At Skican, we believe that a ski vacation should be rewarding, hassle-free, and fun! We created the Ski Escapes in keeping with this spirit. Every year, we add new destinations — you can browse current Ski Escapes here.
Meet the Hosts
Each of our Ski Escapes is led by one of Skican’s experienced hosts. When you’re exploring a new destination, these hosts are there to show you the best restaurants to eat, the best things to experience, and the best places to ski.
While the Skican Hosts are not qualified to act as ski guides, they will be there as resources to answer questions and to ensure the trip runs smoothly. They will be happy to ski in small groups with a similar skiing level.
You can learn more about our hosts for your Ski Escape below:
Catherine Pichot
Catherine is the Product Manager for Europe and the USA at Skican. She grew up in the south of France and got her first job at Courchevel in Les Trois Vallées, before travelling with husband and working in many different places across Europe and North America. She has worked in the ski tour industry for over a decade and specializes in recommending the right resort according to her clients’ wish list.
She currently resides in Montréal with her husband and two children, who speak both English and French with different accents! Her favourite ski resorts are Les Portes du Soleil and La Clusaz in France, Aspen and Park City in the USA, and Valle Nevado in Chile.
Cathy is an experienced skier, who learned to ski with the École du ski français (ESF) when she was 7 years old. She thinks that powder days are magic. If fresh tracks are scarce, she likes to ski empty, steep, and well-groomed slopes. She can also do a handstand with her ski boots on — ask her to show you this trick if she’s your host!
Dave House
Dave House has been with Skican for the last three years and is currently working as the Sales Manager for Western Canada. Before he joined Skican, he was living the skier’s dream at Whistler and he still has soft spot for it. His favourite resorts are Whistler (of course), Sun Peaks, Marmot Basin, and Sunshine Village — in that order.
Dave does his best skiing on gladed tree runs, but his favourite type of skiing is powder — although he still feels like he has plenty of room for improvement there. Dave also happens to be an avid music lover and Blue Jays superfan.
Jen Kyles
Jen has been the Director of Sales and Marketing at Skican for over 3 years. She has been skiing recreationally since age thirteen, following friends to hone her skills and growing up on eastern hills like Chedoke in Hamilton, Caledon Ski Club, and Hollymont in Ellicottville.
Her favourite ski resorts are Aspen for pure fun, Lake Louise and Marmot Basin for sheer beauty, Sun Peaks for great snow and sunshine, Panorama and Kicking Horse for pushing her limits — and the list goes on.
Jen is a methodical skier, who loves to be outside and will do just about anything for a great view. She is always looking for snow and soft bumps, either under the chair or between well-spaced trees.
Some people say that she ‘sends it’, but she doesn’t know what this means and is very doubtful about it. She still swears like a petite trucker when faced with something impossible on the slopes.
Karen Nasmith
Karen’s dad, Robin Nasmith, started Skican in 1969. Karen grew up tagging along on ski trips with her brothers, checking out new Skican destinations in Quebec, Western Canada, and Colorado. Karen has inherited a few things from her dad, including a need to explore the world while picking up a few languages along the way.
Karen holds degrees in industrial engineering and urban planning, a love of the mountains, big and small, and enjoys a good challenge, on or off the slopes. She lives in Guelph with her two kids — where all three are active recreational hockey players. This year she’s trying out backcountry skiing in Assiniboine National Park.
Sarah Nicol
When she’s not hosting Ski Escapes, Sarah is a Sales Agent at Skican, specializing in Western Canada, Europe, and the USA. She was born in Ottawa and grew up skiing at Camp Fortune. She currently lives in Revelstoke, where she loves to ski in the winter and mountain bike all summer.
Some of Sarah’s favourite ski resorts are Revelstoke, Whitewater, and Red Mountain in Canada, Les Arcs in France, and Valle Nevado in Chile. She loves to help people plan their ski trips and create amazing memories in the outdoors.
Sarah is also an experienced ski racer and coach. She grew up racing with the Nancy Greene ski program in Ottawa and raced for the University of Edinburgh for one year. She is a certified Level 1 Ski Coach with four seasons of coaching experience.
She loves fresh snow, wherever she can find it — in glades, open bowls, or the backcountry. She can also do the splits on skis, but only by accident!
