by Kathy Stahr | Mar 15, 2019 | Member News
On March 2nd and 3rd young racers from throughout northern BC tore up the slopes at Purden Ski Hill at the annual Teck North Zone race hosted by the Prince George Ski Club. The GS and slalom event welcomed about 50 racers, ages 10 to 16, from Prince George, Quesnel and Smithers.
“With about 50 kids coming from Smithers, Quesnel and Prince George for Purden’s TECK North Zone race, there was a lot of organizing by our club’s volunteers to make this event a success again this year,” said Eduard Hausot, President of the Prince George Ski Club. “As always, the most rewarding part is seeing these kids from across the north strengthening their own peer networks, as well as learning how to manage the mountain of personal responsibility that comes with being a young downhill ski racer.”
The Prince George Ski Club used this year’s Teck North Zone competition to serve as their “test event”, leading up to the Teck U14 Provincials. The club will host 160 U14 athletes from across the province March 15-17 at Purden Ski Village.
The Prince George Ski Club gratefully acknowledges title/series sponsor TECK, as well as our own season sponsors – Central Builders, RBC, Westcana Signs & Graphics and Royal LePage.
~ Report submitted by Carla Johnston
COMPLETE RESULTS HERE
by Kathy Stahr | Mar 14, 2019 | Member News
(Bruce getting his award from BC Alpine CEO Anders Hestdalen)
Sport BC's "Athlete of the Year Awards" celebration is the longest standing sport recognition event in Canada. Awards in 18 different categories are presented each year to athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers for their performances and contributions to sport in our province. These annual awards play a valuable role in nurturing athletic success and recognizing BC’s growing talent. Sport BC celebrates dedicated athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers from all of their member Provincial Sport Organizations and sport sector partners in British Columbia. For over 50 years Sport BC has been recognizing legendary sport heroes and emerging stars.
Members of BC Alpine's staff and board were excited to take part in the 53rd Athlete of the Year Awards Gala last night, March 13th 2019, at Vancouver's Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. It was with great pride that we watched three of our own receive prestigious awards! Thank you to Sport BC for a spectacular evening. Please join us in sending well-deserved CONGRATULATIONS to Bruce Goldsmid (Presidents' Award recipient), Kelsey Serwa (Senior Female of the Year Award recipient) and Mollie Jepsen (Athlete with a Disability of the Year Award recipient).
by Kathy Stahr | Mar 13, 2019 | Member News
BC CUP FIS RACE at RED Mountain Resort
March 7 – 10
The Red Mountain Racers and RED Mountain Resort hosted the BC CUP FIS Technical Race Series March 7 – 10. We were delighted to welcome 85 athletes from 6 different countries to compete in the Slalom and Giant Slalom races. We congratulate each of the athletes for their accomplishments and give a special shout out to those who fought hard to find a place on the podium.
Lesley Chisholm captured a number of great images of the racers in action which she has uploaded to her website at www.lesleychisholm.com/skiracing
As we all know the sport of ski racing offers far more than an ability to ski at shocking rates of speed. Ski racing teaches discipline, it forges friendships and it gathers community. We witness the gathering of community and the love of this sport each time an event is held. The 4-day race series at RED saw 50 volunteers per day on each race course! Of these volunteers, 33 of the 50 no longer have an athlete in ski racing. Many have NEVER had an athlete in ski racing. These volunteers have a passion for the sport and have joined the community and formed great friendships with volunteers and alumni from around BC.
At RED we see Nancy Greene’s brothers, John and Rick, at every race; John in the start and Rick with a shovel in hand. In addition, volunteers like Sheila Vockeroth (shown above) have been part of the racing community for decades as an athlete, a parent and now as the grandparent of a current racer. We would like to thank each and every volunteer that works tirelessly, young or old, to continue to make this amazing sport possible for athletes of all ages.
PHOTO above – Sheila Vockeroth and Patti Grimsrud volunteering for the BC CUP FIS Race Series at RED Mountain
PHOTO right – Red Mountain Racer, Keira Demmler, helping to check volunteers in at 7 am on Sunday morning.
Again, on behalf of the Red Mountain ROC, CONGRATULATIONS to each of the athletes and best of luck in the remainder of your season! ~ Report submitted by Christine Andison
COMPLETE RESULTS HERE
Top results for the event are as follows:
Thursday, March 7th:
Ladies Giant Slalom
1. Ashleigh Alexander (CAN)
2. Hedy Seeber (USA)
3. Tora Hoshizaki (CAN)
Men’s Slalom
1. Devin Mittertreiner (CAN)
2. Heiko Ihns (CAN)
3. Ben Charleston (USA)
Friday, March 8th:
Ladies Giant Slalom
1. Ashleigh Alexander (CAN)
2. Tora Hoshizaki (CAN)
3. Jacquelyn Gray (CAN)
Men’s Slalom
1. Gavin Donald (CAN)
2. Gerrit Van Soest (CAN)
3. Heiko Ihns (CAN)
Saturday, March 9th:
Ladies Slalom
1. Cayla Denney (CAN)
2. Jacquelyn Gray (CAN)
3. Kamila Grabinski (CAN)
Men’s Giant Slalom
1. Robert Gillis (USA)
2. Devin Mittertreiner (CAN)
3. Gavin Donald (CAN)
Sunday, March 10th:
Ladies Slalom
1. Jacquelyn Gray (CAN)
2. Kamila Grabinski (CAN)
3. Ryan Gooch (CAN)
Men’s Giant Slalom
1. Devin Mittertreiner (CAN)
2. Gavin Donald (CAN)
3. Heiko Ihns (CAN)
by Kathy Stahr | Mar 11, 2019 | Member News
Teck Open Round #3 GS & SL – March 21-24
- We are running a dual ROC so we need many volunteers!
- Lunches, lift tickets and a great volunteer party are included
- We will be done early so volunteers can get a few hours of great skiing in 🙂
- For more information or to sign up please contact Paula Rogers pnnrogers@gmail.com or follow this link: https://bcalpine.com/calendar/#2539
FIS Slalom Race – March 25-26
- We need gate judges, course workers and hand timers
- Lunches, lift tickets and a great volunteer party are included
- We will be done early so volunteers can get a few hours of great skiing in 🙂
- For more information or to sign up please contact Paula Rogers pnnrogers@gmail.com or follow this link: https://bcalpine.com/calendar/#2551
by Kathy Stahr | Mar 11, 2019 | Member News
ALPINE CANADA NAMES TWELVE RACERS TO REPRESENT CANADA AT 2019 WHISTLER CUP
Canadian contingent qualified through alpine racing events at Canada Winter Games
Calgary, Alta. (March 11, 2019) – Alpine Canada has named the 12 alpine racers selected to represent the nation at the 27th edition of the Whistler Cup, fielding two teams at the annual juvenile ski racing event at Whistler-Blackcomb April 11-14 in Whistler, B.C. The six female and six male racers will make up two mixed teams and were selected based on Alpine Canada’s previously published selection criteria:
- Alexis Barabe (Ste-Agathe-des-Monts, Que./Club de ski Saint-Sauveur)
- Aleksas Valadka (Oakville, Ont./Georgian Peaks Ski Club)
- Arianne Forget (Saint Jérôme, Que./Club de competition Belle Neige-S1 Racing)
- Britt Richardson (Canmore, Alta./Calgary Alpine Racing Club)
- Cyndie Timmerman (Calgary/Banff Alpine Racers)
- Heming Sola (Summerland, BC/Apex Ski Club)
- Hugo Culver (Westmount, Que./Club de ski Tremblant)
- Marie-Pier Brunet (Bromont, Que./ Club de competition Belle Neige-S1 Racing)
- Makenna Lebsack (Calgary/Panorama Ski Team)
- Mathis Lafond (Bois-des-Fillions, Que./EDLS-Chantecler)
- Penny Robinson (Thunder Bay, Ont./Thunder Bay Franco Alpine Ski Team)
- Ryley Fergusson (Edmonton/Sunshine Alpine Racers)
“These 12 racers distinguished themselves through their performances at the Canada Winter Games last month, where they represented their provinces with pride,” said Brien Perry, Director of Domestic Sport for Alpine Canada. “We are excited to now have them part of Team Canada where they can compete against their age group internationally at the Mackenzie Investments Whistler Cup. More than a ski race, the Whistler Cup has become a true ski racing festival for the country’s – and the world’s – upcoming generation of top performing ski racers.”
Among the multi-medallists from Canada Winter Games selected to the Whistler Cup team are Forget (gold in giant slalom and super-G), Lebsack (silver in super-G, bronze in giant slalom), Richardson (silver in giant slalom, bronze in super-G), and Valadka (bronze in slalom and giant slalom, silver in super-G).
As part of the event, the Whistler Cup is awarded to the top-performing nation in both the U14 and U16 age categories based on overall points earned during the week’s race action. In addition, the Nancy Greene Award is presented for the top U14 and U16 performances by a Canadian female, and the Dave Murray award for the top performance by a Canadian male in the U14 and U16 age categories.
Ski fans and racers’ family and friends are also welcome to attend the parade of nations and opening ceremonies on Thursday, April 11, and the awards and closing ceremonies on Sunday, April 14 at the main stage at Skiers’ Plaza.
The race schedule includes men’s and ladies’ U16 super-G racing on April 11, followed by the technical events for both the U14 and U16s April 12-14.
Follow Alpine Canada on social media for the latest news and information on athletes and more:
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, AlpineCanada.org.
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 will celebrate 100 years of rich tradition in competitive skiing in Canada.
by Kathy Stahr | Mar 8, 2019 | Member News
In the spirit of International Women’s Day, March 8th, 2019, we share an update on the Coast Zone Women in Sport working group, formed in the fall of 2017 with a purpose to foster Community, Pathway and Inspiration.
On Monday Feb 25th we held our second Women in Sport meeting with Danielle Robson as moderator. This meeting was used as a mid-season check-in with our female coach community to find out how the season is going to-date, and allow us to discuss pieces which have helped or hindered growth and development. Highlighted success so far this season, two members have moved up to coach older age groups, and another received the course set job during our latest FIS race. Each little win grows confidence and highlights the positive impact we have on sport.
Our guest speaker for the evening was Leslie Clarke who spoke on Leadership. Leslie's sport CV is impressive as she has progressed through many ranks; Coaching with the WMSC, Program Director for Cypress and Whistler, Athletic development director for BC Alpine, Head Coach for the Canadian Para Alpine national team and most recently, moving over to multi sport, overseeing sport development for CSI in Whistler. Leslie is now following her passion, embarking on a career as a mentor, leadership-coach, currently working as such for Mike Janyk, program director of the Grouse Tyee ski club.
Her presentation focused on what we inherit in our roles as leaders and the practice of deliberate leadership. She highlighted the importance of providing adequate training so we can successfully develop our skills and empower others to then gain the necessary experience. As leaders we must be willing to pass the torch, allow for mistakes to be made and be aware of collaboration, communication, creativity and innovation to create quality.
Our main takeaway was a need for shadowing opportunities for new coaches to learn from more experienced coaches, and for the more experienced coaches to be given experience opportunities in key positions. We have tasked ourselves to work with the other program directors to create some cross mentor/mentee opportunities within the zone during the Spring and Summer camps.
Our next meeting is set for April 29th 6pm-8:30pm in North Vancouver. Please let this stand as an open invitation to all Zone and Provincial female coaches; the more who come, the stronger and more creative we become! For more information please feel free to contact Catherine Grant, Vice President and Chair of Women and Sport, Grouse Tyee vice.president@grousetyee.com
Photo: Shannon Smith (WMSC FIS Coach) and Montana Molyneux (FAST U16 Head Coach)
