Fostering Participation, Connection, and Shared Responsibility
By Alex Cooper and Nora Hughes
BOB SAYER WAS MADE AN HONORARY MEMBER of the CAA in acknowledgement of his enduring commitment to the development, safety, and inclusiveness of the avalanche profession in Canada.
Bob is a highly respected leader, mentor, and long-time contributor to the Canadian avalanche and guiding community, with a career spanning more than 50 years in mountain safety, guiding, and industry development. He began his career as a patroller at Grouse Mountain in 1974 and later joined Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing, where he became Operations Manager. While at Mike Wiegele, he played a major role founding the Canadian Ski Guides Association (CSGA) and helped run its first program in 1990. He spent many years on the CAA Technical Committee and made many contributions to OGRS. He was also Standards Chair for HeliCat Canada and continues to serve on its Technical Committee.
Throughout his career, he has been a strong advocate for professionalism, mentorship, and community engagement within the avalanche and guiding industries. He is recognized for encouraging participation in industry associations, committee work, and ongoing professional development, and for fostering a culture of connection and shared responsibility across the community.
Bob was nominated by Erin Tierney, the current President of the CSGA. “Bob Sayer is the happiest ski guide out there,” she wrote. “With his signature Hawaiian shirts and flip flops, he has time for anyone with a question or a plan for an adventure. He brings teams together, whether guides or guests, and creates stoke in and out of the mountains.”
We asked Bob a few questions:
How does it feel to be made an Honorary Member of the CAA?
The Honorary Members list is comprised of the people I have admired and looked to in the avalanche world. To have my name added to it is the biggest professional honour I can think of. It makes me proud to think people respect me the way I respect the other members.
Part of the reason you received this honour was for your work on the CAA Technical Committee, and you were also Standards Chair for HeliCat for five years. Why did you get involved in this work and why was it important to you?
Working for Mike Wiegele, I was encouraged to be part of the leadership of the industry. I attended the spring meetings, volunteered for committees, and sat on boards because if you want to make your industry better, you need to get involved. You can’t just leave it to somebody else to control the direction of the future, or you might not like the result.
You were also on the CAA Board of Directors. Why was it important for you to contribute to the CAA throughout your career?
I was encouraged by Jack Benneto to join the Board of Directors—hopefully because he thought I had something to add and not just because there was an empty seat. Working to steer the CAA in a direction I believed in felt like important work. We all work in the mountains and if I could make it safe, then we all benefit.
What advice do you have a young avalanche professional looking to get involved in the CAA and our industry in general?
My advice to any young person wanting to make a career in the avalanche patch is to get involved. Go to the meetings, join committees, and take control of the future. Don’t sit back and let the future happen. When you show up, good things happen.