Olympic Luge Athlete Jeff Christie Parks Sled to Begin Business Career
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September 20, 2011
Olympic Luge Athlete Jeff Christie Parks Sled to Begin Business Career
—Two-Time Olympian heads back to school to follow dream of opening a brewery—
CALGARY—The leader of the Canadian men’s luge team, Jeff Christie, is parking his sled to pursue a new dream in life – open his own brewery.
The two-time Olympian is moving from his hometown in Calgary to Victoria this week where he will complete step one of opening his own business and begin a Bachelor of Commerce program at Royal Roads University. The 28-year-old Christie is hoping to acquire the business acumen required to accomplishing his next dream of owning a microbrewery in Calgary.
“I have achieved my goals in luge, and I feel now is the right time to prepare myself for the next step of my life in the business world,” said Christie, who took his first run down the WinSport Canada Olympic Park track 16 years ago. “I am very proud of my sporting career, but I realize in our society that it is very important to get a quality education, and gain the necessary work experience if I want to achieve my dream of becoming an entrepreneur.”
Christie slid on the World Cup for more than a decade against the top athletes on the globe. In addition to competing at the 2006 and 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the speed junkie raced for Canada in eight World Championships where his top showing was an 11th-place finish. A model of steady progression, Christie competed in 74 World Cup races where his best showing was fifth in the seven top-10 finishes he racked up in his career.
“When I first got involved in luge, our team were participants in World Cup races just happy to be wearing the jacket,” said Christie, who is the only Canadian to be on the Board of Directors for the International Luge Federation. “Today, I am leaving our sport stronger than it has ever been. With the incredible support provided by Own the Podium, our first-ever title sponsor in Fast Track Capital, and the incredible facilities we have at Canada Olympic Park and Whistler, Canadian luge athletes now hit the start line fully prepared and focused on winning medals. I’m very proud to have been a part of this evolution of our sport.”
Although retired, Christie is most defiantly not leaving the sport of luge or Canada’s sporting scene. He still sits on the COC’s (Canadian Olympic Committee) Athlete Commission, and has recently taken on two positions; a Director with the Maple Leaf Luge Club, and as an area representative with the B.C. Luge Association.
In addition to his obsession for luge, Christie developed a passion for beer while travelling Europe, with the hopes of ultimately one day starting his own microbrewery. His sport happens to reign supreme in the same country beer does – Germany.
“People keep telling me the best beer is in Germany, and my philosophy is then why can’t we have the best in Canada,” said Christie. “I know it is going to take an incredible amount of work, but I am now dedicating myself full time towards bringing the experiences I have gained in Europe to one day opening a brewery in Canada. My commitment will be there to make this happen, but first things first – if I want this dream to become a reality, I have to complete my education.”
Christie hasn’t been sitting around waiting for school to get the necessary start in the brewing industry. He has taken advantage of his European connections throughout his sliding career to build experience in all facets of the brewery: malting, brewing, fermenting, conditioning, kegging, bottling, delivering, and tap servicing.
Christie took advantage of one of the luge Word Cup stops at the legendary Konigssee track in southeastern Germany, which is near Berchtesgaden, to boost his knowledge. The luge World Cup stop is sponsored by the local brewery - Hofbrauhaus Berchtesgaden. Recognized as the yardstick by which the world measures breweries, Christie hooked up with its famed brewmaster, Klaus Hesselbach, where he completed a five-week internship.
Judging by the success of his luge career, there is no doubt this Canuck will soon be opening a world-leading brewery near you.
The Canadian Luge Association is a not-for-profit organization responsible for governing the sport of luge across the country. With the financial backing of its title sponsor, Fast Track Capital, along with the support from the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee and Own the Podium, the Canadian Luge Association safely recruits and develops the nation_s current and future high-performance luge athletes with the goal of regularly climbing onto the international podium. For more information on the Canadian Luge Association, please visit us at www.luge.ca on the Internet.
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