Congratulations to the 90 finishers of last Saturday’s slalom! For many it was a daunting challenge to ski down Comet, on bullet proof snow, through the technical course, this early in the ski season. For those who finished, but were hoping for better results, you get another chance tomorrow (Friday)!
We, the GDHL committee are well aware that our program is filled with A type personalities, who are eager to plan their winters around the race schedules we publish. That is why we are so appreciative of your excitement and anticipation of this week’s Friday Night Lights race. This is the second time we will be running a race like this, and it brings us a lot of pride to do so. There are details and information all below to get you ready for Friday Night Lights, and if you click below, you can listen to the movie’s soundtrack to get you focused and into the zone!
Real picture from last year’s rendition of the GDHL Night Slalom
Once you have read all the details about tomorrow’s race, continue on for an in-depth recap of last Saturday’s Slalom race, and then announcements from our coach, details on our jacket order, and a reminder to sign up for this year’s hot event on the Escarpment, the GTHS Ski for Pets Day at Craigleith.
Clear Eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.
This is the catchy motto of the celebrated Dillon Panthers in the Friday Night Lights franchise. It is also very important as you prepare for racing on Friday evening. The lights on Little John are great for night skiing, but if you use high-tint goggles that are better fitted for bluebird days everything on the hill dims. Make sure your eye protection is either clear, or low light classified. You will be glad you did!
How this will all go down:
It is a traditional slalom, last year the winning runs were in the low 20 seconds, while the back of the pack was up in the low 30 seconds. It will not be a leg burner. The course will be set on Little John skier’s left with the finish corral at the same level as Big John finish hut just on the other side of the trees. Spectators are encouraged to cheer on their friends, and teammates can make noise for their brethren.
Non-GDHL’er Participation:
This is a great opportunity for anyone (18+) looking to try racing out or try racing out again! We invite all Craigleith badged skiers to join us at the start gate at the conclusion of the first run. The mandatory equipment are: helmet, 2 ski poles with intact baskets, 2 skis attached to boots which are attached to your feet. That is it. We look forward to having everyone joining us!
Après:
Please read as this is important… heck après is always important! There will not be traditional lodge food service on Friday evening, as it is the Friday night family dinner, which you of course may participate in, but you must buy a ticket to do so. There is bar service which you can take advantage of following successful navigation of Little John, but please do not expect the cafeteria to cater to you as usual.
This is a Mandatory Après event, which means the GDHL committee will be happy to incent you to be around after the race to join in friendly cheer with your fellow racers and fans.
Training:
Above and beyond the training note that is included below from our Head Coach Adult Programs, Glenn Blaylock, there is gate training Thursday night. Yes, night, slalom training, under the lights. Those who take advantage of this can pre-scout the conditions for Friday night.
Onto Last Saturday!
For 90 skiers, Saturday was a success. There were some hectic skiing conditions which regretfully impacted some of veterans of the GDHL, but that did not slow down the pack. By 2:45 on Saturday afternoon the race was wrapped up and we had successfully completed the second race of our young GDHL season.
Dax Cavers shreds a smooth right booter on the last pitch of Comet last Saturday. Photo Credit Robert Vitols @robertvitols
Results:
They are live! Click here for our new results page. https://gdhl.results.mectiming.org/ This will soon be connected to our main site. Everything looks good to us, but if you see an issue, please reach out.
Winners:
In the short season, there already seems to be some trending performances. The women were led by Meg Ryley (32.04) – her second win in a row, with Katie Farrow taking second place (33.84) – her second time placing behind Meg, and Annie Deeks in her inaugural GDHL season placed third (34.41). All three skiers were unable to improve with their second runs, showing that they really put the pedal down out of the gate! The women’s title will again be tightly contested this season!
Meg Ryley, Women’s Winner. Photo Credit Robert Vitols @robertvitols
The men’s side was led by familiar names as well. Mike Welton (29.99) took top spot for the second time, while Ben Williams found himself .32 back (30.31) in second place, Kyle Farrow made his mark on the GDHL season with his first podium of his young career skiing a 31.89. Interestingly, Kyle is the outlier as his second run was an improvement, unlike the other five listed above. Maybe Kyle is finding his edges and charging for those top spots? Time will tell.
Mike Welton, Men’s Winner. Photo Credit Robert Vitols @robertvitols
Rivalries:
Having 90 finishers in a Slalom race is an all-time record. With so many racers come lots of fantastic highlights. The most impressive is the marital rivalry between Christine and Dan Lacey. Christine got the better of Dan this week by one position, and only 0.40 on the clock. Not only are they competitive 1v1, but they represent different teams too… this is going to heat up!
In the President’s Cup, Chris Fregren took down his successor, James Mathers, with his time of 40.05, besting the 41.26. James did not finish his second run, some wonder if he had to run off to manage a club matter… and had he finished would he have closed the gap? We get to find out how much parity there really is between these two on Friday!
Both Brook (37.97) and Peter Dyson (38.81), (AKA the Dyson Boys) laid the beat down on David Henderson (39.48). David has for the past few years had some remarkable results, but he is still finding his stride this season. Again, an opportunity for us to enjoy drama that this competition brings.
Peter Dyson showing off the importance of front release bindings during his first run. Photo Credit Robert Vitols @robertvitols
The Ottaways are sticking close together, skiing nearly identical results. Andrew (37.06) narrowly beating Phil (37.40) before they both DNF’d second run. Their two teams, Venture and Millennium respectfully, are going to need those points to have a chance at the top prize!
As far as family rivalries goes, there may be none larger than the Mintz family, which Lauren, Stan, and Dave (Liberty/Robinson), kept their ranking close. Lauren took the win, with her second run time of 52.44, Stan (53.04) and Dave (53.68) did their best to catch her.
In the most publicised rivalry of them all, Brayden Irwin (42.16) beat Paul Peterson (45.30). This fun, competitive row has spilled into social media, so be sure to find Pauly P the Ski Racer on Instagram.
Some Debuts:
Alex Carter made his GDHL debut with consistent times across both runs, scoring 45.85 on his first and 45.63 on his second. Nothing scarier than a consistent racer finding their form and chasing you down in the rankings through the season.
Erik Vitols jumped in gates for the first time in a decade! Skiing to 44.79 and 43.93 he is poised to make waves as the season progresses, especially in the speed events.
Robbie Bruce, of the Bruce Family race genes that bring us Fraser and Gordie, debuted his skiing ability on Saturday.
Trevor Currie made an impression! Skiing to a best finish of 38.34 his inaugural GDHL race can only be described as successful!
First Timers:
Of course, there is nothing more exciting than doing something for the first time. Saturday afternoon we had a lot of newcomers to Slalom racing, including: Mario Skopek, Ainsling Lanigan, Lauren Hitchman, Geoff Matthews, David Singh, Richard Kennedy and lots more. Let us know if it is your first-time racing and what you think, we always love hearing from our fellow racers!
Foreeeee Runners:
This past weekend we had the distinct pleasure of having Phil Brown, retired World Cup Ski racer, fore run our course. Watching Phil was a treat, and we hope to continue to have some special people participate in this way. If you are able, be ready to watch the fore runners!
Disqualification and Sportsmanship
It will not surprise you to know that the GDHL races are not stipulated by any sport governing body, which means we do not have gate keepers. This means that you as skiers have the distinct pleasure/responsibility/burden to self-report when you miss gates, or DSQ as it is termed in ski racing. This can cause a lot of confusion in Slalom races as many finish our runs, even when we make a catastrophic error. To self-report, please email gdhl@gdhl.org and we will remove your invalid result from the database. When you self report you get a nice, warm, fuzzy feeling of doing the right thing and maybe a drink ticket to thank you for your honesty and sportsmanship the next time we see you.
Social Media and More
Are you craving more GDHL content? Or are you a millennial that does not use email? We have you covered! Head on over to our GDHL Instagram page to check out the latest. Besides all the awesome pics we post updates to events, and schedule changes as well. Email is our primary way to your brains, but social media is a close and quick second route too. @Craigleith_GDHL
Jackets!
We are getting great traction on our jacket order. Pictured below is the svelte, mini-puff, insulator jacket that will help you establish our status at the Craigleith bar and on the patio. This thing means business AND party, and it will gladly keep you warm as you do both!
Over the last two weeks we have received a lot of emails requesting orders, but we have not gotten back to everyone yet. We will, just give us some time.
↑ Click above to register! ↑
This year our friends at Sutherland Insurance are presenting a new fundraiser at Craigleith which will benefit the Georgian Triangle Humane Society. Get your tickets now before they sell out!
Happening on Thursday, February 2nd, at our club. Tickets are $150 for visitors and $75 for Craigleith members and promise to deliver fantastic enjoyment all for a great cause!
This is Proudly sponsored Royal Canin, Aspen & Ivey Interiors, L. Patten & Sons, Thornbury Laser Clinic, Chris Fregren, and Byron Darlison
Coaches Corner:
From Glenn Blaylock, Craigleith Head Coach, Adult Race Programs
We will be training slalom on Zipper this Friday morning (9:30 am) and afternoon (12:30 pm) to prepare folks for the evening slalom race on Little John.
Coaches Tips from Glenn Blaylock, Craigleith Head Coach, Adult Race Programs
Bending the Ski, Ankle Flexion and The Inside Leg
Bending the Ski
A ski will carve and accelerate when the outside ski bends. This is accomplished by tipping the new outside ski on its edge creating “Edge Angle”. The tip and tail of the ski will touch the snow while the middle of the ski will be off the snow due to the camber of the ski. When pressure is applied to the ski it will bend and carve. The greater the edge angle, the tighter the radius of the turn. Watch this video for an excellent explanation.
Ankle Flexion
Flexing ankles; called “Ankle Flexion” in the ski industry, is important for balance, to start a new turn, feeling and responding to changes of terrain and snow conditions and other aspects of skiing. When standing in the athletic position (reviewed in our previous Coaches Tip) our ankles are flexed forward so you feel light pressure against the front of the boots. To start a new turn, flex forward the ankle on the new outside ski until you feel pressure under the big toe. This action will tip the new outside ski on edge and apply pressure to the front of the ski causing the ski to start carving. When flexing forward it is critical the outside leg remains stacked with no inward movement of the knee. Deb Armstrong, previously with the U.S. Ski Team, focuses on the importance of Ankle Flexion in the following video. (Note: If you cannot feel pressure on the balls of your feet when flexing your ankles forward your boots are too stiff and need to be adjusted).
PS: Ignore the one comment made in the video about pulling the feet backwards. This action is not recommended for skiing as the focus should be on forward and lateral movements.
The Inside Leg
To achieve greater edge angle, roll the inside knee and ankle away from the outside leg allowing your shins to be parallel throughout the turn. Start this movement the same time you start flexing your outside ankle forward onto the big toe. It is very important there is “no pressure” on the inside ski when performing this movement. It is also important the upper body is in the athletic position and not leaning away from your outside ski to ensure you do not fall sideways. A good indicator of where your upper body should be is make sure the zipper of your jacket is vertical with the snow. You can achieve this body position by planting or touching your pole down the fall line with your outside arm. Remember to keep your inside arm forward as well. The ski tips also need to be level to prevent the body twisting and applying pressure to the tail of the inside ski. To increase Edge Angle even more shorten or flex the inside leg as you roll the inside knee towards the snow. Deb Armstrong’s following video provides a very good explanation and demonstration of these movements.
Drills to Activate the Inside Leg
The Javelin Drill exaggerates the movement of rolling the ankle to keep the ski tips level and pressing the inside knee away from the outside leg. Refer to the previous Coaches Tip for an explanation and video of how to perform this drill.
An excellent drill to learn how to ski with Parallel Shins is to remove you poles and place your hands on the outside of your knees. As you flex your ankle forward to apply pressure to the new outside ski, press the inside knee outwards against your hand. Your shins will be parallel. Try this drill on an easy to moderate slope at first. Enjoy the following fun video on how to perform this drill.
This was a long one, but then again, we have a lot to share. It is an exciting season, and gosh it feels good! See you all on Friday and this weekend. As you get ready to ski down Little John Friday night, and you hear the roar of the crowd, the cowbells clanging, the lights shining bright through your clear goggles, remember this from Coach Taylor of Friday Night Lights:
“I said you need to strive to be better than everyone else. I didn’t say you needed to be better than everyone else. But you gotta try. That’s what character is: It’s in the try.”
— Coach Taylor
We are going to have a lot of fun!
- Doug