Welcome to the 2024 Season!

In this newsletter:

• Welcome rookies and veterans!

• Registration

• Race Schedule

• Warm Up Race

• Calcutta - Saturday January 6th at 4:30pm

• GDHL League Scoring

Welcome to the 2024 GDHL Season!

Welcome back to the biggest adult racing league on the escarpment! We are excited to welcome you back to the 2024 season, with our first race on Sunday January 7th.

To our new racers - congratulations on joining one of Craigleith’s oldest member-run traditions.

To some of you, this may be the first GDHL Thursday Newsletter that you have received. For others, this is the only reason you open your email on Thursday mornings in the winter. The weekly newsletter brings you race recaps, scheduling updates, and notes on what’s happening around the GHDL.

For past newsletters, info about the GDHL, results, and more; take a look at www.gdhl.org.

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

We have had record registration this year! Unfortunately this means we have had to cap the number of racers. There is a waitlist available at the Alpine Programs Registration page on the Craigleith website, and we will be adding racers from there if possible. If you would still like to race, please add your name to that waitlist.

2024 Race Schedule

Thursday Dec 28th – Warm Up Race – GS Big John - 10:00am

Sat Jan 6th – Calcutta in Depot – 4:30pm

Sun Jan 7th – GS Big John - 1pm

Sat Jan 13th – GS Comet - 1pm

Fri Jan 19th – SL Little John - 6pm (night race)

Sat Jan 20th – GS Comet - 1pm

Sun Feb 4th – Super G National – 1pm

Sat Feb 10th – SL Little John – 1pm

Sun Feb 18th – Dual SL Little John – 1pm (long weekend)

Sat Mar 2th – End Of Season Event - evening

Feel free to put these seven races in your calendars. Your GDHL committee has worked hard with the club to schedule seven races throughout the season. Note: All of these could be subject to change due to conditions or weather concerns.

All seven of these races will count for points. More on that below.

NEW THIS YEAR - Warm Up Race (aka Time Trials)

We are running an extra race this year to assist with our initial racer rankings, and to give you some additional warm up!

If you are new to the GDHL, please schedule time to drop by the GS course that will be set on Big John from 10:00am to 11:30am. There will be no start list, so please line up at the start hut. There will be no bibs, just give the starter or GDHL Committee member your name and badge number.

If you are returning to the GDHL, feel free to also come and drop by the GS course for a warm up run or two.

No need to take off your jacket (but you can). We want to get a sense of where everyone fits.

Calcutta

Saturday January 6th at 4:30pm in The Depot

Join us for our traditional opening event of the GDHL season. All racers and friends are welcome! There will be a cash bar, some snacks, beverage tastings, and more. This is not a ticketed event, and all are welcome to join us in the new Depot!

Racers will be able to pick up bibs at the event. (Your start number for the season). Unlike a downhill suit, you’ll need it for Sunday’s race!

Never been to the Calcutta? You’re in for a treat!

The Calcutta is a live auction (Thanks Rip!) where each GDHL team is auctioned off to the highest bidder in the crowd. Anyone (or a consortium) can bid for any team. All of the proceeds are collected via member charge, with the total amount being split at the end of the season among the owners of the top three finishing teams, with a small portion used to offset league costs.

Each team is allowed to buy-back half of the value of their team, if they so choose. If you don’t feel like buying back, you are not obligated to. Those that choose to buy-back are charged accordingly.

All of this goes REALLY fast. It’s exciting and sometimes confusing, but you’re going to love it!

If you are looking to bid, either alone or as part of a group, let us know at gdhl@gdhl.org. It’s not mandatory, but it helps us prepare.

League Scoring:

• The winner of each race receives the most points. Second place receives second most. And so on.

• A racer can score points in each of the seven races.

• A racer’s season total is the sum of their best four races.

• Team totals are the sum of each teammate’s best four races.

• New this year - no calculation will be applied to those that do not complete four races. (If you only complete three, you score is the sum of those three races). Attendance matters.

If you have any concerns, please find a GDHL Committee Member.

Looking forward to a great season!

Your GDHL Committee for 2024:

• Brook Dyson

• Chris Knight

• Michael DeAngelis

• Meg Ryley

• Richard Usher-Jones

• Peter Dyson

• Carrie Lenauskas

• Paul Peterson

Countdown Is On!

2024 GDHL Season UPDATES

In this newsletter:

• Registration is CLOSED.

• Calcutta

• Race #1 and Schedule

• Sponsors

• Seeding Race - December 28

• Rules Reminder

• Registration Gremlins

REGISTRATION:

The GDHL is on track for another record year! Due to unprecedented early registration numbers, we have now had to close registration to keep numbers at a safe and efficient level. There is a waiting list that is active at the Alpine Programs page on the website. If you’re a little late to the party, feel free to add your name to the waitlist and we will add you if we can.

Because of this, we are asking all registrants to commit to attending as many races as possible this year. As mentioned above, not everyone was able to register. IF IT IS YOUR PLAN TO START UNDER 4 RACES, we ask that you consider stepping aside for those that want to get a decent season in. We have never asked this of our racers, but we are in uncharted GDHL territory.

SPONSORS:

Thanks to our 2024 Sponsors. These are the organizations that help us create a fun and exciting season. We will be letting you know more about them as the season goes on, but we wanted to say THANK YOU for helping us put on our races and social events.

• Sutherland Insurance

• Lysander Funds

• Raymond James

• Squire John’s

• Dynastar/Lange

• Sidelaunch Brewing

If you’re still looking for sponsorship opportunities, send us an email at gdhl@gdhl.org.

Calcutta Auction Block

CALCUTTA:

Racers ready, it's Calcutta time - Après style.  Join us Saturday, January 6th, 2024  from 4:30-6:30pm in The Depot for some light nosh, drinks from our sponsors, prizes and of course, picking up bibs, the reveal of teams and placing your bets!  Get your consortiums ready because with a packed field (over 130 racers!) this is sure to be a great one. 

Family and friends are also welcome - the more the merrier. See everybody there for the official start of the GDHL season!

As always, this event is not ticketed. Feel free to come by and check out what all the commotion is about!

(If you’re interested in bidding on teams, email us back with a heads-up. It helps us plan)

RACE #1 / SCHEDULE:

Our first race is GS on Sunday January 7th (morning after the Calcutta!).

The schedule for the rest of the season is being finalized and will be posted on this site as it becomes available.

SEEDING RACE:

New This Year: Conditions permitting, on December 28th we will be having an informal pre-season race. If you’re new to the GDHL, we ask that you plan to attend and take a timed run down the course. If you’re a GDHL vet and looking to get a run or two in, hop in to the course for a pre-season race run. Location and time To Be Announced.

This informal race will help us prepare rankings and teams as fair as possible.

Calcutta Action

RULES REMINDER:

• Have respect for all race workers, office staff, and fellow racers. (There will be consequences if you are a jerk!). If you have a concern or comment, bring it to a GDHL Committee member.

• Hard eared helmets for all races

• No downhill suits (except for the Modified GS aka Super G)

• Have fun!

• There are no requirements for shin guards, pole guards, or chinguards. Bruises and intact teeth are up to you!

• Apres-Ski is highly recommended

REGISTRATION GREMLINS:

If you have registered you may have received an email from the club regarding billing. There was an issue with the calculation of HST, and you may see a modification on your monthly bill.

#TBT 2023 Banquet

2024 Registration Is Open

Registration for the 2024 GDHL season is open!

IN THE NEWSLETTER BELOW:

• Registration Is Open

• Race Schedule

• Social Events

• Looking For Committee Members

• Sponsorship Opportunities

• Adult Pre-Season Race Camps

• Important Apres AGM Message

2023 Champions - Team Vortex

REGISTRATION:

For those that are counting, only 78 more days until the Calcutta! Time to make sure all of your gear is ready to go for the 2024 race/apres season.

Head on over to the club website at www.craigleith.com and click through to the Alpine Programs Registration section. Make sure you sign up before the November 15th early-bird deadline, as prices go up after that date. 

If you're thinking of racing in the GDHL for the first time, let us know by email at gdhl@gdhl.org and we'd be happy to give you an overview. There's a wide range of skill-levels in the GDHL, from first time racers to Not-Giving-Up-The-Dream veterans. The only requirement is that you have fun. (...and be able to make it down Big John...)

2024 GDHL Race Schedule: (DATES TBC)

• Pre-Season Warmup Race

• 2 Giant Slalom Races

• 2 Slalom Races

• 1 Modified GS (aka Super G)

• 1 Dual Slalom

• 1 Night Race

2024 SOCIAL EVENTS:

• Calcutta - Last Saturday of Christmas Break (January 6th)

• Multiple Saturday Post-Race Apres

• Night Slalom Apres and Bar Night

• GDHL End of Year Event - Saturday Night of Club Championships (March 2nd)

GDHL Committee Members

Due to some long-deserved retirements, the GDHL committee is looking for a few new members. If you're interested, send a message with your interest to Brook Dyson at gdhl@gdhl.org (We will miss you Doug Jarvis and James Coulter!)

Sponsorship Opportunities

Thank you to those sponsors that are returning. You really help us put on a great season!

We have a limited number of spots open for sponsorship of the 2024 GDHL. If you'd like to get your business in front of some of the most elite racers and Apres participants on the escarpment, this is your chance. Send an email to gdhl@gdhl.org for more information.

PreSeason Adult Race Camp

A note from Glenn Blaylock:

We are pleased to announce Craigleith Ski Club, in cooperation with Catalyst Sport Science, is offering two adult pre-season race camps at Sun Peaks this December.

 Glenn Blaylock, Head Coach, Adult Race Programs and Greg Roe will be coaching. 

 Camp #1: Starts December 5th for 6 days. Camp #2: Starts December 12th for 6 days.

The camp costs $1658 for 6 Days/ $3316 for 12 Days. The costs cover lift tickets, training, coaching, video, and timing. The costs do not cover flights, accommodation, food, and transfers to and from airports.

To simplify the billing process your Craigleith account will be billed for the deposit and remaining portion of the fee.   

Accommodation will be held for athletes at the Cahility Lodge and the Sun Peaks Grand. Discounts will be applied to the regular daily rates.

 More information including suggested flights and the Registration link are provided by the attached weblink:  https://forms.office.com/r/Qa7CewgWuh

 If you have any questions, you can email Glenn Blaylock a lockgc@gmail.com .

Important Apres AGM News

Rumour has it the bar will be open at 3pm on Saturday after the AGM. A great opportunity to see your fellow GDHL'ers and dust off those apres skills! 

The bar has missed you and your tab has gone cold. It's time to get back.

For those that have the NEED to relive 2023…

2023 Results

Check out our Instagram for updates and the latest gossip.

GDHL Instagram

www.gdhl.org

***this update has been brought to you without our longtime editor Doug Jarvis. Give us some time to get up to speed!***

Your Feedback Please

Once again - thanks for a great season! The snow has been melting fast, the lifts are closed, and the green grass is starting to appear on the hills. It feels like spring (and almost summer) came in with a bang!

Survey:

We have one more thing to ask of you: In our ongoing quest to improve the GDHL experience, your committee would like your feedback. Please click on the link below (or paste into your browser) and fill out a short survey. Your responses help us plan for next season.

GDHL Survey 2023

Sponsors:

If you know of any businesses or individuals looking to sponsor the GDHL in 2024, please let us know at gdhl@gdhl.org

Committee Members:

There are a few openings on the GDHL committee for 2024. If you are interested in volunteering some of your time before and during the season, please send a note to gdhl@gdhl.org. (Racing in the GDHL is not mandatory, but is encouraged)

Odds and Ends:

Those that have not yet returned your bibs, please arrange to get those back to the club. Your account will be charged if they are not returned.

If you have not yet purchased a jacket, we still have some available. Email gdhl@gdhl.org and we can arrange for pick up in the Collingwood area this offseason.

If you have not yet picked up your GDHL Logo Cooler Bag, there are still some available. Email gdhl@gdhl.org and we can arrange for pick up in the Collingwood area this offseason.

OFF-SEASON Training:

(This space intentionally left blank!)

Have a great spring!

World Cup Ski Cross racer Jack Crawford sporting the alternate GDHL jersey.

GDHL Newsletter March 9, 2023

The GDHL Committee thanks you for your participation in the 2023 Race Season!

We are so happy with how well our season went! When planning began for this year’s races, all we could hope for was a season without interruption or delay. The snow and weather at the start of the year caused some concern, but ever since the Calcutta we have been on a successful trajectory, culminating last weekend. It has been a memorable ski season for so many reasons, so we, the GDHL committee are so thankful you chose to participate with us.

This will be the final official newsletter for the 2023 GDHL season which means there is a lot to pack in. Proceed with caution as it will take a few minutes to read it all. Covered off below is:

• Season Wrap Up

• Message from our Chair, Brook Dyson

• Recap of the End of Year Banquet

• A short farewell from your editor, Doug J

• Info on where you can buy/pick up your GDHL Jacket

• Glenn’s Coach’s Corner

Announcements:

Before we go any further, here are a couple important announcements:

• BIBS: A reminder to return your bibs to the race office or front desk. Those that do not return by the end of March will have their accounts charged.

• LOST SKIS: One of our racers has had their Blue 165cm Stockli skis accidently picked up by someone else. He has the same Blue Stockli skis in his possession, but a 160cm size. If you have picked up these 165cm skis by mistake, please reply back to this email.

Season Wrap Up

It is hard to look back and pinpoint exactly how COVID impacted our skiing over the past few years. Surely it did but what measures had to be taken to enable us to ski, seem to be a distant past now. In fact, it was just last season that we had to begin each ski day by filling out a survey, and then wear a mask on the chairlift. Fast forward to this year, and we got to enjoy all the luxuries of a full, and awesome year.

We started out with a fun and rambunctious Calcutta on January 7th, something we had not enjoyed since January of 2020. Then we had a race season that spanned the next six weeks, with races and training days. This year we put on our second Night Slalom down Little John, with huge success. And our Dual Slalom event is becoming an annual tradition at the club, providing spectators with hours of amusement as racers duke it out. In a first for many of us long-time racers, and certainly a first for newer racers, we raced a Super G course down National and Big John, providing an experience for many of us to remember forever.

Our fun was not limited to the racecourse though as competitions and rivalries became hot topics of conversation. At the top of the race hills the congregations of skiers, many new to racing, built friendships and revisited old, childhood rivalries. The Mintz family of racers took opportunities to try besting each other, and let everyone know when they had. Siblings were battling for parental approvals across many other families, with the Harrison-Browns, Bruces, Ottaways, Dysons, Addisons, and more! Our community of realtors took their competitive spirit to new heights as well, with the likes of Kate Veer and Meghan Barber roasting Brayden Irwin and Paul Peterson.

All the above is a product of the GDHL having a such an enthusiastic turn out this year. This truly has been a record setting year for our race program. We had dozens of new ski racers join us, along with many first time GDHLers. The young blood is coming in, shifting the average age down. The recruitment will not stop either. Our goal is to ensure anyone with interest in joining our community feels welcome to. Next year we hope to bring in more people, so spread the word.

Thank you for the fantastic season on the slopes!

A Message from your Chair

A big THANK YOU to all of our racers this season! As Paul mentioned at the banquet 2023 had the highest number of racers ever, as well as a record number of new racers. I can't wait to see what next year holds!

A feedback survey will be sent out before the end of March. Please take a minute to tell us how we are doing and let us know how your GDHL experience can be made better.

While you only hear from myself and Doug (and @PaulTheSkiRacer) in these newsletters, there are many hands helping out behind the scenes. Your GDHL committee works hard to put together a season that is memorable and fun.

The race season would not happen without the contributions of all committee members. Thank you!

2023 GDHL Committee:

• Chris Knight

• Peter Dyson

• Carrie Lenauskas

• Michael DeAngelis

• Richard Usher-Jones

• Douglas Jarvis

• Meg Ryley

• Jamie Coulter

Sponsors

Our sponsors allow us to fill out the GDHL experience beyond the races. A big thank you to all of our sponsors this year:

• Sutherland Insurance

• Budget Propane

• Patty Mac Construction

• Sidelaunch Brewing

• Dynastar/Lange

• Squire John's

**If you are interested in sponsoring the GDHL next year (and having your company logo and social media associated with the league), or interested on serving on the GDHL committee,  send an email to gdhl@gdhl.org***

The Coyotes and Race Office help us to put on a great season. Thanks to all of the Coyotes for making sure our races run smoothly. Thanks to Dave, Alli, and Steve for helping out with logistics behind the scenes.

Glenn and his team have had their hands full this year. I recently found out how many of our new racers were really taking training seriously! Think of Glenn as the next stop after you have bought lots of new gear for your blossoming race career. Check out the coaching tip at the end this newsletter.

Banquet Recap

This year's banquet was hosted by Craigleith's very own Paul Peterson. Paul gave us a great rundown of the season, some highlights and lowlights, and walked us through the awards and recognitions. This year's banquet once again provided a nice wrap-up to the GDHL season.

Our Fearless MC, Paul Peterson (@paultheskiracer)

Thanks to King Davis (IG: @kingdavis.theband) for providing some great entertainment for the evening.

Awards (serious and not-so-serious) were given out throughout the evening. We recognized rivalries, winners, improvements, families, credit card bills, and much more. Thanks to the non-racer attendees for sitting through A LOT of inside jokes. Kudos to Carrie Laurencelle for putting on a chugging clinic!

Awards given out included:

• 1st Place Team: VORTEX

  • (Calcutta Winner: Ed Barnicke)

  • Team Members:

  • Meghan Barber

  • Ed Barnicke

  • Robbie Bruce

  • James Coulter

  • Trevor Currie

  • Brayden Irwin

  • Richard Kennedy

  • Ray Murakami

  • Paul Peterson

  • Meg Ryley

• 2nd Place Team: VENTURE

  • (Calcutta Winner: Christine Ottaway and consortium)

  • Team Members:

  • Greg Cavers

  • Roger Chiu

  • Nico Hart

  • Allan LaChance

  • James Mathers

  • Paul McCool

  • Andrew Ottaway

  • Mario Skopek

  • Shelly Spivak

  • David Staples

• 3rd Place Team: MUSILS

  • (Calcutta Winner: Tony Ciccocioppo and consortium)

  • Team Members:

  • Libby Barnicke

  • Elizabeth Hind

  • Ian Latimer

  • Patrick Pedlar

  • Robert Prusinski

  • Meghan Robinson

  • Craig Sievenpiper

  • Richard Usher-Jones

  • Marc Warren

  • Mike Welton

Individual Winners:

Women:

1. Meg Ryley

2. Katie Farrow

3. Madison Staples

Men:

1. Mike Welton

2. Ben Williams

3. Gordie Bruce

Women over 50:

1. Kate Veer

2. Leslie Sims

3. Tiana Boyman (Koffler)

Men over 50:

1. Greg Cavers

2. Jeff Sutherland

3. Allan Lachance

Greg "Sumo" Lee award for Most Improved:

1. Brent Addison

2. Ed Barnicke

3. Andrew Ottaway

Andrew, Brent, and Ed, recipients of GDHL’s highest honour

Fastest Family: (over 19 families this year!)

1. Bruce Brothers

2. Farrow Cousins

3. Cavers Boys

Rivalry Award:

• Libby Barnicke vs Dan Lacey

Many more awards given out as well!

**if you are on a winning team and did not attend the banquet, please reply back to coordinate picking up your medal**

**Cooler bags are available for pickup at the front desk as well. GDHL racers only for now. (We will make these available to our GDHL superfans in a few weeks.)**

Farewell from Doug J

As the saying goes, all things must come to and end. It is time for me, the editor of this newsletter to heed this saying and ski off into the sunset. I have loved writing for all of you over the past 5 seasons, even though a couple were cut short because of COVID. Curating material and forcing myself to write out these weekly messages through the winter has become therapeutic in a lot of ways, and yet also cumbersome and stressful at times. After all, I never ever want to let you down with a late newsletter, a spelling mistake or grammatical catastrophe. These newsletters will continue with new editors and styles.

Thank you for reading my content and thank so very much to all those who provided feedback. I am forever grateful to all of you who shared your thoughts on what I wrote about last week, even when you disagreed with me!

And a very special thank you to my copy editor, my mom – Laura Jarvis!

See you at Craigleith soon!

Jackets

The cool new look of the Niagara Escarpment are our GDHL, Karbon Jackets. Get yours before they are gone! We still have a few for sale, awaiting new owners. Email GDHL@GDHL.org to connect with a local sartorial expert. Or if you are at the club, they are also available at the front desk.

Coaches Tip from Glenn Blaylock

Craigleith Head Coach, Adult Race Programs

Forward versus Upward

Moving the body forward rather than upward during Transition allows the skier to be in a strong athletic position square over their skis and ready to apply pressure to the new outside ski. The following video shows World Cup racers moving forward as their outside leg bends or shortens during the transition to prevent the body rising or popping up. Also focus on their ankles flexed forward, the stacked leg standing against the outside ski and the level hips and shoulders.

The bending or shortening of the outside leg is not an “absorbing or retraction” movement as some pressure on the outside ski during transition will cause the ski to continue accelerating as explained and demonstrated by Paul Lorenz in one of my all time favourite videos.

We look forward to seeing you next season.

---

That is all. See you on the slopes in the coming weeks!

-Doug J

Club Championships and GDHL Banquet Weekend

This weekend is a big one for us, the GDHL’ers! On Saturday we have two races, one Slalom, one GS to determine the Club Champions, then we have our end of year banquet in the evening. It will be a busy day! For more details read on, you will also find the weekly update from our coach, Glenn Blaylock.

Club Championships

Saturday is Club Championships for Craigleith. All GDHL’ers are automatically entered in the two races, one Slalom, one GS. The start order does not follow the GDHL start list, it follows age and gender, so you will need to pick up your bib for the day on Saturday morning. You will find them in the race office, or possibly in the president’s loft in the old south, between 8 15 and 9 am on Saturday. Make sure to pick yours up.

Following the day’s races there will be an awards ceremony on the Base Lodge patio, where the club champions will be crowned. Many of you will also have an opportunity at some hardware, since you are all spectacular racers! Make sure you stick around before you head home to change for the GDHL Banquet dinner which begins at 7 pm in the base lodge.

GDHL Banquet

A message from Carrie and the GDHL Social Team

You have one (1) more opportunity to buy your tickets for the banquet so you won't have to sit at home Saturday night, being sad and lonely. Wishing you could be in on all the fun.

Today (Thursday, March 2nd) at 5pm is the cut off... officially. No more time after that - plus the ladies going to Ladies Day will be otherwise occupied and the men will be either child minding (not babysitting) or figuring out what to eat for dinner and what to pack for the weekend,

• Date: Saturday, March 4th - 7-11pm

• Where: Base Lodge

• Who: Everybody but especially those who raced this year

• Cost: $90/ticket

• BYOW (Bring your own wine) for corkage covered by the GDHL. For pairing purposes, we will be having chicken and pork.

• Music by the King Davis Band

• GDHL participants will also get a cool giveaway as well!

Good luck everybody (especially the women) in Club Champs on Saturday!

Coaches Tip from Glenn Blaylock

Craigleith Head Coach, Adult Race Programs

Craigleith Adult Racers

Friday Training, March 3, 12:30 pm: Hill: TBD, Slalom, Equipment: Slalom skis and protective equipment: guards for hands, shins and face.

Check the message board at the bottom of National Chair for the training hill.  Register On-Line by Thursday.

Thank you for slipping the hill after your last run through the course.

Coaches Tip: Leveling the Hips

During the Transition between turns we allow the outside leg to bend or shorten to prevent the body from rising up away from the snow. This action also levels the hips returning the body to the Athletic Stance square over the skis.  Sometimes; especially on steep terrain, the velocity of the outside ski may not be sufficient for the leg to level the hips. When this happens lift the heal of the outside leg as it bends or shortens during the transition. This action will level your hips and enable you to more easily start the new turn and stack the body over the new outside ski. This is a very subtle movement and should not cause the body to rise or pop up.

Deb Armstrong (former U.S.A. Ski Team) provides a very good explanation of why its important to level the hips in her following video.

---

Good Luck this weekend!

-Doug

Banquet Tickets on Sale Until 5 pm Today

Hey GDHL'ers, friends, fans and procrastinators,

Stop what you are doing.  This is your last reminder.  Seriously. 

Go to the Craigleith website and get your banquet dinner tickets. 

Don't say, I'll do it in 20 minutes. You'll forget.

If you don't get your tickets today, then you will be sitting at home Saturday night, missing out on all the fun and wondering if your team won or if Paul the Skier (top 50 finisher and Dave Robinson fanboy) mentioned you.

Tickets are on sale until midnight TONIGHT. Don't turn into a pumpkin.

The details once again: 

• Date: Saturday, March 4th - 7-11pm

• Where: Base Lodge

• Who: Everybody but especially those who raced this year

• Cost: $90/ticket

• BYOW (Bring your own wine) for corkage covered by the GDHL. For pairing purposes, we will be having chicken and pork.

Music by the King Davis Band

GDHL participants will also get a cool giveaway as well!

Again, this is your last warning.... 3rd email is the charm?  Get your tickets.

See you all there!

Get Your Banquet Tickets!

Hey GDHL'ers, friends and fans,

This is the long awaited announcement of the GDHL Banquet - this is where we see who wins all the marbles and glory! Come out and see which team came out on top and which consortium will be buying rounds for everybody.

• Date: Saturday, March 4th - 7-11pm

• Where: Base Lodge

• Who: Everybody but especially those who raced this year

• Cost $90/ticket.

• BYOW (Bring your own wine) for corkage covered by the GDHL.

• Music by the King Davis Band

• GDHL participants will also get a cool giveaway as well!

We also have to find out who won the Family award; this was a close one this year and all the other awards: best photo, most cheery cheer, most consistent, person the committee really botched the ranking on, etc. Find out if Libby Barnicke really beat Dan Lacey overall this year.

We know the turn around to buy tickets is tight (just like Paul the Ski Racers turns) but, tickets must be purchased by Tuesday, February 28th.

We will send out a reminder in a day or so as well for those procrastinators.

-Carrie Grinter-Lenauskas

Bye-Weekend

Congratulations to all GDHL’ers, we have finished our racing! The GDHL Committee, had a blast hosting this season’s races and watching you participate in fine form. Our season is not completely finished, we still have some important events on the horizon, but as far as GDHL-points racing, we can relax.

It has been an incredibly fun season! Our daytime races enjoyed the best ever turnout of racers in the history (or at least recent history) of the GDHL, each with 95-115 finishers. The night slalom had 80 finishers plus many non-GDHL’ers as guests and finished with 90+ competitors. Clearly there has been a great infusion of young, talented, good looking racers this year.

The results for our races are all on our results page here: https://gdhl.results.mectiming.org/. There is an extreme warning for those investors getting their hopes up that their team has succeeded in winning. As it stands, all results are unofficial and subject to audit per our internal GDHL competition committee. The final results will be announced at the GDHL end of year banquet.

Banquet

On the evening of Saturday, March 4th, we will be hosting our annual GDHL end of year banquet. We will be recognizing this season’s award winners, the winning teams, and those who made us laugh the hardest. There are a lot of details about this event to share, and they will be provided in a dedicated email early next week, with a link to purchase tickets.

This Weekend

There is nothing on the race calendar this weekend. It is a perfect opportunity to rest you weary, broken body that has seen you through another gritty year fighting the elements and performing at the highest level. Be sure to kick your ski boots off early on Saturday afternoon, secure a great seat at the base lodge après, and rest up for next weekend.

Club Championships

Club Championships will be on Saturday, March 4th. This is a two-race day with GS and Slalom on the docket. As it is not an official GDHL race, you may wear your downhill suit all day. All GDHL’ers are automatically entered in the races. More details will come on this next Thursday, in preparation for the final race-weekend of 2023.

Last Weekend – Dual Slalom

Finally, a reflection on last weekend’s dual slalom. Since… a few years ago, the GDHL has hosted a Dual Slalom with reception. It has taken time for us, the committee, to find a way to include all skiers, to keep it fun, and to make sure the competitive feeling was still resonating. Last weekend we explored the format again, with a simplified race that included just two runs, against the same opponent, one run on each course, and the feedback was positive. We are excited to continue to tweak this event to make it as involving, compelling, and crowd pleasing as possible. Any and all feedback on last-weekends race is welcomed and can be sent to gdhl@gdhl.org.

A lot of fun was had! The camaraderie developed by racing against your fellow competitor is unique to the dual events in alpine skiing. The start gate created an added level of excitement, some racers could barely contain their energy as the mistimed their starts as the gates opened. At the finish line many hugs, high fives and handshakes were shared as racers found themselves fully stoked and smiling ear to ear. The results as individual runs, are shared here. The (*) asterisk denotes a 1 second penalty for a DNF on a run. Racers who DNF’d one run had their successful run time doubled, then 1 second added.

The winners were:

Men:

1. Mike Welton (35.16) combined

2. Ben Williams (35.32) combined

3. Kyle Farrow (36.10) combined

Women:

1. Meg Ryley (37.57) combined

2. Devon Clarke (38.04) combined

3. Meghan Barber (39.17) combined

The racers above have had fantastic seasons, and Saturday was another chance for them to show off their prowess and poise. Other racers in the pack felt the pressure too and rose to the occasion. The following racers all finished with their best performance of the season on Saturday:

• Jeff Sutherland – 11th

• Richard Usher Jones – 15th

• Dave Raymond – 16th

• Jerry Patten – 19th

• Pat Pedlar – 20th

• Peter Dyson – 22nd

• Robert Emery – 30th

There seems to be a common theme among the gentlemen listed above. This could be called the top 30 over 30 (years old), group as they really come alive in the event that pits them head to head against their competitors!

Other notable finishes:

Leslie Sims, sweet talked her way into bib number 4 this year, but do not be fooled by it. On Saturday she finished with a time for 43.98 good for 57th place – not even her best result of the year.

Brayden Irwin 47th took down Paul Peterson 67th in the battle of young, tall real estate agents. The two have been embattled for years now, and unofficially, this result puts Brayden 6 places ahead of Paul in the season standings. Rumour has it that the winner gets to list the house of the Tambro Construction president, as he is clearly fleeing the country.

Close Calls and Ties

Since Covid, ties have gone out of style, rarely being brought out of the closet, and only for the best occasions. Yet in Sunday’s races, we had a couple. Meg Ryley and Scott McClorie tied in 6th with a time of 37.57; Craig Sievenpiper and Ed Barnicke tied in 36th with a time of 41.66, and Jason Turnpenny was just 00.01 behind them (41.67); And though not technically a tie, Brad McMullen (42.34) beat out Lesley Leech (42.35) by one millisecond, who in turn beat out Tessa Benson (42.36) by the same margin.

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Coaches Corner with Glenn Blaylock

Craigleith Head Coach, Adult Race Programs

• Friday Training, February 24, 9:30 and 12:30 pm:

• Hill: Comet, Giant Slalom.

• Equipment: GS skis, forearm guards and hard shell helmet. 

• Register On-Line by Thursday.

Thank you for slipping the hill after your last run through the course.

Coaching Tip: Race Mantra

Congratulations to the Canadian Alpine ski team for their best result ever at the World Championships earning 4 medals tied with U.S.A and Italy and ahead of France. Special recognition to Laurence St Germain for winning the World Championship Slalom beating the greatest female racer of all time, Mikaela Shiffrin. The last time a Canadian woman won a World Championship slalom was 63 years ago. To appreciate how long ago, the win was eight years before Nancy Greene won her two Gold Medals at the 1968 Olympics. It was also eight years before Pierre Elliot Trudeau (Justin’s father) was elected Prime Minister of Canada.  It was nine years before Apollo 11 landed on the moon and sadly seven years before the Toronto Maple Leafs won their last Stanley Cup.

The Race Mantra is a word or phrase you repeat to yourself when racing. During a race you will need to let your mind and body perform the actions required to perform the skills you’ve learned during training. Skiing is a complex sport and you won’t have time to think of all the bio mechanical movements needed to navigate through a race course.  High level racers will sometimes use a Race Mantra to keep them focused on one objective. For example, it may be helpful to say to yourself during a race the word “Early” to help you focus on starting your turn as you pass the gate. Race Mantras are very personal as a word or phrase that works for one person may not resonate for someone else.

St Germain’s victory is reviewed by the following video. Be sure to watch her interview after the race where she explains how she kept repeating to herself “Go Down, Go Down” to encourage her to move her body down the hill.

Watch your email early next week for updates on the Banquet and the Club Championships. We are excited for all the fun to be had to finish out the season!

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 See you on the slopes,

-Doug

Family Day Fun Ahead

 Another great weekend of racing that ended with a perfect patio Sunday afternoon!

The Friday Night Slalom returned as a special bonus race. Although the heavy snow kept some racers away from Lil’ John, we saw some great performances from those that were able to make it. A twist to the evening saw the brand new Dual Slalom drop-gate used as our start gate. Definitely some good practice for this weekend’s Dual Slalom.

Mark Shillum achieved his first ever top 10 finish, then promptly bronzed his skis and placed them over the Base Lodge fireplace.

Mario Skopek edged out Paul Peterson, who narrowly beat out the Mintz sisters. Those two finished within .09 seconds of each other. Both sisters narrowly edged out their husbands, seeing Stan Liberty finish 19th, while Dave Robinson posted a season-best 20th place.

Some of you may have noticed a special guest racer running the gates. Linsey Ferguson, Chair of Alpine Canada, was spotted laying down some great runs Friday Night as well.

Thanks again to Dave Campbell, Steve Milgram, and the Coyotes for making this happen.

Sunday GS Big John

Our last GS of the season saw a great turnout! The skies were sunny and the snow was fast. The course took a different route down Big John than where you would normally race, leading to some different places in the standings. Some great new warmup routines were spotted at the top of the course, which saw some excellent results for our last GS of the year.

Scott McLorie showed that closing down the Alpine Fundraiser would lead to his best finish of the season (5th). Not to be outdone, Carrie Grinter-Lenauskas had a career best 13th place finish, showing that a new pre-race warmup may be the difference maker she has been looking for.

Richard Usher-Jones and Ed Barnicke pulled away from their usual place in the standings to finish 17th and 20th respectively. Nicely done!

Speaking of pulling away, Brent Addison’s bindings decided that they didn’t want to leave the start gate on Sunday, resulting in our second start-gate ejection of the season. When asked what he had done to fix his bindings for the second run, a grin and a “nothing” was his reply. Smart move as Brent finished 8th. 

Not to be outdone, fellow auto baron Alex Addison decided he needed to beat not one but both Dyson brothers this time out, resulting in cries of “Let’s Get Awesome!” all over the patio that afternoon. 

 Taking offense to the taunting sign duct taped to Libby Barnicke’s pants, Dan Lacey put in a season best 55th place finish to show who’s boss. Don’t poke that bear!

David Staples put in a season best finish this week at 15th, only to be outdone by his daughter putting in her own season best finish at 9th. Blair McDougall showed he’s ready to join the family by increasing his points total with a nice finish this week.

Marie Mintz has a new favourite daughter and her name is Meghan. Joining the three way tie for 52nd with Susie Raymond and Steve Cryer, Meghan edged out former favourite Lauren by a country mile.

“Top Ten” Mark Shillum showed us his best effort of the (points eligible) season, finishing 40th and ensuring Brad Sproule will have to wait another day to take down the mighty Shillum.

Carlin Billington may have won the best Après award, as she was spotted on the patio sporting her bib well after the sun was dipping below the escarpment. 

All in all a great race! On to the Dual!

Standings:

Standings are now updated. You can see them at https://gdhl.results.mectiming.org. Your GDHL committee has recently handed full control of the standings to an AI program we purchased from a company called Skynet. In addition to becoming self aware,  the algorithm that governs the standings should now be accurate.

Our apologies for not having these linked directly on the GDHL website.

A refresher on points calculation:

• Points are the sum of your best 4 finishes

• Those that have less than 4 races will have their missed race calculated as an average of actual finishes, with a 10 point penalty added for each missed race.

• These averages are calculated to ensure that injuries to team members do not fully tank the team’s season. This has been done to give all team racers a chance at GDHL glory on the trophy skis above the bar

• The scoring system will be reviewed and modified this off-season

If you see someone on your team that has less than four races, it may be a good idea to give them a friendly nudge for the Dual Slalom.

Dual Slalom - Saturday 1pm - Little John (PANELLED)

This weekend sees the return of our GDHL Dual Slalom down Lil Jon (Lil Jon Yeah). Some notes on the race:

• We will be using our fancy new start gates, purchased with the assistance of the GDHL last year

• You will start against the racer with the closest bib to you at the top of the course. (#1 vs #2, #3 vs #4, etc.). If we are missing numbers, you will be assigned by the starter to the next closest racer.

• Each racer will have a run in the Blue and the Red course

• Combined time determines your finish placing

• If you do not finish one of the runs, your total time will be your other run’s time doubled with a penalty applied.

• Due to time constraints brought on by rescheduling, we will not have time for more than two runs.

• No need for full slalom gear, though some may prefer the added protection

Following the Dual Slalom: A P R E S GDHL Style! 

(From Carrie Lenauskas:) 

Congrats everybody for making it this far this year! With our final race of the year, and final day to secure those points, we will be following up our epic dual slalom with an Après in the South Lodge right after the race. Let’s reminisce about those near wins, and recount those 'what if' moments. GDHL racers, fans and friends are all welcome. In keeping with the Après in the Base Lodge - let's keep it TIGHT and BRIGHT. We are expecting big things from all of you (especially Mr. Hill, Mr. Sutherland and Mr. Peterson - no pressure lads!)

We will have beer donated by our amazing bib sponsor, Side Launch Brewery - wear your bib to get a beer! Nick from Nicholas Pearce Wines will also be on site to pour some delicious red and white wines. Pizza and munchies will be available as well.  See you all there!

 To read more about Nicholas Pearce wines, check out below.  

Working with industry-leading sommeliers, restaurants, and international winemakers, Nicholas Pearce Wines has been leading the way. with a focus on hospitality and customer service for over a decade. Their highly motivated, professional team of sommeliers and wine lovers source boutique, handcrafted wines from around the world for their clients and customers. The Nicholas Pearce Wines Portfolio is exclusive to Ontario wine drinkers and provides a wide selection in all price points, with many priced under $25 per bottle, all delivered right to your front door.

www.npwines.com

A Note from Adult Racing Head Coach Glenn Blaylock:

Craigleith Adult Racers: Friday Training

• Date: Friday, February 17

• Time: 9:30 to 11:30 am / 12:30 to 2:30

• Hill: Lower Millennium

• Discipline: Panelled Slalom

• Equipment: Slalom skis, forearm guards and hard-shell helmet.

• Coaches: Glenn Blaylock and Greg Roe

• Register On-Line by Thursday.

Thank you for slipping the hill after your last run through the course.

Coaches Tip from Glenn Blaylock, Craigleith Head Coach, Adult Race Programs

Coaches Tip: Transition

Completing the turn and starting the next; often called the Transition, will depend on many factors including snow conditions, steepness of terrain and how the course was set. On flatter terrain rolling your ankles in a High Tuck position may be enough to change direction. On steeper terrain where the ski is bending the following is more appropriate and based on the Norwegian and Canadian method.  

When the ski is carving the outside leg is Standing Against the ski. Start releasing pressure against the outside ski when the direction towards the next gate has been achieved. Maintain some pressure on the ski as it releases to allow the ski to complete its carving action. Edge angle and ankle flexion gradually decrease.  Allow the leg to bend or shorten to prevent the body from rising up away from the snow. As the pressure is being released start applying pressure to the new outside ski. At the same time start moving your core forward over your skis and rolling your ankles to tip the skis on edge. With an Athletic Body Stance use Ankle Flexion to build 100 percent pressure against the new outside ski. When skiing short radius slalom turns the Transition happens quickly.  With longer radius turns including Giant Slalom there will be a moment when your skis are gliding flat on the snow before the skis are rolled on edge.

Skiing is a sport of movements not poses so these actions are progressive and fluid.

The following short video explains and demonstrates this Transition method well.  It’s a bit technical but worth watching.

Watch how World Cup racers move their core forward during the transition between turns.  The core action starts early in the transition and finishes with a pole plant/touch or sometimes no wrist action at all. The primary focus is using the core muscles including back and abs to move the body forward. Also watch for the parallel shins.

Ski with Purpose

Glenn 

That’s it for this week! See you all on Saturday at 1pm on Lil Jon for the Dual Slalom. Yeeeah!

-Brook

SPEED RACERS!

A lot is going on, and we had a fantastic race last weekend. This week we have two guest contributors. First is our Chair, Brook Dyson, and then second is a new writer to our team, Paul Peterson aka @paultheskiracer on instagram. Enjoy the read below!

Note from GDHL Chair Brook Dyson:

Thanks to the Craigleith race staff, Coyotes, and the GDHL committee for putting on an amazing race down National (and lower Big John) on Saturday. If you raced down that exciting track on Saturday, know that you're one of the few in Craigleith history to ever do so. Hopefully there are more races down National to come!

A big thank you to all racers that helped take down netting after the race. The beer sure tastes better after a race and a little sweat.

If you enjoyed Saturday's Super G down National, please pass along your positive feedback to our GM (Jeff.Courtemanche@craigleith.com) and James Mathers (president@craigleith.com). Your feedback helps us work with the club to schedule events like this.

JACKETS

Jackets will be available for pickup and sizing on Saturday morning and afternoon in the base lodge area. Keep an eye out for any GDHL committee members not waiting in a bar lineup.

We will also try and have jackets available on Sunday.

Stay tuned to the GDHL Instagram account for updates.

Schedule Update:

• Friday Night Lights Part 2 Slalom - 6pm - Little John

• Open to all Craigleith members 18+

• Please wear your GDHL bibs. This is a fun race. No GDHL points awarded.

• Après to follow!

For the most up to date schedule, head on over to https://gdhl.org/schedule

• Dual Slalom has been moved to Saturday, February 18th, in the afternoon.

  • Originally scheduled for Sunday the 19th, this is being moved to accommodate the informal members meeting.

  • This is the Saturday of Family Day

• Club Championships are Saturday, March 4th,

• GDHL End of Year Banquet is Saturday, March 4th.

Dave Raymond contemplates his choice to strip down to his downhill suit ahead of his first run.

Super G - From the Eyes of Paully P

Saturdays super G down National was easily the most highly anticipated race of the season. I spotted several celebrities including John Tory (jr), Jeff Courtemanche and at least 5 people with the last name Farrow who were all part of the capacity crowd in attendance.  They were all there to see if Benny Williams could return to glory and knock Magic Mike Welton off the top step of the podium for the first time this year.  Benny looked poised, calm and confident as he laid down an incredible, winning 2nd run that the ladies in the bar will be talking about for weeks.

Gorgeous Gordie Bruce took home the 2nd spot as he too laid down a lightning fast 2nd run, knocking Magic Mike down to 3rd place. 

Meg Ryley took top spot in the ladies race once again and it appears her rumoured policy of “no sex at all during the race season” seems to be paying off nicely for her. 

Katie Farrow who is on the podium every week finished in 2nd place and freshly engaged Madison Staples grabbed the 3rd spot although unfortunately her father David was away at another male modelling shoot and wasn’t there to witness it.  Mother Catherine was there representing the family, ringing the cowbell and downing a fireball shot every time a racer came down who beat her soon to be son-in-law Blair Mcdougall so she was feeling good after the race!  

There are 3 things every Craigleith member wants to know:

1. How did Tambro get the contract for the Project Generations job?

2. How does Al Lachance still ski like a young gazelle after all these years?

3. Does a race suit really make a big difference in GDHL racing??

Well I am hear to answer one of those questions today.  Yes, a race suit makes a big difference and we have hard evidence to prove it.  Shelly “speed demon” Spivak finished her first run in a time of 45.75 (well behind Paul the ski racer for those tracking at home).  For her 2nd run she changed into a race suit (signed and previously worn in 1997 by Kate Veer) and although she skied what felt like the exact same quality run, her time was only 43.72.  Over 2 seconds faster and putting her well ahead of the rest of us stuck in the not so desirable “shoddy group” and easily the top member of the acclaimed Tequila aficionados crew.

The “Shoddy Group” stands proud atop the National Super G course on Saturday

Brayden Irwin showcased a tight race suit (and a mediocre bulge) and he finished 35th overall!  Many spots ahead of his usual placing and he was spotted hanging in the bar at the après with all the cool, fast racers while the rest of us looked on from a distance with jealousy.

David Singh wore a race suit and came 66th overall.  David was about to be named Mayor of the "shoddy group" and now he’s moving up in the racing world after that great result!

More honourable mentions:

Steve Cryer, who started ski racing this year at the age of 50 finished a nice tidy 49th and I think will be a great addition to the Craigleith Interclub squad in the not-so-distant future.

Greg Cavers returned to racing after a big injury that required multiple surgeries (thumb, wrist, penis reduction etc.) and skied in his words “conservatively” to a solid 15th place finish. The caveman can truly do it all.

Eddie “the eagle” Barnicke with a very impressive 36th place, making Libby very proud (and jealous) of her cousin.

Dave Robinson skied with a very smart strategy of skiing just slow enough that GDHL photographer Robert Vitols could get several action shots of Dave coming around the gate, each pic in crystal clear, high definition... Rumours are swirling however about some private coaching tips Dave has received that may catapult him into the top 120 this weekend!

Aaron Maybin, father of future Craigleith legend Myles Maybin showed what a $2000 pair of custom ski boots can do with a nice 27th overall finish

Ray “the missile” Murakami flew back from Bahamas just in time for a fantastic race and kept his win streak alive as he was once again the top Japanese racer in GDHL. 

Stomping Tom Murdison with a 5th overall finish which I believe is his best result ever in his young GDHL career. 

Family Ties:

Lauren Liberty beat her sister Megan (anyone else just find out they aren’t actually twins??)  for the first time this year and I imagine was the talk of the Mintz crew dinner table that night.

Brook Dyson once again took down Pete in the Dyson brother dual

Carrie Grinter looked extremely nervous after placing a mere 6 spots ahead of brother in law Ed, will have to keep an eye on this matchup down the road.

Paul Peterson finished 51 spots behind his wife which sounds bad until you realize that Andrea Mclorie was 75 full spots behind husband Scott and takes the award for biggest gap between couples.

Petey Popalis showed he has more than just a great name and beat brother Brandon quite handily.

I don’t know which of the Bruce boys are brothers or cousins but they can all ski very well.  You’d be more likely to find a soggy Craigger sandwich for under $10 before you’ll find Gordie, Fraser or Robbie Bruce finishing outside the top 30 in any race.  Lets not forget the former King of Scotland D. Robert the Bruce who I don’t believe is related but did make Frances proud with a 45th place finish.

Great job by all racers!

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COACHES CORNER:

From Glenn Blaylock, Head Coach, Adult Race ProgramsCraigleith Adult Racers: Drop in Friday Training

• Date: Friday, February 10th

• Time: 9:30 to 11:30 am / 12:30 to 2:30

• Hill: Birches:

• Discipline: Giant Slalom

• Equipment: GS skis, forearm guards and hard-shell helmet.

• Coaches: Glenn Blaylock and Greg Roe

• Register On-Line by Thursday.

• Thank you for slipping the hill after your last run through the course.

Coaches Tip: Carving

Our Coaching Tips this season have reflected the Norwegian method of skiing which has been adopted by Alpine Canada. We have focused on why World Cup skiers focus on perfecting drills especially the Javelin Drill, the importance of the athletic body stance, edge angle, ankle flexion, the inside leg, The Line, and the high tuck position.

The Coaching Tip this week focuses on how to carve. Ankle flexion is used to start the turn by applying pressure to the big toe of the new outside foot and rolling the new outside ski on edge.  The stacked leg then “stands against” the outside ski resisting the forces pressing against the foot causing the ski to bend, arc and accelerate or carve. There is no pushing action as this will release the energy in the ski and shorten the length of the carving action of the ski.

The upper body needs to be level to prevent leaning away from the outside ski. This action will cause the body to “Separate”. It is critical the Separation occurs with the Thoracic Spine, separating at the upper part of the Sternum. This action will stack the whole body from the head through the core and down the stacked outside leg to the foot standing against the outside ski. The amount of Separation will increase as pressure is applied to the new outside ski until the body is fully standing against the outside ski usually at the apex of the turn. To feel where to separate at the Sternum, place your hands mid way down your rib cage opposite where your heart is located. Lower one elbow then the other and you will feel how the Thoracic spine can tip side to side or “Separate” using skiing jargon. When Separating at the Thoracic spine you will notice the core muscles engage to keep the body stacked over the outside ski.  (Important: Separation does not occur at the hips or waist as this movement breaks the stacking of the body against the outside ski).

Watch how Eric Kristoffersen of the Norwegian Alpine team stacks his body and outside leg and keeps his shoulders level while winning a World Cup Giant Slalom.

We will see you on the hill this weekend!

-Paul, Brook, Doug

Race and Social Schedule Changes

The GDHL Committee is excited to announce some changes to Race and Social Calendars going forward! After the immense success of Friday Night Lights, we are hosting a sequel this weekend!

That is right, this Friday, February 10th we are hosting our second, Friday Night Lights on Little John! This race is welcome to all Craigleith badge holders and will be run just like the last event. This race will not be counted as an official GDHL race, and no points will be awarded, it will just be a lot of fun!

• Lifts open 5 pm

• Race start 5 45.

On Sunday, February 12th, we will have our scheduled GS down Big John at 1 PM

OTHer Changes

For the most up to date schedule, head on over to https://gdhl.org/schedule

Here is what has been added:

• Dual Slalom has been moved to Saturday, February 18th, in the afternoon

  • Originally scheduled for Sunday the 19th, this is being moved to accommodate the informal members meeting

  • This is the Saturday of Family Day

• Club Championships are Saturday, March 4th,

• GDHL End of Year Banquet is Saturday, March 4th

Regular newsletter will arrive on Thursday morning.

SPEED WEEKEND!

The cold weather has arrived and just in time for all of us to dress down to our skin suits! On Saturday afternoon we ski the Podborski Cup Super G course down National, the only GDHL sanctioned event to allow full downhill suits on course. It should be a very fun weekend ahead! Brook will tell you more about what to expect over the next few days, and recap last weekend, all down below. But first, a quick thank you to Rob Vitols (@robertvitols on instagram) who has been taking great pictures of all of us this season. Reach out to find if he got any of you shredding the race courses this year! Sean Webster, pictured below, sure must be happy that there is photographic evidence of the grace and strength he employed while spinning mid air following a caught edge in Saturday’s race.

Another great week of ski racing in the GDHL! This week's GS featured a roller at the start, some cross ruts on the way down, and a nice little bump on the last gate.  

We had some great efforts from the 107 racers that started. Many of you also got to witness your first double ejection courtesy of Robert Prusinski! This didn't phase Robert as he took a mulligan and placed 15th.

Newcomer Erik Sultmanis finished in 12th place, possibly making him the most consistent racer this year with finishes of 14th, 14th, 12th, 12th.

Erik showing his speedy form that has kept his results consistent. Photo Credit Robert Vitols @robertvitols

Tom Murdison skied to a season best 7th place, Brad McMullen also posted a season best 19th, while comeback kid Brent Addison threw down a smoking run to finish 11th.

Jason Turnpenny continued to improve with a 30th place finish this week, while Paul The Ski Racer had a season-best 43rd place finish.

Alan Shaw and Roger Chiu decided that having bib numbers two apart wasn't close enough, so they raced to a tie.

Richard Kennedy and Scott Harding are battling it out this season, finishing with .01 seconds between the two this week.

Katie Farrow finished within a millisecond of her cousin, Kyle .Photo Credit Robert Vitols @robertvitols

The GS on Comet also saw some epic family battles:

• The Farrows (Kyle and Katie) finished .01 seconds apart

• Sisters Lauren Liberty and Meghan Robinson finished within .02 seconds of each other

• Peter and Brook Dyson were .03 seconds apart.

• Brenna Swift and husband Michael Ferrarelli finished .16 seconds apart.

• All three Bruce brothers had season best placings.

• Andrew Ottaway has pulled away from brother Phil.

• Brandon Popalis landed back in Ontario, only to see younger brother Petey show off his GS skills.

Team Musils has taken the lead with some great finishes up and down the lineup, while Porcupine is pulling up the rear due to some absences and injuries.

Results can be found here: https://gdhl.results.mectiming.org/

Andrew Ottaway finished ahead of brother Phil on Saturday. Photo Credit Robert Vitols @robertvitols

JACKETS:

The official GDHL AirTags account can confirm that this year's GDHL Jackets are no longer stuck in the Pearson baggage area. Word is they are on their way to the Collingwood area soon, so stay tuned for updates. If you have emailed GDHL@GDHL.org for a jacket request, rest assured your order has been received. We are still taking orders.

SUPER G This Saturday afternoon

This weekend's race is a Super G down National, which will be a faster course than many of you have seen. This is the same hill that the Podborski Cup will run on the days previous, and the same hill that this year's World Cup Ski Cross race will go down. We hope to get two runs in on Saturday.

Downhill suits are allowed for this race, 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. From 12:10 to 12:40pm please check in at the top of the race course with your bib number.

• If you see a Yellow Flag waving while you are on the course, there is an obstruction or fallen racer ahead of you. Please try to safely stop. You will be granted a rerun.

• 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.  

• Course crew controls all movement on the course.  Any non-authorized movement on the course/track will cause the jury to stop all racing

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. 

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

Après and long bar lineups to follow course clean up. Word is the theme for Saturday's Après is Leather and Fur!

Please send us an email 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.

SCHEDULE UPDATE

Please be aware that we are working with club management and directors to move the Dual Slalom and Après from it's current date of Sunday February 19th (Family Day Weekend) to another date. This is due to a scheduling conflict with the recently announced Members Informal Meeting. Stay tuned for a new date and time that does not conflict.

The GDHL committee encourages everyone to attend the meeting and find out what is happening at your club. 

AWARDS BANQUET

Mark your calendars for Saturday March 4th for our annual Awards Banquet. Always a highlight of the season!

CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 4th and 5th are Club Championships. All GDHL racers will be entered, whether you decide to race or not.

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Coaches Corner:

From Glenn Blaylock, Head Coach, Adult Race Programs

Drop In Friday Training, February 3rd, 9:30 am and 12:30 pm: Hill: Birches, Speed Camp in a fast GS course. Previous racing experience is required. GS skis recommended. Hard Shell helmet mandatory. Register On-Line by Thursday. Thank you for slipping the hill after your last run through the course.

Coaches Tip: Super G

There are three stages to the Super G on National.

The first stage is the flats before the pitch. This is the time to tuck.  A high tuck position is best with your back flat and parallel to the snow. Push your hands forward and up in front of your face so you can just see over your hands. Flex your ankles forward into the front of your boots. Focus on keeping both skis as flat as possible on the snow with minimal edge angle. To change direction roll your ankles with parallel shins and keep your body square over your skis. This position allows the legs, knees and ankles to flex and absorb changes of terrain. The high tuck position is demonstrated by the female U.S. Ski Team racer part way through the following video. Note how her back is flat and mostly parallel to the snow with her hands pushed forward.  This position allows her to easily absorb rolls in the terrain.

The second stage includes the gate above and the gates down the pitch. You want to rise out of your tuck before the gate above the pitch so you can be ready for the first gate on the pitch.  Apply pressure to the new outside ski early in the turn to ensure you are completing the turn as you pass the next gate. Ski a High Line with 100 % pressure on your outside ski. Its very important to look ahead. In a previous Coaches Tip, we discussed how to ski the line. Here’s a link to the video from that Coaches Tip.

The third stage includes the gates below the pitch to the finish. Shin pressure against the front of both boots will be important to keep you forward as there will be a tendency to shift your weight onto your heals when coming off the pitch and onto the flats. You will be skiing fast and you will need to have 100 %pressure on your outside ski when turning. When you feel you can tuck, a high tuck position is best. Look ahead. When you cross the finish line give yourself more time than usual to stop as you will be skiing fast.

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See you on the hill on Saturday Afternoon. It should be a super fun and safe day on the snow, and a first for many of us to race down National.

-Brook (And a bit of Doug)

Night Moves

It is nights like last Friday that make the Craigleith GDHL season so fun! As the GDHL committee we are so lucky have an amazing community of skiers and racers that participate with enthusiasm and energy. Thank you for being a part of the Friday Night Lights fun!

For weeks we have been pining for snow to fall and it seems our snow dances have been answered once again. This dump is surely nothing compared to the big snowfalls of lore, but it should get us all excited for another great weekend of skiing. It will also give those super powerful snow guns a rest, which will be greatly appreciated. Read on below for more about what we have planned this weekend, the schedule going forward, a recap of last Friday Night and, of course, your coaching tips of the week.

LAST CALL:

GTHS Ski for Pets 2023:

↑ Click above to register! ↑

This year our friends at Sutherland Insurance are presenting a new fundraiser at Craigleith which will benefit the Georgian Triangle Humane Society. Get your tickets now before they sell out!

Happening on Thursday, February 2nd, at our Club. Tickets are $150 for visitors and $75 for Craigleith members and promise to deliver fantastic enjoyment all for a great cause! 

This is Proudly sponsored Royal Canin, Aspen & Ivey Interiors, L. Patten & Sons, Thornbury Laser Clinic, Chris Fregren, and Byron Darlison

THIS WEEKEND:

Saturday afternoon at 1 pm we will be racing down Comet for our second GS race of the season. Expect inspection to open at 12 15 and to close at 12 45. The Après Ski, though not mandatory this time around, will be a great spot to congregate afterwards to rehash individual victories and plights from the day.

Bib Draw:

Trivia Time! The first two people to reply to this email, gdhl@gdhl.org, with the correct answer to the question below, will win the 10 and 20 bibs for Saturday’s race:

Q: How did Comet – the ski hill – get it’s name?

SCHEDULE CHANGE:

The next weekend’s race (February 4) is our famed speedy GS, (aka Super G). Over the years it has been skied down many hills, and most recently down The Edge (no relation to U2), over the top of Landslide, finishing at the bottom of the hill near the Track 3 Center. Before this, it was run from the top of the Funnel Chair, down The Cruiser, across the top of the Comet Chair flats to The Bowie, finishing at the bottom of Comet. Before that, it was run down Partridge, and before that was the dark ages, and we have no accurate records.

Next weekend, we are reliving that history! Like Steve Podborski returning to the Hahnenkamm, it will be a show for the ages, watching famed skiers of yesteryear returning to the hallowed grounds of National, our ski hill dedicated to the exceptional athletes of the National Ski and Para-Ski teams.

Also, as always, pop over to https://gdhl.org/schedule for the most up to date details.

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday March 4th, is our GDHL End of Year Banquet. It is an event you cannot miss! More details to come.

NIGHT MOVES:

Last week enough of you clicked on the soundtrack link provided to inspire another audio accompaniment, this time… Night Moves!

Dax Cavers thriving under the lights! Photo Credit Robert Vitols @robertvitols

Under those bright lights, we all enjoyed a fun, fast, and challenging course. There were some stellar performances, as skiers launched out of the start gate, shooting for the moon. And when the night was finished, we had 80 finishers! Eighty finishers is amazing! The full results are here: https://gdhl.results.mectiming.org/  

We are working on getting them embedded to our main site, but in the meantime save that link in your favorites.   

All of the fun could not have been had if it were not for the hard work of volunteers on the hill. A huge thank you goes out to:

• Steve Millgram

• Dave Campbell

• John Atkinson

• Laura, Jamie Schwalm, and Martin in the booth

• Chris Shipton

• Chief Slipping Officer - Mike DeAngelis

Dave Campbell and John Atkinson at the top of the race

Of course, the GDHL committee can do everything to put on race, but it takes you to make it fantastic! Each of you did that! Many heeded the advice provided here, to find clear lenses for their goggles to race under the lights. Those that did not were heard murmuring during après about their lack of vision. And talking about Après, what a time was had after the race! Having the bar full (but not over full) of people you know and congratulating fellow racers on their runs really tied the bow on the evening.

Winners

Kyle Farrow skiing to his 2nd place finish. Photo Credit Robert Vitols @robertvitols

The course was set for speed which made for a very competitive group at the top of the podium for both genders. On the Men’s side Mike Welton won his third race in a row with a time of 20.25, he was followed by Kyle Farrow who nearly broke into the 20 seconds, with a best time of 21.01; and Gordie Bruce made his second appearance on the podium scoring a 21.07. All three of these gentlemen will be in the running for the overall medals come the end of the season.

Katie Farrow en route to her first win of the season! Photo Credit Robert Vitols @robertvitols

Katie Farrow won her first race of the year on the Women’s side, with a time of 22.35. Devon Clarke made her GDHL debut, and secured second place with a time of 23.25. And Meghan Barber made her first appearance on the podium this year, finishing in third with a time of 23.75. There is very little separating the ladies this year and the overall podium race is getting tighter by the week!

Meghan Barber skiing to her 3rd place finish. Photo Credit Robert Vitols @robertvitols

Those Making Night Moves

Brent Addison turned back a clock and laid down two heater laps, finishing with a best time of 22.93, good for 8th overall! While Kate Veer must have used the right wax, because she came 20th overall, 5th among women, skiing to a lightning quick 24.40 first run. Sean Webster seems to have found his skiing legs, as his fast lap in his Levi’s jeans locked him into his season’s best 6th overall, with a time of 22.51.

Brent Addison making his night moves! Photo Credit Robert Vitols @robertvitols

Fantastic Finishes

The heroics were seen from racers on all ends of the spectrum on Friday night, and many onlookers were left stunned when new ski racers cranked up the intensity under the lights. Andrea McLorie chased her husband (Scott) with a fantastic first run time of 31.66, good for 64th. Jason Turnpenny was ready for the challenge too, as he skied himself to the 35th overall spot with a best time of 26.23. While Jake Sheehan made up for a first run mishap, by laying down a 26.90 second run time, good for 38th overall.

Scott and Andrea McLorie setting a high standard for husband/wife racers!

Returning to Form

Ski racing is not all glory! Many of us have had a long road back after a fun offseason, or a few offseasons because of kids, jobs… life. Jonathan Price is making his comeback known! He scored a 25.13 first run making him the 26th fastest on the day. And Roger Chiu, after being on vacation for the first two races returned with a vengeance, with a 29.84 second run time, and he even shook off a first run DNF.

The Rivalries

This year’s rivalries are plentiful, however one sticks out among the rest, as they have a name for their competition, the Tequila Aficionados. This include Shelly Spivak, Meghan Robinson, Lauren Liberty, and Carlin Billington. Well last week Shelly took the crown, beating the rest. One would imagine that she was buying the rounds at après!

How to Stay Humble

At the end of the first run, the GDHL committee invited anyone with a Craigleith badge to give the course a run through. This effort is to invite more people to this great community and to support those who are curious about the racing programs. This went exceptionally well, with about 15 racers taking the opportunity to race, including ex-National Team Member, Phil Brown. Phil’s time was a 20.05, humbling many of us, as he casually crossed the finish line in nearly under 20 seconds. It is always fun to watch the pros do it!

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Coaches Corner:

Drop In Friday Training, January 27, 9:30 am and 12:30 pm: Giant Slalom. Register On-Line by Thursday. Hill: TBD. Check the message board at the bottom of the National Chair. Thank you for slipping the hill after your last run through the course.

Coaches Tip from Glenn Blaylock, Craigleith Head Coach, Adult Race Programs

Coaches Tip: The Line

Where we ski through a racecourse; called “The Line”, is as important as how we ski through a course. Here are three lines to consider.

The “Wide Line” is the direction we strive 90% of the time where most of the work is done above the gate allowing the racer to complete the turn as they pass the gate.  This line applies to all disciplines including Slalom, GC and Downhill.  Refer to the following video for an explanation of why the Wide Line is faster and safer. (Note the “Wide Line” is often referred to as the “High Line”).

Watch Mikaela Shiffrin ski the Wide Line in the following GS race where she won the overall 2021/22 Crystal Globe.  Focus on how she tips her skis on edge well above the gate. This allows her to apply pressure on her new outside ski early in the turn causing the ski to accelerate down the fall line completing the arc as she passes the gate. Her outside leg is stacked with no pinching inward of her knee and her shins are parallel. You are watching the technique of the skier who will soon be the greatest racer of all time.

Another line is the “Aggressive Line” which is more direct to the next gate. This line is faster where there is less off-set between gates on hills not as steep.  While the body will be close to the gate, the skis are still away from the gate so the outside ski can have Edge Angle. Caution – your ability will determine how direct your line can be. Without practise the Aggressive Line will cause you to be late for the next gates. 

A third line is the “Recovery Line” which is often referred to as the “Late Line”.  The “Recovery Line” is a better description as it allows the racer to develop a strategy when training and free skiing for recovering when they find themselves in a non optimal location in a course. Instead of saying “Oh no, I’m late!” and then think of how they will react, the racer will immediately perform their preferred “recovery action” which could include an Ankle Flexion, Pivot Turn or Pole Plant in the direction of the next gate. A race is often won by the racer who recovers the quickest rather than those striving for a perfect clean run.

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Have a safe commute today, and tomorrow! This snow is great for racing, not always the best for driving. See you on the hill on Saturday afternoon!

-Doug

Live from Craigleith: Friday Night Lights

Congratulations to the 90 finishers of last Saturday’s slalom! For many it was a daunting challenge to ski down Comet, on bullet proof snow, through the technical course, this early in the ski season. For those who finished, but were hoping for better results, you get another chance tomorrow (Friday)!

We, the GDHL committee are well aware that our program is filled with A type personalities, who are eager to plan their winters around the race schedules we publish. That is why we are so appreciative of your excitement and anticipation of this week’s Friday Night Lights race. This is the second time we will be running a race like this, and it brings us a lot of pride to do so. There are details and information all below to get you ready for Friday Night Lights, and if you click below, you can listen to the movie’s soundtrack to get you focused and into the zone!

Friday Night Lights Soundtrack

Real picture from last year’s rendition of the GDHL Night Slalom

Once you have read all the details about tomorrow’s race, continue on for an in-depth recap of last Saturday’s Slalom race, and then announcements from our coach, details on our jacket order, and a reminder to sign up for this year’s hot event on the Escarpment, the GTHS Ski for Pets Day at Craigleith.

Clear Eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.

This is the catchy motto of the celebrated Dillon Panthers in the Friday Night Lights franchise. It is also very important as you prepare for racing on Friday evening. The lights on Little John are great for night skiing, but if you use high-tint goggles that are better fitted for bluebird days everything on the hill dims. Make sure your eye protection is either clear, or low light classified. You will be glad you did!

How this will all go down:

It is a traditional slalom, last year the winning runs were in the low 20 seconds, while the back of the pack was up in the low 30 seconds. It will not be a leg burner. The course will be set on Little John skier’s left with the finish corral at the same level as Big John finish hut just on the other side of the trees. Spectators are encouraged to cheer on their friends, and teammates can make noise for their brethren.

Non-GDHL’er Participation:

This is a great opportunity for anyone (18+) looking to try racing out or try racing out again! We invite all Craigleith badged skiers to join us at the start gate at the conclusion of the first run. The mandatory equipment are: helmet, 2 ski poles with intact baskets, 2 skis attached to boots which are attached to your feet. That is it. We look forward to having everyone joining us!

Après:

Please read as this is important… heck après is always important! There will not be traditional lodge food service on Friday evening, as it is the Friday night family dinner, which you of course may participate in, but you must buy a ticket to do so. There is bar service which you can take advantage of following successful navigation of Little John, but please do not expect the cafeteria to cater to you as usual.

This is a Mandatory Après event, which means the GDHL committee will be happy to incent you to be around after the race to join in friendly cheer with your fellow racers and fans.

Training:

Above and beyond the training note that is included below from our Head Coach Adult Programs, Glenn Blaylock, there is gate training Thursday night. Yes, night, slalom training, under the lights. Those who take advantage of this can pre-scout the conditions for Friday night.

Onto Last Saturday!

For 90 skiers, Saturday was a success. There were some hectic skiing conditions which regretfully impacted some of veterans of the GDHL, but that did not slow down the pack. By 2:45 on Saturday afternoon the race was wrapped up and we had successfully completed the second race of our young GDHL season.

Dax Cavers shreds a smooth right booter on the last pitch of Comet last Saturday. Photo Credit Robert Vitols @robertvitols

Results:

They are live! Click here for our new results page. https://gdhl.results.mectiming.org/ This will soon be connected to our main site. Everything looks good to us, but if you see an issue, please reach out.

Winners:

In the short season, there already seems to be some trending performances. The women were led by Meg Ryley (32.04) – her second win in a row, with Katie Farrow taking second place (33.84) – her second time placing behind Meg, and Annie Deeks in her inaugural GDHL season placed third (34.41). All three skiers were unable to improve with their second runs, showing that they really put the pedal down out of the gate! The women’s title will again be tightly contested this season!

Meg Ryley, Women’s Winner. Photo Credit Robert Vitols @robertvitols

The men’s side was led by familiar names as well. Mike Welton (29.99) took top spot for the second time, while Ben Williams found himself .32 back (30.31) in second place, Kyle Farrow made his mark on the GDHL season with his first podium of his young career skiing a 31.89. Interestingly, Kyle is the outlier as his second run was an improvement, unlike the other five listed above. Maybe Kyle is finding his edges and charging for those top spots? Time will tell.

Mike Welton, Men’s Winner. Photo Credit Robert Vitols @robertvitols

Rivalries:

• Having 90 finishers in a Slalom race is an all-time record. With so many racers come lots of fantastic highlights. The most impressive is the marital rivalry between Christine and Dan Lacey. Christine got the better of Dan this week by one position, and only 0.40 on the clock. Not only are they competitive 1v1, but they represent different teams too… this is going to heat up!

• In the President’s Cup, Chris Fregren took down his successor, James Mathers, with his time of 40.05, besting the 41.26. James did not finish his second run, some wonder if he had to run off to manage a club matter… and had he finished would he have closed the gap? We get to find out how much parity there really is between these two on Friday!

• Both Brook (37.97) and Peter Dyson (38.81), (AKA the Dyson Boys) laid the beat down on David Henderson (39.48). David has for the past few years had some remarkable results, but he is still finding his stride this season. Again, an opportunity for us to enjoy drama that this competition brings.

Peter Dyson showing off the importance of front release bindings during his first run. Photo Credit Robert Vitols @robertvitols

• The Ottaways are sticking close together, skiing nearly identical results. Andrew (37.06) narrowly beating Phil (37.40) before they both DNF’d second run. Their two teams, Venture and Millennium respectfully, are going to need those points to have a chance at the top prize!

• As far as family rivalries goes, there may be none larger than the Mintz family, which Lauren, Stan, and Dave (Liberty/Robinson), kept their ranking close. Lauren took the win, with her second run time of 52.44, Stan (53.04) and Dave (53.68) did their best to catch her.

• In the most publicised rivalry of them all, Brayden Irwin (42.16) beat Paul Peterson (45.30). This fun, competitive row has spilled into social media, so be sure to find Pauly P the Ski Racer on Instagram.

Some Debuts:

• Alex Carter made his GDHL debut with consistent times across both runs, scoring 45.85 on his first and 45.63 on his second. Nothing scarier than a consistent racer finding their form and chasing you down in the rankings through the season.

• Erik Vitols jumped in gates for the first time in a decade! Skiing to 44.79 and 43.93 he is poised to make waves as the season progresses, especially in the speed events.

• Robbie Bruce, of the Bruce Family race genes that bring us Fraser and Gordie, debuted his skiing ability on Saturday.

• Trevor Currie made an impression! Skiing to a best finish of 38.34 his inaugural GDHL race can only be described as successful!

First Timers:

Of course, there is nothing more exciting than doing something for the first time. Saturday afternoon we had a lot of newcomers to Slalom racing, including: Mario Skopek, Ainsling Lanigan, Lauren Hitchman, Geoff Matthews, David Singh, Richard Kennedy and lots more. Let us know if it is your first-time racing and what you think, we always love hearing from our fellow racers!

Foreeeee Runners:

This past weekend we had the distinct pleasure of having Phil Brown, retired World Cup Ski racer, fore run our course. Watching Phil was a treat, and we hope to continue to have some special people participate in this way. If you are able, be ready to watch the fore runners!

Disqualification and Sportsmanship

It will not surprise you to know that the GDHL races are not stipulated by any sport governing body, which means we do not have gate keepers. This means that you as skiers have the distinct pleasure/responsibility/burden to self-report when you miss gates, or DSQ as it is termed in ski racing. This can cause a lot of confusion in Slalom races as many finish our runs, even when we make a catastrophic error. To self-report, please email gdhl@gdhl.org and we will remove your invalid result from the database. When you self report you get a nice, warm, fuzzy feeling of doing the right thing and maybe a drink ticket to thank you for your honesty and sportsmanship the next time we see you.

Social Media and More

Are you craving more GDHL content? Or are you a millennial that does not use email? We have you covered! Head on over to our GDHL Instagram page to check out the latest. Besides all the awesome pics we post updates to events, and schedule changes as well. Email is our primary way to your brains, but social media is a close and quick second route too. @Craigleith_GDHL

Jackets!

We are getting great traction on our jacket order. Pictured below is the svelte, mini-puff, insulator jacket that will help you establish our status at the Craigleith bar and on the patio. This thing means business AND party, and it will gladly keep you warm as you do both!

Over the last two weeks we have received a lot of emails requesting orders, but we have not gotten back to everyone yet. We will, just give us some time.

GTHA Announcement here: GTHS Ski for Pets 2023:

↑ Click above to register! ↑

This year our friends at Sutherland Insurance are presenting a new fundraiser at Craigleith which will benefit the Georgian Triangle Humane Society. Get your tickets now before they sell out!

Happening on Thursday, February 2nd, at our club. Tickets are $150 for visitors and $75 for Craigleith members and promise to deliver fantastic enjoyment all for a great cause! 

This is Proudly sponsored Royal Canin, Aspen & Ivey Interiors, L. Patten & Sons, Thornbury Laser Clinic, Chris Fregren, and Byron Darlison

Coaches Corner:

From Glenn Blaylock, Craigleith Head Coach, Adult Race Programs

We will be training slalom on Zipper this Friday morning (9:30 am) and afternoon (12:30 pm) to prepare folks for the evening slalom race on Little John.

Coaches Tips from Glenn Blaylock, Craigleith Head Coach, Adult Race Programs

Bending the Ski, Ankle Flexion and The Inside Leg

Bending the Ski

A ski will carve and accelerate when the outside ski bends. This is accomplished by tipping the new outside ski on its edge creating “Edge Angle”. The tip and tail of the ski will touch the snow while the middle of the ski will be off the snow due to the camber of the ski. When pressure is applied to the ski it will bend and carve. The greater the edge angle, the tighter the radius of the turn. Watch this video for an excellent explanation.

Ankle Flexion

Flexing ankles; called “Ankle Flexion” in the ski industry, is important for balance, to start a new turn, feeling and responding to changes of terrain and snow conditions and other aspects of skiing. When standing in the athletic position (reviewed in our previous Coaches Tip) our ankles are flexed forward so you feel light pressure against the front of the boots. To start a new turn, flex forward the ankle on the new outside ski until you feel pressure under the big toe. This action will tip the new outside ski on edge and apply pressure to the front of the ski causing the ski to start carving. When flexing forward it is critical the outside leg remains stacked with no inward movement of the knee. Deb Armstrong, previously with the U.S. Ski Team, focuses on the importance of Ankle Flexion in the following video. (Note: If you cannot feel pressure on the balls of your feet when flexing your ankles forward your boots are too stiff and need to be adjusted).

PS: Ignore the one comment made in the video about pulling the feet backwards. This action is not recommended for skiing as the focus should be on forward and lateral movements.

The Inside Leg

To achieve greater edge angle, roll the inside knee and ankle away from the outside leg allowing your shins to be parallel throughout the turn. Start this movement the same time you start flexing your outside ankle forward onto the big toe. It is very important there is “no pressure” on the inside ski when performing this movement. It is also important the upper body is in the athletic position and not leaning away from your outside ski to ensure you do not fall sideways. A good indicator of where your upper body should be is make sure the zipper of your jacket is vertical with the snow. You can achieve this body position by planting or touching your pole down the fall line with your outside arm.  Remember to keep your inside arm forward as well. The ski tips also need to be level to prevent the body twisting and applying pressure to the tail of the inside ski. To increase Edge Angle even more shorten or flex the inside leg as you roll the inside knee towards the snow.  Deb Armstrong’s following video provides a very good explanation and demonstration of these movements.

Drills to Activate the Inside Leg

The Javelin Drill exaggerates the movement of rolling the ankle to keep the ski tips level and pressing the inside knee away from the outside leg. Refer to the previous Coaches Tip for an explanation and video of how to perform this drill.

An excellent drill to learn how to ski with Parallel Shins is to remove you poles and place your hands on the outside of your knees. As you flex your ankle forward to apply pressure to the new outside ski, press the inside knee outwards against your hand. Your shins will be parallel. Try this drill on an easy to moderate slope at first. Enjoy the following fun video on how to perform this drill. 

This was a long one, but then again, we have a lot to share. It is an exciting season, and gosh it feels good! See you all on Friday and this weekend. As you get ready to ski down Little John Friday night, and you hear the roar of the crowd, the cowbells clanging, the lights shining bright through your clear goggles, remember this from Coach Taylor of Friday Night Lights:

“I said you need to strive to be better than everyone else. I didn’t say you needed to be better than everyone else. But you gotta try. That’s what character is: It’s in the try.”

— Coach Taylor

We are going to have a lot of fun!

- Doug

The Return of Friday Night Lights

Scheduling update:

We have some late breaking news to share with you. Next Friday, January 20th, the GDHL is hosting our night race slalom on Little John! The lift will open at 5 pm for inspection, and the race will begin at 5 45. And new to this year, we are inviting all skiers to join us for the race! All Craigleith members are invited to try out racing with us on this epic race course, under the Friday Night Lights!

This exciting event was a huge success last year, hosting a spectacle for GDHL’ers and fans at the base lodge, and on the hill. During and following the event there is a mandatory Apres Ski at the base lodge, for everyone - non-GDHLers are encouraged to join us. More details will come in next week’s Thursday morning newsletter.

The schedule has been changed, it can be found here: gdhl.org/schedule

There are no other changes to the schedule at this time. We will race on Comet today (January 14th) at 1 pm, and we are back to racing GS on January 28th.

The 2023 Season Is Underway!

Good morning GDHL’ers! We had a great time last weekend at the Calcutta on Saturday night, and with our first race of the season on Sunday afternoon.

This week’s newsletter has been compiled by our dedicated GDHL Chair, Brook Dyson. His recount of the fun and excitement can be found below. Following Brook’s message is an update from Glenn Blaylock, our Craigleith Head Coach, Adult Race Programs, sharing details about this weekend’s training, and how to register for Friday gate training ahead of Saturday afternoon’s Slalom race on Comet. That is, only if you need the gate training.

You will also find the entire team list way at the bottom. For those of us that missed the Calcutta we can take a look for our teammates. What you will not find on the website, or here are the detailed results from this past weekend’s race. We are launching a new results and standings page on our website and still in beta testing. The new page should be out soon, but for now you can check your results from Sunday’s race here:

And you can track live timing for Saturday’s race on the same website (mectiming.ca) here.

Onto Brook’s Recap:

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What a weekend! A great race and a great introductory Calcutta. In our last email we asked you for a snow dance, and it worked! All of that dancing on Saturday night paid off!

Thanks again to our sponsors for helping us put on the Calcutta and other events:

• Budget Propane

• Sutherland Insurance

• Patty Mac Construction

• Dynastar/Lange

• Sidelaunch

• Squire John's

Calcutta 2023:

After a three year-hiatus, the Calcutta returned with a bang! Host Paul Peterson and Auctioneer Rip Riopelle ushered back our time-honoured Craigleith tradition. You could feel the sense of joy that we could once again gather in the South Lodge to enjoy a night with fellow skiers. Of 135 racers, we have 100 racing on 10 teams (listed at bottom). The teams were auctioned off to the highest bidders, with the final pot to be distributed amongst the top three team owners at the end of the season.

Some familiar heavy hitters were seen bidding and were joined this year by some new team owners. All were looking to score big based on their highly researched analysis or gut feeling. Many in the room enjoyed the fast pace and energetic feel of the proceedings. What a rush!

The Retro Ski theme was embraced by many in the Calcutta, with a few racers being rewarded for their outfits. (For those that are new to the club, there are always lots of chances throughout the season to dress up for an après!)

The final details of team prices and owners are being finalized. Stay tuned for updated info in future newsletters. If you bought a team, or bought back as a team member, you will be contacted in the next few days by Chris Knight or a member of your team.

The #10 and #20 bibs for this race were awarded to Dan Lacey and Carrie Grinter-Lenauskas for recognition of costumes at the Calcutta. Dan was sporting the fancy blue downhill suit Saturday night, while Carrie's bib was controversially given to her by another costume winner – Jenn Price. For details on that, check out TMZ.com.

The #10 and #20 bibs for next week go to Greg Cavers and Gordie Bruce, two great Slalom skiers that will definitely take advantage of pristine course conditions! Their outfits at the Calcutta really did earn them those bibs. Look out for next week's GDHL email for a chance to win these bibs for the January 28th race.

Sunday morning saw some groggy faces prior to the start of the race. No doubt they were thankful for the 1pm start!

Sunday GS Race:

Race #1 of the 2023 season (and Race #1 for a lot of ski racing careers) is now in the books. Thanks to the Coyotes for keeping the course in the best shape that they could. Racing on a hill of artificial snow can be tricky at times, but the care given to the conditions on the course was amazing.

Congratulations to all our first-time racers. You have completed your first ski race! Some say it only gets easier from here…

Welcome back to all our veterans! It's great seeing you all back on the race hill.

Prior to the first run, the start area was quieter than usual. A lot of nervous first-time racers in addition to silent veterans trying to remember what to do. However, that same start area was brimming with smiles and laughter before the second run. The rust and nerves had been shaken off!

Some selected highlights from the race:

Mike Welton managed to win our first race, completing a smoking 2nd run to claim the victory. 2nd was Gordie Bruce and 3rd was Ben Williams. With only .15 seconds between the top three, we are in for a good season at the top of the standings.

Meg Ryley took the women's title this week (6th overall), with Katie Farrow (7th overall) coming second by .21 seconds. Madison Staples rounded out the women's top three (23rd overall).

Craig Sievenpiper made a return from his multi-decade hiatus to finish an impressive 20th. Was it the 90s race sweater that did it?

Speaking of hiatuses, Susie Raymond came out of retirement to be the latest member of the Raymond family to start a GDHL race. She's coming for you Dave!

Former President Chris Fregren edged out current President James Mathers by .62 seconds. Keep an eye on this political dogfight.

Jeff Sutherland came dangerously close to sanctions due to his new race suit. When questioned, Jeff replied he was modelling a fashionable new outfit from his daughters' winter line. Hopefully no gate marks on there!

Paul Peterson edged out Brayden Irwin this week by .46 seconds. Rumor has it that Brayden's confidence level is sky-high without any sisters looking over his shoulder this year!

Let's also recognize Chris Knight (16th) for a phenomenal first race of the season. You've set the bar high!

The coveted Family Award is once again up for grabs this year, with a record 15 families racing in the GDHL. Some family rivalries of note this weekend:

Brook Dyson sneaked by brother Peter Dyson, Andrew Ottaway finished ahead of brother Phil, Brent Addison took out brother Alex, Dax Cavers narrowly beat father Greg (but not by much!) and Carlin Billington put brothers Harrison Simms-Brown and Taylor Simms-Brown on notice that she's not yet done her ski racing career!

Kyle Farrow (5th) returned from the tropics to squeeze out Cousin Katie Farrow (7th) by .42 seconds, while Ed Barnicke squeaked by recently un-retired cousin Libby Barnicke.

The extended Mintz family made a four-person debut this weekend, with Meghan Robinson beating out her sister Lauren Liberty, brother-in law Stan Liberty, and most importantly husband Dave Robinson.

Jackets:

If you didn't get to order a jacket and would like to, please email us at gdhl@gdhl.org. Jackets are $80 and are embroidered with the GDHL logo. We will fill orders based on when they are received. More jackets will be ordered if we are able to.

Questions?

Registration for the GDHL is at a record high, with about 135 racers this year. Your committee has been working hard to ensure that all racers get a chance on the course and a beer in their hand. If you have any questions or comments, please let us know at gdhl@gdhl.org

Next Race:

SLALOM - Saturday at 1pm on Comet.

Shin guards, pole guards, face guards are NOT required. Helmets are mandatory.

Adult Race Training is Slalom for Friday all day and Saturday morning. If you would like to participate in training, you will need to register on the club website under Alpine Programs.

See you on Saturday!

-Brook

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Coaches Corner: From Glenn Blaylock, Craigleith Head Coach, Adult Race Programs

Coaches Tip: The Athletic Body Position

Picture a tennis player ready to receive a serve, a football player preparing for a tackle and the stance of a soccer goal keeper about to stop a penalty shot. They all apply the optimum position of the human body to be balanced and strong on their feet.

To achieve the athletic body position when skiing, the feet are shoulder width apart, ankles are flexed forward so both shins pressure the front of the boots, arms forward and a bit to the side, there is a slight tilt forward at the waist so the back is about the same angle as your shins and the chin is level to the ground with eyes forward.  The following video demonstrates why this position works so well in skiing.  

Watch Erik Krisoffersen of the Norwegian Ski Team for a superb demonstration of the athletic body position in the following video. Also watch how Erik’s outside leg is always stacked without the knee tipping inwards. His shins are also parallel throughout the turn which is achieved by rolling his inside knee and ankle away from the outside ski. He will also be applying 100 percent pressure on the outside ski at the apex of the turn.

The Javelin Drill and the Importance of keeping your ski tips level

When watching Erik you will see the tips of his skis are close to level; the tip of the inside ski is not ahead of the tip of the outside ski. Keeping the tips level will allow the body to be stacked over the outside ski throughout the turn. If the inside tip is forward the body will twist and apply pressure to the tail of the outside ski. Alpine Canada has identified the Javelin Drill as one of the most effective drills to help develop the optimum body position with the ski tips level. Watch Deb Armstrong; former U.S.A Ski Team, demonstrate the Javelin Drill in the following video.

Team List - GDHL 2023

Big Weekend Ahead!

As we approach our first weekend in the GDHL schedule, we have a few a announcements and items to cover off. Chair of the GDHL Committee, Brook Dyson, has detailed what you can expect from:

• Calcutta – Starting at 7 pm, in Old South Lodge, Saturday, January 7

• This season’s first race – Sunday, January 8, GS on Big John, 1 PM Start (12:10-12:40 inspection)

As well as announcements From our Coach, Glenn Blaylock on:

• Coaching Tips to get you skiing like Mikaela Shiffrin

• Training today and tomorrow (Jan 6th and 7th)

And the registration link to the hotly anticipated, Georgian Triangle Humane Society Ski for Pets 2023

Calcutta

We're back! Saturday at 7pm in the South Lodge is the kickoff to our GDHL season, the Calcutta! This event is open to all.

Thank you to our sponsors for helping us to put on events like this (and our races) throughout the season:

• Budget Propane

• Sutherland Insurance

• Dynastar/Lange

• Patty Mac Construction

• Squire John's

The theme for the evening is Retro Ski. Feel free to raid that closet for older Apres gear to wear!

Upon entrance, please register and pick up your race bib and start list. You'll need the bib for the entire season. If you would like to participate in the bidding on teams please let us know at registration or find a committee member.

There will be a beer/wine bar and appetizers. Remember to wear your badge!

The main event will be hosted by Rip Riopelle and Paul Peterson. If you haven't yet experienced a Craigleith Calcutta auction, get ready for some fun!

There will be raffles and games for select low bib numbers (for each race), throughout the evening.

Race Number One:

Getting closer to the first race of the season!

Welcome to our new racers. We have alot this year! Some tips and refreshers for rookies and veterans alike:

The first race is a Giant Slalom (GS) on Big John on Sunday January 8th at 1pm. Inspection is from 12:30pm to 12:50pm.

• No Downhill Suits for GS races.

• **Inspection is where you get to SIDESLIP through the course prior to the race. This will help you get a feel of where the turns are, what the terrain is like, and where the finish is. It is highly recommended that you inspect prior to your run.**

• A reminder to all racers (veteran and rookie) that you are NOT to ski any of the gates during inspection. This is not practice. Don't ski it, just look!The race is two runs, and only your best run counts. If you do not want to do a second run, that is OK. Results will be posted at GDHL.org.

• Racers will assemble at the top prior to each run, and the first racer (Bib Number 1) will leave the start gate at 1:00pm. Each racer then goes in numerical bib order.

• If you are late for your run, the race crew will do their best to get you started in order. Please be respectful of your fellow racers that were on time. You will get your run in, but you may need to be patient.

• Remember, the timer starts when your legs pass through "the wand". The timer stops when you cross the finish line at the bottom. You must go around all Red and Blue gates on the course. If you're not sure where to go, watch a few racers on the course and in the start gate before your run (or watch the forerunners).

• The Coyotes are our race crew at Craigleith. You will see them at the start, at the finish, and at various points throughout the race hill. They are there to ensure a safe, fair, and fun event.

Please be kind and respectful to all race course personnel and your fellow racers.  **If you have any complaints, suggestions, or frustrations, see a GDHL committee member. We will help you out.**

After your race, feel free to head by the lodge. There is a 99% chance you will see other racers cooling down with a frosty beverage!

Next week's race is a Slalom on Comet on Saturday January 14th at 1pm.

See you on Saturday and Sunday!

Coaching Tips from Glenn Blaylock, Craigleith Head Coach, Adult Race Programs

Alpine Canada has adopted the Norwegian method of skiing and racing. Refer to the attached presentation made to the Ontario Coaches Conference last fall. The method is also used by Burke College where Mikaela Shiffrin of the U.S. Ski Team learned her racing skills. Mikaela is soon to become the  greatest ski racer of all time with only a few more World Cup wins.  We have had excellent results using the method during the Xmas and New Years camps. Your coaches will be working with this method during the Friday, Saturday and Sunday training sessions. We have room for a few more adults on Saturday morning and several more on Sunday morning. Contact the club if you would like to sign up for training. You can also train on Friday mornings and afternoons by registering the day before.

Michella Shiffrin explains why and how world cup skiers perform drills in the following short video. Click on the picture to go to youtube.

This Weekend’s Training Schedule

Craigleith Adult Racers

We will be training Glalom on Friday, January 6th both morning and afternoon using stubbies. The distance between gates in a Glalom course is about 18 meters  – mid way between GS and Slalom courses. We are unable to set a full GS course as there will be limited safety netting at the club.

Equipment: Slalom skis.

GTHS Ski for Pets 2023:

↑ Click above to register!↑

This year our friends at Sutherland Insurance are presenting a new fundraiser to Craigleith and it will benefit the Georgian Triangle Humane Society. Get your tickets here for the event, happening on Thursday, February 2nd, at our club. Tickets are $150 for visitors and $75 for Craigleith members and the day is promised to deliver fantastic enjoyment all for a great cause!

Happy New Year GDHL’ers!

The last time you heard from the GDHL committee, you were requested to do your snow dances, and they worked! Between communiques, we have had two enormous snowstorms, the latter of which was Generational and deposited enough snow to get all our hopes up that we could get the ski season off and running without interruption. Unfortunately, since the Christmas Eve snowstorm we have endured so much rain there were reports of Noah gathering animals two by two. As we are approach the kick off for the 2023 GDHL season, we ask of you again, please do your snow dance! It worked last time, and let’s hope it works again!

Even though the hills are struggling to stay white, we are just days away from the 2023 GDHL Calcutta! This year we are hosting our annual kick off event of the race season on Saturday Night in the (Old) South Lodge at 7 pm. There are more details about our famous Calcutta below, so make sure you keep reading. Of course, following the Calcutta is our first race of the season, Sunday, January 8th, 1 pm start, GS on Big John. Inspection will be open by 12 15, and remember, no downhill suits! If you are new, or need help, find a Coyote in a blue jacket, and usually without skis on, at the top of the race hill, they will be glad to instruct you.

Also, we have announcements from our Coach, Glenn Blaylock, and renowned Interclub Superstar Jeff Sutherland and Sutherland Insurance. Before all that, a quick thank you to our fantastic sponsors!

• Sutherland Insurance

• Budget Propane

• Squire John’s

• Dynastar & Lange

• PattyMac Custom Builders

The 2023 Calcutta!

For many years, the Craigleith Going Downhill League Calcutta has been a dependable opportunity for us to reconnect with our friends at the Ski Club! Last year, we were disappointed to cancel the Calcutta, but that disappointment has turned to excitement for this year! Afterall, the Calcutta is more than just the kick off to the GDHL season, it is an evening for all of us to reconnect after a hectic Christmas break, and a long off season. The Committee is so glad to have you back, and we have an excellent night planned!

• Details: Saturday, January 7, 2023, 7 PM Start @ Old South Lodge

• Bidding: Bidding is back, so prepare your cheque book, and gather your consortium to buy the team with the best odds of winning the league this 2023 Season.

• Theme: Retro Ski Attire – Do not be embarrassed if the 25-year-old ski racers are wearing outfits that you would gladly still wear on the hill, retro is a subjective term.

• Food And Drink: Lots of passed hors d'oeuvres, beer and wine samples and a cash bar.

• Bib Pick Up: Your bib will be available to you as walk in. Make sure to pick it up and hang onto it as it is your race identifier for the season.

Race Ski Tunning Clinic:

Today, January 3, at 1 30 and 3 30 in the President’s Loft, you are invited to learn the trade of ski tuning. A lot of racers diminish the value of tuned skis for adult racing, but as a skier, you are only as good as your equipment. The best thing about ski tuning for your race is that you are actively improving your race results, while also enjoying a cold one, in the warmth of your basement. There is one small issue with becoming your own ski tuner though, you will have no one to blame when your edges are not sharp enough or when your wax is sticky. See you there!

Georgian Triangle Humane Society – Ski for Pets 2023

This year our friends at Sutherland Insurance are presenting a new fundraiser to Craigleith and it will benefit the Georgian Triangle Humane Society. Get your tickets here for the event, happening on Thursday, February 2nd, at our club. Tickets are $150 for visitors and $75 for Craigleith members and the day is promised to deliver fantastic enjoyment all for a great cause!

Registration:

This is the last call for registering for this race season. Head on over to your Craigleith login, into the Alpine Programs and find the GDHL registration. If you think you have registered, but have not confirmed, take a quick peak at your Craigleith profile. We want to make sure no one is missed.

Schedule:

As we approach the season, make sure to familiarize yourself with our 2023 schedule found on our website, at www.gdhl.org/schedule. Any changes or updates will be posted there and communicated through this newsletter.

We are very excited to host our first race of the season on Sunday afternoon, on Big John at 1 pm. Enjoy the week, keep your snow dances going!

-Doug

Snow Time!

There comes a time, every ski season, when we must all join forces, combine our energy, and do our snow dance. Now is that time!

We are quickly approaching Ski Season and yet the ski hills are not laden with snow, awaiting our carved turns. It is looking a bit grim out there, but maybe, just maybe a nice newsletter from the GDHL will result in positive thoughts about snowfall and wintry weather!

We are now four short weeks from the Calcutta (Saturday, January 7, 2023), and the start of the GDHL races, and only two weeks until Christmas. The next couple weeks will be busy, so it is high time to get your ducks in a row and lock in your GDHL race schedule for the 2023 season. Highlighted below is the detailed 2023 Schedule, as well as a message from our dedicated coach, Glenn Blaylock, and a refresher on race day attire.

Before you go any further though, make sure you register! Registration is still open, and we are excited to have you join us for another exceptional season of ski racing! If you have any questions about the season, please reach out to gdhl@gdhl.org.

Schedule:

The 2023 GDHL Race Schedule has been finalized and looks like this:

• Sunday Jan 8th GS Big John – 1 PM

• Saturday Jan 14th SL Comet – 1 PM

• Saturday Jan 28th GS Comet – 1 PM

• Saturday Feb 4th GS Landslide – 1 PM

• Sunday Feb 12th GS Big John – 1 PM

• Sunday Feb 19th DUAL Little John (Family Day Weekend)

• TBD Night Slalom Little John – 5 PM

The schedule will be posted on the GDHL.org website under the heading SCHEDULE. Also, all times are subject to change, however all changes will be communicated through this email newsletter.

Just like last season, there are some incredibly fun events on our calendar! There is a dual slalom - always a big hit with athletes and spectators alike - and a night Slalom that coincides with a GDHL branded Après Ski at the Base Lodge. The GDHL committee is proud to help you intertwine your social, and sporting calendar, by hosting these events!

The view from the start gate of last year’s dual slalom

Race Attire for 2023

It has been a few seasons since the GDHL made the switch to being a NO Downhill Suit league. The initial decision was met with some tension, as change always is, but we have made great strides since. By enabling racers to jump into the racecourse, without the need to stretch a skin suit over three layers of fleece and wool, we have seen greater racer participation, and higher registration numbers. Most importantly, the competitive edge has not been lost. We will continue to run no downhill suits in the 2023 season, albeit there are always exceptions to this rule, and for this season, here are the opportunities in which you may wear a downhill suit:

Any Slalom race, you may wear a downhill suit exposed on your lower half. This is intended to enable you to wear your slalom shorts and shin guards, while you hit the gates, instead of wearing your nice Sjus ski pants. We have no intention of you ruining your nice ski pants with gate rash.

The Extended GS down Landslide. As this race does encourage some higher (but safe) speeds, the skin suits can be brought out.

Downhill suits are allowed for the Club Championship Races.

During the inaugural No Downhill Suits season, jeans were often used as stylish and speedy race attire

Coaches Corner

Bless Glenn Blaylock, because he has decided his mission is not complete with us. We begged him to return to coaching the adults in 2023, and to our surprise he agreed. Glenn’s expertise and attitude bring a great dimension to the ski hill. You will be happy you listened to him, and your results will show it too! Every so often he gives us some content to mull over and share with you, here is this week’s Coaches Corner:

We were very pleased with the strong survey results from the training programs last season. We have designed the weekend adult race training programs this year to reflect what worked well and add some new features to enhance the learning environment including video. The coaches will work with you to tailor your learning program based on your skill levels. If you are new to racing, you can expect to spend the majority of your time working on technique out of the racecourse. Those developing their skills may divide their time evenly between working on technique and skiing courses. Advanced racers will spend most of their time in courses fine tuning their abilities.

Training will also be available on Fridays both morning and afternoon. You can sign up anytime before noon the day before to give us time to arrange for the appropriate number of coaches. 

Coaching Tip: Review your skiing journal and have a plan for your first turn of the first run of the new season. Start with a drill to help your mind focus on the biomechanics of good skiing. Lifting the tail of the inside ski is a good drill to start as it reinforces the importance of moving from outside ski to outside ski and moving the body forward.

The “US Ski Team: Fundamental Skills Pyramid” is a very good overview of the fundamentals of skiing. When opening the following link, scroll down to the imbedded video for an explanation and demonstration of the pyramid. (Note: The term “down hill leg” is what we refer to as the “Inside leg.}

https://www.mplsalpineski.org/technique--tactics.html

Your coaching staff are keen to help you have your best skiing and racing season ever. See you on the snow soon

-Glenn Blaylock, Head Coach, Adult Race Programs, Craigleith Ski Club

That is all for today. Make sure as you venture out for your Christmas shopping that you add in a skip, hop, and a jump to summon those snow gods… they are just waiting for our snow dance!

See you on the slopes soon!

-Doug