A lifelong member of the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, John Ekels joined with Paul Côté and Dave Miller in 1969 to compete internationally in sailing’s Soling Class. Together they were selected to represent Canada at the 1972 Summer Olympics by winning all eight of the races at the national trials and, at the Games, they captured a bronze medal behind the Americans and the Swedes. The trio then won the 1973 North American Championships before splitting up due to Miller’s retirement from active competition. Ekels was inducted, along with the other members of his bronze medal-winning team, into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame in 1989.
Canada