Sports & Adventure coverage

Backcountry means an area that is not marked, not patrolled and/or not cleared for avalanche dangers, but where public access is permitted. Backcountry is also known as slackcountry, sidecountry and/or off-piste and does not include heli-skiing or cat skiing.

Downhill freestyle skiing/snowboarding in organized competitions means any skiing/snowboarding competition with the following activities: aerial skiing/snowboarding, kite-skiing, mogul or cross competitions, half-pipes and/or slopestyle activities, rails, jumps and other terrain park features.

Downhill mountain biking means biking down mountain trails or rough mountain terrain (whether as part of a race or not) and often features jumps, drops, rock gardens or other obstacles. It often requires the use of mechanical lifts or elevators.

a. Motocross, dirt biking and/or motorcycling unless only riding as a mode of transportation; and/or,
b. Any motorized vehicle racing competitions, endurance events or timed activities, including but not limited to snowmobiling racing competitions or endurance events.
If you are participating in a motorized vehicle activity, other than the ones specified under part a), and the activity is solely for leisure and not part of a timed activity or done for the purpose of training or practicing for any kind of racing competition or endurance event, this activity is not considered a high risk motorized speed activity and the Sports & Activities Optional Coverage is not required for coverage to apply.

Snowmobiling (including highmarking) and/or motorized snow biking in unguided backcountry terrain.

Ice climbing means the act of climbing or rappelling from vertical or nearly vertical ice formations such ice falls, frozen waterfalls or cliffs or rock slabs that are covered with ice from flows of water freezing over. Ice climbing requires the use of specialized equipment including but not limited to ice axes, crampons or ice screws. Glacier hiking is not ice climbing. If the glacier hike is on a mountain, it is considered mountaineering up to a 6,000-metre elevation or mountaineering over a 6,000-metre elevation.

Mixed martial arts means a combat sport in which participants use fighting and grappling techniques from any combination of wrestling, boxing and martial arts. Mixed martial arts include ultimate fighting.

Rock climbing means the sport of climbing rock faces, especially with the aid of ropes and special equipment. Rock climbing includes the following activities: bouldering, traditional climbing, free soloing, top-rope, sports climbing, canyoning/canyoneering, but does not include climbing indoor or outdoor artificial rock climbing walls.

You can add football to the Sports & Activities Coverage if you are 21 years or over at the time of application and plan to participate, train, or practice on behalf of a registered team, league, association or club; or while competing in a registered tournament, competition or sporting event. If you are just casually playing football for fun, you don’t need to purchase additional coverage.

If you are under 21 years, coverage is already available under the Emergency Medical Insurance plan without the purchase of this optional coverage.

You can add ice hockey to the Sports & Activities Coverage if you are 21 years or over at the time of application and plan to participate, train, or practice on behalf of a registered team, league, association or club; or while competing in a registered tournament, competition or sporting event.

If you are under 21 years, coverage is already available under the Emergency Medical Insurance plan without the purchase of this optional coverage.

You can add rugby to the Sports & Activities Coverage if you are 21 years or over at the time of application and plan to participate, train or practice on behalf of a registered team, league, association or club; or while competing in a registered tournament, competition or sporting event.

If you are under 21 years, coverage is already available under the Emergency Medical Insurance plan without the purchase of this optional coverage. If you are just casually playing rugby for fun, you don’t need to purchase additional coverage.

Mountaineering up to a 6,000-metre elevation means the act of climbing or descending a mountain to or from an elevation of 6,000 metres or less (measured from sea level) while using specialized equipment including but not limited to pickaxes, ice axes, anchors, bolts, crampons, carabineers and lead or top rope anchoring equipment. Mountaineering includes ski mountaineering also known as ‘skimo’.
For the Sports & Activities Optional Coverage, if you are ice climbing and mountaineering up to a 6,000-metre elevation, you only need to select mountaineering up to a 6,000-metre elevation, and ice climbing will automatically be covered as well.
We recognise that ice climbing equipment may be used while mountaineering, so we don’t want you to have to pay an additional surcharge if you’re doing some ice climbing as part of your mountaineering. However, if you’re also planning to do ice climbing as a separate activity from mountaineering during your trip, you need to add ice climbing to the Sports & Activities Optional Coverage for coverage to apply. Please refer to the definition of ‘ice climbing’ for more details.

Mountaineering over a 6,000-metre elevation means the act of climbing or descending a mountain to or from an elevation of over 6,000 metres (measured from sea level) while using specialized equipment including but not limited to pickaxes, ice axes, anchors, bolts, crampons, carabineers and lead or top rope anchoring equipment. Mountaineering includes ski mountaineering also known as ‘skimo’.
NOTE: If you are mountaineering over a 6,000-metre elevation, coverage for medical air evacuation is limited to one air evacuation per trip.

For the Sports & Activities Optional Coverage:

• If you are mountaineering both below and above 6,000 metres elevation, you only need to select mountaineering over a 6,000-metre elevation.
• If you are ice climbing and mountaineering over 6,000 metres elevation, you do not need to select both activities. You only need to select mountaineering over a 6,000-metre elevation, and ice climbing will automatically be covered as well.

We recognise that ice climbing equipment may be used while mountaineering, so we don’t want you to have to pay an additional surcharge if you’re doing some ice climbing as part of your mountaineering. However, if you’re also planning to do ice climbing as a separate activity from mountaineering during your trip, you need to add ice climbing to the Sports & Activities Optional Coverage for coverage to apply. Please refer to the definition of ‘ice climbing’ for more details.