Member News | BC Alpine Ski Association

U14 racers push themselves on tough track at Whistler Teck Coast Zone Event

by Kathy Stahr | Feb 15, 2020 | Member News

Event: U14 Teck Coast Zone Race

Dates: February 8 and 9, 2020

Location: Whistler Mountain – Ptarmigan run

Hill Conditions: Fresh groomed, hard packed both days

Weather Conditions: Cold, sunshine and clear skies both days

Race Structure: Saturday’s races were comprised of 2 one-run GS races; Sunday’s race was a two-run combined timed GS race

QUOTES:
Henry Yeigh, U14 Lead Coach – (post race) – "This weekend’s U14 zone race was an exceptional display of youth ski racing. Racing on a tough venue, our athletes pushed themselves out of their comfort zone yielding many personal best results. Best of all was how the athletes carried themselves through the weekend showing what an exceptional young group of people they are. Big shout out to WMSC Alumnus, Broderick Thompson, for coming out and helping with the races this weekend. Giving back to youth sport during his return from injury was very positive for our group!"

Bob Armstrong, U14 Assistant Coach – (post race) – “The kids had a tremendous weekend racing on the Dave Murray National Training Center, for many it was their first time running a full length GS this year! Blue skis, low temps and tremendous snow conditions allowed for a great event. As coaches, we were very impressed with the level of racing throughout the weekend and the fantastic attitude displayed by the racers. The volunteers provided us with an incredible race environment and to all those that helped, we say a massive thank you”.

Podium/Awards (listed below in order first, second, third)

Day 1 Saturday Event: Race 1 GS

Ladies: Stella Buchheister (Whistler), Maeve Pretty (Grouse), Brooke Irish (Grouse)

Men: Thomas Legg (Whistler), Joseph Gibbons (Whistler), Braden Aitken (Whistler)

Day 1 Saturday Event: Race 2 GS (note tie for first in Men)

Ladies: Stella Buchheister (Whistler), Lola Gilbert (Whistler), Maeve Pretty (Grouse)

Men: Thomas Legg (Whistler)/Joseph Gibbons (Whistler) – tie for first, Thomas Hung (Grouse) – third

Day 2 Sunday Event: GS

Ladies: Maeve Pretty (Grouse), Lola Gilbert (Whistler), Vanessa Young (Whistler),

Men: Joseph Gibbons (Whistler), Ihsan Salari (Cypress), Braden Aitken (Whistler)

COMPLETE RESULTS HERE

Parents/Volunteers:
Sarah Strother – Chief of Race

Rob Cook – Chief of Course

Laura Harley – Chief of Race Administration

Vicki Schenk – Race Administration

Mark Savoy – Chief of Timing

Abbie Milavsky – Chief of Volunteers

Rob Cook – Chief of Slip Crew

Alevtina Akbulatov – Chief of Gates

John Legg – Starter

Julian Deck – Start Referee

Brigitte Schonner – Finish Referee

Jennifer Abbott – Chief of Manual Timing

Laurie Grant/Christine Zucht – SAM

And many, many more parent volunteers!

~ Report submitted by Christine Zucht, WMSC

Vancouver/Whistler 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Legacy continues 10 years later

by Kathy Stahr | Feb 13, 2020 | Member News

Photo Credit: Teddy Katz (Contributor)

From ALPINE CANADA ALPIN NEWS

Marielle Thompson was in grade 12 when the Vancouver 2010 Olympics began on Feb. 12, 2010 and as a Whistler resident she was off school and couldn’t get enough of the atmosphere. Thompson’s own Olympic dreams began when she saw Ashleigh McIvor, who was also from Whistler, win the very first gold medal for ski cross.

Photo Credit: GEPA

“I grew up watching Ashleigh ski. I’ve known her my whole life and when someone from such a tiny little town like Whistler wins the Olympics on such a big stage, you’re like oh…maybe I could do that too.”

Thompson, of course, has become one of the most successful Ski Cross racers in the world, winning three Crystal Globes, a gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and the 2019 World Championship.

She says athletes continue to benefit from the legacy of the 2010 Olympics and the infrastructure built for those games, including a gym where she trains in the off season.

Thompson says the area has become a winter sport haven producing some of Canada’s top lugers, bobsledders, skeleton and biathletes.

“In Sochi and PyeongChang, we had an unbelievable amount of Whistler athletes (competing for Canada) who were there.”

Manny Osborne-Paradis says when Vancouver was awarded the Olympics, it was also a defining moment in his career.

He was on the BC Ski Team and was at a crossroads when he heard the announcement the Games were coming to town.

“I was working in construction. I can remember the house and everything. It was on the radio and I took a break to go listen to see if we would get the bid.”

That day changed everything.

Overnight, there was money injected into the Canadian sport system, and Alpine Canada looked to find the next generation of athletes who could contend for medals.

The career of one of the Canadian Cowboys, as the team became known, took off from there.

Photo Credit: GEPA

Having gone to four Olympics now, Osborne-Paradis says Vancouver remains extra special.

“Vancouver did such an amazing job at placing the Olympics in the middle of their city and really making a great legacy. Even when I come into Vancouver airport now, you feel like it’s a city that hosted the Olympics.”

Osborne-Paradis says Whistler’s early settlers dreamed of having the Olympics there one day in what began as a tiny village.

“It took a couple of generations, but people had a dream of hosting the Olympics in a place that almost didn’t exist. And then it actually became a reality. It’s pretty cool. It shows a lot of our pioneering attitude in Canada.”

Other athletes on today’s roster for Alpine Canada were impacted in a big way by the Vancouver Games as well.

Ski Cross star Brady Leman broke his leg just before the 2010 Games.

“In a lot of ways watching that event, as painful as it was, also really motivated me. I knew it sucked and I had a long rehab ahead but watching the race really motivated me to get there one day.”

Leman thought about Vancouver and his other struggles when he stood on the top of the podium at the PyeongChang Olympics in 2018.

Fellow Ski Cross racer Britt Phelan, who was racing alpine at the time, was a forerunner for the slalom event at the 2010 Olympics. 18-years-old then, she couldn’t believe the crowds and the people cheering for her.

“I promised myself the next time I’d be at the Olympics was going to be me competing for real.”

She did just that in 2014, and then won a silver medal in Ski Cross at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang.

When the Olympics ended in 2010, it was the Canadian Paralympic team’s time to shine. They set a new Winter Games record for Canada winning 10 gold medals.

Photo Credit: GEPA

Lauren Woolstencroft won five gold on her own as the Canadian Paralympic Ski Team captured an impressive 13 medals in all on the slopes.

Woolstencroft says one of her lasting memories is how all of Canada embraced the Paralympics.

“We were on the front page of newspapers. That had never happened to me in the span of my 12-year career.”

Woolstencroft found herself getting recongized in grocery stores and in 2018, eight years after she retired, she was asked to star in a television commercial that aired during the Super Bowl.

She says that’s why she believes the Vancouver Games were a game changer in many ways.

Canada’s Para-Alpine Ski team had always been a leader but she says Vancouver 2010 elevated that to a new level.

“We shifted to a program that was very focused on performance and success. We achieved a lot of that in 2010 and I think it’s really continued when I look at the team now.”

She says Vancouver 2010 was the first Winter Parlympics held in Canada and because of the media attention, a whole new generation of young athletes watched and started dreaming of being there one day.

10-years-old at the time, 2018 Paralympic gold medallist, Mollie Jepsen’s family has a place in Whistler near the bottom of the downhill. She saw a lot of the skiing events live and then started skiing herself that winter.

“It was so cool. I was just so inspired. I can remember thinking about it so much and making it my goal. That’s the moment I got into ski racing. It really started everything for me.

That’s why 10 years on, many on the Canadian Ski Teams, past and present, will celebrate the legacy of a Games that continues to leave its mark.

CAAWS & PacificSport Fraser Valley invite you to Women & Leadership workshops

by Kathy Stahr | Feb 12, 2020 | Member News

PacificSport Fraser Valley is proud to host three exciting Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport (CAAWS) "Women & Leadership" Workshops, hoping to bring together as many women as possible from all corners of the sport and physical activity sectors (and beyond).

These workshops will double as networking events to foster new relationships between women who are going through similar walks of life, as well as a safe space to share stories and experiences.

On the second night, March 9th, they will be making a bigger event out of the workshop as a celebration of International Women's Day. In addition to their experienced facilitators, Jennifer Fenton and Joanne Stygall Lotz, they will have speakers to engage with the participants and share their journeys as women navigating their respective worlds.

Please see below for the series schedule. They welcome coaches, administrators, athletes (ages 16+), officials, and anyone interested in these unique professional development sessions.

Tuesday, February 18th: Leading with Confidence 6:00pm – 9:00pm

Monday, March 9th: Effective Networking 5:00pm – 9:00pm *International Women’s Day Event*

Monday, April 6th: Conflict Management 6:00pm – 9:00pm

Registration: https://psfv-caaws-workshop.eventbrite.ca

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
STACY FOURNIER | COORDINATOR, COMMUNICATIONS & SPECIAL EVENTS
PACIFICSPORT FRASER VALLEY
T 778.558.6723 W PACIFICSPORTFRASERVALLEY.COM
Suite #109-7888 200th Street, Langley, BC V2Y 3J4

Teck Okanagan Zone speed camp & downhill races a big success at SilverStar

by Kathy Stahr | Feb 3, 2020 | Member News

photo left – race day corduroy PHOTO CREDIT: Murray Smith
photo right – U12 athletes PHOTO CREDIT: Murray Smith

It was all smiles for the more than 140 racers who spent the weekend at SilverStar Mountain Resort! The Vernon Ski Club hosted its annual three-day Teck Okanagan Zone Speed Camp, culminating with two fun downhill races per gender on Sunday. This popular and important training event included athletes from U12 up to U16, some from as far away as Whitehorse, Yukon. The racers pushed top speeds of 105 km per hour, battling warm, wet conditions, fog and snow on the first two days, but wrapping it all up on Sunday with perfect race-day conditions! Nearly 1,000 individual runs were trained/raced on the speed course by the end of the weekend. It was a fantastic event with amazing volunteers and super keen athletes! Thank you to all who attended and helped out!! We are already looking forward to Okanagan Speed Camp 2021 where we all "Feel the need, the need for speed"! ~ report submitted by Lauren Carr
RACE RESULTS HERE
photo above – U12 Tanner Carr PHOTO CREDIT: Gordie Carr
photo right – U16 Rowan Smith PHOTO CREDIT: Murray Smith
photo below – U14 Tylee Carr PHOTO CREDIT: Gordie Carr

photo right – Volli Course Crew PHOTO CREDIT: Murray Smith
photo below – U14 Jasmine Coubrough PHOTO CREDIT: Murray Smith

Purden Ski Village, Prince George Ski Club welcome U6, U8, U10, U12 racers

by Kathy Stahr | Feb 3, 2020 | Member News

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!

Weather did not dampen spirits as U8/U10 racing kicked off on Grouse Mountain

by Kathy Stahr | Jan 29, 2020 | Member News

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 2^nd 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.