Sunshine Village Ski and Snowboard Resort: Cat Driver Ranks Among World's Best

BANFF, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - June 8, 2011) - After 31 years of driving snow cats, it's hard to imagine there's a lot a veteran driver like Bob Haufe could learn at his life-long vocation.

But a trip to Germany and Switzerland to see where Sunshine Village's state-of-the-art Pisten Bully snow groomers are manufactured came with its fair share of delights and surprises – along with a chance to demonstrate his considerable skills to the best in the world.

Haufe was one of just four groomer drivers from North America – two Canadians and two Americans – to attend the recent 10^th annual Pisten Bully Professionals Camp in and around the company's headquarters in Ulm, Germany.

The visit included two days of intensive training on the latest driving techniques, especially around the construction and maintenance of winter terrain parks. But there was a whole lot more than that, as well. The international set of drivers, which also included many from Europe and the former Eastern bloc, got a chance to see the ultra-clean and modern Daimler Benz factory in Stuttgart when the cat's 425-hp diesel engines are manufactured, toured the Pisten Bully factory itself, and even got a sneak preview of the next-generation snow cat, which uses an electric motor/diesel combination to reduce fuel consumption by a claimed 25 per cent – a huge asset in particular for a location like Sunshine, which operates in an environmentally sensitive national park.

Perhaps the highlight of the trip for Haufe came during a visit to Corvatsch, Switzerland, where he pitted his skills against other drivers from around the world. Haufe placedsecond in the competition, only edged out by a driver from Norway.

"Bob is recognized as one of the best in the business," said Rod Chisolm, Sunshine's Maintenance Manager. "His strength is as an operator."

Bob lives his work, and wants the world to see it. He has a website where he has videos and still photographs from the work he loves so much. You can also see images from his Europe trip by clicking here.

High-resolution images are available by request