Alpine Volunteer Brad Keats Receives Mission Community Sport Hero Award
Congratulations to Brad Keats, deserving recipient of the Mission Community Sport Hero Award on November 25th, 2013
BC Team’s Ramsden in Lake Louise to test-pilot speed track & forerun races!
Blake Ramsden (front in BC Ski Team green jacket) and Sam Kirshenblatt (behind in Whistler Mountain Ski Club green jacket)
"Forerunning the World Cup speed races at Lake Louise has been an incredible experience, and the perfect way to tune up my speed skiing before the competition season. I was nervous when I was in the start gate of my first training run, but each run has built my confidence and allowed me to feel more comfortable on my speed skis. It was also super inspiring forerunning behind Robbie Dixon in the super-G, and seeing his approach after coming back from an injury. Ultimately, forerunning these world cups has been the perfect precursor to the Nor-Am speed races in Copper Mountain, Colorado, and I feel ready to race!" ~ Blake Ramsden, BC Ski Team/Whistler Mountain Ski Club (West Vancouver)
Check out this video with Chief of Race Jim Brewington previewing Ladies' Week at the 2013 Lake Louise World Cup. You'll hear an interview with Blake Ramsden (BCST/WMSC) and Austin Llewellyn (WMSC) at around the 1:50 mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuPkeUctwrg
BC Boys tackle tough Nor-Am GS in Colorado; Werry 3rd after fastest 2nd run
The Nor-Am Cup season got underway Saturday in Loveland, Colorado with a talented international field of men battling a challenging GS track. For the five newly named BC Ski Team boys who made the trip to Colorado, it wasn't everything they hoped for. None qualified for a second run (top 60), but they have shaken off the 'first race of the season' nerves and are ready for another shot Sunday in the second giant slalom competition of the series.
Tyler Werry 3rd overall at Loveland Nor-Am GS season opener – 1st and 2nd are World Cup racers!!
Inspiration comes in many forms and today it was all about friend and teammate Tyler Werry of the Fernie Alpine Ski Team who has been training with the national development team. Werry skied the fasted second run of the day and finished in third place overall with a combined time of one minute, 46.65 seconds.
"I have been skiing well in training the last few days," said Werry. " I had a game plan coming into this race and I felt like I nailed it in the second run. This is an amazing result for me and I have high hopes going into tomorrow." Werry was the top Canadian, and top North American in the race and was followed by BC's Ford Swette of the Whistler Mountain Ski Club and the national prospect team, who took second place on the junior podium with a 13th place overall finish.
Ford Swette 2nd Junior at Loveland Nor-Am GS season opener
OTHER QUOTES:
Patrick Carry: "Today I definitely did not ski to my potential. I think it being the first race of the year ,and my first tech Nor-Am race, my nerves got the best of me. With that said, I gained confidence knowing I can ski much faster than I did and am looking forward to tomorrow."
Broderick Thompson: "Despite the tough conditions and my nerves running high in the first race of the season, I was feeling confident on my skis and feel ready for tomorrow. It was also awesome to see my former teammate Tyler Werry up on the podium with the big guns!"
Martin Grasic: "Tough day on the slopes personally, but very inspiring to see Tye do so well."
Brodie Seger: "It was a bit of a rough day for me; I just didn't ski as well as I have been lately. I was impressed with how well the snow held up for the later starts, and I feel ready to use that to my advantage and push hard tomorrow. It was super inspiring watching Tyler ski into 3rd place on the second run. He's been working hard for a result like that and we're all really excited for him. Now we just have to use that inspiration to fuel the flames tomorrow!"
Dominic Unterberger: "I wasn't too sure what to expect going into today and decided to simply focus on the process of my skiing. Despite being a bit nervous, I skied well. A few mistakes and an altercation with a panel on the flats cost me the chance to race a second run. After getting my nerves out of the way today and watching Tyler Werry crush it, I am excited to get after it tomorrow! "
Nick Cooper (men's coach): "Great to get the season started, very excited for Ty. Looking forward to another GS tomorrow.
COMPLETE OFFICIAL RESULTS HERE
BC Alpine announces 2014 Provincial Ski Team; racing starts tomorrow!
MEDIA PHOTOS: high res team, action, individual bio and lifestyle images are available for download at: http://bcalpine.com/bcst
“Lean, mean, fighting machine” ready to tackle the 2014 season; which starts this weekend in Colorado
VANCOUVER, B.C. (Thursday, November 21, 2013) – BC Alpine announced Thursday a group of 9 athletes that will represent B.C. this season on the regional, Nor-Am and international circuits.
“This is a quality group of athletes,” said head coach Johnny Crichton, in his first season at the helm of the BC Ski Team. “The athletes are very professional and are eager to improve. I am very happy with the maturity they have showed in regards to a completely new program that we implemented.”
The team’s preparation period – between April and October – consisted of 44 days on snow, combined with a “very well rounded and strict dryland program,” delivered and lead by Andrew Lambert, the BC Alpine Sports Science Director.
The men’s and women’s teams worked as a single unit, with a focused and integrated staff.
“The time commitment was huge but that is what it takes to make the necessary gains in order to compete and excel at this level,” Crichton said. “We strengthened our skills on snow, our bodies, our minds and learned more about better fuel and food as well as how to maintain our health through the season. I’d say it was a very successful prep period and we are ready to race.”
Men’s team: Eye on Nor-Am hardware
According to men’s coach Nick Cooper expectations are high with the team. “All of these guys are returning members to the BC Ski Team and have really started to show that they are mature athletes,” said Cooper, a former coach of Alpine Canada as well as the Fernie Alpine Ski Team and Whistler Mountain Ski Club. “This group has all experienced success in their young careers and they are hungry to build on their achievements.”
“The level of professionalism this group puts into all aspects of their training has made it a pleasure to work with them over the past six months,” Cooper said. “They have raised their game from an already exceptionally high level to something that resembles athletes much senior. How this will translate into results is still hard to define but I am excited to find out!”
Cooper suggested the goals for the team, led by fourth-year member Broderick Thompson, are top results on the Nor-Am tour, as well as individual qualifications for World Junior Championships in February 2014. The men’s team has departed for Colorado, where they will spend the next three weeks racing on the Nor-Am and FIS circuits. “We have prepared well, the guys are skiing well, they're fit, healthy and most of the time happy, so continuing to maintain these aspect will be our main focus.”
The women’s team of Alix Wells, Charley Field and Emma King, continue to make steady progress on-snow, according to women’s coach JP Daigneault. “They are all pushing beyond their comfort zone and redefining what their limits are out there in the race course,” Daigneault said.
“Being on-snow with the men’s team on the same schedule, in the same training environment, and timing against them, has opened their eyes to what is possible on skis. The men’s team is slightly older, more experienced, and the guys are physically stronger. Having the guys training in the same course can be intimidating at times for the women’s team, but I have no doubt that it has also caused the women to expect more of themselves.”
Goals for the women’s team range from World Junior qualification to rebounding from injuries. Alix Wells, from Prince George, re-joined the team last spring and is healthy after two seasons dominated by leg injuries.
Women:
Charley Field, Whistler Mountain Ski Club (Pemberton)
Emma King, Whistler Mountain Ski Club (Whistler)
Alix Wells, Prince George Ski Club (Prince George)
Men:
Broderick Thompson, Whistler Mountain Ski Club (Whistler)
Brodie Seger, Whistler Mountain Ski Club (North Vancouver)
Martin Grasic, Windermere Valley Ski Club (Invermere)
Dominic Unterberger, Revelstoke Ski Club (Revelstoke)
Patrick Carry, Fernie Alpine Ski Team (Fernie)
Blake Ramsden, Whistler Mountain Ski Club (West Vancouver)
* Tyler Werry, Fernie Alpine Ski Team (Invitee: Canadian Alpine Ski Team)
Coaches:
Head Coach: Johnny Crichton (Kamloops)
Men’s Coach: Nick Cooper (Whistler)
Women’s Coach: JP Daigneault (Whistler)
Sports Science Director: Andrew Lambert (Vernon)
Photos and bios available at: http://bcalpine.com/bcst
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For More Information Contact:
Gordie Bowles, Athletic Director
604-678-3072 gordieb@bcalpine.com
Kathy Stahr, Communications
604-678-3071 kathys@bcalpine.com
Sun Peaks & Nancy Greene International Race Training Centre host BC Team
Photo courtesy of Nick Cooper, Men's BC Team Coach
VANCOUVER, B.C. (Tuesday, November 19, 2013) – The BC Ski Team joins over 400 other athletes in calling the Nancy Greene International Race Training Centre at Sun Peaks Resort home for their 2013 early season training. Prime conditions allowed the team to get on the snow as early as November 9th, and racers will continue training there until December 22, 2013.
The amenities and terrain at Sun Peaks provide the team’s athletes with the perfect environment to focus and prepare for upcoming NorAm and FIS races this winter.
“The NGITC at Sun Peaks is fantastic! It was the first training center open in B.C. this year and the snow quality is great,” says Johnny Crichton, head coach for the BC Ski Team. “Also the length of OSV [ski run], as well as how much terrain is in it, makes for a challenging environment and perfect for high end, high quality training. The Upper Cahilty [area] run provides exactly the glide track we need to run in the speed skis. Plus, a great snow grooming crew and friendly staff make it very enjoyable.”
Sun Peaks will host over 20 ski teams this year, which is the most the resort has ever hosted. Teams hail from all parts of Canada and Washington, with many potential future Olympians honing their skills on the ski run’s many turns. The race center was also the training facility for the Austrian National Ski Team for many years prior to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.
“Our recent training at Sun Peaks was fantastic”, says BC Alpine CEO Bruce Goldsmid. “Snow conditions were perfect and the support we received from the resort was exemplary. The BC Ski Team had a chance to work with other visiting club athletes on the hill, and there was ample space and challenging terrain for everyone. We all got what we came for, and we look forward to future training opportunities at Sun Peaks.”
Sun Peaks Resort is pleased to add the BC Ski Team to its extensive list of top level athletes who have trained at the Nancy Greene International Race Training Centre.
“We are very honoured to work with some of the province’s best up and coming ski racers this winter,” says Vincent Lafontaine, Sun Peaks Resort’s Race Centre Director. “The BC Alpine team is full of promising, young athletes and we are excited to assist in providing the foundation for a successful race season and watch them perform this winter.”
About BC Alpine
The BC Alpine Ski Association is the provincial governing body for alpine ski racing, overseeing its 31 member ski clubs. A member of Alpine Canada Alpin, BC Alpine’s mandate is to promote and lead competitive and non-competitive alpine skiing programs, govern and conduct alpine ski competitions, select and train members of high performance programs – including the BC Ski Team – and encourage and assist the formation of alpine ski clubs within British Columbia. Please visit us at www.bcalpine.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kathy Stahr
Communications
BC Alpine Ski Association
604-678-3071
Brandi Schier
Media Specialist
Tourism Sun Peaks
DIRECT: 250.578.5387 CELL: 250.318.3633
@brandischier