Women Take Charge

Shelley asked that I capture this moment from the adult gates Christmas camp, as two women setting gates together is apparently a rarity at the higher levels of coaching.

*Shelley and Carrie - Women Who Are Outstanding in Their Field!*

Interclub Version 2014

As previously reported, changes at Alpine Ontario resulted in the traditional interclub team racing not being on their sanctioned calendar for 2014. However, a group of enthusiasts at several of the participating clubs have worked together to allow the series to continue independently in close to its familiar form, so with AOA's new individual masters' series, there will be more options than ever this year for Craigleith adult racers.

There are presently four races scheduled, with teams from Craigleith, Georgian Peaks, Alpine, Caledon and Toronto Ski Club participating. The first race will be a GS at Craigleith this coming Sunday afternoon. Races will follow at the Peaks on 18 January, Alpine on 1 February and Caledon on 15 February (all Saturdays). In the temporary absence of our captain, Taylor Simms-Brown, Chris Shipton is co-ordinating the Craigleith contingent for Sunday's race. E-mail Chris as fast as you can if you are interested. No need to commit for more than this race. More details of the interclub format can be found on our website.

Remember, Remember, Remember

There is still time for your friends to register for the GDHL, although it may be too late to be on a team. The Club's online registration will be closed down shortly, but you can contact Kylie Deacon at the Club as an alternative.
GDHL Calcutta is Saturday at 5 pm in the South Lodge. See the last newsletter for all the details. It's on the website!
There will be GS training for adults on Friday at the Club. Sessions are at 9:30 am and 1:00 pm. Contact Laurel Armstrong at the Club to sign up for one or both. Also contact Laurel if you want one of the last couple of places available for the adult gates nine week program.
The nine week program begins on Saturday, 4 January. The Saturday morning session starts at 9:30 and you should meet the coaches at the base of the National chair then. If you're delayed, look for a notice at the chair concerning the location of the training course. We will be training GS. Because of the GDHL race on Sunday morning, the Sunday session is rescheduled for 1 pm on Saturday. Again meet at the National chair and look for a sign if you're delayed. Please warm up with several free runs before starting your gate training session.
As you've probably gathered by now, the first GDHL race is a GS on Big John at 10 am Sunday. Inspection will start about 9:15 and end about 9:45.
More for those doing gate training:
- The coaches will provide you with feedback during training sessions, although you may not get or need feedback on every run. You can help the coaches provide feedback effectively by having a focus for each run (don't change the focus too often) and letting them know what it is so that they can comment on that. You can use the radio at the top of the course to ask a coach to watch you specifically, but please don't hold up any line with a long radio discussion. Also, if we're starting where the course isn't entirely visible, use the radio to make sure the course is clear before starting.
- Attendance at individual sessions has often been unpredictable and, if everyone shows up when we're training on a hill serviced by a high speed chair, line ups can occur. Coaches will make adjustments to address them. You may, for example, be asked to alternate free runs with runs in the course in order to put waiting time to better use. Please help us implement these adjustments.
- Finally, please be sure that you are at the course during the last 15 minutes of each session to assist with removing gates, collecting equipment and side-slipping the course. Side slipping is particularly important, as course areas are often used by other members for free skiing after programs are finished.

Live in Hope

Video highlights of the Bormio World Cup DH, in which Eric Guay established a new record for podium finishes by a Canadian racer, although Pod never got a chance to ski Super G and would have picked up some more podiums had the event existed in the day.

And here is some behind the scenes footage of the Alta Badia GS race.

Diversions / Cheaper to Keep 'Er

The wife of one of our racers passed along the following story. I think it bears repeating, being of a genre that many readers have said they find amusing. It seems that on the occasion of his 45th wedding anniversary, a gentleman was reflecting on the changes that had occurred during that time. He recalled that when they were married, he and his wife slept in a pull-out bed in a rundown apartment, watched a 10 inch black and white television and drove a beat-up second hand car. Realizing that they now slept in a king-size bed in a million dollar house equipped with multiple large colour televisions and with new luxury vehicles in the driveway, he ventured to suggest to his wife that, since he was now sleeping with a mature 68 year old woman rather than a 23 year old hottie, perhaps she hadn't kept up her part of the deal. His wife quite reasonably agreed that he was welcome to seek out a 23 year old hottie, with the caveat that, if he did so, she wouldn't rest until he was once again sleeping in a pull-out bed in a rundown apartment, watching a 10 inch black and white television and driving a beat-up second hand car!

Happy New Year!

James Mathers