Hard to believe, but the GDHL season is halfway done! This weekend featured our annual Friday Night Lights and our last GS of the year.
In this newsletter:
Friday Night Lights Recap
Saturday GS Recap
Mid Season Apres! February 17th
Bib Auctions
Winter World Masters Games
Message from Glenn, Adult Race Head Coach
Interclub Message
Athletic Fundraiser - Fire and Ice
Bye Week This Week!
Friday Night Lights Recap
Consistent with what has become a trend this year, we had record turnout at our Friday Night Lights slalom race. The Base Lodge was humming, the hills were filled with fans, and our racers put on a show worthy of this great event.
Notable performances at the top of the standings included Mike Welton with his first victory of the season, Meg Ryley picking up an auction bib and finishing fourth, and Andrew Athey recording his first top 10 of the season. In addition, those that put in training sessions really saw some improvement in their slalom placings.
118 racers (and countless fans on the hill) were treated to an exciting night of slalom racing. You may have noticed an exciting new voice walking the crowds through the results on Friday night. We had a cameo from the talented Mike Garrity, who was announcing his first ever ski race. Thanks Mike!
As this was our first Slalom of the year, a few new faces climbed the standings with their performances. Many racers put up their best results of the season, including Marc Warren, Chloe Berry, Peri Wiseman, and Margaret Squires.
Fresh off the surgeon's table, Warren Finlay showed that he is still the longest-tenured slalom specialist at the club.
Andrea McLorie appears to be closing the gap with husband Scott, who himself had his most honest showing of the post-Covid era.
Peter Dyson somehow pulled off a miracle and took brother Brook by an unprecedented 13 spots. Satisfied that David had successfully slayed Goliath, Peter decided not to take a second run.
Get well soon Harry. We are all thinking of you.
Saturday GS
Less than 24 hours after our first slalom race of the year, the GDHL saw it's last GS race of 2024. Comet was the site of a slightly shorter GS course that had some gnarly features built in courtesy of the morning's junior race. Thanks to the Coyotes for clearing the track and making it an enjoyable afternoon.
The team standings now have Vortex (medium Calcutta price), Landslide (bargain price!), and Big John (record setting expensive) in the top three spots. Unlike the Republican primaries, this race is still up for grabs with spots four through seven within striking distance of our top three teams.
For those tracking the progress of Gareth Imrie, the second run was faster by almost a second. Take the over on Gareth.
The auction bibs were scooped up by the Westlake family who grabbed Kim and Chadwick some sweet start positions. Kim laid down a record finish, while Chadwick may be bidding for another bib next week.
Alex Carter and Shelly Spivak are now neck and neck in the standings, trading rankings over multiple weeks. This new rivalry is heating up, with the winner possibly finding tequila magically appearing in front of the winner at an apres.
Speaking of Apres, the GDHL Apres is set for the day before the Dual Slalom of the Long Weekend. If you have a grudge match, let us know at gdhl@gdhl.org, we will do our best to put you in the gates against each other.
MID-SEASON APRES
Get ready for the apres of the year. The GDHL committee has been able to secure a date and location for our mid-season apres!
We are kickin' it old school... in the North Lodge. Similar to last year's South Lodge Apres.
Who: GDHL'ers, their families and Fans!
(Yes, kids as well!)
When: Saturday, February 17th 3:30-5:30
(Family Day weekend and day before the Dual Slalom)
Where: North Lodge
What: Old School BYOB Apres with munchies
We will have some beer from our fabulous sponsor Side Launch and Nicholas Pearce Wines will be there pouring a selection of fine wines for your refined palate. www.npwines.com
Get those rivalries in check for the dual the next day!
Bring the kids! Similar to the Calcutta, we will have a kids section and helpers.
More info to come as we get closer!
Bib Auctions
Our bib auctions for #10 and #20 in the starting hut have been a big success and win-win for everyone involved. Our successful bidders have benefited with personal bests, as the confidence of a freshly laid course has led them to some impressive times. Wearing an official bib from last year’s Ski Cross World Cup has rubbed off on these racers!
More importantly, we have raised $750 for Craigleith Cares (https://www.craigleithcares.org/). Thank you bidders!
With three races remaining, there will be further opportunities to place your bid and grab a better starting position. And a tax receipt and good karma to go with it. As the competition amongst teams heats up, these elusive bibs could be the difference maker.
Stay tuned to this newsletter and our Instagram feed for more information on where and when the next auction will take place. Don't miss out!
Winter World Masters Games in Italy
Remember a while back when we told you Tiana Koffler-Boyman and Jeff Sutherland were going to the Winter World Masters Games in Lombardy, Italy? Well this was also news to Jeff as well...Ooops! He is going to another set of Masters races later in the year.
But.... getting back to Europe, it should surprise no one, that Tiana did a few warm up races in Austria before the big games, where she posted great results in a very competitive age category.
Our Speed Queen then sped off to the Winter World Master Games in Italy, where she posted a 2nd in the Super G, just off the podium in GS and then raced the slalom.
Check out her results below. Great job TIANA!
Message from Glenn Blaylock, Head Coach, Adult Race Programs
We will be training Giant Slalom this Friday (January 26) as outlined below.
Coaches Tips:
The Line. Where you ski through a racecourse is as important as how you ski through a racecourse. To learn about the different ‘Lines’ click on this link: https://medium.com/alpine-race-method-for-adults/line-a6b0859907aa
Course Inspection: Inspecting the racecourse before a race will improve your result and reduce the risk of injury. To learn more, click here: https://medium.com/alpine-race-method-for-adults/course-inspection-deadb0d2d53f
Friday Training
Date: Friday, January 26
Time: 9:30 to 11:30 am / 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Hill: (Check the White Board at National Chair to Confirm).
Discipline: Giant Slalom
Equipment: GS Skis, Hard Shell Helmet and Forearm guards.
Coaches: Glenn Blaylock and Greg Roe
Thank you for slipping the course and helping the coaches remove the race gates at the end of the training session.
Ski with Purpose
Interclub Message, from James Mathers
As many of you know, Craigleith has won the interclub finals 11 times in a row, for which some of you can take credit. Our hopes of successfully defending our regular season championship have sadly been lost in the tumult of racing in Caledon and conflicting schedules, but there remains every chance of winning the final showdown on Big John. It's coming up soon, on Saturday 24 February.
Interclub racing is primarily a team event. Those who can win overall are great to have, but those who can do pretty well in a big age group are often even more valuable. The requirements to qualify for the finals have changed to our advantage this year. Some can qualify solely based on GDHL participation and will never have an away race, but life is much easier for the team captain if you can get to the interclub races at Alpine on Saturday 3 February (no GDHL conflict) or TSC on Saturday 10 February, or better yet both.
Many leading names have already expressed interest. Our sophisticated masters racing performance analytics system, proudly built with all natural intelligence, has identified names such as Clark, Raymond (S.), Zoricic, Banfield, McCool, Lenauskas (C.), Pedlar, Gust (one or more), Farrow, McConachie, Murdison, Bruce (F.) and Copp among potential contributors who haven't donned the Club colours recently, if at all. The Staples family is thought to be holidaying at the critical time, unless Paul Peterson can shame them into not taking one for the team. Of course, anyone of a similar age to those named who fancies themselves as faster would be carefully considered.
Those who fit the description or just want to be part of the well-known exclusive social events associated with interclub are encouraged to contact Taylor Simms-Brown (tsimmsbrown@jascor-intl.com) or James Mathers (jamie.mathers@gmail.com) as pronto as possible to get more details.
Athletic Fundraiser - February 10th
Tickets are still available for the Athletic Fundraiser on February 10th. Always a highlight of the year, the fundraiser is a good time to raise money for a good cause: our athletes!
If you’ve ever raced in the GDHL, you have benefited from those proceeds: start huts, finish huts, safety netting, timing gear, gates, and so much more.
Tickets are available on the club website.
No Race This Week
Rest your bodies, exercise your livers, and get in the right headspace for next weekend! The Super G race is down National on Saturday February 4th. Downhill suits are allowed and speed is encouraged! Wax those skis and get your headspace worked out, because we are doing a Super G!