1945 – 2021 Slavomir Kardas

Slavomir Kardas passed away this week in Thunder Bay at the age of 76. 

During the 1970’s and 1980’s, he was instrumental to the development of ski jumping and Nordic combined skiing in Canada. Over 30 years, Slavomir coached hundreds of Canadian athletes, including many Canadian national champions and Olympians. HIs charismatic ability to attract scores of children to the ski jumps earned him the nickname “Pied Piper of Ski Jumping”. Slavomir remained an active ski jumper himself for 56 years.

He started ski jumping in the Tatra Mountains of Zakopane, Poland, at age 6, and eventually became a member of the Polish National Ski Jumping Team and a national champion. After competing for Poland in the 1968 Olympic Winter Games in Grenoble, Slavomir immigrated to Canada in 1969.

In 1970, Slavomir was recruited by the Canadian Ski Association to coach the National Ski Jumping Team which he successfully led to the 1972 Olympic Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan. After four years coaching the national team, Slavomir was tasked to organize a junior national development program. He traveled the country promoting the program, recruiting skiers and holding coaching clinics. His colourful enthusiasm and joy for the sport sparked interest in countless young athletes. As the Canadian Junior National Development Coach and Ontario Ski Jumping Team Coach until 1979, he trained some of Canada’s most successful ski jumpers, including Steve Collins and Horst Bulau.

Throughout the 1980’s, Slavomir founded multiple clubs including the Thunder Bay Ski Jumping & Nordic Combined Club. He continued to develop numerous young athletes that fed into the Canadian National Team pool. His sons Daniel and Jason became National Ski Jumping Champions in 1995 and 1997 respectively. 

As an athlete, Slavomir contributed significantly to the sport of ski jumping in Canada. In addition to being a Canadian National Ski Jumping Champion, he competed for Canada at numerous events, including the 1977 World Ski Flying Championships in Vikersund, Norway, and the 1978 World Nordic Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. In February 1976, competing against Olympic medalists from the same month, he placed 3rd at the Ski Flying Championships at Copper Peak, setting a Canadian ski flying record. The following weekend, he won the international event on the 120-metre hill in Thunder Bay, beating the Olympic Champion. Over the years, Slavomir continued to jump together with his athletes and share the joy of flying through the air with them.Slavomir’s sons, Jason, Daniel & Kristof, currently operate Mt. Baldy Ski Area in Thunder Bay and together they continue to spread his enthusiasm, smile and love for the skiing sports.