Sunshine, Glaciers, Salt, Heroes, Hard Work = SUPER CAMP 2013 in Whistler

by BCAadmin | Jul 22, 2013 | Member News

Super Camp PHOTOS

Their bright yellow t-shirts were seen all over Whistler and Blackcomb mountains and in the Village for a week. Covered with sweat, dirt and a bit of glacier salt, the “safety yellow” colour was near-impossible to avoid on the 120 plus campers from 13 clubs from across the province, including the BC Ski Team and guest coaches from the national ski team, Sasha Zaitsoff (Red Mountain Racers) and Morgan Pridy (Whistler Mountain Ski Club).

All in all it was “one of the best-ever Super Camps”, said Athletic Director Gordie Bowles, although BC Alpine’s goal is to expand the reach to well over 200 campers for July 2014 (same time, same place, MARK YOUR CALENDARS!).

A big thanks to the Whistler Sport Legacies for providing BC Alpine low-cost accommodations at the Whistler Athletes' Village, Marnie Melstead and her Sea to Sky Nutrition team for great meals, Head, Dynastar and Elan for the ski testing days and of course to Sasha and Morgan for taking time out of their busy schedule to mentor and spend time with our young athletes.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so here are a few.

Super Camp PHOTOS

– Gordie Bowles

Serwa, Thompson lead impressive B.C. racers names to national ski cross team

by BCAadmin | Jun 5, 2013 | Member News

World Cup winner and former X-Games champion Kelsey Serwa (Kelowna, Big White Racers) and 2012 Crystal Globe winner Marielle Thompson (Whistler, Whistler Mountain Ski Club) lead a group of five B.C. skiers named to the Canadian Ski Cross team for the 2013-14 season.

A total of eleven racers – seven men and four women – have been named to the national ski cross team that is looking to make a comeback after a subpar season in 2013.

Serwa, 24, is coming back from injury and making good progress in her recovery from knee surgery. Also, men’s team leader Chris Del Bosco is looking to back to his best after also returning from injury.

“We’re coming into this season with a very strong team that includes some of the best ski cross racers in the world as well as a new wave of athletes who have great potential,” said Canada Ski Cross athletic director Dave Ellis. “Our goal is to get back to being No. 1 in the world and we want to have a man and a woman on the podium in Sochi. With the team we have announced for 2013-14, we feel very positive about our chances of achieving those goals.”

The four new additions to this year’s squad are former alpine speed skiers and 2010 Olympians Louis-Pierre Hélie, of Berthierville, Que., and Georgia Simmerling, of West Vancouver, B.C. (Grouse-Tyee Ski Club), as well as former ski cross Nor-Am champ Ian Deans, 22, of Kelowna, B.C. (Big White Racers), and Mathieu Leduc, 23, of Comox (Mt. Washington Ski Club), B.C. Hélie, 27, showed promise in his first full season on the ski cross World Cup tour, while Simmerling, 24, won her first career World Cup podium and emerged as a serious medal contender. All four racers were previously part of the prospect program.

“We’re coming in to the Olympic year with what is arguably an even stronger men’s team than we had before 2010 – with four guys who have all been on the podium,” Ellis said of Calgary, Alta., skier Leman – the top male Canadian racer for the past two years – Del Bosco, veteran Dave Duncan, of London, Ont., and young gun Tristan Tafel, 23, of Canmore, Alta., who has two career World Cup podiums.

“With the retirement of a few of our veterans in recent years we wanted to bring in a new crop of men and we’ve done that. They are tracking well and we hope, based on their age and experience, that they will continue to develop. On the women’s side Georgia stepped up and showed great consistency. She’s a legitimate podium threat now, which is a great achievement in only her second year in ski cross.”

In order to qualify for nomination to the Canadian team for Sochi 2014, ski cross racers must meet the ‘freestyle’ criteria. Thompson, of Whistler, B.C. – the 2013 world championship silver medallist – is the only Canadian ski cross athlete who has provisionally pre-qualified through ‘Method A’ criteria based on results from last season. Other racers can still pre-qualify with ‘Method B’ criteria based on at least two top results from this coming season alongside a maximum of two from last season. The season-opening World Cup races are in Nakiska, Alta., on Dec. 7, and the deadline for team nomination is January 21, 2014, so racers will need some strong early-season results to punch their ticket to Sochi.

Men’s team

Ian Deans – 09/04/1991 – Kelowna, B.C.

Chris Del Bosco – 30/03/1982 – Vail, USA/Montreal, Que.

Dave Duncan – 15/07/1982 – London, Ont.

Louis-Pierre Hélie – 01/01/1986 – Berthierville, Que.

Mathieu Leduc – 14/04/1990 – Comox, B.C.

Brady Leman – 16/10/1986 – Calgary, Alta.

Tristan Tafel – 26/02/1990 – Canmore, Alta.

Women’s team

Kelsey Serwa – 01/09/1989 – Kelowna, B.C.

Georgia Simmerling – 11/03/1989 – West Vancouver, B.C.

Danielle Sundquist – 23/01/1986 – Calgary, Alta.

Marielle Thompson – 15/06/1992 – Whistler, B.C.

For more information on the Canadian Ski Cross team visit www.alpinecanada.org

Ford Swette, Stef Gartner named to Alpine Canada national development team

by BCAadmin | May 21, 2013 | Member News

BC Ski Team racers Stephanie Gartner and Ford Swette were among the 13 skiers named to the new-formed national development team.

Alpine Canada made the announcement last weekend of the program that aims to nurture the talents of the nation’s best young ski racers and build the next generation of World Cup and Olympic champions.

The 20-year-old Swette, from the Whistler Mountain Ski Club, had an impressive 2012-13 season, scoring five FIS victories, including a Nor-Am win in Vail, Colo., in February. Swette is the top ranked giant slalom skier his age in Canada and eighth overall in that discipline.

Gartner, 16, from the Fernie Alpine Ski Team, made some impressive strides in her young career earning 13 podium finishes and four victories on the FIS circuit.

“With this opportunity it's really feels like this is the next step up the ladder,” Swette commented. “I had been on the BC team for so long that's all I had grown to know. Now with a whole new team of guys and new coaches, it's a huge change. But a nice one. However, I’m still going to miss my old team very much, especially Dykster. He is the reason I am here now.”

“We’re proud of Ford and Stef for reaching this milestone and reaching their next step in the sport,” said Gordie Bowles, BC Alpine Athletic Director.

Canada hasn’t had a full-time development team for two years but Paul Kristofic, Alpine Canada’s vice-president of sport, said it’s essential to develop a group of alpine racers who could potentially compete for Olympic medals in 2018 and 2022.

“From Day 1 it’s been one of my biggest goals to bring a development team back. I’m delighted we have been able to do this,” Kristofic said. “Most of the current crop of podium athletes competing as members of our national team came out of the development group. The time to invest in our pipeline is now.”

The 13 skiers aged 16 to 21 – seven women and six men – will be led by veteran coaches Kip Harrington and Peter Rybarik.

Men’s team

Vincent Lajoie – 1993 – Sherbrooke, Que. – Orford – Quebec

Morgan Megarry – 1993 – Collingwood, Ont. – Craigleith/U of V – Ontario

William Schuessler-Bédard – 1993 – St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. – Sutton – Quebec

William St-Germain – 1992 – St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que. – Mont-Ste-Anne – Quebec

Chris Steinke – 1993 – Chelsea, Que. – Mont-Ste-Marie – Quebec

Ford Swette – 1993 – North Vancouver, B.C. – Whistler Mountain Ski Club – B.C.

Ladies’ team

Candace Crawford – 1994 – Toronto, Ont. – Georgian Peaks – Ontario

Stephanie Gartner – 1996 – Calgary, Alta. – Fernie Alpine Ski Team – B.C.

Valérie Grenier – 1996 – Mont-Tremblant, Que. – Mont-Tremblant – Quebec

Roni Remme – 1996 – Collingwood, Ont. – National Ski Academy – Ontario

Julia Roth – 1993 – Waterloo, Ont. – Devil's Glen – Ontario

Laurence St-Germain – 1994 – St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que. – Mont-Ste-Anne – Quebec

Mikaela Tommy – 1995 – Wakefield, Que. – Edelweiss – Quebec

Crichton assumes role as BCST head coach: new structure & staff announced

by BCAadmin | Apr 5, 2013 | Member News

VANCOUVER, B.C. (Friday, April 5, 2013) – Coming off one of its most successful campaigns in recent years, BC Alpine Ski Association announced program and staff changes to the BC Ski Team and High Performance Program (HPP), effective immediately.

Newly-appointed BCST head coach Johnny Crichton, of Kamloops, B.C., takes the reigns and will oversee an impressive coaching staff for the provincial ski team. Crichton, a former World Cup coach for the men’s Canadian Alpine Ski Team from 2005-2010, has deep roots in B.C., as the current program director of the Sun Peaks Alpine Club and previously with the Okanagan Zone Team.

The new structure of the BC Ski Team will have the men’s and women’s team integrated, as well as a stronger connection to the HPP program and up-and-coming U16 ski racers.

“I am very excited about this new role as head coach of the BC Ski Team,” said Crichton. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to build on the awesome job that Brandon and Gregor have done preparing this current group of elite athletes. We have so many great coaches across the province with an excellent support system in BC Alpine and I plan on utilizing them to the fullest. My staff is top drawer and I look forward to getting started.”

Jean-Pierre (JP) Daigneault, from Mansonville, Quebec, will be returning to the BCST staff, moving over to the women’s side as lead women’s coach, after one season with BC Alpine as the men’s assistant coach. Nick Cooper, a former FIS coach for the Fernie Alpine Ski Team and Whistler Mountain Ski Club – as well as two seasons with the Canadian Alpine Ski Team – will be a lead coach with the men’s team. Aaron Speden, of Calgary, Alberta, is returning to the BCST staff in a role as serviceman and technician, while Andrew Lambert will assume a new role as Sports Science Director in addition to his role as Strength and Conditioning coach.

“We have put together a world-class coaching and support staff and I’m very excited and confident that the program will produce champions,” said Gordie Bowles, BC Alpine Athletic Director. “We have a very talented and committed group of athletes that we will continue to support and some young talent coming through a healthy club system; this is exciting times for ski racing in B.C.”

The new staff and select athletes will convene in Whistler April 17-21, 2013 for the BCST Selection Camp, which will be integrated with the first HPP camp. Official camp invites and trip sheet will be sent to the invitees shortly.

BC Alpine is saying goodbye to two top level coaches who have been instrumental for BC Alpine programs over the past many seasons. Brandon Dyksterhouse, men’s head coach from 2010-2013, is departing BC Alpine after accepting a new position with Echo Mountain Resort in Colorado, and Gregor Druzina, who was a provincial team coach for the last six seasons, is also departing at the end of the season. BC Alpine wishes Dykster and Gregor all the best in their next venture and commend them for their professionalism and dedication to ski racing.

BC Ski Team staff: 2013-14
Head Coach: Johnny Crichton
Women’s Coach: JP Daigneault
Men’s Coach: Nick Cooper
Serviceman: Aaron Speden
Sports Science Director: Andrew Lambert
Team Manager: Gordie Bowles

Selection Camp Athlete Invitees:

HPP Coaches:
Jeff McLennan, Whistler Mountain Ski Club
John Newton, Vancouver Ski Team
Wade Christie/Derek Trussler, Big White Racers
Ryan Jazic, Whistler Mountain Ski Club
Jorgen Anderson, Apex Mountain Racers

Rankings & Rule: U16 Provincial Ranking and BCA Rule (QRS) updated

by BCAadmin | Feb 25, 2013 | Member News

Quotas/Rules/Selections (QRS): http://bcalpine.com/skyfiles/?cF=folder.2af87af0036985d8.2AF87AF0036985D8!356

U16 Provincial Ranking (PRS): http://bcalpine.com/pages/prs/