Previewing Milano Cortina 2026: Canada’s Tyler Turner is a target in snowboard cross event

CORTINA, Italy – Picture a high-stakes movie chase: villains on one side, James Bond on the other. This weekend, Canadian Tyler Turner takes on the 007 role as the favourite in the men’s LL1 snowboard cross at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

On Saturday it is the qualification round where the seedings are determined for Sunday’s playoff rounds including the Big Final for the medals. In those playoff rounds, riders race four at a time – swerving, turning, flying and sometimes crashing at top speed on a technical course peppered with bumps and rollers.

“It’s an entertaining, crazy sport,” said Turner, who started Para snowboard shortly after losing both feet due to a 2017 skydiving accident, an activity he still practices and teaches. “It’s very easy to follow, exciting, there are crashes at high speed, and it’s just really cool for spectators.”

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Based on results over the past couple of seasons, Turner appears to be the favourite. Since his historic victory at Beijing 2022 – a first for Canada in the sport – Turner has continued to top his rivals in the snowboard cross.

The 37-year-old from Campbell River, B.C. capped a stellar 2024–2025 season with the Crystal Globe trophy as World Cup season champion, and his third consecutive world title in the event at Big White, B.C.

Turner was named the Best Male Winter Athlete at the 2025 Para Sport Awards by the International Paralympic Committee.

Despite his dominance, Turner faces a technical track that combines high-speed straights, jumps, and tight banked turns — testing both skill and strategy against several opponents who are on a mission.

They include two Americans Noah Elliott and Mike Schultz, who have been chasing Turner since Beijing and there is also Daichi Oguri of Japan and veteran Chris Vos of the Netherlands.

Not to be discounted is another Canadian, Chase Nicklin of Port Alberni, B.C., who is mentored by Turner.

‘’Just seeing Chase’s progression over the last year, reaching his first World Cup and world championships has been amazing,’’ said Turner. ‘’This could be a breakout year for him. The effort he is putting to improve himself mentally and physically just brings me so much joy.’’

While Turner has dominated the snowboard cross, Elliott has had the Canadian’s number in the other Para snowboard event at the Games, the banked slalom. In that event the competitors race individually on a course filled with inclined turns. Unlike cross, it is a timed event.

‘’The level of skill right now in Para snowboard is crazy,’’ said Turner. ‘’More and more countries are fielding athletes supported by their national systems. It is now elite racing. At every single Paralympics it just goes to another level and that will be no different in Cortina.’’

In the men’s LL2, Canada fields two more strong contenders with veteran Alex Massie of Barrie, Ont. and rookie Philippe Nadreau of Terrebonne, Que. Nadreau won his first World Cup medal this season with a bronze in the snowboard cross.

Italy’s Emmanuel Perathoner has proved almost unbeatable in both events since he joined the World Cup circuit in 2022-23 and with the home crowd behind him as well, he is the man to beat.

In the women’s lower limb category, three-time Paralympian Sandrine Hamel of St-Sauveur, Que. hopes to build on a strong season at the Games. She’s collected two bronze this season on the World Cup circuit. Americans Kate Delson and Brenna Huckaby are among her top rivals.

Para snowboard competition will take place over three days at the Cortina Para Snowboard Park in Cortina d’Ampezzo:

March 7: Snowboard Cross Qualification
March 8: Snowboard Cross Finals
March 14: Banked Slalom