Nakiska has been known as a cherished family skiing destination for decades. For the Kucera family, it’s more than just a ski hill—it’s the backdrop of a lifetime of memories, spanning three generations, nearly forty years and counting.

John Kucera is a Canadian skiing World Champion and Olympian who now coaches the next generation of athletes with Alpine Canada. John and his mother, Zdena Kucera, sat down with us to talk about their love for Nakiska and what passing the love of skiing to John’s two daughters means to him and his family.

A Family Tradition Takes Root

The story begins when Zdena Kucera and her husband immigrated to Canada from Czechoslovakia (now separate countries Czechia and Slovakia). Settling in Alberta, they were drawn to Nakiska, a place that soon became their home away from home. “My husband loved skiing,” Zdena recalls. “He joined the Ski Patrol and brought the whole family into it. We spent every weekend of the winter in the mountains, first in hostels and later in our motorhome at Kananaskis Village.”

It was at Nakiska that Zdena’s son, John, first strapped on skis at just 18 months old, quickly mastering the sport. By the time he joined the Nancy Greene program, John was already outpacing his peers, skiing with a confidence that hinted at his future success as a World Champion downhill skier.

From High Performance Racer to Dad

John’s journey took him from the bunny hills to the more technical runs of Nakiska to the world stage, where he represented Canada as an Olympic and World Cup athlete. He made his World Cup debut in 2004 and two years later won his first victory and went on to compete at the 2006 Olympics in Torino. He then won gold at the 2009 World Championships in France.  While John has skied at resorts and down famed runs across the globe throughout his many years of international competition, Nakiska has always remained close to his heart.

“Nakiska has a family feel,” John explains. “It’s the place where I learned to ski, where my parents built a community, and now, where I bring my own kids.”

With two daughters of his own, aged six and three, John is continuing the family tradition. Both girls started skiing before they turned two, just as John did. “It’s not about racing,” John emphasizes. “It’s about having fun as a family and enjoying the outdoors.”

A Mountain for Every Generation

Zdena still joins the family on the slopes. Skiing alongside her grandchildren has brought her immense joy. “It’s wonderful to see Anna showing me the ropes on the mountain,” she says with a laugh. “I’m so happy to watch them grow up here, just like their father did.”

Nakiska’s family-friendly terrain makes it an ideal spot for multi-generational adventures. The variety of runs, from gentle green runs to thrilling black diamond runs, caters to all skill levels. “We started Anna on the bunny hill, and now she’s exploring the glades and even the black diamonds,” John shares. “It’s a mountain you can grow up on.”

A Place Like No Other

For the Kuceras, Nakiska is more than a ski resort; it’s a part of their family’s story. The memories of weekends spent skiing, the friendships formed, and the milestones celebrated here have created an unbreakable bond with the mountain.

“Every time we come back, it feels like coming home,” John reflects. “And that’s something really special.”

That second home seems to be increasingly felt by John’s daughters, the eldest is now competing at Nakiska. Says John with a chuckle “She is competing. She’d like to think that she’s faster than me, but I think I still got her…for now at least.”

As the two daughters carve their own paths on Nakiska’s slopes, the Kucera family’s legacy continues—a reminder that skiing is not just a sport, but a way of bringing generations together.

Nakiska offers more than breathtaking views and world-class slopes—it’s a hub of opportunity for job seekers and career enthusiasts alike. Offering part-time, full-time, seasonal, or year-round roles, our ski resort provides a dynamic workplace that brings together people passionate about staying active, outdoor adventure and hospitality.

A Thriving Snow Village of Professionals

The opportunities are as diverse as our mountain landscape at Nakiska. Roles span various fields, from hands-on technical positions like lift mechanics, millwrights, electricians, chefs, diesel mechanics, snowmaking crews and snowcat drivers to guest-facing roles like ski patrol, rental shop managers, lift operations, ski school instructors and guest services.

Behind the scenes, we rely on skilled individuals to keep the operations seamless, including our sales and finance teams, food and beverage managers and maintenance managers.

Alberta is home to some of the world’s most iconic attractions, and our ski resort fosters meaningful jobs that give individuals a chance to make a difference and work in our beautiful mountain playground. As our tourism sector in Alberta continues to grow, it could provide additional opportunities for meaningful mountain employment as well, opening the door to even more career-building opportunities.

Sports and tourism are so much more than just recreation in Alberta—they are important economic drivers that support skills development, build communities and create lasting impact. Nakiska attracts visitors, boosts tourism, and sustains jobs in rural areas, supporting professionals across a broad number of industries.

For many, the love of skiing and snowboarding begins in childhood and evolves into a lifelong passion. Our ski area provides a pathway for individuals to transform that passion into a fulfilling career, whether in tourism, resort operations, or the broader winter sports industry. Working with us is more than just a job—it’s an opportunity to immerse yourself in a culture that celebrates the true Canadian spirit that embraces outdoor recreation.

Our ski area is more than a destination—it’s a cornerstone of Alberta’s thriving tourism and winter sports culture. By offering diverse opportunities and contributing to economic growth, Nakiska continues to inspire and contribute to Alberta’s dynamic future.

At Nakiska, we recognize that maintaining the beauty and stability of our natural environment is as important as providing an exceptional recreational experience. One unique practice we implement on our slopes is mulching.

But what exactly is mulching and why is it such an important practice?

What is Mulching?

Mulching involves covering the soil with organic or inorganic materials to create a protective layer. Organic mulches include natural materials such as wood chips, leaves, straw and compost, while inorganic mulches can be made from stones or synthetic materials. In most cases, organic mulches are favoured for their environmental benefits as they break down and contribute nutrients to the soil over time.

The Importance of Mulching

At Nakiska, we utilize organic mulch from tree felling, which is selective tree removal as required for creating gladed terrain, trail widening, or removing dead or diseased trees. By mulching felled trees on-site, it eliminates trucking and transport of the logs, and re-introducing mulch to the logged area offers many benefits:

1. Soil Health Enhancement: Organic mulch enriches the soil as it decomposes, releasing vital nutrients that promote plant growth. This enriches the ecosystem and creates a healthier environment for the diverse foliage that inhabits the ski area.
2. Erosion Control: Ski slopes can be susceptible to erosion, especially during heavy rains or rapid snowmelt. By applying a layer of mulch, it creates a barrier that helps stabilize the soil and reduces runoff. The roots of removed trees and vegetation are left untouched in the ground, further stabilizing the terrain and preventing erosion, especially on steeper sections of mulched areas. This is particularly crucial for maintaining the integrity of our ski slopes and surrounding ecosystems.
3. Wildlife Protection: We time our tree removal appropriately to ensure we aren’t disturbing nesting sites of migratory birds, taking care to remove trees that aren’t being for nesting.
4. Moisture Retention: In our efforts to manage water resources sustainably, mulching helps retain moisture in the soil. This is particularly important during the dry summer months when the risk of forest fires increases. Mulching helps reduce flammable materials and slows the spread of flames, ensuring that our slopes remain healthy and vibrant throughout the year.
5. Carbon Dioxide Reduction: Before the practice of mulching was introduced, felled trees would be burned onsite or trucked off the mountain. Mulching on-site eliminates   tree and timber burning, avoiding the release of carbon into the atmosphere. This practice helps maintain a lower carbon footprint and contributes to environmental sustainability.

Mulching Practices at Nakiska 

Our approach to mulching is guided by a commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. Here are some of the practices we implement:

1. Selective Tree Felling: We carefully plan tree removal to minimize ecological disruption. This ensures that only necessary trees are removed and we prioritize the health of the surrounding ecosystem.
2. Natural Mulch Application: After tree felling, we leave behind a natural layer of mulch to protect the soil. This mulch serves multiple purposes from enhancing soil quality to preventing erosion and promoting healthy regrowth.
3. Ecosystem Monitoring: We continually monitor the effects of our mulching practices on the surrounding environment. This allows us to adapt our methods as needed, ensuring that we are effectively supporting the local ecosystem, including not disturbing any nesting sites or other wildlife considerations.

By continuing to refine our sustainable practices, our mulching practices are just one way we can develop our slopes while supporting the diverse wildlife and ecosystems in our vicinity.

If you’ve ever skied at Nakiska, you know that we strive for great, dependable snow conditions all season long. But have you ever wondered how we manage to keep our slopes so smooth?

Snowmaking is an important component of our operations, ensuring consistent and high-quality skiing conditions throughout the season, in addition to all the snow Mother Nature provides.

We recognize that providing great skiing and riding conditions goes hand in hand with responsible water use. We have invested in technology and adopted practices that allow us to produce consistent, quality snow while being mindful of our water usage and energy consumption.

Making Every Drop Count

Water is a vital resource in snowmaking, and efficient use lets you produce more with less. By investing in current snow-making technology, we’re consuming water responsibly while still delivering exceptional ski surfaces on our slopes.

Nakiska has made significant upgrades to its snowmaking system, adding machines that dramatically improve efficiency and allowing us to produce more snow per gallon of water, making the process more sustainable. Our system is designed to cool compressed air effectively without using water, before we pipe it up the mountain for use in snowmaking, ensuring optimal snow coverage for our slopes while minimizing both water and energy use.

In addition to water conservation, maintaining Nakiska’s exceptional skiing conditions is equally important. By using technology that adjusts to temperature fluctuations, we can ensure that the right amount of snow is produced without excess water or energy usage.”

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Nakiska’s fleet of Tier 4 and Tier 5 snow grooming machines plays a vital role in providing a great skiing and riding surface. These eco-friendly machines groom the slopes efficiently, using less fuel and requiring fewer passes on the mountain, which makes our corduroy even smoother. By focusing on precision in both snow production and slope grooming, we provide excellent skiing terrain all while using a newer, energy-efficient fleet.

By starting to introduce Tier 5 grooming machines to our fleet, our new machines now meet the highest emission standards as the cleanest snow groomers in their class, playing a key role in our sustainability efforts.

Our Commitment to Sustainability

Nakiska’s approach to snowmaking is part of our broader commitment to sustainability and land stewardship. We are proud of the progress we’ve made and remain dedicated to continuously improving our practices. As we look to the future, we will continue investing in technologies that conserve water and energy. As snowmaking remains vital to our operations, we remain focused on executing it efficiently and sustainability.

At Nakiska, we’re committed to providing an exceptional recreational experience while also taking steps to best manage our stunning environment. As a longtime local operator with deep roots in the area, we understand the importance of balancing recreation with responsible and sustainable practices. We are always seeking new ways to minimize our footprint so that future generations can continue to enjoy Nakiska’s slopes.

While skiing is at the heart of what we do, we are mindful of environmental responsibility in our operations. Nakiska has implemented a range of initiatives that help minimize erosion, manage water use and decrease overall consumption of materials and fuels.

Reducing Our Footprint

Energy efficiency is a key area of focus across the ski area. Over the past several years we have made changes to reduce electricity use, particularly in heating systems (HVAC), lighting, and appliances. When it comes to our vehicles and equipment, we prioritize fuel reduction and extending the life of our machines through good maintenance practices. We also recycle oils, rubber, and metals from our fleet, ensuring that every aspect of our operations is aligned with our sustainability goals.

One of our recent efforts is waste reduction through a comprehensive recycling program. Plastics, cardboard, paper, aluminum and even cooking oils are all recycled at Nakiska. In our food operations, we are working to reduce the use of single-use items across Nakiska and aim to completely transition to fully recyclable and compostable products.

Our dedication to sustainability includes thoughtful management of our slopes, with responsible tree felling playing a key role in ensuring our on-slope work doesn’t impact wildlife. We carefully time this process to avoid disrupting migratory bird nesting patterns. By selectively removing only necessary trees, we create glades that maintain skiable terrain while leaving behind a natural layer of mulch. This mulch helps prevent soil erosion, supports healthy regrowth, and reduces the risk of invasive species. It enriches the soil with organic material, promoting ecosystem vitality while striking a balance between improving safety and protecting the natural environment.

Powering Our Slopes Sustainably

Water is critical for snowmaking, and we’re committed to using it wisely and sustainably. Nakiska has invested in highly efficient snowmaking systems to conserve water and reduce energy consumption. By regularly upgrading, maintaining, and fine-tuning our equipment and snowmaking process, we can provide top-quality skiing conditions while ensuring we are doing so in an environmentally responsible way.

For example, our fleet of Tier 4 snow grooming machines plays a big role in our sustainability efforts. They’re designed to burn less fuel and groom the slopes more efficiently, which not only saves energy but also reduces our impact on the mountain ecosystem itself. We also maintain our equipment to the highest standards, ensuring that it runs efficiently and produces fewer emissions.

An Eco-Friendly Future

We believe that the joy of skiing comes with the responsibility of sustainability. Our ongoing use of environmentally conscious practices reflects our desire to protect our slopes. By continually investing in new technologies, water conservation, and reducing waste, we are constantly evolving our approach. Our commitment to minimizing our environmental impact ensures that we can continue to provide outdoor adventures in a way that respects our natural surroundings.