by Kathy Stahr | May 18, 2020 | Member News
Last October, I competed in my very first World Cup in Solden, Austria. It was a goal I had set for myself after the previous season—I was well ranked and ready for my first crack at a World Cup. It was something I had dreamed of since the beginning of my ski racing career, but when I finally crossed that finish line I was left feeling disappointed. I was focused on everything I had done wrong and everything that I needed to do better. It felt like I had so far to go in order to succeed on this circuit, and I had completely forgotten about the achievement of my long-time goal.
My 2019/2020 season started a little differently—I was back at school. After finishing the 2018/2019 season with some career-best results, my decision to attend Montana State University came as a shock to many. Upon reflection, I believe that that decision was a key part of my success. Believe it or not, schoolwork was my stress reliever. Although it can be stressful in and of itself, it was an alternate focus from the usual skiing focus. School was a mental break, even though I was still using my brain. And it kept me from logging too many hours on Netflix.
Starting school in late August, I had the difficult task of convincing my new professors that a 22-year-old freshman from Canada who is about to miss 9 weeks of the semester is not going to flunk their class. After only two weeks of classes, I arrived in Europe and was ready to start the fall training block. I had only one goal for the end of our European glacier training: Solden. During the two training camps, my days were busy: wake up, eat breakfast, wait in the morning lift line (for far too long), train on the glacier, download, eat lunch, do homework, do dryland, more homework, eat dinner, and early to bed. Only to do it all over again the next day.
By the time we were nearing the end of our second camp in Hintertux, Austria, and fast approaching the World Cup opener, I was informed that I and a few other team members would drive to Solden to compete in a time trial for the final starting spot. Additionally, each of the ski companies had prepared glide tracks in Solden for athletes to obtain data on the quickness of their skis. Thanks to Rossignol, I started our first day of training with 10 runs down the glide track practicing my tuck before heading over to the GS race hill. Our first day of GS was to acquaint ourselves with the slope, and day two was set to be the time trial.
During this session, I was humbled by every single run and my legs were screaming by the end. I had never skied such a consistently steep course with 80% of it being one pitch. I felt as if I was fighting it the entire way, unable to find a flow or even arc a turn. I knew that if I wanted the spot, I needed to step it up the following day. Paired with the Norwegian team on day two, I was pleased to be only two seconds behind the fastest time set by Leif Nestvold-Haugen on my first run. The course was straighter and rougher than the day before, but I was able to finish two clean runs and win the time trial for my first ever World Cup start! I was fired up, to say the least—I had worked hard all summer long and I had earned my spot.
Fast forward a few days—we had returned to Hintertux and finished off the rest of our training camp. I emailed my professors informing them I would be missing a few extra days of school, and I moved back into our Solden hotel for the weekend. Due to warm weather, the race officials decided to cancel the men’s hill free ski that was planned to be after the women’s race. This meant that our only pre-race prep was the Ice Box—a flat, dark, and icy slope. Skis only last a couple of runs before they are dull and lose their grip, and we were all hoping to find the right feeling on our skis in the few runs we got. Luckily for me, I did. Unfortunately for me, the Ice Box is completely different in both snow conditions and terrain compared to the race slope. The snow on the race slope was icy out of the gate, grippy down the pitch, and the bottom flats slowly turned to mush as the sun baked it.
I had a later start number on race day, so I was able to watch the top 15 from team hospitality before heading up for my run. I confirmed my game plan and I loaded the gondola feeling ready to attack the course. Canadian teammates Erik Read and Trevor Philp started within the top 30, and I was able to catch their runs through the glass of the gondola. Once I got to the top, I did my best to keep my nerves at bay and stick to my usual pre-race routine. But with cameras and TVs all around, it was hard to ignore the differences. The start intervals sped up after the top 30 racers had gone, and my heart rate along with it. Next thing I knew, I was lined up in the corral and being clicked in by my serviceman. “Why are you so nervous?” he asked me. He was right. It was just another ski race after all.
There I was in the start gate—a large camera on a beam swung out in front of me and captured my first World Cup shot. The clock ticked down. The camera panned over to my right and I put my poles over the wand. I skated as hard as I could out of the gate. It was finally game time. Starting with bib 58, the grippy snow had developed chatter marks from those who had gone before me and I kept the trend going by chattering my way straight through them. It felt as though I was fighting the hill more than I was skiing it. When I arrived at the bottom flats, my legs were already cooked from battling my way down the pitch. I hopped in my tuck and tried to carry as much speed as possible through the last few turns before the finish line. I reached for the line and quickly lifted my head in search of the big screen to see how I had done. With a time of 1:11.54, I was disappointed and exhausted—I was not even close to making the second run. 
As I was walking through the athlete corral, I could hear an obnoxious Canadian screaming my name from the other side of the fence. It was Bob Armstrong. On a vacation with wife Anne and son Harry, Bob had brought a little bit of Whistler Mountain Ski Club spirit to Solden. After taking off my boots and helmet, I walked out to the public area and was greeted with hugs. I was reminded of the immense support behind us athletes, and the Armstrong’s helped to remind me of the accomplishment I had just achieved. My disappointment subsided—getting my first World Cup start in front of 30,000 fans was pretty dang cool. Next time, I’m getting two runs.
~ Riley Seger – Canadian Alpine Ski Team
by Kathy Stahr | May 13, 2020 | Member News
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Calgary, Alta. (May 13, 2020) – Canadian ski racing fans had their say with thousands submitting nominations and marking their ballot for the Audi 2020 Canadian Ski Racing Awards presented by Helly Hansen, which closed on April 17.
The annual awards recognize the best in Canadian ski racing performances and contributions over the past season. All votes and nominations were tallied and reviewed by the Audi Canadian Ski Racing Awards’ Selection Committee. The committee, made up of volunteers from across the ski racing world, ensured that the selection process was fair, engaging, and productive. This year’s recipients are:
- Alpine Male Athlete of the Year: Erik Read
- Alpine Female Athlete of the Year: Laurence St-Germain
- Para-Alpine Male Athlete of the Year: Mac Marcoux
- Para-Alpine Male Athlete of the Year Honourable Mention: Alexis Guimond
- Para-Alpine Female Athlete of the Year: Mollie Jepsen (West Vancouver, BC)
- Ski Cross Male Athlete of the Year: Kevin Drury
- Ski Cross Female Athlete of the Year: Marielle Thompson (Whistler, BC)
- Ski Cross Female Athlete of the Year Honourable mention: Courtney Hoffos (Windermere, BC)
- Helly Hansen Volunteer of the Year Award: Henry Voss (West Vancouver, BC)
- Nancy Greene Builder Award: Hugh MacNaught (North Vancouver, BC)
- Helly Hansen Resort of the Year: Bromont, montagne d’expériences
- Club of the Year: Georgian Peaks
- Coach of the Year (high-performance): Johnny Kucera
- Coach of the Year (grassroots): Conrad Pridy (Whistler, BC)
- Minogue Award of Excellence: Cameron Alexander (North Vancouver, BC)
“We’re extremely proud of all the athletes who competed this past winter,” said Damien Etchaubard, Director of Marketing for Helly Hansen Canada. “These awards celebrate the people who make ski racing possible and Helly Hansen is proud to support such amazing athletes, volunteers, and ski areas. We hope these awards motivate all the professionals and aspiring pros to keep following their dreams and to work hard in making them a reality.”
This year’s Volunteer of the Year Award has been awarded to Henry Voss of Vancouver B.C.
“No event, large or small, can happen without the tremendous efforts of Volunteers. Helly Hansen is proud to support the volunteers who make skiing and ski racing possible and congratulates Henry Voss on the exceptional effort put into last season,” said Etchaubard.
The recipients of the Audi 2020 Canadian Ski Racing Awards presented by Helly Hansen will be part of Alpine Canada’s 2020-21 Season Launch Event and will be presented in Toronto this fall.
by Kathy Stahr | May 12, 2020 | Member News
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Calgary, AB (May 12, 2020) – “Alpine Canada Alpin President and Chief Executive Officer Vania Grandi today announced her resignation from her position with the organization.
As a Board, we thank her for her contributions to the program as an athlete and leader. Her passion, experience, and deep understanding of alpine ski racing has been a benefit to our athletes and programs.
Alpine Canada Alpin Board Member Mark Wiseman has agreed to take on interim CEO duties on a part-time basis. Alpine Canada Board Member and former World Champion Erik Guay will work in an executive capacity for the Board with a focus on all performance-related matters.
We have also formed an Executive Committee of Management, including High Performance Director, Ski Cross, David Ellis; High Performance Director, Para-Alpine, Matt Hallat; High Performance Director, Alpine, Phil McNichol; Senior Manager, Coach Education, Jenni Stielow; and Chief Financial Officer, Consuelo Zayas, to protect the long-term continuity of our operations and ensure our members have access to high-quality competition, coaching, and training resources.
The Board has commenced a search process, working with executive search firm Caldwell, to identify a long-term replacement. The job posting can be found on the Caldwell webpage here.”
For media inquiries please contact:
Whitney Hunter I Manager of Communications
whunter@alpinecanada.org I 403-471-6032
ABOUT ALPINE CANADA
Alpine Canada is the governing body for alpine, para-alpine and ski cross racing in Canada, as well as for Canadian ski coaches, providing education, certification, insurance and compliance with the coaching code of conduct. With the support of valued corporate partners and donors, along with the Government of Canada, Own the Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Coaching Association of Canada, Alpine Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic, World Championship and World Cup athletes to stimulate visibility, inspiration and growth in the ski community. In 2020, Alpine Canada celebrates 100 years of rich tradition in competitive skiing in Canada.
by Anders Hestdalen | May 6, 2020 | Member News
To all BC Alpine members and clubs:
The Provincial Government has requested that viaSport (BC Alpine’s link to government) develop a framework that supports a Return-to-Sport plan for all organized sport. Being that all sports are different, early indications note that the framework will be wide, phased-in, and must comply with any restrictions the health authorities have in place, both now and as they are adjusted over time.
ViaSport’s Sport Framework will require approval from the government. Each sport (Provincial Sport Organization) will then need to develop its own Return-to-Sport plan that fits within viaSport’s Framework and adheres to the health authorities’ requirements. Our individual sport plan will also require approval from the Government through ViaSport before it can be shared with BC Alpine member clubs.
We will publish timelines as we get more information and will develop BC Alpine’s plan as soon as we get the framework from ViaSport.
Stay safe and healthy!
by Kathy Stahr | May 4, 2020 | Member News
Girls Fast Forward Speaker Series – Episode #1: Transitioning to FIS
Join GFF and Antonia Wearmouth as she speaks about her journey, moving into FIS from U16, up to the Provincial team and racing as a NCAA student-athlete.
All BC female U16 and FIS athletes are invited Tues. May 12 @ 16:00 PST/17:00 MST via Zoom
GFF thinks Toni is awesome, and we want you to hear her story! She is currently a NCAA student-athlete at Montana State University (Go Bobcats!) majoring in Environmental Engineering, minoring in sustainability (no big deal). 
Toni’s Ski Journey: Grouse Tyee (#Grau5) → Vancouver Ski Team → BCST (‘14-’18) → NCAA New Mexico (Go Lobos, ‘18-’19) → Montana State (Go Bobcats, ‘19 – present) *She sprinkled a little U16/FIS coaching for Grouse Tyee!
Best Ski Racing Memory: Skiing fast is fun, but the best memory is when Sam Mulligan and I did the “Grouse 24 Hours of Winter”. We trained Saturday, skied all through the night for fun, trained Sunday Morning and skied until the end of the day. We skied over 115 runs!
Fav thing to do on skis: Spring Slush Bumps
Next best activity: Unicycling & Mountain Biking, and mix in some Frolf
Best Quote/Advice: When I was the 3rd racer from the start, at U18 Nationals, Coach Greg grabbed my pole and threw it down the start ramp. I had to run down and get it and he told me that I needed to “overcome adversity”. “Feeling Pain is better than feeling nothing at all” – Mike Janyk
Random Fun Fact: I’ve received medical care in almost every continent & have roller bladed the sea wall more than once
Activities I have dislocated my shoulder doing: Skiing, frolfing, sleeping, riding a chairlift (thanks Riley), grabbing a back pack, tightening my booster straps and many more.
Big Shout outs:
- Tyee Club Cabin Hot Dog supplier (@mikejanyk)
- Fall Line Fitness water bottles for keeping me hydrated (@falllinefitness, @danirobson)
- Ryan Jazic’s “On-the-road 1 Person/1 Pot” cooking tips (@ryanjazic)
GFF is stoked to have Toni to kick start our series! To get the ZOOM LINK – Email girlsfastforward@gmail.com or message us @girlsfastforward on instagram
by Kathy Stahr | Apr 30, 2020 | Member News
DEADLINE TO NOMINATE IS MAY 31, 2020
1. Club Development of the Year
Criteria
- This BC Alpine ski club has illustrated growth and significant improvement or leadership during the current season
Award
- Trophy presented to one club per year
Application/Nomination
Submit via BC Alpine Website http://bcalpine.com/awards/
Criteria
- open to all levels, no restrictions
- well organized and fun for racers and volunteers
- exceptional and compelling event for the community
Award
- Trophy presented to one club per year for hosting the winning race event
Application/Nomination
Submit via BC Alpine Website http://bcalpine.com/awards/
Criteria
- This resort showed extraordinary support for the local ski club (its events and members) throughout the current season
Award
- Trophy presented to one Mountain Resort per year
Application/Nomination
Submit via BC Alpine Website http://bcalpine.com/awards/
Criteria
- Dedication and commitment to volunteering at the club or zone level
Award
- Four (4) trophies awarded – one for each zone: Coast, Kootenay, North & Okanagan
Application/Nomination
Selection
- BC Alpine Awards Committee makes the final selection for this award
Criteria
- A continued dedication to the Officials' program and the sport of ski racing by serving as a committed BC Alpine Official over a period of several seasons
- As a result of his or her contributions, this Official has helped ski racing continue at the highest level in the province, offering participating athletes the best opportunities for advancement in their pursuit of excellence in the sport.
Application/Nomination
Award
- Trophy awarded to one Official per season
Selection
- BC Alpine Officials Committee makes the final selection for this award.
Criteria
- This individual's volunteer efforts are exceptional
- His or her level of commitment contributes to the betterment of the club, zone and province
- The contributions can be on or off the hill
Award
- One trophy awarded per season
Application/Nomination
Selection
- BC Alpine awards committee makes the final selection for this award.
