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The 2023 Ski Season is Here

Right on cue, the snow has fallen and your GDHL newsletter is here to usher in Ski Season 2023. It feels good to be back!

We have been gone a while. How are you? Did you train this summer, and dream of carving slalom gates through the heat waves of October? Good, us too.

The GDHL season is around the corner, starting on January 8, (schedule details below), but before then we have some housekeeping to look after, all detailed below. This newsletter covers off:

  • Registration (it is open), and early bird discount

  • Preliminary schedule for the season

  • A glimpse at the social events

  • Visual inspiration for your upcoming racing season

Keep reading and enjoy the first of the season’s newsletters.

Registration:

Registration for the 2023 GDHL Race season is OPEN! It feels like it has been forever since we enjoyed our end of season banquet in March. Now it is time to rush over to your Craigleith profile and sign yourself up. The Early bird discount has been extended and will run until next Friday, November 25. Here is the full breakdown of costs:

  • 18-35

    • $104 before November 25th.

    • $120 after November 25th.

  • 35+

    • $225 before November 25th

    • $290 after November 25th

New Racers:

Please invite new racers to join us. We are excited to have a great contingent of skiers that are learning or relearning to race, and we invite everyone, of all ski levels to ski with us. For those that want to try before they buy, we will be attempting to host a “time trial and practice race” early in the season – more on that in future newsletters.

Schedule:

We are far from locking in all details of our 2023 schedule, so details here are subject to change, however this is a pretty good picture of what you can expect.

  • Saturday, January 7th: Calcutta

  • Sunday, January 8th: First Race of the Season – Expect GS down Big John

  • Season will also include:

    • 2 GS races

    • 2 Slalom races

    • A Dual Slalom race

    • An evening race under the lights

    • A Super G race

The races will follow a similar pattern to last year, and the club is very excited to have us using the lighted hill, as well as the Dual Slalom start gate. It is going to be a fantastic year!

Social Calendar:

The social calendar at Craigleith is always busy. Our first GDHL social event will be the Calcutta, on January 7th – this should give you lots of time to recover from New Years Eve. We will also make an event of our night slalom, like we did last year, with lots of ways to enjoy racing, and watching others race. The third social event for GDHLers is the end of year banquet in March.

Before you get sucked down the rabbit hole of content below, here is a little sign off. This season is shaping up to be even better than last. With increased services available to us, and a great trust placed in us by Craigleith Ski Club, we have an opportunity to make the best GDHL season yet. We look forward to having you join us on the hill!

If you would like to get involved, or have any questions for the GDHL Committee, please email us at gdhl@gdhl.org (or reply to this email).

See you all very soon!

-Doug

Visual Inspiration:

Next weekend is the 2022 Lake Louise Downhill. Alpine Canada will no longer be running this race (as of today’s rumours). Take a couple minutes to ride the track like this racer, to feel the rush of running a world cup race!

From one famed downhill track to another, take a look at this fantastic video from Red Bull highlighting the Streif! Hosted in Kitzbühel, this is the iconic race that many of us watched the crazy canucks conquer.

For those of us afraid our leg workouts have not readied us for the upcoming season, take a watch below! This 20 min exercise requires no equipment and it may just help you shave 1 second off your Big John GS time.

C'est Fini

Well, that seals it, the GDHL season is officially over! Last weekend we had our end of season banquet with racers, families and lots of special guests. Now you can look forward to a fun filled week at the Club for March Break.

Last Saturday’s banquet has been eloquently captured below by our dedicated Chairman, Brook Dyson, and before you enjoy his recap there are a couple housekeeping items.

  • New GDHL Gear

    • There will be communication to you in the coming weeks with ideas on a GDHL jacket/vest/item, for next year. Watch out for this.

  • Sponsors

    • We have the best sponsors in the world. A big Thank You to them! They are named below in Brook’s text.

    • If you would like to become a sponsor, please let us know. We have a lot of great initiatives that we would be happy to involve you in!

  • Committee Members

    • Our committee is always looking for people to join our cause. If you are interested in joining us for the 2023 season, please reach out to gdhl@gdhl.org

That is all. This will be the last recap email of our season, which is a bit sad, but mostly happy. We are so proud of our Club, our racers, our race crew, our volunteers and our family members, for enabling this season to happen! Truly, one of the most remarkable GDHL seasons in recent history. Our GDHL committee is ready to build on this great season, to put together an even better one for all of you to enjoy next winter.

Here is the full recap of last Saturday night from Chairman Brook.

What a great night!

The 2022 GDHL Banquet came roaring back from it's COVID-induced hiatus. Thanks to the hard work of our volunteer GDHL committee, we were able to gather and celebrate a race season that included:

  • Over 110 racers

  • Night Slalom

  • Dual Slalom

  • Full schedule of 7 races

  • Large number of rookies

Thanks to our generous sponsors for the year for allowing us to race, and hold great events like the banquet:

Squire Johns

Patty Mac Construction

Budget Propane

Sutherland Insurance

Dynastar

Lange

Pratte Ski Camps

The evening's Master of Ceremonies was local Craigleith celebrity Paul Peterson (IG: @paultheskiracer). Paul was gracious enough to take time out of his hectic dryland training schedule to lead our racers through a celebration of the season. We were treated to tales of the "$h!t Group", a tribute to Al Lachance, recognition of our rookies, and a celebration of the accomplishments of all of our racers. The night was a look back on our racers, teams, and improved skills.

Prior to the start of dinner, the crowd enjoyed Lost Craft beers at the bar area while telling tales of ski racing glory - some truth and some lies.

After a delicious dinner, the evening moved onto the individual and team awards, and recognition for skiers that had achieved various honours throughout the season.

Due to a slight scoring update from the season-ending Dual Slalom, the winners of the season were announced as Team Manitou with 2611 points.

Team Manitou

  • Tony Baldanza

  • Gordon Bruce

  • Nico Hart

  • Greg Kilburn

  • Al LaChance

  • Noah Levine

  • Andrew Ottaway

  • Jerry Patten

  • Riley Webb

Second place this year, and 4 points behind, is Team Vortex, with 2607 points.

Team Vortex

  • John Kendell

  • Chris Knight

  • Steve MacDonald

  • James Mathers

  • Meg Peterson

  • Harrison Simms Brown

  • Taylor Simms Brown

  • Andrew Turnbull

  • Richard Usher-Jones

Rounding out the top three is Team Cruiser with 2581 points

Team Cruiser

  • Graeme Blair

  • Greg Cavers

  • Peter Dyson

  • Brian Holland

  • Duff Isberg

  • Brad McMullen

  • Paul Peterson

  • Kate Veer

  • Cynthia Waite

Each of these teams received a medal and $34.44 placed onto their club tab. (Bar veterans will recognize this as the cost of one pitcher of beer!)

Our top three skiers in each of the Masters and Open Categories were:

Under 55

  • 1.      Meg Peterson

  • 2.      Kate Farrow

  • 3.      Mackenzie Irwin

 

  • 1.      Ben Williams

  • 2.      Taylor Simms Brown

  • 3.      Spencer McCool

 

Masters

  • 1.      Leslie Sims

  • 2.      Anne Mathers

  • 3.      Cynthia Waite

 

  • 1.      Al LaChance

  • 2.      Dave Raymond

  • 3.      Jeff Sutherland

Our three most improved skiers this year were:

  • Phil Ottaway - moved up 29 place

  • Craig Shibley - moved up 19 places

  • Andrew Athey - moved up 15 places

Those that didn't receive their medals can get them from Brook Dyson. Email him at gdhl@gdhl.org.

This year saw over a dozen families race on the circuit together. The Fastest Family award went to the team of Harrison Simms Brown and Taylor Simms Brown, with the Sutherlands and Dysons rounding out the top three.

Phil and other trophy winners could be found drinking from their hardware at the end of the night!

Throughout the evening, special awards were handed out for excellence in the following categories:

  • Largest New Equipment Budget:

    • Riley Keast

  • Reluctant Racer That Keeps Coming Back:

    • Brad Sproule

  • Most DNFs:

    • Riley Webb

  • Skied Your Rank

    • Paul Peterson

    • Leslie Sims

Our Challenge Cup was updated this year to recognize the next generation of grudge match in the GDHL: the rivalry between Steve MacDonald and Paul Peterson. This year it was narrowly won by Paul, although Steve was victorious in the Club Champs!

Each of our racers received a GDHL Yeti Mug. Feel free to use it for coffee/beer/PEDs. If you missed the banquet and did not receive yours, you can pick it up from the front desk.

Next year the GDHL will come back bigger and better than ever! Thank you to the volunteers, the sponsors, and to the club staff that help make this possible.

Next year we plan on bringing you:

  • Night Race

  • Dual Slalom

  • Apres Ski following our Saturday races

  • New GDHL gear

  • The return of the Calcutta

  • Much, much more!

If you know anyone that is interested in participating as a racer or sponsor next year, ask them to email gdhl@gdhl.org or check out our IG @craigleithgdhl to get put on our 2023 Season reminder list.

Keep an eye out for an announcement on GDHL gear for the 2023 season. We will be asking our racers to pre-order their specific size for next year's gear.

Thanks - and see you in 2023!

Your 2022 GDHL Committee

  • Brook Dyson

  • Douglas Jarvis

  • Carrie Lenauskus

  • Jamie Coulter

  • Richard Usher-Jones

  • Chris Knight

  • Peter Dyson

  • Steve MacDonald

  • Mike Deangelis

Cheers to a great season! If you are pining for more writing from Doug Jarvis this off season, take a look at his wine blog here: www.vintagesbiweekly.com. for bi-weekly newsletters straight to your inbox.

-Doug

THE GDHL FINALE

It is officially March which means Spring Skiing, Ski-Nanigans, Après Skis on the patio, and… The END of YEAR GDHL BANQUET!

If you have not bought your tickets, do so now! If you would like more details on the event, which is this Saturday, March 5th, keep reading.

This past weekend was reserved for the Interclub Finals (which Craigleith won, obviously), so there are no GDHL races to report back on. Usually that would make for a boring newsletter, however we still have a lot of unfinished business. Beyond the detailed description of Saturday night’s GDHL End of Year Banquet, you will find more information on the following:

  • Club Championships – this Saturday, March 5th Starting at 8 30 am

  • Interclub Finale – The Story of Craigleith’s dominance

  • Fantasy GDHL – Who won, which skier was the best pick?

  • Coach Glenn’s Weekly Skiing Tips

Mackenzie Irwin & Al Lachance of Craigleith’s Interclub team show off last weekend’s hardware

The Banquet

We are ecstatic to be hosting our annual GDHL end of year Banquet! At the start of the year, our main concern was just getting you on the hill, now we get to host you in person, inside, while serving delicious food and drink. The banquet starts at 7 PM this Saturday, March 5th in the Base Lodge. The bar will be serving, but the GDHL happily encourages you to BYOB of wine, for only a $10 corkage fee. There will be a lot of additional libations to enjoy from our sponsors and friends. Tickets are $35/per person, and all are welcome! We are happy to host you and your partner, and friends or potential recruits for future GDHL seasons!

Now there is obvious interest in how the event will be handled, as some of us are still emerging from our COVID shells, and slowly feeling out the social sphere in which we are comfortable. In order to best address some of the questions we have received, here are the FAQs:

  • Q: Where is the dinner being held?

  • A: The dinner will be hosted in the Base Lodge Great Room, in front of the fireplace. Seating at tables will be far more spread out than previous years that we have hosted in the Georgian Bay Room.

  • Q: How many people will be attending?

  • A: We have allocated 100 seats for this dinner, we hope and forecast all will sell out.

  • Q: How is seating arranged?

  • A: Tables will be rush seating, however if you arrive on time there should be no issue to find a way to keep your group together at a table

  • Q: What awards will be handed out during the evening?

  • A: The evening will feature many awards including the top male and female racers, as well as the top teams for 2022. Knowing the GDHL committee, there will be a couple fun awards to honour skiers of all skill levels.

  • Q: If I show up in a full downhill suit will I be provided complimentary drinks?

  • A: Yes, there is a high chance that if you show up in your downhill suit, that’s been shoved in your closet all season, someone will ensure your cup is full all evening.

As stated above, the committee will be handing out all awards for our 2022 season which you will not want to miss! We also do not want to miss you. If there is something you need from us to accommodate you, please reach out to GDHL@GDHL.org. We look forward to seeing you there.

Club Championships

This weekend is ALSO Club Championships! Remember the whole busy calendar comment above? Yah, it is a busy month! All GDHL racers are automatically entered, but there are some details for you to know ahead of the races this weekend.

There will be two races, one GS in the morning, and one Slalom in the afternoon. Each are only one run… make it count! Both Races are on Big John, and you are invited to wear for FULL DOWNHILL SUIT.

Saturday’s schedule is:

  • 8 am – 8 45 am: Bib Pick Up at Race Office

  • 8 40 – 9 10 am: GS Run Inspection

  • 9 30: GS Race Start

  • 12:10 – 12:40: Slalom Run Inspection

  • 1 pm: Slalom Race Start

Following all the races there will be a Tequila and Tacos Après at Base Lodge, which sounds like a perfect way to compound any injuries you suffer during your races. Or maybe give yourself a head injury in the way of a hangover for Sunday morning.

All Club Championship Awards will be handed out on Sunday at Noon on the South Lodge Deck.

You too can win awards, like Taylor Simms Brown and Meg Peterson do, by racing in this weekend’s club championships!

Interclub

Again, and again the Craigleith Interclub team is proving to the Niagara Escarpment, nay, the entire Ski Community of Canada, that our Adult Race program is incomparable! The Craigleith Interclub team won their 10th season in a row last weekend with spectacular performances from all the racers on the team. Captain Taylor Simms Brown had the following to say about his team’s victory and recent dominance:

What a weekend!

We absolutely crushed the competition with Sims, Veer, Mack, Ryley, LaChance, Sutherland, Cavers, McLorie, and Murdison winning 10 of the 11 age categories that the team entered.

Notable VIE's were The Timeless LaChance (29), Fregren's PB (28), The Return of Raymond (27), Caveman (27), Sudsy (27) and Lady Mack (24).

Meg took the overall for the ladies, solidifying her first Interclub Championship (of many we hope) and I was lucky enough to earn a spot to get a pic with her!

Craigleith has won this title a bunch since 1978, but this win marked our 10th straight victory which is insane.

Thanks to Kathy and Jeff for bringing us together over a really nice meal. It was great to get out there with this crew again.

Get your tix to the GDHL Banquet so we can keep this party rolling!

That's a wrap for 2022.

What a weekend indeed!

Craigleith’s Winning Interclub Team 2022

Fantasy GDHL

Thank you to all those who participated in another year of Fantasy GDHL. We had great participation with 45 teams being submitted, amassing a $900 kitty! With the double header weekends, it was a bit difficult to keep everything up to date, however our hamsters have finished spinning the wheels and the monkeys at their typewriters have the final tally for this year’s winners.

Drum Roll Please…

  1. 1st Ski Team - Steve MacDonald – 1,166 Pts

  2. 2nd The Slippery Petes - Paul Peterson – 1,135 Pts

  3. 3rd Super Awesome Team - Riley Keast – 1,062 Pts

There were a lot of great teams that were put together by the participants, but none could keep up with these three. Truly a spectacular performance in picking the RIGHT ski racers this season. Congratulations to Steve, Paul and Riley.

For those of you curious as to who were the highest point getters this year, feast your eyes below!

  1. 1st Philip Ottaway – 255 Pts

  2. 2nd Leslie Sims – 250 Pts

  3. 3rd Andrew Turnbull – 247 Pts

  4. 4th Brandon Popalis – 246 Pts

  5. 5th Carrie Laurencelle – 243 Pts

Each of these skiers skied consistently, showed up at races, regardless of weather or distractions, and performed well above their ranks. Congratulations to Philip, Leslie, Andrew, Brandon, and Carrie!

Full results for teams and athletes are available here

Another great fantasy GDHL awaits us next year, looking forward to having you all involved.

Glenn’s Coaching Tip!

Coaching Tip: Shortening the inside leg

Shortening or flexing the inside leg will apply more pressure against, and create more edge angle of the outside ski, resulting in more powerful turns. When the inside ankle and knee roll towards the fall line the inside leg also flexes or shortens under the body while the ski stays on the snow. This action allows the outside leg to extend and become more lateral as demonstrated by this video. Its important to press the outside arm down the hill and keep your inside arm in front of you. (LINK)

World cup skiers are working on technical skills in the following video. Watch for the shortening of the inside leg as the outside leg extends. Also watch for constant shin pressure on both boots, the body moving forward rather than upwards and 100 percent pressure against the outside ski. (LINK)

That is all for today. March is a great month to get out and ski, see friends and re introduce yourself to all those things we have forgotten about since Covid started. Enjoy yourself and see you at the Banquet!

-Doug

 

Banquet is This Saturday, March 5th - Buy Your Tickets!

The Smell of Spring Skiing is in the air! We have entered March, which means we’ve got sunny days ahead, and a jam-packed month of events.

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves though, you need to book our tickets for our End of Year Banquet! The GDHL is hosting our annual finale this weekend, Saturday, March 5th.

Tickets are on sale and can be found on your social calendar in the Craigleith app or website. We will be in the Base Lodge, with seating a bit more spread out than usual. There will be delicious drinks and eats all night long, and there is a $10 corkage if you wish to bring your own wine.

Go on and buy your tickets NOW! You will hear more from us on Thursday Morning!

-Doug

The Winning Team from 2020 at our End of Year Banquet!

A STORYBOOK FINALE

That’s a wrap! The GDHL racing finished with an exciting, and entertaining dual slalom last Sunday, leaving us with only our end of year banquet to cap it all off. Thank you to all our racers, the race staff, our Coach – Glenn Blaylock, Coyotes, volunteers, and Craigleith. There were certainly doubts that our season could come to fruition through yet another Covid winter, but we have succeeded, and we have had a lot of fun along the way.

Even in the coldest of winters, like what we have been experiencing this year, ski racing gives participants something to look forward to every weekend. It keeps us moving forward, and excited about the falling snow. It is our great fortune that we were able to enjoy the winter take advantage of our ski hills and give us all an athletic outlet.

We are not done yet though! There is still one more event to take advantage of the End of Year Banquet! This will be a perfect moment to reconnect, live, indoors, with your fellow racers. More details on the banquet, Saturday, March 5th, below. Also, the full recap of last weekend’s race, an update on the Fantasy GDHL, a look a head to this weekend’s Interclub Race Finals, and one final word about the results on the season.

BANQUET

This year’s banquet will be in the Base Lodge, starting at 7 pm, Saturday, March 5th following the Club Championships. Tickets will be on sale on the online Craigleith portal starting this Saturday. The evening will include great food, drinks (care of Lost Craft), and entertainment.

This is the night we anoint the champions of our season and highlight some other performances as well. Our own, insta-famous Paul the Ski Racer – Peterson will be MC, so be prepared to get roasted for your early season struggles, or your busted zipper on your DH suit in the Super G race.

Also, there is a small rumour, unsubstantiated of course, that there is an attendee gift for the evening.

THE DUAL SLALOM

Last weekend Craigleith fell victim to wicked winds… so wickedly windy that there were sightings of Dorothy and Toto making landfall. But just as Dorothy prevailed in Oz, so too did the GDHL. On Sunday morning when all other lifts at Craigleith closed due to the hefty breeze, the Little John Chair opened up on time, enabling us to run our season finale race, the Dual Slalom!

The course was certainly fast! Starting in the morning the new snow was moved off the track by the racers while they completed their seeding runs. The first two runs were over quickly, positioning all racers in a competitive order for the afternoon’s race. Final results were only based on the afternoon’s runs, which provided plenty of opportunity for racers to improve from their morning’s finish position.

As the afternoon races began, the wind subsided a bit, the sun beat down on the patio and ski hill, and the crowds gathered at the finish corral. For those watching, the enjoyment and excitement of two racers going head-to-head was memorable.

Racers began in descending rank from the mornings seeding runs, building up anticipation as each pair of skiers reduced the times to get down the hill. In the end, there were only two racers that could eclipse the 20-second mark, Benjamin Williams (39.41 Total) and Spencer McCool (39.92) who came first and second respectively. In third came Andrew Athey with a total time of 40.83. Ben Williams, of course has already secured the Men’s title for the season, and this was icing on the cake.

Spencer and Andrew both follow up last week’s podium results from the Comet slalom, with their second consecutive podium performances. For Andrew, he has raced to 32 results in the GDHL, and the last two have been podium finishes, truly remarkable how he has steadied his adult race career to be performing at such a high level. For Spencer, this is his first-year racing GDHL, and he may have been slightly mis-ranked to start the season, but even he may not have understood his own abilities in January. Coming off a bummed knee, and a year of boredom during the pandemic (we can all relate) he has bounced back to ski better than ever. We are all excited to see how Andrew and Spencer continue to perform in the Club Championships and future GDHL seasons!

The women were led by another fearless performance from Megan Peterson, who has now solely locked up the women’s title for the season. Her first GDHL title in her storied athletic career, it is certainly one of her most impressive and important. Her combined time of 41.34 bested the times of Mackenzie Irwin (43.54) and Madison Staples (44.30) who both finish of their seasons with podium performances. This is Mackenzie’s third year in the GDHL, and she has always finished the season on the overall podium. Madison’s inaugural GDHL season includes one race win, this third-place finish with some top five performances. In recent memory, there has not been a more competitive and complete women’s field to GDHL, and it is so fun to watch!

Craigleith Interclub Captain, Taylor Simms Brown enjoying the sunshine on Sunday

INTERCLUB – THIS WEEKEND

For those who are still reeling from the high of watching the best compete head-to-head on Sunday afternoon, there is another great opportunity to cheer on your favorite Craigleith Racers! The InterClub finals are on Big John on Saturday afternoon, and to make it more exciting, it is winner take all.

This of course following a big win by the Craigleith Interclub team at Alpine two weeks ago (with a little help from the GDHL Dyson preferred start, and Milgram's sled) to secure the Hetherington Cup awarded to the top regular season team. It will be down to the wire, and your cheers and cowbells will be needed!

FANTASY

Some cruel person suggested making you wait to hear the final winners of the GDHL Fantasy League, and we support that suggestion! The is no better way to find out if you won the jackpot than by attending the banquet next Saturday. For those who cannot make it, the updated scores will be posted at https://gdhl.org/fantasy-gdhl-1

FINAL RESULTS

The season results are all on the GDHL website but be warned there are still a couple data errors that must be sorted ahead of the banquet. There is still some uncertainty because some unnamed individuals took weeks to report their DSQs in Slalom races.

That is all for now. Another great GDHL race season is behind us. Now to look forward to Club Championships, the Banquet and Spring Skiing!

-Doug

Quick Update for Today’s Races

In an apropos change of scheduling, the Olympic team event, which is dual slalom racing, took place last night. Clearly, our racing today will be far more competitive, and have far bigger viewership!

In regards to our races today, we have three important items to share.

  1. This is a paneled slalom course, dress accordingly. If you choose to wear guards of any sort, realize there is danger of getting them caught in the gates. If you choose not to wear guards, realize there is danger of the gates leaving lovely welts.

  2. Inspection begins at 9 10 am and closes at 9 50 in the morning.

  3. Bib hand-in will be at the bottom of the afternoon race. All those who hand in their bib AND arm band (where applicable) will receive one (1) drink ticket exchangeable at the bar during après ski.

That is all. See you at the top and good luck!

-Doug

For the past few years, the GDHL has been attempting to introduce an inclusive and fun dual slalom race each season. We have had some major success and a few challenges with these events, so we have continued to tweak the event to bring you something better! This weekend we have our last race of the season, cue the drama and to conclude the year we will be hosting a dual slalom!

Those with questions about the dual slalom, please keep reading. Most important, everyone gets to race and this counts for points. It starts at 10 am on Sunday, and runs into the afternoon, all on Little John. It will be a big day!

There is an extensive bit below about looking ahead, and there is also a shallow dive looking back at the top performers this season, as well as a recap of our exciting and quick race last Saturday. The entirety of this newsletter centred around the excitement that we are getting to see firsthand this season.

Last Week

Last weekend we raced Slalom down Comet on Saturday afternoon. Two weeks ago, the theme for the races was runs finishing under 30 seconds. Last week the theme was finishing the entire race in under 30 minutes… or at least it felt that way! With a number of athletes declining a second run, many because they had skied their first run then went and competed in the Interclub race at Alpine, it made for an expeditious day. The conditions were expeditious too… or not. They were slick for sure! A short melt on Friday, then freeze up Saturday morning turned the course into cast iron. Some with well tuned skis had no problem navigating the hardened surface, others had some issues.

One person who had no issues was Katie Farrow, as she won the race in 35.21 seconds. This is Katie’s first win of the year, and her second in her GDHL career – in 2020, Katie won a similar slalom on Comet. Following Katie to the podium was Cheryl McConachie (37.04) and Mackenzie Irwin (37.09). This makes the women’s overall standings very exciting. Megan Peterson has 379 points and Katie Farrow has 378. Do not count out either Cheryl McConachie (352 points) or Mackenzie Irwin (350 Points) as both have opportunities this weekend to make big leaps!

The men’s side was led by Taylor Simms Brown (35.31) who is solidly in second place for the season, behind of course Ben Williams who has already locked up top spot. Spencer McCool had a blistering second run (36.83), securing second place on the day after a DNF in first run. In third, Andrew Athey made his first appearance on the podium in his GDHL career (37.04). Both first and second place in the overall standings are no longer up for grabs, but third place on the season is within reach for a few athletes. Duff Isberg is currently in third with 375 points, and close behind him are Gordie Bruce (371 points), Cam Bellamy (370 points), Spencer McCool (367 points), Greg Cavers (366 points), Andrew Athey (362 points), and a few more stragglers who could easily make the jump with a solid performance this weekend in the final race.

All of this means that there is a lot on the line for this weekend and that is the best kind of race!

DUAL SLALOM This weekend:

On Sunday morning at 10 am, we will start a dual slalom race, like none you have participated in before! The race will be scored, and the results will count towards the GDHL teams, individuals and fantasy teams. Everyone is included and encouraged to participate.

*At the end of the race, we will be collecting bibs and armbands. All of those who submit both their armband and bib at the end of the race, will be provided a small reward!*

The format for the race is two distinct races, one in the morning, one in the afternoon. The race in the morning is a seeding race, for the afternoon’s race. Only those who race in the morning, will be able to race in the afternoon.

In the morning race, each racer will face off in the dual slalom against a racer who is next to them in the start list. This race will be run in GDHL Start list order. Obviously, attendance will determine exactly who you will face, but expect it to be a racer comparable to your level. The two racers will face each other in two runs, one in the blue course one in the red course. Once all skiers have completed their two runs, the finish times will be calculated by summing up each racer’s two runs. This will result in our start list for the afternoon.

The afternoon’s race swill start at 1pm, and the start list will be based on the seeding results from the morning’s race. This race will begin with the slowest racers from the morning. Racers will face one other racer for two runs, one in the blue, one in the red course. The racer you face will be either one finish rank above or below you, based on the mornings results.

If you find this complicated that is ok. The benefit to the complex competition is that everyone gets to participate.

Following the afternoon race, where every skier has two runs (one blue, one red), the finish times are summed up for each racer. Your result will be the sum of the two times you raced, and then be ranked accordingly.

  • Now come the big questions like… what happens when/if I DNF?

    • DNFs are scored with their opponent’s time + penalty of 2 seconds

    • If neither racer finishes (double DNF), then the fastest time of the previous two racers, plus penalty of 2 seconds for each racer

  • Next questions. How do we start the race?

    • The race will be run on Little John, with the race gates and the Christmas tree that looks like that picture above ^

      • Start will go like this:

        • Starter will say

          • Red course ready

          • Blue course ready

          • Go

    • The Christmas tree light will be set up

    • The barge gates (start gates) will open simultaneously on each course.

    • Time will start when gates drop

  • Another question; when will this all end????

    • This newsletter will end shortly…

    • The race should finish between 2 and 3 pm on Sunday afternoon

    • This is a perfect occasion to get a refreshment from the après and walk up the hill to cheer on from the finish corral

  • Last question: will we get to see the best racers face off?

    • Heck yes!

    • Following the afternoon race, we will pit the two top skiers from the day mono a mono

  • This should be electric!

For those of you who have now read all of this and realized that you retained none of it, do not worry. Just come show up Sunday morning at 10 am on Little John for a full day’s fun and entertainment. Bring your family, your dog, children, grandparents. Everyone is invited!

Friday training from our visionary and coach, Glenn Blaylock:

We will be training GIANT SLALOM on Friday, February 18, both morning and afternoon.

Be sure to sign up by noon Thursday so we can organize coaches.

Also, please remember to slip the hill after your last run through the course.

 

That is all for now. Sorry if these race instructions are more complex than IKEA instructions, it is all for the betterment of your racing experience. No doubt, you will love it!

Tune in next week for a season recap, a Fantasy GDHL update, and more details on our end of season banquet!

See you on the hill Sunday,

-Doug

SCHEDULE ALERT - RACE SATURDAY NOW @ 12 30

SATUDAY’S SLALOM ON COMET NOW AT 12 30

There is an air of excitement around Craigleith’s interclub team, as it sits only three points out of the top spot this season. With their second to last race this Saturday at Alpine, we will be moving our GDHL race start up to 12 30 to accommodate those racing in both.

To get you excited for the race, go ahead and watch Jack Crawford’s Bronze Medal Performance (LINK)

We are Back in the Start Gate!

After two weekends of free skiing and training, we have a busy weekend ahead. For the first time ever, the GDHL is hosting a night race on Saturday, that will have lots to offer you and your family. On Sunday we will have a GS on Big John, in the afternoon to give your legs some time to rest up. The final two races of the of season, are February 12 and 20th.  Full details are on the schedule page of GDHL.org.

It is going to be a fun and busy weekend, and there are a lot of details to cover about the Night Race, so keep reading below. Additionally covered below is:

  • Night Race Details

  • Call for Volunteers

  • End of Year Banquet

  • Some GDHL Race Etiquette

  • Training sessions for this weekend, including how you can take advantage of them!

  • Wrap up of the Interclub races to date, contributed by James Mathers

Night Race - This Saturday 6 PM to 8 PM

This Saturday, February 5th, we will be hosting our first night race. It is a traditional slalom down Little John, under the lights. The race will run from 6 pm to 8 pm, with appetizers on the patio and inside. Beyond the excitement of this being a night race, please note the following;

  1. The race event is open to all Club members! If you are 18+ years of age and would like to try a run through the gates on race evening, you are welcome to join us. Please email Peter Dyson dysonp@gmail.com no later than Friday at 5 pm so that we can get you on our list of participants.  Bib pick up for non GDHL racers will be coordinated by Peter Dyson.

  2. This race is being put on by the GDHL with skeleton race crew staff, and we would love some volunteers. Any old racers, or old race crew, that are free Saturday evening and would like to join in on our fun, please email GDHL@GDHL.org and we will get you into a volunteer role for the evening. The most needed people will be slippers, and course repairers.

The goal of our Saturday race is to turn the GDHL racing into a full family affair, please bring your little ones, along to watch you ski to glory.

End of Year Banquet

The GDHL committee received some great news this week, that we have been given the go-ahead for our annual end-of-year banquet on Saturday March 5th. Obviously, this is within the current provincial health guidelines and there is always potential for change. More details on the banquet will be communicated as we approach March 5th, just make sure you have marked it in your calendar.

Race Etiquette for the GDHL

Yes, we all know that the GDHL is a storied institution with roots to some of the most impressive masters racers on the Niagara Escarpment. And we know that our racing prestige is head and shoulder above adult race programs at other private ski clubs. But our race crew, timing team, and GDHL committee are not all omnipotent. Which means, if you ski out of a racecourse, or straddle a gate, or commit any foul that should rule out, YOU need to report yourself. Please, people, please report your DSQs and DNFs to the GDHL@GDHL.com email, after your race, so that we can keep our finish data clean.

We appreciate the honour you show by reporting these mishaps after the results are posted, but it is a far more efficient process for all, if you self-report immediately following the race. Thank you in advance!

Training Sessions – From Glenn Blaylock

Are you interested in training with Glenn? Great! Saturday training sessions are all booked up, but you can join ad hoc on Friday training. The only requirement is to call to the race office before Thursdays at noon, with your intention to train on that Friday. The race office is very good at making sure the right resources are in the right places. You may be required to fit into the schedule of the coach, by either training in the AM or the PM, all of those details will be provided to you when you call the race office.

Now what will we be training this weekend?

  • Date: Saturday, February 5th

  • Time: 9:00 to 11:30 am

  • Hill: Birches

  • Discipline: Slalom

  • Equipment: Slalom skis and protective equipment: guards for hands, shins and face

  • Coaches: Glenn Blaylock, Greg Roe and Cheryl McConachie

  • Hill and Course Maintenance

  • Before your first run through the gates be sure to inspect and slip the course.

  • During the training session the course will need to be slipped or reset from time to time depending on the conditions.

  • After training it is important we remove the gates and slip the hill by 11:30 am. Please slip the hill wide and the ski tracks as young racers will be training after us.

Weekly Coaching Tip

The Start (Important video below and linked here)

Alpine races are often won or lost at the start.  An effective method of starting is outlined below: 

  1. Place your boots just behind, but not touching, the start wand.

  2. Place your ski pole tips on the hill side of the start wand, about a hand width away from the posts.

  3. Stand up tilting the upper body forward at the waist. Allow your whole body to fall forward when the 5 second countdown starts.

  4. When your upper body is forward of the start wand push back on your poles. Advanced racers will push back with their legs as well, moving the upper body forward even more, before the boots open the start wand. (It is important to note there is no upward movement of the body).

  5. Push your hands forward, raise your chin and skate. Watch for soft snow on the side of the starting area to avoid catching your edges when skating.

For an excellent analysis and demonstration of start technique watch at least the first 5 minutes of this video.

We’re looking forward to another awesome training session. The session is 2.5 hours long providing you lots of time to ski runs out of the course working on technique.

Interclub Update

The latest interclub race involved both triumph and missed opportunity for our intrepid Craigleith representatives. COVID exigencies led to a Friday afternoon start at Devil's Glen. With calm and sunny conditions, it was as nice a minus 18 degree day as one can imagine.

Triumph was evident at the top of the overall leaderboard as Duff Isberg (31.84 seconds), Greg Cavers, Tom Murdison, Scott McLorie, Joey Hill and Chris Shipton swept the top six places, with Jeff Sutherland, Richard Usher-Jones and Allan LaChance joining in to give Craigleith 9 of the top 14 places. Allan, Jeff, Greg and Chris were the highest point scorers on the team, as their results came in the heavily populated baby boomer and just below men's age groups. (We note that Jeff has apparently not fully recovered from his dog walking injury and, for the first time in memory, didn't win his age group. We feel certain this will be rectified soon!)

BUT, interclub is a team sport and a full score sheet requires four women. Kate Veer and Daina Dunlop admirably filled two of those spots, but the Peaks fielded four women and their 17 point margin of victory was supplied by interclub's patriarch, John Hethrington, who scored 21 points as the lone finisher in the men's 85 to 89 age group in a time of 73.23 seconds. The Peaks also swept the men's 80 to 84 age group, scoring a total of 43 points there.

SO, here's an exciting offer for an aspiring female ski racer. Forget all those valuable but time consuming and expensive lessons from Glenn Blaylock and his staff. Just show up to an interclub race and there's a good chance you will at least tie Meg Ryley! Here's how it works. At the previous interclub race, Meg finished 6th overall, beating Scott McLorie and Greg Cavers, among others. But because she was unopposed in her age group, she scored only 21 points. Same as John Hethrington on Friday. We understand that Meg Ryley can't ski interclub on Fridays and leave Megan Peterson to look after MCR Interiors and ski GDHL on weekends, but if you're there the next time this happens, you will very likely get 21 points and make the difference! (We like John Hethrington, but he's been used to losing to Craigleith for the last 10 years, so he'll get over it.)

AND, just when you thought it couldn't get any better, the same offer applies to men if the race is at Caledon! ('Cause we can never get enough guys to go to Caledon.) So, @paultheskiracer, watch for your big chance!!

Next interclub race is Sunday morning at Jozo Weider. Register at https://interclubski.org/signup/ and send an email to captain Taylor Simms-Brown at tsimmsbrown@jascor-intl.com.


A lot to look forward to this weekend. Stay safe as you commute north, and see you Saturday night!

-Doug

The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway

There is optimism on the horizon! We will soon be able to enjoy our hot chocolates and coffee inside while taking a break from the slopes! Heck, if you are feeling a bit peckish, you can even have your lunch in the Base Lodge. Yes, we have some great weekends of skiing ahead. Even after fitting in three races and getting through nearly half the season, there is a lot to look forward to. This weekend is pretty quiet on the GDHL front, as it is another bye weekend, letting you catch up on your training regimen. For those of you interested in keeping your racing momentum you can always check out Interclub, who race at Devil’s Glen on Saturday.

No races last weekend or this one coming up, gave your GDHL committee time to update some outstanding items Keep reading on for details on:

  • The Updated Schedule

  • Fantasy GDHL

  • This weekend’s Training Update

Schedule Changes

The Updated Schedule, as of today, looks like this:

  • Saturday, February 5th - Slalom Little John Evening

  • Sunday, February 6th - GS Big John 1 PM

  • Saturday, February 12th - Slalom Comet 1 PM

  • Sunday, February 20th - Dual Slalom Little John 10 AM

The changes that have been made are significant. Most importantly, you are urged to cancel any vacations you have booked to span next weekend, February 5th and 6th! We have our first ever, GDHL Night race on the Saturday, which will no doubt be followed by some social gathering. Sunday, February 6th we will have a GS down Big John, to cap off our second double-header weekend of the season.

We will also have one more traditional Slalom on Saturday, February 12th, before our season Finale race, on Family Day weekend, a Dual Slalom on Little John, on Saturday February 20th. February will be packed with excitement.

We expects crowds like this for our Night Slalom on Feb 5th!

Fantasy GDHL

It took a bit of time to boot up the Fantasy GDHL machine, but it is humming now and pumping out all of our results! The fun thing about this aspect of our race league, is that there are two ways to stay competitive. The first is to enter a team and try to win the overall contest. The second is to try to score as many fantasy points yourself, as possible.

In the former category, the current leaders in standings are:

  1. The Slippery Petes – 494 points

  2. Lashworth2 – 483 Points

  3. Slippery Petes 3 – 470 Points

For those on the outside looking in, do not be dismayed, there is a lot of racing left in the season and climbing into the top three is within reach of all the 45 entrants.

The latter category is even more fun. Remember there are a number of ways to achieve points as a GDHL athlete.

  • 1 point for each race run started, 2 points for each run finished

  • Podiums are 20 points for 1st, 10 points for 2nd, and 5 points for 3rd. There are four podiums: Men’s Overall, Women’s Overall, Men’s Masters (55+), and Women’s Masters

  • Lastly, differential between finish position in any race and that racers rank, with the minimum score being 0.

So, in the first race, Steve Kurtz finished in 23rd. His rank is 47th, so he automatically scored 24 fantasy points, along with one race run started and one race run finished, totalling 27 points. As the season progresses these races starts and finishes accumulate, and the rank differential can be the most important stat. the top three fantasy athletes so far this season are:

  1. David Staples – 137 Points

  2. Craig Shibley – 126 Points

  3. Leslie Sims – 125 Points

If you have any of those three on your fantasy team, you are in great shape. This will pick up significantly as the season rolls on and the data compounds. For the entire listings of teams and athletes, click through here.

Training update - Glenn Blaylock ,Head Coach of Adult Racing

  • Date: Saturday, January 29

  • Time: 9 to 11:30 am

  • Hill: Millennium

  • Discipline: Giant Slalom

  • Equipment: GS skis, forearm guards

  • Coaches: Glenn Blaylock, Greg Roe and Jon-Paul Booth

Weekly Coaching Tip (Important videos below)

Review of Previous Coaching Tips:

We reviewed the importance of shin pressure against both boots all the time.  To start the turn, flex the outside ankle forward onto the big toe. At the same time (or even before) roll the inside ankle towards the fall line keeping the ski tips level. Ensure the bones of the outside leg are aligned or stacked with no inward tipping of the knee. These actions will apply 100% foot pressure against the outside ski causing the ski to bend and carve.

The Transition Between Turns:

When building speed, as you flex the ankle forward on the new outside ski actively lift your chin and start pressing the new outside arm down the fall line. Lifting the chin brings the body forward and pressing the outside arm down the fall line will apply more foot pressure against the new outside ski. Focus using your back core muscles to press the outside arm down the fall line.

Our objective is to keep our shoulders level so we can efficiently start the new turn. Once you gain speed and the outside ski is carving, gravitational forces will push you up and backwards. Instead, allow the feet and knees to move upward. This is not a pulling up action, just let the gravitational forces move your feet and knees upwards under your body. This is the optimum time to roll the inside ankle towards the fall line causing a like edge angle on the new outside ski. Then apply pressure on the new outside ski, lift your chin and press the new outside arm down the fall line.

Excellent analysis of these actions is demonstrated in the following two videos:

LINK

I’m looking forward to another great weekend on the snow.

See you on the slopes,

-Doug

GOOGLE SEARCH: Can I get a Skiing Hangover?

This past weekend GDHL racers braved some of the coldest race-day conditions ever, on Saturday, and then went on to race a full slalom down Comet on Sunday. Usually, we have the super combined weekend about halfway through the season, giving everyone some time to get their race legs and slalom lungs back. It was not the case this year!

We are now three races into our GDHL season, and you deserve a break. There have been some schedule changes – which you can check out here – that now enables you to get some training in over the next few weekends. Our head coach of Adult Racing has more details on training this weekend below.

To help you get your GDHL fix, here is a long newsletter full of everything you want to read about. Covered below you will find:

  • Weekend Race Recaps

  • Schedule updates

  • Silent Auction news

  • Interclub Information

  • Training Schedule

We are fortunate to have a great racing community around Craigleith, which contributes to making our GDHL league the best. Financially, we have exceptional support from our sponsors. All of which are listed on the banner on the right, and now on our banners in the race corral. Thank you to our sponsors for supporting our race league!

Race Recap

Saturday morning the mercury read somewhere in the negatives 20s, however with the sun rising, and the wind dying there was an air of optimism in the GDHL committee. The decision to have only one run for the Modified GS race was made, out of an abundance of caution and was the right call. But it still meant that the GDHL racers needed to be prepared to race down Landslide at speeds around 90 km/h while the rest of Ontario hunkered down beside their fireplaces.

Weather be damned, the GDHLers came out in full force, and in full downhill suits. Sure, some zippers were stretched, and a couple gents had some trouble fitting 4 layers underneath their skin-tight suits, yet everyone enjoyed themselves. Overall, 64 racers competed on Saturday, for a pretty good turnout considering the conditions. The snow was cold and slow, which resulted in a and fun course including a blue gate on the pitch of Landslide that looked like it belonged on the Hahnenkamm. Following the race, the GDHLers and friends, did a great job rolling the auxiliary B Netting that had been set to keep us safe, making the Coyotes, and your GDHL committee very happy!

Racers on Sunday enjoyed warmer temps in the sunshine

On Sunday morning the weather broke a bit, with temperatures in the mild zone of just -10 Celsius and the sun back out, we had a beautiful race day. The slalom course down Comet was set around some ominous rollers, that in the end made no difference. With the temperatures slowly warming to negative single digits, the moods in the start and finish areas were all smiles. With 65 racers competing it was another decent turnout, including a lot of racers who had skied the previous day and were enjoying the balmy weather, and the added layers of a jacket.

In an interesting twist, some of the top skiers did not ski both races. Neither Megan Peterson nor Katie Farrow skied the Super G, and both skied exceptionally well in the Slalom on Sunday. Might this be a new approach to load management? Who knows, but it was a bold strategy, that certainly paid off.

Along with Megan and Katie, there were some great performances this weekend! On Saturday Madison Staples took home her first race win of the season (1st/ 49.58) in just her second GDHL race, she was followed closely by Brianna Machej (2nd, 50.80) who is making a good habit of standing on the podium, and in third Leslie Sims (3rd/54.35) got her first podium of the season.

On the Men’s side Ben Williams (1st/45.61) came down with a small advantage over Taylor Simms Brown (2nd/45.70), and Duff Isberg (3rd/45.96) rounded out the podium. With his second win of the Season already, Ben is edging close to claiming the overall title.

On Sunday, the Women’s side was full of outstanding performances. Megan Peterson (1st/32.95) took home her second win of the season, while Katie Farrow was in hot pursuit with (2nd/33.73), and Brianna Machej stepped on the podium again (3rd/38.02) for the third time in three races. As mentioned before, the Women’s overall title race will be fun to watch!

For the men, Ben Williams won his third race (1st/Place) of the year and all but claiming the title for the year. Taylor Simms Brown (2nd/ 32.75) was on his tips, and ahead of Greg Cavers (3rd/34.35) who got himself on the podium for the first time this year.

Of course, in a super combined the individual races are awarded like above, but so two is the combined aspect. The Combined Winners were Ben Williams (I guess this is not surprising since he won both races), and Brianna Machej! There are no extra points in the data base awarded for this accolade, but there are certainly bragging rights!

There were some great results all around, but one finish of specific note is that both Brook and Peter Dyson skied their best slalom run on Sunday within a time of 39.10. Two racers tying to the hundredth is not that uncommon, but for those two skiers to share a last name is pretty remarkable! Congratulations to both on a great race!

Schedule Update:

We knew it was coming, there was going to be a schedule change one way or another, however this change is to benefit all of us. We will not be hosting our night race on January 22nd, we will instead have two bye weekends in a row. This means you can spend some time training, and skiing with your loved ones, hopefully that is a good thing for you!

Also, this postponement of the night race means we can host it when there are hopefully fewer restrictions, and we can host an actual EVENT. The GDHL committee is working hard to bring you a night race to remember, that you can bring your family to, with food, drink, and lots of entertainment (GDHL racers).

The full schedule is here: https://gdhl.org/schedule

It is subject to change, but any change will come with some correspondence from this newsletter, so just stay tuned.

Silent Auction Update

The silent auction was fun. Thank you for your support! We are still collecting the items from the contributors and should have things ready for distribution soon. If you won an item, you will be contacted to schedule time for pick up. If you have any questions about the silent auction, please just respond to this email or email gdhl@gdhl.org

Inter Club:

A message from Taylor Simms-Brown, our Interclub Leader:

Are you interested in taking this show on the road? Interclub racing is ON and our first event is at Georgian Peaks this Saturday.

If you haven't received an interclub update this season, contact Taylor Simms-Brown tsimmsbrown@jascor-intl.com directly to be added to the team contact list, OR register at www.interclubskiorg.com. If you can race GDHL...you can race interclub. Don't miss out!

 Training

Lastly, and most importantly, a message from our Head Coach of Adult Racing, Glenn Blaylock

We will be training slalom this Friday and the weekend. (Important coaching tips and videos below).

Date: Friday, January 21

Location: TBD

Time: 9:30 to 11:30 am

Event: Slalom

Equipment: slalom skis, protective equipment for face, shins and hands

Coaching Tip and Video of the Week:

To carve a turn we put 100 % pressure on the outside ski. We achieve this by flexing the outside ankle forward onto the big toe. This action will tip the ski on edge enough for the front of the ski to start carving. It will also ensure the outside leg is in a powerful position by keeping the bones aligned or stacked as demonstrated by the following video.

LINK

The angle of the inside ski determines the angle of the outside ski. The more the inside edge is rolled over the more the outside ski will be on edge. We achieve this by rolling the inside ankle towards the fall line during the transition between turns. It’s important to have no pressure on the inside ankle when it starts this rolling action.  Please watch this video for a demonstration.

LINK

I look forward to another amazing weekend on the snow.

Wow, what a fun weekend, that is all from GDHL HQ…. Now time to ski on all that great snow we got on Monday!

-Doug

Week One is Done!

Good morning GDHL’ers! On Sunday we completed our first GDHL sanctioned race since the end of our 2020 season and boy did it feel great! Big John has become the traditional place for our inaugural race of the season, so it was right that we started this season the same way. With that being said, a big welcome back to all racers and spectators! We have missed you.

Also, thank you for sifting through the quantity of emails being sent out by the GDHL committee over the past few weeks. Just like racers are shaking off the rust, getting back into the courses, so too is the GDHL communications lead in getting information across to everyone in timely, efficient manner.

Onto a very dense newsletter, with a lot to cover! Here are some things that detailed below. The mandatory sub-heading to read is the race rules for Saturday’s Modified GS race down Landslide.

  • Saturday’s Modified GS – Including Mandatory & Unique Rules

  • Sunday’s Slalom Race

  • Message from our Head Coach of Adult Race Programming, Glenn Blaylock

  • Wrap up of Sunday’s GS Race on Big John

  • Race Schedule

  • Fantasy GDHL Update

Modified GS Down Landslide - Saturday, January 15th @ 1PM

This Saturday is our super-fast, super-fun, “Modified GS” race down Landslide. We start at the very top, where often only snowshoers appear, and race down The Edge (yes, that is a marked trail name) and onto the pitch and flats of Landslide. Here is a great video showing the starting point to the top of Landslide for anyone needing a reference.

We will optimally each get two runs, in numerical bib order, but be prepared for notice of only one run being completed.

With this fun race, come additional rules for participants which are:

  • Inspection is mandatory

    • Every racer will be checked in at the top of the course by a Coyote. Any bib number not checked off on the inspection list, will not be allowed to race the course

    • Inspection begins at Noon sharp and closes at 12 30. Best to aim to be there before it opens at Noon.

    • Inspect slowly, and do not turn through the course.

  • Equipment is heavily scrutinized

    • Hard eared helmets are required for your safety

    • Both ski poles must have securely fixed baskets

    • Downhill Suits are allowed, and advised, but not mandatory

  • Race details are a bit different

    • This is a long racecourse, and will be managed differently than a regular GS, pay attention to the Coyotes at the top, on course, and at the bottom

    • There is a possibility that you will be flagged down by a Coyote while skiing. If you are flagged down, stop, you will get a re-run. This is for your safety and for the safety of everyone else

  • This race is run exceptionally well by the Coyotes, race crew and Club, respect everyone and the course.

    • Tidy up time after the race

    • At the conclusion of the race, every GDHL’er is required and expected to help roll the B netting through the bottom portion of the course.

Many hands make light work, so bring in your children to help, they have young backs, and it is a good learning experience. Look to a Coyote to point you in the right direction of which fence to take out. As of Thursday morning, the request is to take out the bottom half, from the base of the Landslide pitch, through to the finish.

Now that the details are out of the way, we can focus on the fun we are about to have! Saturday weather forecast is for -17 degrees Celsius, so be ready to sing your favorite Elsa line from Frozen while in your skin suit up top. Any other year, a few of us might consider finding something warmer to do on a sunny Saturday, but there is no doubt we are all thankful to get out on the racecourse, regardless of how numb our extremities are. On that note, who won the heated socks in the silent auction? Those would come in handy this weekend!

Slalom Comet, Sunday, January 16th @ 1PM

Thankfully, the cold snap that will grace us on Saturday, quickly leaves town and Sunday is forecasted to be a balmy -6 degrees. It is great to be back on the race hill, but for those who have yet to make net 50 turns this season, the 50 slalom turns down Comet will be a workout like nothing we can remember.

You may opt to wear a downhill suit on your lower half, while wearing slalom shorts, in an effort to avoid getting gate marks on your pretty, new Kjus ski pants. You will still be required to wear a sweater, or jacket on your top half.

Announcement from our Head Coach of Adult Racing, Glenn Blaylock

Friday Training will be divided into two sessions.

  • Morning: GS Skis, meet TOP of National Chair at 9:30 am

  • Afternoon: Slalom with protective equipment. Meet skiers right on Comet at 12:30 pm

Friday morning will be a “Need for Speed” session to get ready for the Super G on Saturday. We’ll be working on the skills used to ski fast, especially skiing the flats, how to transition over the pitch at speed, and how to power the ski through the arc of the turn. This session will be outside the gates

Video of the Week: The USA team demonstrates the importance of flexing ankles and having shin pressure (Americans call it “cuff” pressure) against both boots all the time. Turn up the sound and enjoy. LINK HERE

Sunday’s GS Race, a Recap

No two ways about it, Sunday was an absolute blast! The buzz around the Club was palpable, with nervous energy making way for smiles (even behind masks), and greetings from old friends and (friendly) foes. At the top of the racecourse, athletes – for lack of another word – gathered and discussed strategy, which for most was preservation rather than speed. Even with many declaring how rusty they were and telling their fisherman’s stories about how long it had been since they last raced, there were some exceptional performances!

With the low bibs starting off, Number 1, in our hearts, and on our course, Cynthia Waite led us out of the gate, skiing a respectable 53 second time. Leslie Sims (38.45) and Alan Shaw (39.58), both skied great races to get them into some major points, and David Staples (36.85) started his GDHL career with a top 30 finish.

Others with great GDHL debuts include Tom Murdison (34.74/5th), Harrison Simms Brown (34.99/7th), Noah Levine (35.08/8th), Spencer McCool (35.29/11th), Brent Addison (36.18/20th), Riley Webb (36.51/25th), Andrew Ottaway (37.12/29th), and Madison Staples (37.26/30th) … there may be a great Father Daughter rivalry in the making here. The full results are on the GDHL website here.

Some suspect that a few racers claiming to have not been in gates in years and decades have actually been summering in Chile, skiing the Andes and getting training in with the European powerhouses. Looking at you, Simms Brown brothers!

The top three overall were Ben Williams (32.68/1st), Taylor Simms Brown (33.41/2nd), and Duff Isberg, (33.89/3rd). Honorable mention to Cam Bellamy (34.06/4th), who narrowly missed out on his first podium of his GDHL career.

On the women’s side, Megan Peterson (34.96/1st), Katie Farrow (35.12/2nd), and Brianna Machej (36.48/3rd), rounded out a competitive podium. There will be a very intense battle for the top three women this year!

For future races, please wear your armband! It identifies you to your teammates and is a great way to show GDHL spirit. After all, we try to make this a team sport. If you have loved ones eagerly awaiting your results, they can track online too. Here is a link to the live timing site.

GDHL Maniacs braving the blizzard at the beginning of run 2

Fantasy GDHL

Your Fantasy GDHL teams have been tallied and the system is currently being booted up. We use space age magic to make this system work, so it takes time to warm up… Results should be ready for next week’s newsletter. Also, as we speed up turnarounds from races to results, you will find the updated results on the GDHL Fantasy page here. Good luck to all who submitted teams!

There it is, hopefully the only newsletter you receive from GDHL this week! Good luck to everyone racing this weekend, stay healthy and stay warm!

-Doug

QUICK CLARIFICATION

In yesterday’s newsletter there was one error, which may be somewhat critical. The date for the Race was stated incorrectly.

The Correction is:

Our first race is this Sunday, January 9th, Big John GS at 1 pm, with inspection opening around noon

Bib Pick Up Is:

This Saturday, January 8th, in the Big John Finish Hut, from Noon to 3 pm. Drop in when you can.

AND, DO NOT FORGET TO SIGN UP FOR:

Silent Auction Here: https://www.32auctions.com/gdhlcalcutta

Closes at 6 PM on Saturday evening

Fantasy GDHL Here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8FRPR7H

Closes at 9 AM Sunday Morning

More details for everything above can be found at GDHL.org

-Doug

Happy New Year GDHL'ers!

Your GDHL Committee are very excited to bring you a great 2022 race season! There is a lot to cover in this newsletter to kick off our very busy race season. For those of you who are prone to deleting this email after reading the first paragraph, please be patient and at least review the important topics, listed here:

Below you will find details on each of those topics, with specific headers. This is all an effort of saving you time while reading, if only we could help you save time on course on Sunday afternoon.

CALCUTTA

This year may be challenging, and it may be different, but it will not break the GDHL Committee, and it will not break our Racers! We so badly wanted to have an après ski event that brought everyone together after a long off season, but with the current regulations it just is not meant to be. The idea of running one virtually seemed exhausting, and we are all completely disinterested in yet another virtual meet up where you cannot hear any exchanges from other participants. Instead of the Calcutta, we have simplified everything, including Bib Pick up and the Auction.

BIB PICK UP

On Saturday, between noon and 3 PM all racers can come by the Finish Hut at the bottom of Big John to pick up their bibs. There are rumours of other pick-up items as well, but you will need to be there to find out what those items are. If you cannot make this time, bibs will be moved to the Race Office Sunday morning, and available for up.  

FIRST RACE – Sunday, January 9th 1 PM Start on Big John GS

Our first race is this weekend! We expect all racers will be shaking with anticipation to get back in the gates. This is how we start every GDHL season, providing us some normality. As we did two years ago, we will be racing without Downhill Suits, which is a pretty big blessing seeing as there is no where inside for us to hang out and re-dress after our races. Feel free to don a retro sweater to wear beneath your bib, or a fun outfit to keep the mood light in the start area.

RULES

We are all working through challenging times. With this in mind, the GDHL committee requests you adhere to all Club rules, protocols and courtesies this race season. Please be respectful of Coyotes at all times, remember, they are working, and their safety (that means feeling safe too), is paramount. If you choose not to wear a mask while skiing, please keep your distance from others.

The rest of the rules are pretty normal:

  • Please inspect every race – inspection usually opens 1 hr before race start

  • Please remember this is a fun race league, if you want to be a hero, go race InterClub

  • Whatever the Coyotes say goes, no exception.

TEAMS

The teams list for this year are on a PDF sheet shared here:

https://bit.ly/3eTJBdc

Click through to find your team/bib number and find out who else is starting around you.

SILENT AUCTION – OPEN TO ALL

Wow, do we have some great swag for our Silent Auction! Every year we receive amazing contributions from Squire John’s, Lange, Dynastar, and Pratte Ski Camps for us to auction off and raise funds for our league. We usually do this in the live auction, so sensibly we moved it all to a silent auction which is accessible here. Jump on and scroll through the items before 6 PM on Saturday, when it closes!

LINK: https://www.32auctions.com/gdhlcalcutta

FANTASY GDHL – OPEN TO ALL

Lastly… WE ARE BACK! Fantasy GDHL was such a hit last time around, we had to bring it back! The full rules are below, but keep in mind, you may enter as many teams as you like. The only requirement is that you submit a unique Fantasy Team name for each team you enter. Click here to sign your team up asap! We will close this off on Sunday morning at 9 am:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8FRPR7H

Entrance is $20 and the pool will be split between the winners and two runners up.

Here are the rules:

  • Pick 7 Skiers for your team

    • Pick 1 skier from each of the tables below by checking the box beside their name

  • Each skier is scored on the following criteria:

    • Starts: each run start is worth 1 point

    • Finishes: each run finished is worth 2 points

    • Categorical Podiums: Men’s/Women’s Overall and Men’s/Women’s Masters

      • 20 points for 1st

      • 10 points for 2nd

      • 5 points for 3rd

Finish to rank differential: scored per race completed with minimum score being 0

Standings will be updated weekly in the GDHL Weekly Newsletter and on the GDHL Website

Thank you for sticking through all that! We have a great season of ski racing ahead of us and are excited you are part of it!

See you on the slopes!

-Doug

Happy New Year's Eve

There is no better way to start a New Year than with great news. Hopefully, you will get lots of great news over the next days, and if you do not, well you always have this newsletter! As we enter into Covid Winter 2.0, everyone is aware that there is no perfect answer to this ongoing, everchanging situation, yet here we are, about to share with you our season plans. Are you excited yet?

Keep in mind, flexibility will be our word of the season! In past years, your flexibility was tested when you went head over heels down the Big John pitch during slalom training. This year, your flexibility and attitude will enable us to have an exceptional GDHL season full of racing and fun!

With the disclaimer out of the way, we can go onto the important details, of which there are a few to be shared today, and more to be shared in about a week’s time. You will find below information on the following: our first race (Hint: it is January 9th, GS on Big John), our Calcutta Celebrations, Registration, and a little roundup of some fun things to keep you occupied while you celebrate NYE responsibly.

SCHEDULE

We have our first race scheduled! Sunday, January 9th on Big John (Time TBD). For those in search of normality, this is the exact same race we have started our GDHL season since inception, or at least for as long as most of us can remember. We are back, baby! Maybe not all the way back to normal, but it will be nice to feel the rush of the start gate after so many months away.

There are some great races in the works for the balance of year, too. Right now, the GDHL Committee is working on Dual Slalom ideas and a night race, of course all of which will be confirmed soon. There will be an update to the race schedule next week, with more details, to set you up for the next few weeks. For those racers who are getting excited, make sure to read the next paragraph, as that addresses the Calcutta!

CALCUTTA

Everybody’s favorite Après AP (After Party) is BACK! Except this year, we are going virtual… but do not worry, we promise this will be less cringe-worthy than your firm’s virtual happy hours they forced you into every other Thursday at 5 pm.

The Club mandate is no in-person large gatherings, inside or out, so that means we must go online. There may be some challenges, but none greater that the challenges we will all face when we try to zip up our downhill suits for the first time this season.

In next week’s newsletter you will receive full details on the Virtual Calcutta, including: When/Where/Zoom Link, where and how to pick up your bibs, how you can bid on teams and items in the auctions, and who the sponsors are this season. We are excited to see you all on the call and know with your support we can make this Calcutta feel like the great event it usually is! For those of you who want to join us for the Calcutta, but have not signed up, make sure you read below!

REGISTRATION

If you have not signed up yet, you are in luck! With the recent set of mandates in place we have had to push back our entire schedule, which means registration close has been pushed back too. Hurry up though, it closes on Sunday, January 2nd and you do not want to be the one friend left out.

NYE ENTERTAINMENT

Last New Year’s Eve we were stuck at home, and this year… we may be stuck at home again. It is not fair, but for those of you trying to keep your distance for yours and your loved one’s safety, here is some entertainment for you:

Details on Craigleith’s own Katie Combaluzier, who came second in the Sit-Ski Slalom races a couple weeks back: https://alpinecanada.org/news/canadian-para-alpine-ski-team-rookies-net-two-additional-medals-before-holi

Have a great NYE, and stay safe!

-Doug

Did you Miss It?

Registration is Open Again!

The GDHL season is almost upon us, and our calendar of events is quickly coming into focus. We have a great season ahead, and we are excited to have you along with us.

If you are currently on the outside looking in, without a spot on the GDHL roster for 2022, you are in luck! We have re-opened registration for the next 7 days (December 15-22). Make sure you do not miss this opportunity, as there will be no last-minute sign ups allowed this season.

Click through to the Craigleith website here to register on the club programs page.

Race Schedule:

This will soon be posted to the GDHL website, so stay tuned. Expect communication on the full schedule just after Christmas.

Happy Holidays!

-Doug

Pre-Season Info Dump

Good Morning Fellow GDHL’ers. Race season is nigh, and it is time for you to register! The registration cut off for this year is December 1st, so if you have not registered yet, get to it. With registration comes the excitement of the new ski season, which we have all been patiently awaiting. As you can imagine there are many moving targets for the GDHL committee to work through, but there is news worth sharing. The adult gate training details are out and available below, as well as some preliminary race scheduling. The social calendar is a work in progress, however the committee has committed to making sure that the fun this year happens in the gates and at the apres! And Canada only hosts one stop on the World Cup tour, Lake Louise, which is happening this weekend and next.

Registration:

We have a record number of registrants for this early in the season! With the deadline looming, (next Wednesday, December 1), make sure you get to it. We are specifically calling out those under the age of 35. In the past our group of youthful racers has been plentiful, and we expect nothing different this year. If you have any questions about registration, please email gdhl@gdhl.org.

Training:

This year we have a new Head Coach of Adult Race Training, Glenn Blaylock. Many of us have had the fortune of befriending Glenn as he has skied with us and against us in the gates, often beating us. Now he starts a new challenge of attempting to make you go faster. Just remember, if you ski better this year, it is credit to your offseason-conditioning but, if you ski worse, it is Glenn’s fault. All joking aside, we are very excited to have Glenn coaching us this season! The entire season adult Gate Training Schedule is available both on the Craigleith website and on the GDHL page under the training header. 

Race Schedule:

The race schedule will soon be broadcasted to all club programs, and the GDHL cannot circumvent (though the committee tried) the process of calendarizing the events. When we have the schedule locked in place, we will communicate it to all of you. We are *hoping* to host a race on Sunday, January 2nd, before the Calcutta event. This race would be a warm up to help everyone shake off the rust of taking an entire race season off, so if you are in Collingwood for New Years Eve weekend, make sure to mark your calendar for a fun way to start the race season!

Social Calendar:

Of all things that the GDHL committee is looking after, this has the most moving parts. We are working within the rules and regulations of Grey County, and recognize people have different comfort levels with social situations. With all of this in mind, we are aiming to host the Calcutta on January 8th. What the Calcutta looks like is to be determined.

Fantasy racing:

Two years ago we launched our inaugural year of the Fantasy GDHL Racing, where participants could buy into a pool to submit a fantasy team of racers for the chance at the grand prize. It was Paul Peterson, Trevor Jackson, and Anthony Ruffalo who finished in the 1,2,3 spots two years ago. We are excited to bring it back to you, for an awesome opportunity to follow along with the races, and win some money. Who knows, maybe your fantasy GDHL will take home top spot this year?

Lake Louise Races:

This coming weekend the events at Lake Louise begin. Starting Friday, the men will race the first of two downhill races, the second on Saturday, and then on Sunday is the Super G. The women’s schedule mirrors this, but begins next Friday, December 3rd. This is a great opportunity to watch ski racers at a normal time (not 5 am in the morning), and at a familiar mountain to many. Both races will be available through CBC.

That is all for now. It is information overload until the season starts, which we are all eagerly awaiting.

Keep your tips up,

-Doug

That Time of Year!

Mikaela Shiffrin has won again! The American super star skier won her 70th world cup race on October 23rd at the GS in Solden. What this means for you, is that it is time to sign up for the GDHL!

Don’t be left out of all the excitement of ski racing! Registration can be found on the main Craigleith site, under the “More” button and then the “Alpine Programs” option. The pricing details are below:

Early Bird - Before November 15th, 2021

  • $200 + $26 HST

  • Member Under 35: $79 + $10.27 HST

After November 15th, 2021

  • $240 + $31.20 HST

  • Member Under 35: $95 + $12.35 HST

There will be some exciting news shared about the Adult Gate training this year in newsletters to come, as well as details about the race season.

For those interested in watching Mikaela’s winning run at Solden, here it is:

Cheers,

-Doug Jarvis

The Arrow of Time is a Cruel Mistress

As days go by, and sunsets come earlier, there are signs all around that winter is nearing. Halloween is next weekend, and then we are in November. Before you know it, Christmas music will be playing, the snow will be on the ground and we will all be itching to get on the slopes to carve some turns.

All of this sounds great! There are few things sweeter than the first carved turns of the ski season, but the arrow of time will be there to remind you that it moves only in one direction. Embarking on a new ski season will surely remind us that we are older now than we were last ski season, and a lot older than we were two ski seasons ago. The athlete within us has recognized the benefit of espom salt baths, and rest days, yoga and stretching every morning. This is because, in fact none of us are getting any younger.

Even though your most youthful days may be behind you, it does not mean you cannot enjoy yourself now. As we approach the ski season, make sure you take time to plan some fun. A ski trip, some extra spending money to be used bar-side in the Base Lodge, or an easy option is to sign up with the GDHL! The Going Down Hill League is excited to offer programming to all individuals regardless of where you are on the continuum of the ski racing prowess. More on registration details below.

Lastly, if you are on the fence about coming back to the GDHL or signing up for your first season we understand. As stated above, the arrow of time is cruel, it slows us all down, makes us ache in the morning, and get a headache after one glass of wine, you are not alone. But please realize, that after all that we have all been through, the community and the competition might be exactly what we all need. So, in the words of the late, great, Warren Miller “If you don’t do it this year, you’ll be one year older when you do”.

Registration:

If the above advertisement did not persuade you to register for the GDHL then maybe the early bird discount will! You will find registration for the GDHL in the same location as all other alpine programs, on the Craigleith under the “Register Button”. All eager beavers can be rewarded with almost 17% savings for signing up before November 15th!

The pricing for skiing this year is as follows:

Early Bird - Before November 15th, 2021

  • $200 + $26 HST

  • Member Under 35: $79 + $10.27 HST

After November 15th, 2021

  • $240 + $31.20 HST

  • Member Under 35: $95 + $12.35 HST

Distractions

For those of you keeping a close eye on this newsletter, rest assured that during the season it will arrive weekly in your email at the regular, 5 am (ET) Thursday time.

Are you keen on catching up with your Warren Miller films? Great! We are lucky enough to be able to find anything we want to watch on the internet, and this 2005 edition of Warren Miller’s ski film legacy features the late Shane McConkey, the late Sarah Burke (Canadian from Barrie, Ontario), and Seth Morrison. Take a watch here:

If you grew up skiing in an era that promoted freestyle hair, over freestyle skis, or enjoying cigarettes on the chair lift was normal, take a look at this 1983 special, Snowonder! – Editors note, this is damn near brilliance and worth a watch regardless of your age.

Obviously watching these on your dinky laptop screen pales in comparison to the event and occasion of venturing downtown Toronto to the Hummingbird Centre for the Canadian debut of these films, but these movies are still loaded with entertainment value!

National Alpine Team

Before you go, the Canadian National Ski team was announced this week and the members below. These are the skiers that will compete in the regular world cup starts under the Alpine Canada banner, but there will be another list of athletes that qualify for the Olympic games happening at the beginning of February 2022. You may notice a name or two missing from this list, but that does not mean those athletes cannot participate for the Olympics representing the Maple Leaf

  • Ali Nullmeyer (Toronto, Ont./Georgian Peaks Ski Club) 

  • Amelia Smart (Invermere, B.C./Panorama Ski Club) 

  • Asher Jordan (North Vancouver, B.C./ Whistler Mountain Ski Club) 

  • Britt Richardson (Canmore, Alta/Calgary Alpine Racing Club)

  • Broderick Thompson (Whistler, B.C./Whistler Mountain Ski Club) 

  • Brodie Seger (North Vancouver, B.C./Whistler Mountain Ski Club) 

  • Cameron Alexander (North Vancouver, B.C./Whistler Mountain Ski Club) 

  • Cassidy Gray (Panorama, B.C./Team Panorama Ski Club)

  • Erik Read (Canmore, Alta./Banff Alpine Racers) 

  • Erin Mielzynski (Collingwood, Ont./Georgian Peaks Ski Club) 

  • Jack (James) Crawford (Toronto, Ont./Georgian Peaks Ski Club & Whistler Mountain Ski Club) 

  • Jeffrey Read (Canmore, Alta./Banff Alpine Racers) 

  • Kyle Alexander (North Vancouver, B.C./Whistler Mountain Ski Club) 

  • Laurence St-Germain (St. Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que./Club de ski Mont-Ste-Anne) 

  • Liam Wallace (Calgary, Alta./Sunshine Alpine Racers)

  • Marie-Michèle Gagnon (Lac-Etchemin, Que./Mont Orignal) 

  • Riley Seger (North Vancouver, B.C./Whistler Mountain Ski Club) 

  • Roni Remme (Collingwood, Ont./Alpine Ski Club) 

  • Sam Mulligan (Vancouver, B.C. /Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Club) 

  • Trevor Philp (Calgary, Alta./Banff Alpine Racers) 

  • Valérie Grenier (Mont-Tremblant, Que./Club de ski Mont-Tremblant) 

That is all for now. There may not be another newsletter before the early bird registration discount expires, so make sure you sign up ASAP. Enjoy the content and be safe. The entire GDHL committee is excited to see you this winter!

-Doug Jarvis