Dave Murray

Dave Murray was part of a quartet of Canadian downhillers known for their spectacular and occasionally reckless attitude to racing who were dubbed the “Crazy Canucks” or “Kamikaze Canucks” by the press. In a top level career that lasted from 1974 to 1982 he was twice second in World Cup downhills, at Schladming at the start of 1978 and Chamonix at the end of the same year. His best season was 1978-79 when he finished in the top ten of the World cup downhill standings. Murray’s best showing in a World Championships was 8th, on debut, in the 1974 downhill.

He retired in 1982 and set up Dave Murray Ski Camps and in 1988 opened the Dave Murray Ski School at Whistler, British Columbia. Sadly Murray did not live to see the success of his business enterprises as he died of cancer in 1990 at the age of just 37. His daughter Julia has followed in her father’s ski-tracks and in 2008 debuted in the skier-cross discipline of the FIS World Cup circuit.