Matt Blair (MEI Class of 2002) was a promising track and field athlete in high school (see 2015 Richmond News article). Distance running (his favourite event was the 2,000-metre steeplechase) was his speciality, and a good kick meant he often joined his mates in the four-by-100-metre and four-by-400-metre relays. But at 16 Blair discovered snowboarding, and upon graduation moved to Australia to “chase winter.”
Skeleton
Winter sports soon turned into a lifestyle, and Matt took up the sport of skeleton as a hobby during the winter of 2013. From there he earned a chance to represent Canada on the North America’s Cup last year (2015/16).
After successfully meeting Canada’s dry-land sprint standard over the summer, Matt was invited to train in Calgary with Team Canada’s NextGen program.
Matt is looking forward to earning future opportunities to represent Canada again leading up to the 2018 and 2022 Olympic Games.
Snowboarding
Matt has also enjoyed success at the 2016 Red Bull Slope Soakers slopestyle snowboard contest. Competitors navigated their way over three pools of icy water, hitting rails, jumps or skimming the water itself while being judged on style and trick difficulty.
Matt had a very clean first run, making the finals and finishing in the top 5 in a field of 40+ competitive riders.
“Not bad for an old guy” adds Blair.
Engagement
On July 25, 2016 Matt flew his unsuspecting fiancée-to-be, Casey-Marie Nicholson, high into the Coast Mountains of British Columbia to a little-known slice of paradise called Phantom Lake. The proposal was, in her words, “perfect” and she said yes! They will be married on July 15, 2017 at the Cheakamus Centre, nestled in the mountains north of Squamish.
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