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- May 17, 2013 | 2013-14 Canadian Alpine Ski Team unveiled
Includes 5 Athletes from WMSCIncludes 5 Athletes from WMSC
VANCOUVER, B.C. (May 16, 2013) — Twenty-three racers with “podium potential” were named to the Canadian Alpine Ski Team on Thursday ahead of a crucial 2013-14 season that includes a busy World Cup schedule and the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
Seventeen men and six women who are expected to contend for medals either now or in the future have been chosen to fly the flag for Canada as part of the national team.The men’s roster features six ‘Canadian Cowboys’ who have won World Cup or world championship medals – 2011 downhill world champion Erik Guay, three-time World Cup winner Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Jan Hudec, Mike Janyk, John Kucera and young gun Ben Thomsen – as well as up-and-coming young racers such as Trevor Philp, Erik Read and Phil Brown.
All-rounder Marie-Michèle Gagnon and slalom specialist Erin Mielzynski – the first Canadian since 1971 to win a World Cup slalom race – lead a young but extremely talented group of female technical racers.
“We have selected athletes who have the potential to do well at the upcoming 2014 Olympic Winter Games as well as a younger generation of racers who are targeting 2018 and beyond,” said Paul Kristofic, Alpine Canada’s vice-president of sports.
“On the men’s side we have a group of veterans who have been on the podium or are contenders to be on the podium at World Cup and world championship race and clearly they will be targeting medals at the Sochi Games. We also have an exciting group of young and talented racers who have potential for 2018. We have a young women’s team but in Gagnon and Mielzynski we have two clear leaders who are part of a group that has made some big strides over the past few seasons.”The start of the 2013-14 World Cup season, which kicks off in Solden, Austria, in October, takes on added importance as racers will be battling to qualify for nomination to the Canadian team for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. The selection criteria is complex and there are a limited number of spots on the Canadian team in each discipline but in the simplest terms, most athletes will be looking for two top-12 World Cup results or a top-5 finish, while some spots will also be available for “potential future medallists.” The nominees for the Canadian team are expected to be named in January 2014.
“We want to put our best foot forward at the Olympics. We recognize how important it is for our athletes and our organization,” Kristofic said. “We’ve come up short at the past two Games with fourth and fifth places and no one is satisfied with that. It’s very important that we win a medal.”To that end, two high-profile coaches with a track record of great success at the highest level have been hired to lead the men’s team. Martin Rufener, who led the Swiss team to World Cup, world championship and Olympic medals, takes on the dual role of alpine director and head coach of the men’s team, while Italy’s ‘Max’ Carca has been named head coach of the men’s technical team. Swiss-born Hugues Ansermoz and Canadian Jim Pollock continue as head coach of the ladies’ team and ladies’ technical head coach, respectively.
Guay, of Mont-Tremblant, Que., who had two fifth-place finishes at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games and a fourth in 2006 in Torino, Italy, goes into the season hoping to claim his first Olympic medal – one of the few prizes missing from a glittering resumé that includes winning the super-G Crystal Globe in 2010. He also needs just one World Cup podium to tie Crazy Canuck legend Steve Podborksi’s Canadian record of 20 World Cup podiums. If Guay claims two or more top-three World Cup finishes this season he will become the most decorated male Canadian skier of all time.“Steve has obviously been a huge inspiration and it would mean a lot to me to have that record and hopefully add to the legacy of ski racing in Canada,” Guay said of Podborski, who is Canada’s chef de mission for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
“If I was writing my own script I would say, yes, I want to win in Sochi but I know what it takes to win on any given day,” Guay said of claiming Olympic gold. “It’s one thing to be competitive throughout a season; it’s another to be competitive in one race, where anybody in the top 15 could win. One mistake and I could be fifth place. Another mistake and I could be 12th place. There’s nothing cut and dried in our sport – far from it.”Osborne-Paradis, of Vancouver, B.C., and Kucera, of Calgary, Alta., both returned from injury last season and alongside Hudec, of Calgary, Alta., they represent a talented and experienced group of podium performers.
Thomsen, of Invermere, B.C., underlined his potential by winning silver at the Olympic test event in Sochi, while Janyk, of Whistler, B.C., is a former world championship medallist who will lead Canada’s slalom team. Calgary’s Brad Spence and Whistler’s Robbie Dixon hope to make their return from injury this season.
The 2013-14 men’s team also features six up-and-coming young talents – Dustin Cook, of Lac-Sainte-Marie, Que., Calgary’s Philp and Read, Brown, of Toronto, Ont., Sasha Zaitsoff, of Queens Bay, B.C. and Whistler brothers Conrad and Morgan Pridy.
Veterans Julien Cousineau, of Lachute, Que., and Jeffrey Frisch, of Mont-Tremblant – who has courageously battled back from injury – have also been given special “invitee status” to train and compete as part of the Canadian team.
The women’s team features World Cup regulars Gagnon, of Lac-Etchemin, Que., Mielzynski, of Guelph, Ont., Marie-Pier Préfontaine, of Saint-Sauveur, Que., Mont-Tremblant’s Britt Phelan and Elli Terwiel, of Sun Peaks, B.C., as well as youngster Madison Irwin, of Toronto, Ont. Veteran speed skier Kelly VanderBeek retired last season, while super-G and downhill specialist Larisa Yurkiw was not selected. Canada only has one World Cup spot for ladies’ downhill and that is likely to be used in several races by Gagnon, who is ranked fourth in the world in combined and is considered a serious medal threat in that discipline.
Gagnon, who is also ranked in the top 30 in slalom and giant slalom and 32nd in super-G, said although much of the pre-season hype revolves around Sochi she is focused on getting her season off to a strong start by performing well in World Cup races.
“Going into an Olympic season is very exciting and there’s a lot of hype around it but every World Cup race is still so important,” said Gagnon. “It’s really exciting that the Canadian women are excelling at technical events now. It’s taking time but as a team we are building together. We will get there.”
A new alpine development team is due to be unveiled in the coming days.
Men’s Canadian Alpine Ski Team
Phil Brown - 09/11/1991 - Toronto, Ont.
Dustin Cook - 11/02/1989 - Lac-Sainte-Marie, Que.
Julien Cousineau* - 17/01/1981 - Lachute, Que.
Robbie Dixon - 04/01/1985 - Whistler, B.C.
Jeffrey Frisch* - 01/06/1984 - Mont-Tremblant, Que.
Erik Guay - 05/08/1981 - Mont-Tremblant, Que.
Jan Hudec - 19/08/1981 - Calgary, Alta.
Mike Janyk - 22/03/1982 - Whistler, B.C.
John Kucera - 17/09/1984 - Calgary, Alta.
Manuel Osborne-Paradis - 08/02/1984 - Vancouver, B.C.
Trevor Philp - 01/05/1992 - Calgary, Alta.
Conrad Pridy - 17/07/1988 - Whistler, B.C.
Morgan Pridy - 09/10/1990 - Whistler, B.C.
Erik Read - 31/05/1991 - Calgary, Alta.
Brad Spence - 19/04/1984 - Calgary, Alta.
Ben Thomsen - 25/08/1987 - Invermere, B.C.
Sasha Zaitsoff - 13/07/1990 - Queens Bay, B.C.
*Invited to train with the Canadian teamLadies’ Canadian Alpine Ski Team
Marie-Michèle Gagnon - 25/04/1989 - Lac-Etchemin, Que.
Madison Irwin - 18/07/1991 - Toronto, Ont.
Erin Mielzynski - 25/05/1990 - Guelph, Ont.
Brittany Phelan - 24/09/1991 - Mont-Tremblant, Que.
Marie-Pier Préfontaine - 18/10/1988 - Saint-Sauveur, Que.
Elli Terwiel - 16/04/1989 - Sun Peaks, B.C.ABOUT ALPINE CANADA ALPIN: Alpine Canada Alpin is the national governing body for alpine, para-alpine and ski cross racing in Canada. With the support of valued corporate partners along with the Government of Canada, Own the Podium and the Canadian Olympic Committee, Alpine Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic, world championship and World Cup medallists to stimulate visibility, inspiration and growth in the ski community.
INFORMATION
Keith Bradford
Director, Communications | Directeur des Communications
Alpine Canada Alpin
Suite 302, 151 Canada Olympic Road SW, Calgary, AB T3B 5R5
C 403.620.2362
kbradford@alpinecanada.org http://alpinecanada.orgPosted by: Leighton on May 17, 2013
- May 15, 2013 | FIS REGISTRATION PACKAGE 2013-2014 SEASON
Deadline July 15th
Deadline July 15th
IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER:
A. Any registrations that do not have paperwork in to the WMSC Office by the August 8th deadline will be automatically assessed the “Late Registration” fee of $100.
B. The FIS Medical Form requires a visit to your doctor’s office, which often incurs additional costs and should be booked ASAP to avoid delays and a potential late fee.
C. It is the responsibility of the athlete to ensure their name appears on the FIS site with active status prior to their first FIS race.
D. Faxed forms will not be accepted under any circumstance.
E. Registrants must be Canadian citizens
Cancellation Policy: FIS Registrations may be canceled by Oct 15th but will be subject to a $55.00 cancellation fee. After Oct 15th membership may not be canceled or refunded. WMSC must be informed by email (info@wmsc.info) of all requests to remove a FIS registration. BC Alpine has no control over FIS deadlines or late fees.
Discipline Selection: FIS Athletes may select to be either Alpine, Skicross or both. A member registering in both disciplines only pays the insurance, national competitor card and BC Alpine membership costs once, but receives competitor card numbers and active registration in both FIS Freestyle and FIS Alpine disciplines.
WANT AN ALL AREAS PASS? - To qualify for a Canada West All Areas Pass members must be registered by July 15th, 2013.
PRICING: Enclose cheque made out to WMSC
$520 Alpine
$500 Ski Cross
$620 Dual Discipline –Alpine & Ski Cross
$100 Late Registration fee* (Aug 8 +)
REQUIRED FORMS:
1. FIS Athlete’s Declaration (New FIS Registrants Only)
2. ACA Waiver
3. FIS Medical Form* Medical Evaluation form requires visiting a physician and photo MUST be attached.
4.National FIS Discount Form (read criteria at bottom of page – ONLY for athletes in U18 and FIS programs who will not travel outside of Canada for 10 days and outside of BC not more than 10 days at a time. Discount is $225 before Aug 8th.Posted by: Leighton on May 15, 2013
- May 14, 2013 | Field, Werry, Thompson Headline BC Ski Team 2013 Summer Training Group
BC Alpine Announces Summer Training Groups
BC Alpine Announces Summer Training Groups
BC Alpine announced at the recent provincial annual meeting in Kelowna, B.C., a group of 20 skiers selected to participate in a BC Ski Team Training Group for the summer and fall months.
After a successful season by BC athletes at all levels of ski racing, BC Alpine is looking to broaden the talent base within a resurgent provincial club system while supporting a group of elite skiers over the summer.
The BCST Training Group will be at an on snow camp next week in Whistler, B.C., from May 17-21, and then continue a six-month prep phase with ski camps at Mt. Hood, Oregon, as well as Portillo, Chile, and Sun Peaks. The team will also conduct centralized fitness camps in Fernie and Whistler in the summer months. The BC Ski Team will be officially announced in late October at the conclusion of the preparation period.
The High Performance (HPP) program, a cooperative initiative with the BC Alpine and BC Alpine clubs, will provide opportunities for skiers tracking in the provincial high performance stream, to interact and train with each other over select opportunities over the summer and fall. The identified HPP skiers will be invited to a three-week training camp in La Parva, Chile, in September, a fall camp in Sun Peaks in November, as well as select athletes will be integrated with the BC Ski Team for on snow and fitness camp opportunities.
Some skiers from last season’s BCST will be moving on or moving up.
Long-time BC Ski Team racer Sarah Elliot, from Oyama, has decided to retire from ski racing, while Sarah Freeman, from Pincher Creek and the Fernie Alpine Ski Team, has received a scholarship opportunity from two NCAA-affiliated schools in the United States, where she would continue her racing career at the Nor-Am level. Roger Carry, from Calgary and Fernie Alpine Ski Team, also received an opportunity to ski with a top level school, University of Boulder, Colorado. Both Carry and Freeman will be supported fully by the BCST in their prep phase and at competitions next season.
Nor-Am winner Ford Swette, from North Vancouver and the Whistler Mountain Ski Club, as well as Fernie, B.C.’s Stephanie Gartner and Tyler Werry, have been invited to training opportunities with the Canadian Alpine Ski Team. Alpine Canada will be announcing the national training program shortly.
Congratulations to the following BCST Training Group and HPP skiers.
Women:
Charley Field, Whistler Mountain Ski Club
Stephanie Gartner, Fernie Alpine Ski Team
Emma King, Whistler Mountain Ski Club
Alix Wells, Prince George Ski Team
Sarah Freeman, Fernie Alpine Ski Team (summer)
Invitee: Hallie McLachlan, Fernie Alpine Ski Team
Men:
Tyler Werry, Fernie Alpine Ski Team
Broderick Thompson, Whistler Mountain Ski Club
Brodie Seger, Whistler Mountain Ski Club
Martin Grasic, Windermere Valley
Dom Unterberger, Revelstoke Ski Club
Patrick Carry, Fernie Alpine Ski Team
Blake Ramsden, Whistler Mountain Ski Club
Roger Carry, Fernie Alpine Ski Team (summer)
Coaches:
Head Coach: Johnny Crichton
Men’s Coach: Nick Cooper
Women’s Coach: JP Daigneault
Serviceman: Aaron Speden
High Performance (HPP) Group:
Women
Rachel Vander Veen, Whistler Mountain Ski Club
Silken Rauhala, Big White Racers
Kelly Steeves, Whistler Mountain Ski Club
Mikayla Martin, Whistler Mountain Ski Club
Antonia Wearmouth, Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Club
Courtney Hoffos, Windermere Valley Ski Club
Stefanie Fleckenstein, Whistler Mountain Ski Club
Meg Cumming, Apex Ski Club
Tyra Collombin, Fernie Alpine Ski Team
Alternate: Emily Unterberger, Revelstoke Ski Club
Men
Austin Llewellyn, Whistler Mountain Ski Club
Seger Nelson, Big White Racers
Kyle Yates, Whistler Mountain Ski Club
Connor Callaghan, Big White Racers
Jack Crawford, Whistler Mountain Ski Club
Sam Mulligan, Grouse Mountain
Riley Seger, Whistler Mountain Ski Club
Matthew Kreutz, Vernon Ski Club
Cameron Alexander, Whistler Mountain Ski Club
For More Information Contact:
Gordie Bowles
BC Alpine Athletic Director
604-678-3072
gordieb@bcalpine.comPosted by: Leighton on May 14, 2013
- May 2, 2013 | Summer Camps 2013
Registration NOW openRegistration NOW open
The goal of our spring, summer and fall ski training is to make positive and permanent technical changes in our athletes. WMSC Pro staff and Alpine Canada's "AIM2WIN" development model recommend the following number of days on snow between May to October:
U12 (ages 10-11): 5 days
U14 (ages 12-13): 5-15 days
U16 (ages 14-15): 10-25 days
U18+ (ages 16+): 15-40 days
(Note: WMSC welcomes application from non-club racers in most of our camps provided available space has not been filled at our registration deadline.) For more information, please email info@wmsc.info
Ski Camps
May 17-20 May Camp (all) - Blackcomb $300 (includes fitness assessments). Click here to sign up!
Returning to basics and fundamentals will be the focus of the May camp, utilizing much of the mountain, groomed and off piste runs. On-snow functional body movement, skills assessment and drills will create a strong foundation for building skills on. Campers will be divided into 3 groups by age/skill levels. Coaches committed - Ryan Jazic, Jeff MacLennan, Jordan Williams, Rob Boyd and others.
June 24-28 Summer Camp #1 (U14-21) - Mt. Hood - Cancelled
July 1-5 Summer Super Camp #2 (all) - Blackcomb $750 - Click here to sign up!
Continuing with our May camp progression and structure this camp will focus on fundamentals - mainly SL based with a fun dual to finish off the block. Daily dryland, video on Sprongo and our best coaches will ensure athletes get the most out of this (re)building camp.
July 8-12 Summer Super Camp #3 (all) - Blackcomb $750 - Click here to sign up!
Progressing from camp #2, SL will be the focus with more complex drills, courses and timing. GS drills may come into play on the last couple days conditions and skills permitting.
July 15-19 Summer Super Camp #4 (all) - Blackcomb $750 - Click here to sign up!
Camp #4 will focus on advanced techniques and tactics in both SL and GS. Timing will be used more extensively. Athletes should expect some high intensity and volume for this block.
August 9-20 Hood Camp (U14-21) – Mt. Hood $2100 - Click here to sign up!
This camp will use Mt. Hood's Palmer Snowflield where campers get a lot of volume on a med-steep pitch, ideal for adapting to the new GS skis! 10 days on snow with a day off in Hood River (or other). The camp will be capped at 25 athletes so sign up soon.
Sept.13- Oct. 2 Chile Camp (U16-U21) – Valle Nevado / La Parva
Nov. 6-17 Colorado Camp (U16-21) - Vail
Dryland Camps
Dryland Camps will vary in themes and locations with special instructors for running clinics, gymnastics, climbing, Olympic lifting techniques, etc.
$25/day plus the cost of special instruction split between attendees.
June 1-2 Fitness Camp #1 (U12 - 21)
July 27-28 Fitness Camp #2 (U12 - 21)
August 24-25 Fitness Camp #3 (U12 - 21)
September 7-8 Fitness Camp #4 (U12 -21)
October 19-20 Fitness Camp #5 (U12 - 21)
November 2-3 Fitness Testing (U12 - 21)Posted by: Leighton on May 2, 2013
- April 29, 2013 | Volunteers the lifeblood of sport
Weasel Workers CelebratedWeasel Workers Celebrated
Owen Carney’s name has been synonymous with success in the sport of Alpine Skiing in Canada for close to 40 years. He’s not a racer or a coach or even a renowned wax tech.
Canada's Mike Carney (left) Rob Boyd participate in the alpine ski event at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. (CP PHOTO/ COC/C. McNeil)
He’s a volunteer – a Hall of Fame volunteer with passion for sport that spans generation and shows in the success of athletes across the globe.
“My son (Mike) was on the BC team and then the national team,” said Carney, who working on the hills as a parent. At the 1988 Olympics I was asked to be a Chief of Course in Calgary. It was nice because my son raced there and I just carried on after that.”
Carry on, indeed.
After watching his son compete in Calgary and finish 14th in the downhill race, Carney transferred his leadership abilities to a renowned group of volunteers known as the Weasel Workers.
Founded in the 1970’s under the watch of BC native Bob Parsons, the Weasels started off as a group of six people prepping for the first World Cup downhill races in Whistler.
The name “Weasels” earn their name through hard work – a nod to the frisky rodents who are always on the go. The name stuck and the team of volunteers under Carney’s watch have built the course for every senior race held in Whistler BC, including World Cup races, Canadian Championships, NorAms and the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.
Their work has received notice and appreciation of their European counterparts – leading to several trips overseas to pass on knowledge and expertise.
“Organizers (from Europe) will come to Canada to see our work and ask us to come there,” said Carney. “Mostly when we go there it’s for the appreciation of the work we do. We’re not the main workers on site in Europe, but we go to help and sometimes to learn. We send our key people … up to 40 of them.”
Carney’s resume in skiing is impressive. He has been recognized a number of times including winning the Alpine Canada and the British Columbia Alpine Ski Volunteer of the Year Award (1990) and the Association British Columbia Alpine Presidents Award (1998).
The 70-year-old native of Whistler, BC was also a big contributor to the bidding process in Vancouver’s attempt to procure the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The ultimate acknowledgement came in 2004 when Carney was elected into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame as a builder for his dedication to the advancement of the sport in Canada.
Even with a résumé as impressive as his, Carney quickly and modestly points to the direction of the 500 active volunteers who help make the races possible.
“The key is we all work together,” said Carney. “There’s no hierarchy with us, we are all treated the same. It’s just a passion to pull off these big races. We have a very good team and we make it happen. We’re like a big family.”
Family is a big selling point for the Weasels.
Many of the volunteers, like Carney, get their start in the group because of a son or daughter who is excelling in the sport.
Many other Weasels are parents of current or past national team athletes including Karl Ricker, father of Olympic gold medallist Maëlle Ricker (Squamish, BC), Brent and Marilyn McIvor, parents of Olympic gold medallist Ashleigh McIvor (Vancouver, BC), and Andrée Janyk, mother of Olympians Britt and Michael Janyk (Whistler, BC).
Owen Carney“They are unbelievable in putting in the man hours that go into creating the races we enjoy,” said Mike Janyk, a downhill skier who has represented Canada in Turin and Vancouver. “It’s quite the production in Alpine Skiing to put on a race. When you have 100 plus people working through the night it’s pretty special. It’s a great community.”
Carney and the Weasels have left an impact on the sport and most notably with Alpine Canada and its racers.
“They have a reputation for being great event organizers and staging world-class ski races,” said Keith Bradford, the Director of Communications at Alpine Canada. “Everyone loves (Owen) in the ski community.”
According to Carney, the Weasels do what they do because of their love for ski racing. They never fear about going the extra mile and don’t even think about compensation.
“In a lot of countries they have to pay people to do this,” said Carney. “For us they just have to buy us a beer at the end of the day.
Seeing how much the athletes love their courses is enough for Carney, and for that the athletes and the rest of Canada is thankful.
“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” added Janyk. “We absolutely see the effort. We wouldn’t be able to do it without them. It’s that simple. Not only without their work, but without their passion for putting on events.”
- George Fadel
For more photos and full story click here!
Posted by: Leighton on April 29, 2013
- April 25, 2013 | Awards night 2013
Congratulations to all our athletesCongratulations to all our athletes
WMSC Awards 2013
Sportsmanship Award
U12 Eric Smith
U14 Matthew Ng
U16 Max Kirshenblatt
U18 Sam Kirshenblatt
SX Adam Gibson
Most Improved Skier Awards
U12 Curtis Jepsen & Gemma Bexton
U14 Edward Coleman, Meg Swaffield
U16 Ciaran Beveridge, Christina MacLeod
U18 Julian Brumec-Parsons, Elizabeth Kepl
SX Sarah Lepine
Top Skiers of the year
U14 Finn Iles, Mollie Jepsen
U16 Jack Crawford, Mikayla Martin
U18 Austin Llewellyn, Kelly Steeves
SX Tyler Murray
U99 Wendy Harrison
Joel Aston Award - Riley Seger
Dave Murray Bursary - Sam Kirshenblatt
Jordan Schick Bursary - Hannah Kapur
Crash of the Year: Liz Kepl
Vollie of the year: Jenni YatesPosted by: Leighton on April 25, 2013
