From Feb. 6 to 8, 2025, the Whistler Sliding Centre (WSC) will again welcome Luge Canada and the FIL Luge World Championships.
Luge Canada was originally scheduled to host the 2021 World Championships, but the event instead took place in Germany due to COVID-related restrictions impacting travel to Canada.
Whistler has previously hosted a World Championships in 2013 and is a regular stop on the annual World Cup circuits for luge, skeleton and bobsleigh. The next FIL World Cup race arrives December 14 to 16 of this year.
“The Whistler Sliding Centre is known by sliding fans as one of the best tracks in the world and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to host the premiere sliding sport event on the international race calendar in Canada,” said Tim Farstad, executive director of Luge Canada, in a press release.
The relationship between the WSC and local luge athletes Trinity Ellis and Caitlin Nash is proof that hosting major international events at home is key for developing niche Olympic sports, which often fly under the radar in Canada. Growing up with the 2010 Vancouver Olympic legacy in their backyards, the duo have become two of the Maple Leaf's top sliders.
Pemberton's Ellis finished 14th at her first Olympic Games in 2022 and 18th at her inaugural World Championships this January. Whistler's Nash, meanwhile, broke barriers with Natalie Corless as the first Canadian women to win a World Cup doubles medal last December.
"The 2010 Games inspired me to pursue luge, and I believe hosting World Cups and the World Championships here in Whistler will do the same for the next generation of luge athletes,” said Ellis in a release. "It’s a great opportunity to share the excitement of racing with Whistler’s truly international community.
"Be it the Olympics, or an international race at any level, the residents and visitors have showed incredible support for this venue by lining the track each time we race here. The thought of hitting the start line in front of my friends and family, and even potentially winning a medal at home, will be a dream come true."
"This high-calibre event is exactly what the Whistler Sliding Centre was built for, and we are delighted to welcome the world back to Whistler for the World Cup this year, and especially the 2025 World Championships," added Roger Soane, president and CEO of Whistler Sport Legacies (WSL). "Canada continues to be the model by which the world measures Olympic legacies. Those legacies are only effective if the facilities are being used for training and competition purposes.
"Working with Luge Canada, we are going to once again stage a memorable World Championships that will display skill, sportsmanship and a fun, must-see event for visitors to the Whistler area."
