by Kathy Stahr | Oct 11, 2018 | Member News
On "International Day of the Girl" BC Alpine is excited to introduce "Girls Fast Forward"…our newest initiative to engage and support female athletes and coaches.
This is an amazing opportunity to benefit from quality training and coaching, and BC Alpine is pleased to be able to subsidize this special project!
****PLEASE CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THIS SHORT SURVEY BEFORE REGISTERING FOR THIS CAMP, THANK YOU!****
What: Awesome camp for girls led by exceptional female coaches!
Where: Sun Peaks Resort
When: Athletes arrive on Dec. 5th and depart on Dec. 9th (travel arrangements and costs are the athletes' responsibility)
Who: U16 Girls
How much: $250 (your payment is your registration – register and pay by October 19, 2018)
What you can expect:
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four days of top quality pre-season training (SL and GS)
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coaching from experienced women coaches: Britt Janyk Tilston (World Cup Winner and Olympian), Dani Robson, Montana Molyneux and Katie Findlay
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inspiration and knowledge from exciting guest speakers
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getting to know other girls from around the province
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FUN!
What's included:
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hotel, lift tickets, food, all training and coaching including dryland, video and guest speakers
What's not included:
What's next:
by Kathy Stahr | Oct 10, 2018 | Member News
BC Alpine staff, coaches, club executives and members gathered in Kelowna for 3 days of learning, collaboration and information sharing; we are ready for a new season!
“This year’s AGM and Member Summit in Kelowna broke the all-time record for attendance, and I know we all left feeling a little smarter, more curious and most importantly excited for the coming season”, said Anders Hestdalen, CEO of BC Alpine. “I want to thank everyone who attended and contributed to the weekend’s success.”
This year we brought coaches, officials, club executives and members from around the province together in one room to listen to special guest speaker Dr. Robert Reid, Director of Sport Science for the Norwegian Ski Federation.
Dr. Reid entertained and educated the audience over the course of three days by breaking down the physical and technical demands of alpine ski racing, demonstrating how the laws of physics set the foundation for turning technique and sharing the Norwegian approach to long-term athlete development. He revealed a little-known secret that much of the Norwegian model is borrowed from the Canadian LTAD and went on to explain how Norway has successfully approached some of the challenges around implementing the program. Dr. Reid wrapped up the weekend with a captivating discussion on “Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast”, how to turn culture into a competitive advantage.
BC Alpine VP Johnny Crichton shared the exciting new online LTAD website soon to be launced by Alpine Canada. Johnny has been instrumental in helping develop this inovative and interactive tool for parents, coaches, clubs and PSO's at all levels of alpine ski racing. Attendees also enjoyed three interesting mini “Ted Talks”. Mike Janyk, Grouse Tyee Program Director, gave some insight into his unique approach to mental training as demonstrated in his work with the BC Ski Team. Fernie U16 Coach Montana Molyneux talked about the challenges and rewards that come with being a woman who has chosen a career in ski coaching and rookie BC Ski Team member Marcus Athans shared what it was like to make the transition from club racer to provincial team athlete. BC Team Head Coach Nick Cooper gave an overview of the team’s summer training, plans and goals for the 18/19 season, and answered questions from the audience.
On Saturday CEO Anders Hestdalen presented a report on the previous year’s challenges and successes and summed up his first year at BC Alpine. The organization is in good shape and membership numbers reached the highest ever in the 2017/18 season. Over 6,000 registered members in BC means the clubs are doing a great job. Financially we are also doing well, but with Rio Tinto withdrawing its support of the the Nancy Greene Ski League, there is now an opportunity and a need for new sponsorship dollars to secure the future success of BC Alpine and youth ski racing in BC.
BC Alpine is close to formally rolling out our new Strategic Plan, the roadmap for 2018 through 2022. A draft of the plan was shared at the Kelowna meetings and the member clubs engaged in roundtable discussions about the measurable goals we have committed to delivering on over the next four year.
The official BC Alpine AGM business portion of the weekend moved quickly and without a hitch. We announced the retirement of Diana Haight-Arn and Phil Mittertreiner from the Board and thanked them for their years of service. We welcomed Patrick Kinghorn as the new Kootenay Zone Chair and elected Warren Schindler as new Vice President of Finance.
Officials Chair Mark Schwenck addressed the group noting Officials Updates are scheduled for November 3 – 4 in Kamloops.
Anders reviewed the Responsible Coaching Movement and emphasized that creating a healthy and safe sport environment benefits all participants, whether you’re a coach, administrator or parent.
The annual awards banquet and social on Saturday night was a great time for the over 90 people who came to celebrate with us.
“We are always excited when we can recognize and present Goldie awards to some of the most dedicated and hardworking volunteers, coaches and athletes in our province”, said Johnny Crichton, VP of BC Alpine. “And the Bohemian Café delivered as always!”
We thank you, our members, for all you do for our sport and we look forward to a great season ahead!
ALL SUMMIT/AGM DOCUMENTS AND PRESENTATIONS ARE AVAILABLE HERE
BC Alpine Board of Directors
· Hugh MacNaught, Chair – BC Alpine
· Doug Jevning, Coast Zone Chair
· Patrick Kinghorn, Kootenay Zone Chair
· Philippe Bernier, North Zone Chair
· Catherine Martin, Okanagan Zone Chair
· Mike Giannelli, Secretary/Treasurer
· Gordie Bowles, VP Athletics
· Warren Schindler, VP Finance
BC Alpine Officials Chairs
· Mark Schwenck, Officials Chair for BC Alpine
· Bob Walton, Officials Chair – Coast Zone
· Lloyd Steeves, Officials Chair – Kootenay Zone
· Jim Martin, Officials Chair – North Zone
· Graham Cope, Officials Chair – Okanagan Zone
by Kathy Stahr | Oct 1, 2018 | Member News
Hugh MacNaught congratulates Bruce Goldsmid, surprised recipient of the 2018 Long Term President's Award (PHOTO – Keven Dubinsky)
On Saturday, September 29, 2018, in conjunction with its Annual General Meeting & Member Summit in Kelowna, BC Alpine recognized some amazing individuals who went above and beyond last season to make sure ski racing in BC was the best it could be!
A huge thank you to the staff and chefs at Kelowna's Bohemian Cafe for hosting our biggest-ever group of about 95 guests! They outdid themselves again this year, the meal was outstanding and everyone had a great time.
Please join us in congratulating the following athletes, coaches, volunteers, officials, clubs and ski resorts! (AND CHECK OUT ALL THE PHOTOS HERE)
2018 Athlete Awards
Dave Murray Ski Foundation Bursary ($750)
Dylan Timm
Fernie Alpine Team
Dave Murray Ski Foundation Bursary ($750)
Charlotte Gibson
Prince George Ski Club
Bob Parsons’ Memorial Fund Bursary ($1,000)
Aaron Leaman
Okanagan Ski Team
Bob Parsons’ Memorial Fund Bursary ($1,000)
Freya Jumonville
Whistler Mountain Ski Club
Ski Canada Magazine Bursary ($1,000)
Heming Sola
Apex Ski Club
Cary Mullen Sportsmanship Award (Trophy)
Isabella Cross
Whistler Mountain Ski Club
Aaron Leaman, Okanagan Ski Team, Bob Parsons Bursary Recipient with Anders Hestdalen (PHOTO – Keven Dubinsky)
2018 Coach Awards
Learn/Train to Train Coach of the Year
Samantha Fournier
Sun Peaks Alpine Club
U16 Coach of the Year
Nat Cohen
Fernie Alpine Ski Team
FIS Coach of the Year
Conrad Pridy
Whistler Mountain Ski Club
Conrad Pridy, FIS Coach of the Year with Kathy Stahr (PHOTO – Keven Dubinsky)
Head Coach of the Year
Andrew Lambert
Vernon Ski Club
Team of the Year
Okanagan Ski Team
Hustler of the Year
Mike Janyk
Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Club
Lifetime Achievement Award
Wade Christie
Wade Christie is awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for coaching – presented by Trevor Haaheim (PHOTO – Keven Dubinsky)
2018 Volunteer, Official and other awards
Coast Zone Volunteer/Official of the Year
Laura Harley
Whistler Mountain Ski Club
Kootenay Zone Volunteer/Official of the Year
Patrick Kinghorn
Red Mountain Racers
North Zone Volunteer/Official of the Year
Stuart Gairns
Prince George Ski Club
Okanagan Zone Volunteer/ Official of the Year
Paul Rauhala
Mt. Baldy Ski Club
Moira Jaatteenmaki Officials’ Award
Doug Hughes
Mt. Washington Ski Club
Volunteer of the Year
Lloyd Steeves and Donna Briggs
Kimberley Alpine Team
Lloyd Steeves and Donna Briggs, 2018 Volunteers of the Year (PHOTO – Keven Dubinsky)
Event of the Year
Canadian National Technical Championships
Red Mountain Racers
Red Mountain Resort
Mountain Resort of the Year
Kimberley Alpine Resort
Club Development of the Year
Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Club
Long Term President’s Award
Bruce Goldsmid
Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Club takes home 2018 Club Development of the Year Award (PHOTO – Keven Dubinsky)
by Kathy Stahr | Oct 1, 2018 | Member News
13th Annual Peak to Peak Dinner & Auction in Support of Ski Racing in BC – still a few tickets and tables available!
Leading Canadian Alpine and Ski Cross racers will gather in Vancouver prior to the 2018-2019 season to take part in the 13th Annual Peak to Peak Dinner & Auction. This annual event is organized by BC Alpine and raises funds for the delivery of provincial and national-level ski programs. The dinner has raised more than $1.4 million for ski racing in Canada in the past twelve years.
This year’s live auction will include a trip of a lifetime to the jewel of the Arctic – Baffin Island; three luxurious nights at the Sonora Resort with ocean guided fishing; the ultimate wilderness ski experience with Selkirk Snowcat Skiing and much more.
Where: Blue Water Café, 1095 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, B.C.
When: November 7th, 2018
More Info: http://peak2peak.bcalpine.com/
If you are interested in joining us, or would like to support the event with a donation, please contact Janice Avon at p2ptickets@bcalpine.com or Anders Hestdalen at anders@bcalpine.com
National and provincial team athletes and alumni will be in attendance:
Marielle Thompson (Whistler) – 2014 Olympic Ski Cross Gold Medalist, 2-time Crystal Globe Winner, Canadian Ski Cross Team
Broderick Thompson (Whistler) – Canadian Alpine Ski Team
Brodie Seger (North Vancouver) – Canadian Alpine Ski Team
Sam Mulligan (North Vancouver) – Canadian Alpine Ski Team
Riley Seger (North Vancouver) – Canadian Alpine Ski Team
Nancy Greene Raine – Olympic Gold Medalist and World Cup champion
The 2018/2019 BC Ski Team
Event Sponsors:
by Kathy Stahr | Sep 18, 2018 | Member News
Pridy & Blog 2.0
Picture this. Six young athletes arrive in the southern hemisphere; gear piled high on tiny luggage carts. The air outside the doors of SCL is fresher than that on the plane, but they are still met with the warm smogginess that is Santiago’s temperate climate. Obviously they shake it off and push on because what’s a little city fog compared to the BC wildfire smoke they have been toughening their lungs up with for the last couple weeks. Besides, a few more hours in a little bus packed to the roof with their weaponry and it will be nothing but fresh mountain air and views from 10,000 feet. So they squeeze on board and start the ascent.
At this point I can confidently assume that they are fed up with the grind of off snow training and more than ready to get back to working on their craft. As they arrive with Jazz, Nick and I greet them happily. We are just as excited to get the new season underway. Pumped or not, the travel from BC is in excess of 10,000 kilometers … as the crow flies. If you are having trouble picturing the distance go and walk a KM, pause, and then do that 9,999 more times (not recommended, thank goodness for planes). Anyways, this always takes a toll in one way or another, so the crew has arrived, but in varying levels of haggardness.
Gear gets unloaded, tuning rooms are dialed in, spinning and stretching is completed. The OCD inclined unpack completely to settle into their rooms while others weigh the fact that before long we will be onto a new place and a new room. Dinner that first night has scattered conversations and constant corrections as they replace “thank you” with “Gracias”. The sun goes down on our 1970’s style sunken living room apartment. I’m not sure which of the crew were still up to take in the sunset but as Instagram can confirm, this place has never been shy with its reds and oranges.
Ready… Set… Freeski? Yep! Day one is dominated by the saying “we are knocking the rust off”. It’s a quick build from all out of whack and “I don’t know, it just feels weird” to thank goodness our kids might not have totally forgotten how to ski. By the afternoon everyone is looking a lot more like themselves and ready to get going on that whole red, blue, red, blue thing.
Conditions are a classic melt freeze. Snow that feels slick and chattery day one in gates, but you’d call perfect and grippy down the road. At this point focuses are being reaffirmed; rhythm and timing settling back in, and a few arcs are getting parked. It’s good, it’s sunny, it’s nice, and it’s melting… Like fast, fast enough you can watch rocks grow. So what do you do when life gives you lemons? Say ditch the lemons and bail. This particular bail is made possible by Nick and his extreme organizationality (I have spell check, I know that’s not a word). Plan B quickly becomes plan A and here we go again.
Welcome to Nevados de Chillan! Well almost welcome to Nevados de Chillan. Before arriving at our trip’s secondary training venue the bus driver decided he would show the team a magic trick. What he did was pretty incredible actually. This guy, he shuts the doors and waits until we are all seated. Then what he does is starts the bus and turns a six hour trip into a ten hour one…
Anyway, here we are, arrived in Nevado de Chillan. Looking up at snow covered peaks and charming old school lifts, all built on the side of a giant active volcano. Our first day of training here picks up right where we left off, and on a very similar surface only now the team is looking comfortable and piecing together more and mores solid runs. Due to the aforementioned thin conditions in El Colo our arrival now preceded that of our hotel companions; The Attacking Vikings. Not only is it a great thing to be around the best skiers on the planet (on both the men’s and women’s side) But it also sometimes means that when you are here first your team gets private training on the speed track that has been built for them.
Accessible only by Cat and Snowmobile the speed track has been carved into a massive snowfield at the foot of the volcano. It covers enough distance to set full length Super-G and an admirable length summer DH course. The first speed session of any new season and on any new venue is always accompanied by some amount of nervousness. It also brings up the level of sharpness and focus. Eventually, and after many miles, the pairing of these things brings on an atmosphere for progression that is found largely in “action sports”. You don’t flirt with disaster; you beat it back with a willingness to commit to something you think is possible. A limit pushed becomes the basis for a new norm. Now we are a few runs in, nervous expressions are being replaced with grins and the day is starting to flow nicely. Then the mountain starts to growl a little… a low rumble just loud enough to make sure we remember we are training on a volcano. Everyone gets the call to ski down to the bottom of the track. From there we all get to take in the show and watch the peak sneeze a plume of ash a thousand feet high. Two important things to note here, the first is that the wind was blowing the ash away from the track so we will still have fast speed skis come race season (I know, obviously that was your number one concern as well). Second, it really seemed to me that the crew had more concerns about skiing speed than they did about the mountain exploding a little…
I’m going to give the people here the benefit of the doubt and say they definitely used some kind of science to let us know it was good to train again. So that’s what we did, finished the day strong and prepared for the next. And the next was a gooder, mint conditions and a guest appearance by Norway's double Olympic medalist RagMo (Ragnhild Mowinckel).
(l to r) Frances MacDonald, Ella Renzoni, RagMo and Nicole Mah
The storm of the century may be a slight exaggeration, but I’m going to call it whatever I want. All the weather came in all at once and blanketed the resort in a mid winter shade of white. Of course it also made sure to have a clean canvas by washing everything clean with a few buckets of rain first. Hopefully you are up to date… or is it back to date with your pop culture references because our team can get wet and you can feed them after midnight and we will still give it a good college try to train. Besides, wet snow is dense snow and we have a waterski champion in our midst this camp to boot (Marcus!).
The last push from South American winter seems to be coming to an end and our final block here should have a nice winter conditions feel to it. It’s time to leave you for now but I’ll part ways with a few fun facts from our trip.
Facts
– When you tell your team not to drink pop at dinner, Jansrud will show up and immediately walk past them drinking a huge glass of coke…
– It’s best not to try and catch a dodge ball with your face.
– You should mispronounce the names of all the players on your fantasy football team.
Training group athletes in Chile with Head Coach Nick Cooper and Coaches Ryan Jazic and Morgan Pridy:
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Kyle Alexander, Whistler Mountain Ski Club – 1999
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Myles Kowalczyk, Whistler Mountain Ski Club – 2000
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Frances MacDonald, Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Club – 1999
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Nicole Mah, Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Club – 1999
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Ella Renzoni, Whistler Mountain Ski Club – 2000
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Marcus Athans, Apex Ski Club/Okanagan Ski Team – 2000
by Kathy Stahr | Sep 11, 2018 | Member News
Why your Team should implement Respect in Sport for Leaders and Parents
Our sport culture is evolving and must continue to do so. BC Alpine has a mandate to offer the best and safest environment to all members, volunteers and competitors. We must be athlete-centred and promote excellence, integrity, respect and accountability; all these concepts are defined in this program.
Our staff and Board members have all been certified through Respect in Sport, and we are convinced that our base, the Clubs, should also promote this great educational tool for all.
People want to be involved with organizations that demonstrate Respect, whether it is during a sport event, at school or in the boardroom. Respectful conduct is desired and expected in every interaction, however it is not always displayed.
This program is an online resource that serves as a proactive risk management tool to enhance the protection of our athletes, coaches and management personnel. It delivers a consistent message on how to be a positive leader and how to identify and manage inappropriate behaviours, all while ensuring that all our participants enjoy the safest environment possible.
It requires minimal administration, is based on a strong curriculum that is updated on an ongoing basis, is fully supported in English and French and offers detailed user tracking to mitigate liability.
More Information:
Respect Group: http://respectgroupinc.com
Activity Leader program: https://alpine-canada-activityleader.respectgroupinc.com
Parent program : https://alpine-canada-parent.respectgroupinc.com
Information on the BC Alpine website: https://bcalpine.com/files/Policy_Files/
