One of UBC basketball's all-time great guards, was twice Western Canadian University scoring champion and league MVP in 59/60 and 60/61. An All-Star each year with UBC, led the 'Birds to three Western Canadian championships including an undefeated season in 60/61.
Ken Winslade entered UBC in 1956, after graduating from New Westminster, BC's Lester Pearson High School where he had been named to the BC High School basketball first All-Star team.
"Jayvees dump Jewellers; Winslade gets 34 points" was the Ubyssey headline following the league opener for the Peter Mullins-coached UBC team. The freshman Winslade, experiencing Senior 'A' competition with the Junior Varsity squad, credits coach Mullins with refining his shooting, dribbling and defensive skills. Winslade's constant practice and the coaching of Mullins paid off as the self-admitted late maturer was named to the league All-Star team, as well as individually honoured with the Art Willoughby Trophy as the outstanding Senior 'A' Rookie of the Year. It was Vancouver Sun sports writer Allan Fotheringham who first predicted stardom for Winslade, "A cinch to be a standout with UBC in the coming years, freshman Winslade displayed his artistry again."
The next year Winslade was up with the UBC Thunderbird basketball team and, as a guard, teamed with Ed Wild to form one of the finest guard combinations in UBC Thunderbird history. He was the third highest scorer on the team and displayed "fiery ball hawking ability."
Returning to the UBC Thunderbirds in 58/59, Ken took over as the team's top scorer and received Evergreen Conference All-Star honourable mention. It was his "steady playing and shooting ability" that led UBC to an exhibition series victory over the prairie University champion Alberta Golden Bears, giving the UBC Thunderbirds bragging rights as the number one University basketball team in Western Canada. In addition to his All-Star performance on the basketball floor, Ken was awarded the B-Wys scholarship as the top third year student in Physical Education.
UBC re-entered the Western Canada Intercollegiate Conference in 1959/60, resulting in a great deal of success for both Winslade and the team. The UBC Thunderbirds, coached by Jack Pomfret, dominated, winning the Western Canadian University championship with an impressive 11-1 record. Guard Winslade, "a demon on defense", was the Western Canada scoring champion. The Vancouver Sun reported, "Winslade, UBC captain and leading scorer, was the only unanimous choice for the All-Star team, also the league's Most Valuable Player, compiling twice as many votes as his nearest opponent." Moreover, in May 1960, Winslade was awarded the Canadian Health, Physical Education and Recreation prize as the top student of the 1960 School of Physical Education class.
Winslade, returning to UBC in 1960/61, was for the second year in a row the WCIAU scoring champion and most valuable player. The UBC Thunderbirds were even more dominant this season, winning the WCIAU championship with an unprecedented 12-0 record. A Canadian University championship was not being contested at this time but it would be difficult to imagine a better team than UBC or a better player than Winslade if it were.
Upon graduation in 1961, Winslade achieved the honour of being both the top graduating student in Physical Education and the Bobby Gaul Award winner as UBC's outstanding graduating athlete in performance, sportsmanship and inspiration.
Ken returned to UBC in 1962/63 to complete his Masters degree and to coach UBC's Junior Varsity basketball team. Since that time Winslade's experience includes high school teacher and coach, City of New Westminster Recreation Director, Administrator of Parks and Recreation for the City of New Westminster, and the City Administrator for New Westminster.
Winslade has continued his involvement in BC basketball by being an active volunteer with the BC High School Boys Basketball Association serving for over 20 years as Tournament Championship Director and as Association Executive Director. In 2006 Ken was inducted into British Columbia's Basketball Hall of Fame.
After the final game in Winslade's Thunderbird career, a game in which he scored 28 points, the Vancouver Sun reported, "The farewell was made in a UBC gym that exuded a strange warmth…the crowd cheered for two minutes while he accepted congratulations from opponents and teammates. Few UBC athletes have been so fortunate or so skilled".
Researched and written by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian
