changes. They’ve gladed out a bunch of runs in recent times, so there’s some awesome tree skiing, too. With my race background and enjoyment of groomers, Norquay is the place to go to bomb [downhill], get a lot of runs in, make transitions over rollers in the air, straight-line and just ski really, really fast.
What’s the vibe like there?
Lots of little local lines, comparable to an old-school Colorado hill or a small Utah resort: shorter runs, slow chairs, but steep. You see a lot of locals who teach their kids how to ski there—it’s just super family-friendly. During the week, you’ll also see a collection of older, local heroes that can barely walk, but they still ski!
Do you still notice unique things about Banff that you didn’t realize existed in the past?
It’s crazy because I’ve been here my whole life, so I just look at it all differently. There’s an abundance of guides here, and [now that I’m more] open to the world of climbing and skiing—mountaineering culture—there’s so much I’m realizing that hasn’t even been skied yet or touched yet.
There’s also a contrast between these hearty mountain folks, who are doing crazy stuff out there, and the people who are coming here to go on the tours, do the more sightseeing type of stuff. It’s a nice contrast. But everyone’s here because of the place. Who cares why they’re here? A place like Banff brings all kinds of people together.
