On Saturday, February 1st the Prince George Ski Club hosted 49 young skiers at their annual Nancy Greene Ski League race at Purden Ski Village. The event featured glalom and kombi competitions, and the ever-popular speed trap. They wish to thank all the families who came out to participate, and all the wonderful volunteers who helped make the event possible!
It was a classic Grouse Mountain Tyee ski race. The U8/U10 Coast Zone event was fun, efficient and of course wet. Over 200 young skiers from Cypress, Seymour, Whistler and Hemlock ski clubs joined the Tyee racers in braving the rain for the season-opener U8/U10 Skill Event, January 25, 2020.
Image: Blue Rabbit Photography
The race-day main event was a dual Glalom with a combined 2 run-time. This was the first race of the season, so for a number of these skiers it was also the first race of their careers. Tyee U8 Head Coach Marouska Smith was impressed with how the first-time racers handled themselves.
"Those kids who were encountering a race environment for the first time came away more confident and happy to have overcome their nerves and fears."
Smith said she’s also seeing an overall change in the level of competition across all the clubs in the region.
"The caliber of skiing among the young athletes in the Coast Zone is improving."
Image: Blue Rabbit Photography
It’s become basically mandatory to include some fun stuff for these younger racers. Usually a combi, jump and speed trap are part of these already busy and somewhat chaotic days. This is the 2nd year the Tyee Ski Club decided to roll these events into one. A few gates take the little rippers into a jump followed by a tuck speed trap. It’s a great way to condense the activities while keeping the thrilling things. Of course the kids absolutely love it!
“Stubbies goes into gates then a jump where you have to tuck mid-air and then tuck to the finish. It was really fun!” said Tyee first year U10 Xavier Kuss.
Image: Blue Rabbit Photography
The Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Club couldn’t put on successful events like this without the sponsors. A special thanks to Anthem Properties, Park Shore BMW, Sage Cabinetry and North Shore News.
~ submitted by Michael Kuss
U16’s join U18-FIS to race together at Panorama Jan 9-12, 2020.
In a unique ski racing format for ski racers in BC, U16 racers and U18/U21 (FIS) level racers competed together on the same hill with the same courses. The FIS racers skied first for their own race event, and then the U16 racers raced in the same course for their event. Having tracks already laid down by the older athletes seemed to raise the bar and get them racing a better line through the gates.
The Giant Slalom races were held on ‘Old Timer’, a pretty friendly track with grippy snow and nice rolling terrain. The slalom races were on ‘Hay Fever’, a much more challenging slope which was created for a World Cup SL race in 2007. Hay Fever starts with a very steep pitch with about 25 icy turns, followed by another 40 or so turns on mellower terrain before the finish.
“I’m not sure racing on such a steep FIS SL hill was the best for the U16’s, especially our first race of the year.” said Milan Novak who took a gold and bronze in GS, “The GS hill could have been a bit more challenging but it was a long GS and really nice snow.”
“I was a little concerned with how things might hold up racing after the FIS athletes, but as soon as I took my first run I was realized, this is great!” commented Sara Stiel, winner of all four U16 ladies races, “I was able to see how my times held up against the older athletes and watched them racing to get a better sense of what I will need to do to be competitive when I move up to FIS level racing next season. It was a great race series.”
Conrad Pridy, lead coach for the WMSC FIS program commented “Great for the U18/U21 athletes to get a sneak peak at their future competition within BC. Any opportunity for the older athletes to be role models is a valuable one, and a race series like this builds a strong foundation for the future of racing in BC. We all learn a lot about how to race with this kind of exposure.”
The site for the 2022 FIS Junior World Championships, this race was great exposure for the racers born in 2001 or younger to get as much time and experience on the Pano race runs. ~ Submitted by Sarah Renzoni
U16 Results:
Day 1 GS
1st Sara Steil (WMSC), 2nd Talyn Lorimer (Sun Peaks), 3rd Jamie Robinson(Vernon)
1st Dylan Stevens (Grouse), 2rd Sam Fuller (WMSC), 3rd Milan Novak (WMSC)
Day 2 GS
1st Sara Steil (WMSC), 2nd Jamie Robinson (Vernon), 3rd Sienna Blaser (Apex)
1st Milan Novak (WMSC), 2nd Sam Fuller (WMSC), 3rd Felix Shorter (WMSC)
Day 3 SL
1st Sara Steil (WMSC), 2nd Megan Doiron (WMSC),3rd Talyn Lorimer (Sun Peaks)
1st Dylan Stevens (Grouse), 2nd Felix Shorter (WMSC), 3rd Sam Fuller (WMSC)
Day 4 SL
1st Sara Steil (WMSC), 2nd Jamie Robinson (Vernon), 3rd ERin Husken (WMSC)
1st Sam Fuller (WMSC), 2nd Sasha Gilbert (WMSC), Kaleb Barnum (Fernie)
U18/FIS Results:
Day 1 Event – GS
1st – Makenna Lebsack (Pano); 1st – Sarah Shephard (Pano); 3rd – Anya Molesky (BAR)
1st – Gavin Donald (ABST); 2nd– Tait Jordan (BCST); 3rd – Gerrit Van Soest (BCST)
Day 2 Event – GS
1st – Makenna Lebsack (Pano); 2nd – Sarah Shephard (Pano); 3rd – Julia Ross (WMSC)
1st – Tait Jordan (BCST); 2nd – Gerrit Van Soest (BCST); 3rd – Ryuji Gaman (WMSC)
Day 3 Event – SL
1st – Makenna Lebsack (Pano); 2nd – Anya Molesky (BAR); 3rd – Anna Hawkins (Pano)
1st – Nathan Romanin (BCST); 2nd – Tait Jordan (BCST); 3rd – Gavin Donald (ABST)
Day 4 Event – SL
1st – Makenna Lebsack (Pano); 2nd – Anya Molesky (BAR); 3rd – Sarah Shephard (Pano)
1st – Nathan Romanin (BCST); 2nd – Tait Jordan (BCST); 3rd – Gerrit Van Soest (BCST)
Apex Ski Club hosted the first U12/U14 Teck OK Zone race at Apex Mountain resort this past weekend, January 18 and 19th, 2020.
Photo by: Greg Jarron
What a fabulous weekend of racing at Apex Mountain Resort. This past weekend, January 18/19, Apex Ski Club hosted the U12/U14 Teck OK Zone race. Friday was a bluebird day with amazing conditions. Racers trained and did some free skiing while volunteers got the course ready to go for the next day. Both Saturday and Sunday were one-run SL races (2 per gender). U12s ran a panel course on Saturday and stubbies on Sunday. Saturday brought fresh snow, some fog and some colder temperatures but both athletes and volunteers put their best “ski” forward so that we could finish on time with solid course conditions. Sunday, just to round out the weather conditions, brought a mix of sun and cloud with warmer temperatures. A perfect day to race and race they did! The Okanagan zone clubs (Mt. Baldy, Vernon, Sun Peaks, Big White, Revelstoke and Apex) were joined by athletes from the Yukon. The race was a qualifier for the 2020 BC Games being held in Fort St. John.
Photo by: Greg Jarron
Both athletes and volunteers enjoyed their time at Apex. As shared by one athlete “I loved sending my family pics of our bluebird day and we got so many laps done. This t-bar is great.” We were also proud to overhear this comment from a volunteer: “This is the friendliest place to volunteer.” Many key organizing roles had a mentoring component as we try to build our knowledge and capacity from the senior members of the club. Thanks to our mentors and to those who stepped into new roles!
CONGRATULATIONS to all our racers. THANK-YOU for your effort, vocal support of your team members and the respect that you showed Apex Mountain and the volunteers. We applaud you, your parents, your coaches and all the volunteers for making this happen. Results can be accessed HERE.
Apex Ski Club wishes you an amazing ski season!
~ submitted by Rejeanne Droppo
Whistler Cup organizers are pleased to announce O2E Brands as new Title Sponsor of the renowned international youth ski race taking place in Whistler, BC, April 16 to 19, 2020.
"On behalf of the Whistler Cup Organizing Committee and the Whistler Mountain Ski Club we are extremely excited to announce our new Title Sponsor O2E Brands, said Jim McGovern, Chair of the Whistler Cup. “Their major financial contribution to the event will ensure the continued success of one of, if not the largest, youth ski races in the world. “This year, celebrating our 28th anniversary, we will welcome over 400 racers from around the world to compete for the coveted Whistler Cup on the famed Dave Murray National Training Center. This annual event is critical to the development of alpine ski racing in Canada, as every year young Canadian racers witness and race against the best in the world in their age groups."
"I was incredibly inspired by WMSC's philosophy of "Developing Champions in Life and Sport,” said Brian Scudamore, Founder & CEO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK and O2E Brands. "As a parent volunteer at last year's Whistler Cup, I was in awe of the difference that this sport is making in the developing lives of young athletes from around the world. I wanted to be a part of that and so O2E Brands sponsorship (where we make the ordinary business of home services exceptional) was a no brainer."
The Whistler Cup was created by Max Meier, the parent of a young Whistler ski racer. He and the Whistler Mountain Ski Club Program Director at the time, Joze Sparovec, were inspired to bring an international juvenile ski race to Canada after attending the famed “Trofeo Topolino” in Italy. With the help of the third founder, Jim Yeates, the inaugural Whistler Cup was held in 1993 and has grown in stature and influence. This year’s race celebrates 28 years of successful international ski racing at Whistler Blackcomb and Whistler Mountain Ski Club.
The Whistler Cup has a long track record of showcasing future stars. Former participants include the USA’s Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin, Slovenia’s Tina Maze, and Austrian champions Anna Veith (Fenninger) and Marcel Hirscher. Many of Canada’s biggest World Cup and Olympic alpine and ski-cross stars have also graced the event over the years, experiencing international competition for the first time on their journey toward success on the world stage.
ABOUT O2E Brands
Brian Scudamore is the serial entrepreneur behind O2E Brands, the umbrella company for 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, WOW 1 DAY PAINTING and Shack Shine.
O2E Brands was unveiled in 2014 to amalgamate Scudamore’s three home-service brands. O2E stands for “ordinary to exceptional” because each service focuses on providing excellent customer service in traditional industries. Each brand offers uniformed employees, up-front pricing, and clean, shiny trucks.
For more information, please contact:
Whistler Mountain Ski Club on behalf of Whistler Cup
Janice Avon, Media contact
Janiceavon11@gmail.com
(778) 378-5474
O2E Brands
Tonya Frizzell
Senior Manager, Communications & Events
tonya.frizzell@o2ebrands.com