The Canada Cup Development Series is back, this time hosted at Calgary’s very own Winsport Event Centre.
Winsport Olympic Park is taking the lead in hosting this year's 2026 Canada Cup Development series, organizing Calgary’s provincial/state-level Halfpipe and Slopestyle competitions.
The Series is created to assist athletes from all over the world step through the road between provincial/state competitions to international competitions, such as the highly reputable Olympic Games.
The event will stretch from Jan. 20-25, 2026.
Athletes like women’s cross-country mountain bikers Sandra Walter and Marie-Helene Premont have competed in The Canada Cup and later advanced to the Olympic Games.
“This is super important because it helps us American athletes qualify to get onto the team,” said Piper Arnold, a Californian skier.
“Practice for our World Cup events that we have, because those are really the most important but the NorAm is a super pivotal competition in our lives, because it’s just a stepping stone for the World Cups.” said Arnold.
Halfpipe and Slopestyle aren’t the only sports events The Canada Cup revolves around; The Cup has hosted speed skating, kayaking, softball, ice hockey, cross-country mountain biking and mogul skiing.
“Days like these, where you know it’s cold out, or there’s something wrong with the conditions you’re skiing, it’s kind of just working through those types of days.” said Owen McKibbin, a Halfpipe series skier.
Winsport Ski and Snowboard runs - Image taken by Nailia Seale
The Canada Cup Dev Series is partnered up with MogulFest, a weekend-long festival celebration, usually held at the Canyon Ski Resort in Red Deer, Alta., featuring multi-level mogul skiing, medal awards, hosted dinners and silent auctions.
The Cup was held in several other locations outside Calgary for multiple events in 2018, including, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and the Yukon.
“It’s a new day every day, so you can have a different mentality every day, but definitely having fun every single day is the most important,” said Keva Kelly, 2025 NorAm Halfpipe ski champion.
As The Series progresses over the five-day stretch, more athletes will be put on ice to qualify for their respective teams and move forward to more prestigious opportunities.
The Cup will continue until Jan.25, featuring the last finals of the season and the final award ceremony. Following The Series, MogulFest weekend will also take place in Red Deer, Alta, on Jan. 31.