The highly-anticipated Super G is here! Get your best Jack Crawford impression ready, because we are going fast this weekend!

In this newsletter:

Sponsors
Friday Night Slalom Recap
North Lodge Apres
Super G Details
Adult Race Training
Remaining Schedule
GDHL Awards Party
Fundraiser

Friday Night Slalom Race Recap - brought to you by Paul P.

If there was ever any doubt as to the popularity of the GDHL or the commitment level of the racers, those doubts were put to rest as we had a great turnout for the Friday night slalom which was a make up race from the cancelled race last week. Many racers who already had Friday night plans in place had to “abandonee” those plans to make it up to Little John in time to put some points on the board for their team. Mike Welton for example, left his young baby unattended at home alone so he could be there. Gordie Bruce, just recently named one of the 50 sexiest people in Ski Country by “On the bay” magazine cancelled his photo shoot at the last minute to make the race. Jeff Sutherland skipped his 3rd bicep workout of the day to be there and it was rumoured Brayden Irwin and Lauren Howe tried to skip their wedding in Zermatt to fly back in time for the race but unfortunately the flights were already sold out. As you can tell the commitment required to be a top racer in the GDHL is significant.

Remember that movie , Friday night lights with Billy Bob Thornton?! Neither do I ….but I imagine it was almost as exciting as our Friday night finish. With Griffin Copp down at an all inclusive singles retreat in Cancun, it was anybody's guess who would finish on the podium. Scott Barrett held the lead after the 1st run and was already texting his parents to make sure they were watching the live timing as he could taste his first GDHL victory coming. As is often the case, the last racer down on the 2nd run was Magic Mike Welton who stole the victory, knocking Scott down into 2nd place . Speaking of last second disappointments, Meg Ryley was sitting in 3rd place, about to be the first female on the GDHL podium since Kate Veer back in ’97 but Benny Williams snuck by Meg in his 2nd run and stole the bottom step on the podium.

In the ladies division it was Meg, followed once again by Cheryl McConachie but with Madison Staples not competing (her and her Dad "Dashing Dave" we’re out of town) Ciara Gaffney took advantage and took home 3rd place. Lindsay Brazill with a solid 4th place in her first year back to GDHL . I don’t want this newsletter to become a gossip column but Lindsay mentioned to me after the race that she really hoped Griffin Copp noticed her great finish.

Honourable mentions:

Riley “the rocket” Keast laid down an incredible 2nd run to jump ahead of several GDHL legends including former President James “Money” Mathers and Chris “salty dog” Clark.

The only person being talked about more than Jack Crawford this weekend was Quinn Richardson, known universally as one of the nicest guys at the club. He laid down an incredible run, finishing a career best 55th overall. Quinn attributes his success to the 4 “courage shots" of Fireball he had from Carries water bottle before hitting the course.

Brent Addison, ridiculed after his first race for another DNF, has bounced back quite nicely and finished 7th overall in race #4. Brent and Hot Nat were seen leaving the race immediately after 2nd run to get home and “celebrate” as she put it.

Carrie Laurencelle took down Zack Koorneef in the highly contested “safe skier” category.

A Night to forget:

Tina Ciccociopo had such a slow time she officially changed her last name to Stacey on the GDHL roster after the race. Tony and his consortium will be expecting Tina to bounce back nicely in race #5.

Slippery Pete Dyson finished 10 spots behind his brother Brook which is unfortunate because last Friday night, Pete actually finished ahead of Brook. Luckily for our GDHL president , last weeks results have been stripped from the record books.

Random thoughts and musings:

The GDHL apres on Saturday was amazing. Fantastic free food, free drinks and we got to see some glorious ski sweaters come to that would normally be too sweaty to wear during a base lodge apres. Great job by those who organized it.

There are a lot of awesome ski families in GDHL and the 4 Brenzels are right up there at the top. We’ve got young Matt who skis really fast , Pistol Pete the Dad who finishes only slightly ahead of me (no more explanation needed) which leaves Molly and Sydney. I won’t say who is who but one of these 2 is the "fast" one and the other is the “fun" one. Team Manitou, unfortunately got saddled with the “fun” one.

The famous GDHL announcer has been calling Duff Isberg, Duff “Iceberg” so we should all call Duff "the iceman" going forward. Speaking of Duff, it’s amazing to me how a guy can miss a few years with a terrible injury and still come back and ski with the top dogs. Well done iceman.

I learned that Ian Latimer has been skiing in the GDHL since before the Comet chair was moved to its current location. Ian must have an entire bedroom in his basement full of old GDHL swag and Al Lachance game worn race suits. What a legend.

Don’t get too excited or disappointed when you look at the overall team standings on-line. As of now they are counting total points so it’s essentially an attendance contest at this point. Remember only the top 4 races count so once more people get races in, the standings will change quickly.

That’s all for now, I would go on but I’m sure we’ll have another BLE newsletter to read today and there is only so much time in the day.

Great effort by all those who made it in time for the Friday night race!

North Lodge Apres

Good times in the North Lodge this past Saturday! Thanks again to Nicholas Pearce Wines, Corona, Sidelaunch, and The Nomad Chef for helping us put together a great afternoon.

Send us your pictures and we will get them up on the @craigleith_gdhl instagram account.

Super G - brought to you by Sutherland Insurance

Sunday at 12:30pm (note the modified start time) will see the 2025 version of GDHL speed weekend. This year’s event will be a Super G down National that crosses over to finish on Big John. You’ll see the track set up for the younger racers (GDHL prospects) over the next few days, and we should have a very similar setup.

This year’s race will feature a new prize - The Sutherland Cup. The top performing team in the Super G (total points) will be recognized at our end-of-year event. Thanks to Sutherland Insurance for sponsoring this prestigious recognition.

Due to the increased speed on the course, there are enhanced safety protocols for Sunday’s race. Please read these carefully, as they provide a safe racing environment for everyone.

Weather permitting, we are planning for two runs on Sunday. The course will be set by former National and Provincial Team coach Benoit Lalande.

Some details for race day are as follows:

Downhill suits are allowed, pole guards are not allowed, helmet cams are not allowed, and hard eared helmets are mandatory.
Because of the speed, there are extra safety rules around this race that need to be followed.
Inspection is MANDATORY for all racers and will be from 10:30am to 11:30am. Please check in at the top of the race course with your bib number. Your name will be checked off a list. If you do not inspect, you do not race.
A Yellow Flag waving while you are on the course means that there is an obstruction or fallen racer ahead of you. Please try to safely stop and see the closest member of the race crew. You will be granted a rerun.
The Yellow Flag will be placed on the course during inspection. Please take note of where they are located.
If you see an athlete experience a fall, please do not attempt to enter the race course and approach them. While we totally understand and can relate to your urgency to help, Speed race emergency plan protocols will already have been activated to protect the safety of athletes, officials, and course workers on course.
Only accredited personnel are allowed inside the fences (athletes, course officials, coaches, ski patrol, and course workers)
Once inspection is closed, you must leave the course.

Our race crew - The Coyotes - are there to ensure a safe and fun racing experience on this exciting Super G course. Many members of our Coyotes crew are veterans of World Cup races throughout Canada, and bring that safety know-how to our GDHL races. Thank you Coyotes!

In the event an athlete requires medical assistance the course crew will ensure the course is clear before allowing the Ski Patrol to move to the athlete. This may require the "Yellow Flagging" of an athlete that is currently on course. As a spectator, this may seem like the course crew is not aware, however, they are ensuring that no one else gets injured while they are responding.

All GDHL racers are asked to assist with tear down after the race. It takes many hands to remove the safety netting. Please meet at the top of the course just prior to the last racer. One of the course crew will advise you of where they can use your expertise. (Don’t want to help? That’s OK, we need to make tough decisions regarding registration for next year anyways…)

The GDHL organizers, Club staff, and the Craigleith Coyotes race crew appreciate your assistance with the course clean up! Many thanks in advance from all of us.

Please send us an email or connect through IG or WhatsApp if you have ANY questions around the Super G. This is another first for a lot of you, so please don't hesitate to ask.

Here’s a clip of the 2017 Super G down Landslide from GDHL alum Morgan Rubes. (Click on his profile for a treasure trove of other GDHL videos. Thanks Morgan!)

Message from Glenn Blaylock, Head Coach, Adult Race Programs

We will be training fast Giant Slalom this Friday to prepare you for the Super G race.

Date: Friday, January 31
Time: 9:30 to 11:30 am / 12:30 to 2:30 pm
Hill: Millennium
Discipline: Fast Giant Slalom
Equipment: GS Skis, Hard Shell Helmet and appropriate Safety Gear including forearm guards
Coaches: Al LaChance and Eugene Jacta

Coach’s Tips:

Inspecting and visualizing a racecourse, especially for speed events, will improve your performance and reduce the risk of injury. After your inspection, you should be able to close your eyes and mentally see yourself skiing through the course. Learning how to prepare for gates that are out of view is essential. Please take the time to review these critical skills: Here’s the link: https://alpineracemethod.com/inspection
Increase your speed safely on the straighter sections of a racecourse by using these strategies: adopt the High and Low Tuck stances to reduce air resistance, glide on your ski bases, execute clean carved turns, and ski smoothly over rollers. I recommend watching the video of five key drills for improving skiing at speed. Here’s the link: https://alpineracemethod.com/speed

Race Day Tips

Race officials may instruct you to inspect the course from outside the track. When this happens, inspect the course from the side instead of slipping through it. This helps preserve the snow and dye lines on the racecourse.
Unless you are an experienced racer with a background in downhill and Super G events, it is strongly recommended to use the skis you normally use for Giant Slalom. Longer skis designed for speed events require time and experience to handle safely.
When racing in an aerodynamic suit, bring two jackets to the race. Leave one jacket near the finish area to put on after your first run. This will help you stay warm while riding the chairlift back to the start for your second run or when retrieving your other jacket. To learn more tips about keeping warm on race day, tap here: https://alpineracemethod.com/cold-weather

Coach Glenn’s Absence

I’m in St. Moritz, Switzerland, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first ski race between the British and Swiss university ski teams. I competed for the British team during my university years in the U.K. and will be racing in the alumni race later this week. The "Anglo-Swiss" competition remains the world’s oldest team downhill ski race still held today. If you’d like to learn more about the origins of downhill ski racing and the history of this race, tap here: https://www.busc1926.com/history

In my absence, your assistance in slipping the course and removing the race gates at the end of the training session would be greatly appreciated.

Ski with Purpose

Glenn

Remaining Races

Saturday February 8th - PRESENTED BY RAYMOND JAMES - Slalom (SL) - ‘Lil John at 1pm

Sunday February 16th - PRESENTED BY LYSANDER FUNDS - Dual Slalom (SL) - ‘Lil John at 1pm

Saturday March 1st - End Of Season Event

GDHL Awards Party

As Travis Kelce’s girlfriend says... “Are you ready for it?”

The year end awards party for the GDHL is coming in hot. Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 1st! This won’t be your average awards banquet. We've got something up our sleeve that’s sure to make it a night to remember as we say farewell to another GDHL season. Prepare yourselves accordingly and book the babysitters now.

What’s the awards dinner? Well, it’s where we find out who the winning team is! Which owner/consortium made the best decision at the Calcutta, talk about the battles of the season, celebrate the top female and male finishers, cheers to the good memories, plus all the other awards and so much more.

Tickets will go on sale, Friday, February 7th at 9am. We’ll have more info and details in next week's newsletter.

It’s going to be THE best party of the year.

Athletic Fundraiser

The athletic fundraiser is quickly approaching. Many of you know already what the Athletic Fundraiser is, but those newer to the club, maybe not. The fund supports the competitive on-hill infrastructure i.e. safety equipment (like netting), timing equipment, race huts, terrain park features, lights on the hill and lots more. The fund is key to the success of our young Athletes (aka Future GDHLers).

Your support is greatly appreciated, whether it's buying raffle tickets, signing your kids (or yourself) up for the family friendly race on Feb 8th, or purchasing the wristband for the Apres that day (which will get you access to different alcohol tastings) or buying 50/50 tickets that day, it all goes to a worthy cause.

Lastly if you or anyone you know would like to donate items to the silent auction, please reach out to Mike Deangelis directly. md@michaeldeangelis.ca

Variety of Waxes For Sale

A Craigleith coach has approached us looking to part with his extensive wax collection. If you’re interested in details, email us gdhl@gdhl.org and we will connect you with the seller.