Surrounded by cameras and a crowd of bundled-up family members, friends and admirers, a beloved Banff resident and skier was honoured on Friday at a Rocky Mountain resort that is just as iconic as he is.
Eddie Hunter, a legendary Banff skier, vows he’ll never quit his passion of skiing, as Mount Norquay unveiled a new chairlift, named in his honour.
Global News
Eddie Hunter’s long list of accomplishments is impressive.
The passionate skier has also been a filmmaker and wrote a book documenting the history of Mount Norquay — the ski resort he shares the same birth year with.
Hunter has been carving out memories at the ski resort on the edge of Banff’s townsite for nearly a century.
Now a new chairlift — built alongside the North American run — bears his name.
Recalling his early days of skiing, Hunter said, “there’s was no lift and no aid to your skiing when you came up — you got a ride up the road, maybe with a service truck.”
“Those were poverty years — I never really had good skis.”
But that didn’t slow him down. He had his daughters on the slopes when they were in diapers, and later his grandchildren.
Legendary Banff skier Eddie Hunter will turn 100 years old next year — the same year his beloved Mount Norquay celebrates a century of skiing.
Courtes: Eddie Hunter family
“He’s been a huge inspiration my whole life,” said Hunter’s grandson, Noah Maisonet. “I attribute all my skiing abilities to him.”
Granddaughter Sadie Hunter agrees. “He’s really changed people’s lives, their careers, the way they look at life,” she said.
Hunter, who already has ski a run named after him, was visibly moved by this latest honour.
“I really don’t deserve it,” he said. “I feel happy to be here and amazed by the way I feel.”
Hunter is still getting turns in today and vows he will never quit his beloved passion of skiing.
Both Hunter and Mount Norquay will turn 100 years old in 2026.