Marmot Basin helps launch Canadian-made safety device for ski resorts
Ski families have one less thing to worry about on the slopes thanks to new GPS-tracking technology developed by a Alberta-born ski dad.
Keith Macintyre wants to help parents end “lost child panic” at ski resorts. Macintyre, a software engineer, got to work on a new safety product after getting separated from his son while skiing—an experience he called the longest 45 minutes of his life.
“It was awful,” Macintyre said.
His solution was the skiKrumb, a wearable hardware device that parents, guardians and ski school instructors alike are now using to bring peace of mind when on the mountain.
The skiKrumb’s Alberta debut is at Jasper’s Marmot Basin, a resort already making riding more accessible for families with its Kids Ski Free program, which welcomes younger skiers to the mountain at no cost. With more kids exploring the slopes, skiKrumb adds an extra layer of confidence to the ski experience, says Marmot Basin’s Director of Skiing, Collin Borrow.
“Skiing and Snowboarding should be about exploring and having fun,” Borrow says. “skiKrumb provides dependable, real-time tracking that works in the conditions we ski and snowboard in every day.”
Macintyre built skiKrumb to preserve the freedom and independence that make skiing special, but he recognizes that resort skiing is not without hazards. Novice skiers can quickly lose their group. Families can become separated. Heavy weather days can cause visibility or ski quality complications. For care givers, instructors and riding buddies alike, keeping track of who is where on the mountain isn’t always easy.
“Ski hills are very challenging environments,” Macintyre says.
Gorana Krljic, who lives in B.C., says now she can’t imagine hitting the slopes without skiKrumb. She said her tree ski-loving daughter can quickly ride out of sight—a moment that used to give her anxiety.
“If it’s been 30 seconds, and I’m not seeing her, and she’s not popping back out on the run, I’ll just quickly open up the App—it literally takes five seconds—open it, and see, ‘okay, she’s way down there,’ let’s keep going, or, ‘oh, she’s up behind us, let’s just stop for a second, let her catch up.’”
The skiKrumb App uses interactive 3D software so parents have a live view of their family’s location on the mountain. The same tech allows them to replay their day—a feature that families connect over, Macintyre said.
“It’s just a tool that we’re constantly using when we’re out skiing,” Krljic agreed.
The tech operates independently of cellular service, using specialized radio technology to deliver reliable, real-time location updates every 10 seconds—even in tree-covered terrain, cold temperatures, and remote areas common in the Canadian Rockies.
“Skiing is a wonderful sport, but things can happen,” Macintyre says.
Beyond the groundbreaking safety technology of his product, the partnership with Marmot Basin is one of personal significance to Macintyre.
“It’s the first mountain I skied at,” says Macintyre, who grew up near Edmonton.
Through the partnership with Marmot Basin, the skiKrumb technology is now supported at that resort, and the devices are available for purchase or rent.
“Marmot Basin is where my love for real mountain skiing began,” said Macintyre. “To see skiKrumb live here, helping families ski with confidence at the very resort that shaped my passion is a full-circle moment.”
Amir Said // info@thejasperlocal.com
