Coach Bios
Dave Nighswander
Program Director
Welcome Athletes, Families and Coaches to the 2025 season!
By way of introduction, I am part of a ski family with 4 kids who all raced and are now coaches. I learned to ski in Ontario on a hill about the size of Kimberley’s TBar hill. My most cherished memory from those days was the fun I had skiing with my friends ever Saturday and Sunday all winter. FUN is one of the key principals that I want to make sure we instill in our program week in and week out.
I am a PL (Performance Level) Alpine Coach, Freestyle FUNdamentalz Coach, CSIA level 2 Instructor and SX trained. I have coached U8 to Masters at the club level for the last 15 years and I race with the Canadian Alpine Masters.
I welcome this opportunity to continue to build the KAT Program once again this winter. My 3 principal approach is FUN, performance and developing life-long athletes. I look forward to meeting everyone
again this winter.
Best regards,
Dave Nighswander
Program Director, Kimberley Alpine Team
Kylie Kerik
Head Coach, Freestyle
Hello everyone!
I’m thrilled to be joining the Kimberley Alpine Team (KAT) and excited to connect with the KAT team and families. My love of snowsports began by the age of 5, in Grande Prairie AB, where I grew up on a local hill, Nitehawk Ski area. I started skiing as part of Nancy Greene before learning to snowboard. At 15, I earned my ski instructor certification and soon after was invited to coach U8 athletes for the Northern Extreme Freestyle team, where I coached for four years.
Over the last two years I have worked for the KAR Winter Sports School as a ski and snowboard instructor, and taught a U16 multi-week freeride group last year. As both a skier and a snowboarder, I have a love for freeride and park skiing, although I prefer parks with jumps. I hold my CSIA level 2, CASI level 1, NCCP, and Fundamentalz, which I’m excited to further advance.
What excites me most about coaching is not just the on-snow progress, but supporting the mental well-being of my athletes. As a recent professional counsellor graduate, I believe in nurturing their mindset, resilience, and confidence alongside their skiing abilities, helping them develop a lifelong love for the sport
Warmly,
Kylie Kerik
Head Coach, Freestyle