Last year, the Club opened on the first weekend of December, which this year is only two weekends away. Looking out the window, and through other windows onto the world, it's hard not to be a bit optimistic, even as we remember the slow starts of '11 and '12. If you've suddenly awoken to the reality of the calendar, it's not too late to catch the last week of the Pratte training camp in Sun Peaks, starting next Saturday.

In the meantime, be sure you've got your GDHL and adult training registrations completed. The GDHL race calendar is now posted on the GDHL website. All races are shown as morning starts, but that is temporary, while finishing touches are made on the overall schedule at the Club. Some will be moved to the afternoon, but the dates and events are fairly firm. Remember, the nine week program doesn't start until the weekend after the GDHL starts (at the end of the school break), so you will need to sign up for the Christmas or New Year's camps to get some training in before the first race, Goodness knows, we all need training. Even Ted Ligety has a few setbacks along the way. Click here for details. See below for video highlights of the opening World Cup SL races in Levi.

Even more recently, Phil Brown scored two podium finishes in Europa Cup GS races, including a win in the second one. Click here for details. Some will remember that Phil arrived in the starting area of our GDHL endurance SL on Partridge a few years ago, just as the event was ending. The winning time was about 69 seconds. Phil laid down a 61 without the benefit of inspection or removing his down jacket. At that time, the suggestion was that Phil was phast, but not quite as quick as Pat Wright, who was burning up the local slopes after himself having won a Europa Cup race. Phil has, no doubt, learned a couple of things since then, and we invite him to have another try at impressing the GDHL crowd should he be in town on a winter weekend in 2015 :)

Marcel Hirscher didn't win in Levi, but see below for other things he's been up to.

Also heli skiing in Canada. Click here for a pic. And here for a short video with a less successful ending.

Enough for now. Work hard in the gym, enjoy the football games, and hopefully we'll see you on the hill very soon!

Cheers,

James Mathers