Growing up in Mont-Tremblant as the son of ski instructors Ellen and Conrad Guay, you could say that Erik’s career was set out for him at an early age.
Erik quickly learned through the guidance of his coach and father and began setting ambitious goals in alpine skiing — win a Crystal Globe, a World Championship, and an Olympic medal — that would challenge every part his athletic ability and resiliency to fulfill.
A founding member of the Canadian Cowboys – Canada’s most dominant generation of alpine rulers since the Crazy Canucks – the phenom from Mont-Tremblant also set his sights on chasing down Steve Podborski’s Canadian record of 20 World Cup podiums.
And on a beautiful day in Bormio, Italy in December 2013, he stood atop the podium in the men's downhill to become Canada's all-time leader with 21.
By the time he decided to end his career, that number had grown to 24.
Erik’s injuries and comebacks, his past Olympic performances and his growing family have also gave him added motivation leading into Pyeongchang 2018.
At the 2010 Olympics, Erik opened with a fifth place finish in the prestigious downhill event and a few days later was just 0.03 agonizing seconds from a podium performance in the Super-G.
Combined with his fourth place Super-G finish in Torino 2006, the Olympic podium has proved both elusive and worthy of the pursuit.
As a father of four beautiful girls – Logann, Leni, Marlo and Maude – Erik, and his wife Karen, will look to juggle a busy ski schedule with an active family life and some sleep.
In 2017, Erik reasserted his will on the world of alpine skiing.
After three major knee surgeries and stints of rehab, he won the Super-G World Title in St. Moritz becoming the oldest World Champion in alpine history.
And on the same weekend in Switzerland – just one year from the Olympics – he won a silver medal in the Downhill.
With a Crystal Globe in 2010 (Super-G) and two World Championships in 2011 (Downhill) and 2017 (Super-G) Erik has left one of the most enduring sport legacies in Canada's history.
