Banff Ski History: Meet the Monods, The Legendary Family That Shaped Skiing in The Canadian Rockies

From the top of the Mystic Chairlift on Mount Norquay, on your left is the idyllic town of Banff 500 metres below. On your right lies the rolling fall line of Monod’s Legacy, a ski run dropping and bending through the forest.

On the right day, you might spot a fast, fluid skier in black Goretex.

His powerful turns have a casual and spontaneous flair that takes a lifetime to master, or in his case, perhaps more than just one lifetime.

That skier in black is Matt Monod, the ex- National & International racer turned Mountain biking coach turned outdoor retailer is just one member of the third generation now shaping the Monod’s Banff story.

Monod's Skiing History

The run was renamed “Monod’s Legacy” to celebrate the family's contributions to the Canadian Rockies, which started in 1947 with John Monod’s arrival. John learned to ski in the European Alps, earning a reputation as a top racer, instructor and guide.

In 1931, he helped open one of the world’s first ski shops in Chamonix, France, but the eruption of World War II forced him to return to his birth country of Switzerland. 

When the war ended, John searched for a fresh start in a new, inspiring location. And so it was that he arrived in Banff with little more than a passion for outdoor adventure in 1947. By 1949, he’d leased a small space in a cabin high on a mountain that would later become Sunshine Village ski resort. There, John built a business guiding and teaching skiing during the day while also importing the top European gear to sell out of his tiny shop at night.

John’s reputation as a trusted outfitter grew, and in 1954, he opened his first shop on Banff Avenue.

Full Mountain Adventures

For years, Monod Sports was the only shop in Banff and Lake Louise where climbers could get the gear they needed.

Everyone would stop in to get equipped for their next adventure in the Canadian Rockies, from novices to legendary climbers like Yvon Chouinard and Reinhold Messner.

You can still swing by the shop’s climbing floor and hear staff exchanging route conditions with climbers or getting new campers kitted out with the right sleeping bag and stove.

Over the years, the Monod's have experimented with almost every mountain activity. They opened a snowboard shop, which also operated as a summer mountain bike shop, a fly-fishing guiding operation, and a windsurfing school.

When Banff began hosting an event that married horses with ski/snowboard culture, they called Matt Monod. Skijoring is the peculiar sport of being pulled along on skis by dogs, snowmobiles, or anything else.

For the annual Banff event, horses and riders from Skijor Canada charge down Banff Avenue at breakneck speeds, towing skiers like Matt along a course that included jumps large enough for the athletes to impress with backflips and spins.

Second Generation of Monods

The Monods have been some of the best skiers in Banff and Lake Louise for almost as long as there have been skiers in town.

In the 1970s and 1980s, John’s three sons, Philip, Peter, and Nick (Matt’s father), all ski-raced on the Alberta or Canadian Teams. As their racing slowed, they returned to the family business. Through their collective efforts, the three sons grew the company until it had six separate retail stores and three ski/snowboard rental outlets.

Over those years, the trio learned a lot about business and eventually focused on one strong, sustainable flagship store: the iconic 129 Banff Avenue shop that Matt and his cousin Nic (Peter’s son) now own and manage.

Third Generation of Monods in Banff

Peter and his wife Ginny’s younger child, Tatum, has also worked in the shop at times but chose to focus on taking the Monod’s athletic legacy in a new direction. She raced as a teen, but it was in the freeskiing realm that Tatum made her mark with impressive movie segments that have earned her accolades like Freeskier Magazine’s Skier of the Year award in both 2014 and 2016, and the Powder Magazine award for Best Female Performance in 2017.

In the years since, Tatum has solidified her place amongst the sport’s elite, earning sponsorships from brands like Redbull, Arcteryx, Yeti and Rossignol. She’s even earned bragging rights within the family as the first Monod to have a signature pro-model ski.

When not skiing, Tatum is equally passionate about fly-fishing and, like the rest of the clan, enjoys the full range of mountain activities: snowmobiling, hunting, and horseback riding. Matt is the most cycling-obsessed, but all the Monods have dabbled in mountain biking and climbing. If there’s a mountain activity you can think of, a Monod has likely pursued it at some point

Nick and Peter even tried early paragliding in a comically disastrous and tree-tangling exercise. Nic snowboarded as a child but ended up chasing the most Canadian of dreams, hockey, playing for the University of Alberta, Augustana Vikings, before returning to help run the shop.

The Future of Monods in Banff

Nic still plays weekly hockey, but like most Banff locals, makes a lot of time for mountain sports.

“It’s been instilled into Matt and me that you have to be here [in the shop] every day. We’re hands-on. We work hard. But we play hard, too,” he says.

Equally comfortable on skis, a snowboard or a snowmobile, Nic also enjoys what the national park offers in the summer, “I like to bike, hike, golf, flyfish. All of it, really.”

Regarding the future of the family business, Matt and Nic are more singularly focused. Nic explains, “We’re not super interested in being the biggest. We are focused on this local brick-and-mortar shop and playing hard in our backyard.”

Their home has shaped both their recreation and their business.

When Nic reflects on their community and the shop's role as a gateway to adventure in Banff National Park, he’s grateful, “I think we take it for granted sometimes. The fact that Grandpa made this happen, and we’ve kept it going here for 75 years. Monod Sports is embedded into Banff National Park and this town.”

From the right vantage point, maybe back where we started on the Mystic Chairlift, you can see the Monod’s legacy in two parts. On one side are the Monods as athletes; on the other, the store and all the people it’s influenced. For 75 years, visitors and locals alike have relied on Monod Sports to provide the gear and the knowledge they need to hit the slopes.

On your next trip to Banff, come by the shop and check out the family photos or read more about their legacy. Plus, shop for the best gear and clothing while learning from the locals who use it every day.