Remembering Rob Bosinger, Canadian alpine skier

Mats Bosinger already taking after his father.

Mats Bosinger skied his first race recently at the event named for his father.

The 4-1/2 year old, a spitting image of his late father, raced in the Rob Bosinger Memorial Weekend – also known as the “Bozo Cup” -- at Sunshine Village in Banff earlier this month.

Rob Bosinger, whose nickname was “Bozo” when he raced on the Canadian alpine ski team, was just 38 and had no history of heart trouble when he died suddenly of a cardiac arrhythmia on May 20, 2005.

“Rob would have been so proud! I was so proud,” his widow, Janet Carswell-Bosinger, wrote Alpine Canada’s press chief emeritus Ed Champagne in an email. “This is a hard day for us but I know Rob would be happy for how we have all carried on and how we have honoured him with his incredible legacy.”

Rob Bosinger was making a name for himself as a coach and mentor of young skiers when he died. The “Rob Bosinger Ski Scholarship” is given out yearly to skiers in Alberta who demonstrate the qualities Bosinger exemplified: “Passion for the sport, ambition and courage, combined with talent and accomplishment, in pursuit of excellence in ski racing in Alberta.”

This year’s winners of Logan Thackray of the Banff Alpine Racers and Tony Naciuk of the Edmonton Ski Club.

Funds raised at the event go to help the Canadian Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation.

Here’s a photo of Rob Bosinger with his teammates at Whistler in March 1988. From L to R: Ralf Socher, Felix Belczyk, Dan Moar, Rob Boyd, Don Stevens, Mike Carney and Rob Bosinger.

Comments

[Nevin]

I think its really important for junior athletes to understand the racers who came before them and what they brought to the program (even if the pictures look like ancient history). The juniors who show this are held in so much greater regard, especially in their home clubs.

That picture represents an interesting time for Alpine Canada, quite a while after the Crazy Canucks days (and post Brooker) when they had their mini-run with Boyd, Stemmle, Mullen, Belczyk, before things really fell apart over the next ten years. For the Men at least (women were really strong.

And above all, Rob Boyd's hair in this picture is simply awesome.

[Anna Bosinger Randell]

A wonderful tribute and something that Mats will treasure when he gets older, as will our kids. Morgan (Rob's nephew) and Mats had a fantastic time racing each other at this years event and I know that it was the first of many races that they will be in over the coming years. Perhaps one day they too will be on the start list at the Olympics.