This is part of a series of stories celebrating the 60th anniversary of Big White Ski Resort

香蕉视频直播淚 can香蕉视频直播檛 explain it, it香蕉视频直播檚 that special.香蕉视频直播�

After practically growing up, starting his career and meeting his wife on the mountain, that香蕉视频直播檚 what former ski cross racer Ian Deans says about Big White Ski Resort.

Deans grew up in Lake Country with a family of skiers who would spend every winter at Big White.

香蕉视频直播淢y parents were avid skiers and we always had a good community of skiers because of that,香蕉视频直播� said Deans.

Big White opened in October when Deans turned 11. He would ski with friends Kelsey Serwa, granddaughter of Big White co-founder Cliff Serwa and Ned Ireland, son of current Lake Country mayor, Blair Ireland. After skiing, the families got together for dinner with friends and the decision was made that Dean and his parents would move up to the resort for the winters.

香蕉视频直播淚f you ask any kid in Grade 5 or Grade 6, it香蕉视频直播檚 a pretty good time,香蕉视频直播� said Deans, who went to school there and would ski every weekend. 香蕉视频直播淟ooking back, I don香蕉视频直播檛 know how our teachers handled the curriculum.香蕉视频直播�

Deans and his family would move up to the resort in November or December and move back to Lake Country in April when the mountain would close. During the winter months, Deans would be a part of the racing program.

香蕉视频直播淭he fact that all my friends were a part of the Big White racers was enough for me,香蕉视频直播� said Deans. 香蕉视频直播淏eing evaluated right out of the gate to determine skill level was exciting for me, I had never quantified my skiing ability in that way,香蕉视频直播�

For Deans, he was coming in at the mid-way point, as many of his classmates and friends started school at the resort at a younger age. But as time went on and he got better, the sport started to become a bigger part of him.

香蕉视频直播淚t became part of your identity, you gained recognition from it,香蕉视频直播� said Deans, who started to get recognized when he started Grade 8 at George Elliot High School in Lake Country. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檇 have to go back and check but I香蕉视频直播檓 pretty sure I was voted 香蕉视频直播榤ost likely to go to the Olympics香蕉视频直播�, and that kind of gave me my identity. Maybe a little bit of self-validation of 香蕉视频直播測ou香蕉视频直播檙e actually pretty good at this香蕉视频直播� and people see your commitment to this and see your skill.香蕉视频直播�

Over the years, he was invited to provincial teams and high-caliber races while competing with Serwa.

But after graduating high school, he took a break from skiing and was accepted into the University of British Columbia Okanagan香蕉视频直播檚 kinesiology program.

During his first year at university in 2012, a friend of his asked to borrow his skis for a race. He obliged but soon after, the friend invited him to take part in another race. Deans did and placed third. Despite school being the priority at the time, he was invited to a national race, where he also came in third place. Eric Archer, the head coach of the Canadian Ski Cross team at the time, was impressed by Deans and told him 香蕉视频直播淵ou have a future here if you want.香蕉视频直播� After talking with Archer, Deans was invited to the national skicross development team.

Deans got permission from the UBCO dean at the time and dropped out of university with a game plan for coming back to school at some point.

He worked his way up with the team but as soon as Deans got his opportunity, it was taken away just as fast. In his second career World Cup race, taking place in Telluride, Colorado, Deans blew out his knee, including his ACL and LCL.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 like a right of passage in the ski world but it is also your worst fear as a skier,香蕉视频直播� said Deans, who had to have multiple surgeries.

But because of the injury, he was able to go back to university after missing just one semester. Deans was working towards his degree while doing everything he could to get back to skiing.

香蕉视频直播淪ome people said it was my choice if I wanted to continue racing and you ask yourself 香蕉视频直播業s this a career-ending injury?香蕉视频直播� and to me it wasn香蕉视频直播檛, you have to get back to the same caliber physically but the mental part took far, far longer.香蕉视频直播�

Deans finished his degree in 2014 and continued to race competitively for the next five years. Due to timing and rehabbing from his injury, he missed out on the 2014 Olympic team.

In his time with the Canada Ski Cross World Cup, he finished with eight top-30 finishes in the 2015-16 season and a personal-best fifth place finish in the next season.

In 2018, he just missed the cut for the Canadian Olympic team, finishing fifth in qualifying. Later that year, he announced his retirement from the sport.

Deans now lives in North Bend, Washington at the base of the Cascade Mountain Range. He works full-time in sales for a biotech company but found a way back to his roots during the pandemic.

香蕉视频直播淢y racing career ended in 2018 and it took a little bit of time to find my identity after that because you tie all your life香蕉视频直播檚 effort goes to one thing but once COVID hit, we came back to Big White because I was working remotely and we isolated in my in-laws condo and was there for two and a half months,香蕉视频直播� said Deans. 香蕉视频直播淚n that time, I started working with the Big White team on social media and content creation and it kind of kickstarted a quote-unquote influencer career or side hobby.香蕉视频直播�

While skiing as much as he can, 20-35 days a year he creates skiing content for people to enjoy.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 like a second ski career with less injury risk,香蕉视频直播� he added.

Deans lives with his wife Chelsea and their two kids. On top of his skiing career, Big White means just as much to Chelsea as it does to Deans.

While living at the resort when he was 14, Deans met Chelsea, who was 15 at the time.

香蕉视频直播淚n the village mall, right above the ticketing counter, that used to be an internet cafe back in the day where you香蕉视频直播檇 pay to use the computer to check your AOL or MySpace,香蕉视频直播� said Deans. 香蕉视频直播淲e were there at 14 because that香蕉视频直播檚 what you do when you香蕉视频直播檙e 14 and Chelsea and her friend walked in, it香蕉视频直播檚 kind of crazy how that works.香蕉视频直播�

Despite being from Washington State, Chelsea and her family went to Big White every year. Ian and Chelsea dated throughout high school and university, even with Deans travelling the world to race.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a very special place in both of our hearts,香蕉视频直播� said Deans. 香蕉视频直播淔or us, Big White is everything, we never go anywhere else for the holidays. We come back up frequently, at least two or three times in the winter for multiple weeks at a time and visit Kelowna and Lake Country during the summer.香蕉视频直播�