New half pipe coach

BC Snowboard Association (BCSA) is pleased to announce that Candice Drouin (Whistler) and Dane Kaechele (North Vancouver) have been named to lead the 2011 Canada Games Snowboard Team for the Province of BC.

Drouin, a veteran of the world of Snowboard Cross (SBX) and Parallel Giant Slalom (PGS), has been named as the Lead Coach responsible for overseeing the SBX and PGS athletes at the Games. Drouin not only has a background of racing at a World Cup level but has also established herself as a leader within the coaching realm through working as the Adaptive National Team Coach in addition to her position working with the BC Provincial Snowboard Cross Team.

When asked about 2011 Games, “I am both honored and excited to be taking the BC Team to the Canada Games in Halifax next winter”, Drouin comments.

Kaechele who currently coaches with Core Snowboard Camps and the BC Provincial Development Team has been named as the Halfpipe Coach for the Games. Kaechele has previous Canada Games experience as in 2007 he was the Team Manager for the Yukon Snowboard Team.

When asked about his upcoming second Games, Kaechele says “I’m excited to be a part of the Canada Winter Games next year and representing my home province of BC. I look forward to working with the next generation of competitive snowboarders.”

The Canada Games are a multi-sport event held every 4 years in Canada. For many sports these games are an integral step for athletes to reach International competition. Snowboarding made its debut as a demonstration sport at the 2007 Canada Winter Games held in Whitehorse, Yukon with Halfpipe and Parallel Giant Slalom events. During the 2011 Games, not only is snowboarding a full flag event but has also added the immensely popular Snowboard Cross event to the roster.

The 2011 Canada Games are scheduled to be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia from February 12 to 27, 2011. The snowboard events are set to take place during the second week of competition.

“The Canada Games are a fantastic opportunity to showcase some of our brightest up and coming athletes and coaches”, reports Andrew George, Athlete Program Director of BC Snowboard. “It not only shows the rest of Canada what we are doing but also provides a very unique opportunity to prepare athletes for large multi-sport events.”

The BC Snowboard Association (BCSA) is a non-profit sport organization, which is the governing body of snowboarding with in the Province. The BCSA is an organization that brings youth into a secure and supported environment while competing in a sport they love. Up and coming National Team riders and future Pro athletes are bred through the BCSA and its programs.

"Congratulations, Dane.
Don't worry campers - he'll only be gone for one week."