The FIS World Cup Committee has given ski racing in Lake Louise a boost, approving a tentative schedule that includes hosting races at the popular Alberta ski resort of the next four years.

Bombardier Lake Louise Winterstart Race Chairman John Cassels said of the decision:

“There is a very proud tradition of World Cup ski racing at Lake Louise as host of the first speed events of the FIS World Cup season and North America’s only Club 5+ World Cup site. We are pleased for the hardworking volunteers and staff as well as our world class partners that it was confirmed for four more years by the FIS Committee.”

Lake Louise was the first resort outside of Europe to be named to the prestigious Club 5+, an organization that brings together 13 of the most famous and historic World Cup alpine racing courses in the world. Member resorts include Kitzbühel, AUT, Wengen, SUI, Schladming, AUT, Cortina, ITA and others.

The decision of the FIS Committee must now be approved by FIS Council, which is scheduled to meet in November.

The Bombardier Lake Louise Winterstart schedule includes Men’s downhill and super G races Nov. 29th and 30th with two Ladies downhill events Dec. 5th and 6th and a super G on Dec. 7th.

Some other recommendations from the FIS meetings in Zurich on the weekend included moving ahead with test events for single pole slalom at FIS races and new equipment rules for downhill permitting a racer to wear approved body armour under a downhill suit.

It was recommended that the 2010 FIS Alpine World Junior Ski Championships will be staged in the Mont Blanc region of France (Megeve/St. Gervais/Chamonix).

FIS will also be launching a new web site (www.fisalpineworldcup.com ) for the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup later this month. The interactive site will include athlete bios & blogs, race results, a weekly World cup video update and streaming of all WC races 72 hours post-event.