Talk about the ultimate challenge! We had everything from spring and back to winter for weather at the Mars Cup Spring Series at Panorama last week! Day 1 – perfect spring racing conditions with sunny skies, but an icy-hard track! The morning of Day 2, we arrived to find the track that had softened the previous afternoon had not frozen overnight, as anticipated! The Chiefs of Course and their tiny crews sprung into action and moved bags and bags of snow-hardening chemicals up the lift to spread on the course, their quick action resulting in only a 30 minute delay in the schedule! Shorts were worn on the patio after racing that day. Day 3- Spring again, but with a good, hard freeze the previous night. The weather closed in during the afternoon, however, and the athletes’ BBQ was moved indoors. Day 4 – a huge snowstorm overnight and throughout the morning! Again, the small course crews acted quickly to slip piles of loose snow from the track to uncover a perfect, icy surface again for another superb day of racing!
All of us who had the privilege of participating in this event came to realize how much the ski racing community is like a big family. The distress call went out and the family rallied! Equipment was loaned from all over BC and Alberta. Family members from the past who had not been around the race course for years suddenly appeared! People travelled from all over the western provinces to help out – some not even having children in the race! The Series was a great success as it was driven by the shared passion of all the individuals who came to help out, stepping into large rolls like Chief positions and also doing the more tedious work like gate-judging and course-slipping, without which the race could not have happened. The Windermere Valley Ski Club ROC thanks everyone who turned out and we especially thank our superb Chairman of Race, Gordon Bagan, who was everywhere, from dawn until dusk, making sure we had all that we needed to get the job done, from rooms to food, to radios, to clipboards, to water, to end-of-the-day hospitality!
A BIG THANKYOU to all the "family members" who came from far and wide to support the Series!! Never have all of us heard so many “thank-you’s” from the athletes, which shows how much your efforts and passion for the sport were recognized and appreciated! And never have I had the privilege of working with such a dedicated, experienced and hard-working crew! "We also wish to thank the diligent professionals without whose assistance this race wouldn’t have come off: our coaches!"
Cheryl Willard
Chief of Race- Slalom Course
Windermere Valley Ski Club
NOTE: Photos taken of all the racers while on course are available through Mountain Eye Photography, and can be viewed at www.mtneye.ca.