|
Big Red Cats, like most mechanized ski operations in B.C., operates on Crown Land and therefore is obligated to carry liability insurance. As part of this, you can be assured that Big Red Cats always has qualified guides, as determined by WorkSafeBC and the CAA. Supervisors have either ACMG ski guide, CSGA3, or foreign equivalent. Guides leading cats are either CSGA2 or ACMG assistant guides, and tail guides typically have their CSGA1 designation. All guides have current first aid qualifications and many are also instructors.
While there are more team members than this, this is the core group who return every year:
 |
Kieren Gaul - Owner
Kieren created this job so that he could powder ski every day with people like you. He truly has a passion for sharing some of the best skiing in the world with our guests.
|
|
 |
Paula Gaul - Owner
Paula is the person who does all of the administration for Big Red Cats - as co-owner of Big Red Cats, she'll answer the phone 24 hours a day.
Paula was an army logistics captain and has an MBA from the University of Western Ontario. She was working as a consultant for BCG in Sydney when she thought it would be nice to have her own business - Kieren dreamed up the cat skiing idea and she couldn't punch any holes in the idea, so Big Red Cats was born. Paula is also a realtor with Century 21, so if you decide to buy any condos at Red, make sure to talk to her about it, because her real estate clients get a free day of cat skiing!
|
|
|
 |
Robert Elliot - Lead Guide
- Canadian Ski Guide Level 3
- Canadian Avalanche Association Level 2
- CSIA Ski Instructor Level 3
- CSCF Ski Coach Level 1
- Wilderness Emergency Responder (90 hr.)
- PEP Search and Rescue Certified/Volunteer
- HETS Certified (Heli-long line rescuer)
- WCB BC Blasters Certification
Rob lives in Revelstoke BC, and will be doing his second season with Big Red Cats. After a previous life getting a B.A. in Economics from UVic and owning and operating restaurants, Rob followed the dream and is now a qualified supervising guide.
|
 |
Lee Boland - Austrian Schifuehrer, Lead Guide
This is a photo of Lee skiing with us - you should see him in action, I'm sure that you'll agree that he is one of the best skiers you have ever seen. If you're looking for some pointers on your technique, this guy used to be a national team ski racing coach, and he is an Austrian "Skifuehrer". (That translates as "ski leader", but sounds so much more impressive in German). Lee speaks several languages, including Dutch, German, and 'Stralian.
Originally from Australia, Lee lives in Rossland with his wife Jill and their children, aged 4 to teens, and is a carpenter in the off-season.
|
 |
Julian Anfossi - Lead Guide
- CAA level 2
- CSGA level 3
- CSIA 2
Julian just moved to Rossland this year, and is new to Big Red Cats, while also working up north as a heli-skiing guide.
|
 |
Kauri Howell, CSGA1, CAA1 Tail Guide & Driver
Kauri's been with us from the beginning, and we've seen him go from apprentice snowcat driver and mechanic's helper, to seriously mustachioed single guide (photo), to the settled and clean-shaven daddy that he is today. I have more recent photos, but I like this one best.
You can just tell by looking at him that he has a sense of humour...
|
 |
Ari Gore, CAA1 Tail Guide
Ari is another local guide who has been working with the ski patrol for years, and is spending more and more time guiding with Big Red Cats
|
|
|
Matt Edwards, CAA2 Tail Guide
Matt skis all winter and is a kayaking guide all summer. He's got it dialed.
|
 |
Richard Streadwick, VP (Mechanical) Operations
Richard works 12 months a year, keeping the cats purring at Big Red Cats, and managing the drive team in winter. The photo shows Richard the very first time he got a snowcat up Mt Pluto. Besides being a master mechanic, Richard was previously a member of the Canadian national cycling team, and he races his yacht on Arrow Lake and Seattle. Richard lives in Rossland with his massage therapist wife Kathy (you have to book that in advance!) and their huge collection of children.
|
 |
Dana Luck, Snowcat Driver
|
 |
Keith Robine - Guide, and CAA Avalanche Course specialist
- CSGA2
- CAA2, professional member of the CAA
Keith is a counsellor, and a really good guy to talk to...he is also a climbing teacher, and has built his own climbing wall in his straw-bale home in Rossland, where he lives with his wife Anne and his two daughters.
|
|
