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Read leads Canada at Whistler Cup

Son of Crazy Canuck wins K2 GS and Dave Murray Award
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Whistler's Brynne Benbow led the way for Canadian women at the Sierra Wireless Whistler Cup last week, placing in the top 15. Photo by Scott Brammer, www.coastphoto.com

It wouldn’t be a Whistler event without a little weather, and participants in the 2006 Sierra Wireless Whistler Cup saw a lot of different weather in their three days of competition, including some sunshine. Still, the competition courses held up through anything Mother Nature had to offer as well as the record turnout of athletes.

Over 400 athletes representing 21 nations took part, while Canada made another strong showing with athletes earning three podiums and placing in the top-10 of almost every race.

Day 1 – K2 Super G, K1 Kombi

The racing got underway Friday with the K2 (ages 13 and 14) super G. On the women’s side Karin Nagy of Austria took the gold medal in 1:16.49. Germany’s Raphaela Hartl was second in 1:17.58, while Mirjam Puchner, also from Austria, picked up the bronze in 1:17.68.

"It was a great race and a very good course," said Nagy, whose parents made a last minute decision to come to Whistler to watch the action. "I’m happy to win today in SG because my best discipline is usually slalom. I have big hopes for tomorrow in slalom."

The top Canadian was Karelle Bouchard of Quebec in ninth place with a time of 1:18.72. Whistler’s Brynne Benbow was 10th in 1:19.21.

Austrian and German racers claimed gold and silver again in the men’s super G, with Frederic Berthold of Austria winning in 1:14.25, and Dominik Schwaiger of Germany following up with a time of 1:14.48. Johan R. Haakonsen of Norway was third in 1:14.71.

Ontario’s Richard Long, the K2 national champion, was the top Canadian in fifth place, less than a second out of first place with a time of 1:15.14.

While the K2s were racing super G the K1 racers (ages 11 to 12) were in a kombi event which combines elements of all four alpine disciplines, from tight slalom turns to tuck and go downhill sections, into one race.

Whistler Mountain Ski Club program director Nigel Cooper decided to add it to the program this year after seeing a kombi race at the juvenile series in Trofeo Topolino, Italy this year.

"We’re basically calling on all the skills kids require in any ski race," said Cooper. "The FIS decided in its children’s committee level to create an event that the kids themselves might create if you asked them to draw a course in the snow. The idea is to make it a little fun, but it’s a race as well, it’s against time and you start and finish just like a ski race."

The WMSC’s Kailee Darlington showed she has the skills to compete anywhere, earning a silver medal in the Kombi behind Ula Hafner of Slovenia. Valentina Volopichkova of Czech Republic was third.

"My goal today was to be in the top-30, so obviously I killed it," said Darlington.

Other Canadians in the top 15 were Samantha Bisnaire in sixth, Victoria Michalik in seventh, Julia Roth in eighth, Alexandria Pankratz in ninth, and Tamara Balazsovits in 13 th .

For the men, Andraz Pogladic of Slovenia took the gold, followed by Simone Anselmo of Italy and Sandy Vietze of the U.S. For Canada, Morgan Megarry was seventh, Tommy Grand eighth, the WMSC’s Ford Swette 10 th , Sean Vaugeois 14 th and Ross McKercher 15 th .

Day 2 — K1 giant slalom, K2 slalom

The K1 racers went first on Saturday in picture-perfect conditions. Slovenia was a factor once again, winning gold in both men’s and women’s events while Canada picked up a pair of bronze medals.

For the women it was Ula Hafner on top, followed by Valentina Volopichova of Czech Republic.

Ontario’s Samantha Bisnaire, who won every event at the provincial championships this year to be named to Team Canada for the Whistler Cup, finished a close third – the only Canadian woman to crack the top-15.

"The kombi race was fun yesterday, but GS is my best discipline, so I thought I could do well here today," said Bisnaire.

For the men, Andraz Pogladic of Slovenia took the win, trailed by Marco Esposito of Italy. Ford Swette from the WMSC was third, a hundredth of a second back of the silver medal.

"The track was so hard, you can really rip it up," said Swette. "I was feeling confident today so I decided to give’r ‘everything or nothing’. I’m very glad I made that decision because I was going really fast, but I could still hold my edge."

Other Canadians in the top-15 include Morgan Megarry 10 th , the WMSC’s William Konantz 12 th and Ross McKercher 13 th .

Things clouded over for the K2 slalom, the upside being that the morning sun didn’t have a chance to soften up the course.

Norway’s Nor Loseth won the women’s race by well over half a second, while Jana Skvarkova of Slovakia and Urska Ahac of Slovenia were second and third. Quebec’s Karelle Bouchard was the top Canadian in eighth, Madison Irwin was 10 th , Brynne Benbow 11 th , and Marissa Riopelle 14 th .

For the men, Austria’s Frederic Berthold took the gold by more than two seconds over teammate Marcel Mathis, while Robin Brauti of Norway picked up the bronze.

Richard Long had another good race for Canada, finishing fifth. Other Canadians in the top-15 were Simon-Claude Toutant 10 th , Matthew Bunston 12 th ;, and Philippe Garneau-Halliday 14 th .

Day 3 — K1 slalom, K2 giant slalom

After missing the top-15 the first two days of competition Calgary’s Erik Read pulled out all of the stops in the K2 giant slalom to pick up Canada’s only gold medal of the weekend. Erik is the son of former Crazy Canuck and current Alpine Canada President Ken Read, and seems to have inherited his father’s competitive spirit.

"I’ve been struggling with GS all year – problems with a round line and trouble with my left turn," said Read, who finished second to Richard Long at the nationals this year. "I’m so happy I was able to fix those things today.

"This event is a good way to benchmark where you stand against kids your age around the world."

The silver went to Michael Ankeney of the U.S., while Austria’s Frederic Berthold picked up his second medal of the weekend, a bronze.

Richard Long just missed the podium again, but ended his day in fifth place.

For the women Valentina Frankhauser of Austria took gold, followed by teammate Karin Nagy and Urska Ahac of Slovenia. Whistler’s Brynne Benbow cracked the top-10 to finish eighth and lead Canada’s effort. Tatum Monod and Emily Goad were 13 th and 14 th respectively.

In the K1 slalom, which was disrupted by mid-mountain fog, Ula Hafner of Slovenia picked up the gold medal, while Valentina Volophichova of the Czech Republic added to her collection with a silver. Third place went to Madeline Wiltgen of the U.S. team.

Canada’s Shantai Watson finished her day in fifth place, while Ontario team members Breanne Pownall and Julia Roth were 13 th and 15 th respectively.

For the men, Simone Anselmo and Marco Esposito of Italy were first and second, while Hideyuki Narita of Japan picked up the bronze medal.

Several Canadians also made the top-15. Justin Hayto and Dominic Demschar of Cypress were eighth and ninth, while the WMSC’s Daniel Kwong finished 10 th . Ian Malcolm was 11 th , Robert Overing 12 th , the WMSC’s Joshua Robertson 13 th , Ben Weiler 14 th and the WMSC’s Ford Swette 15 th .

After the medals were handed down for the third day of events organizers presented special awards.

The Dave Murray award, which is presented to the top Canadian K1 and K2 boys, went to K1 Ford Swette and K2 Erik Read. The Nancy Greene award, presented to the top Canadian girls, went to K1 skier Samantha Bisnaire, and K2’s Brynne Benbow and Karelle Bouchard.

The K1 team award went to Italy, while Austria claimed the K2 award and the overall team award.

According to Cooper it was a banner weekend for the Whistler Mountain Ski Club with two medals.

"For the WMSC is was a big year, we haven’t won medals at the Whistler Cup in quiet a few years so it’s definitely something to write home about," said Cooper. "Brynne Benbow had some top-10 performances and tied for the Nancy Greene award, Ford Swette won the Dave Murray. Five of our kids went to team Canada this year, the most of any club in Canada. It was a really good year for us."

The WMSC has the regional championships this weekend, but will continue training through to the end of May.

Skiers will be given most of June off, and then the WMSC’s summer camps get underway. The FIS skiers will once again head to Chile for some on-snow training in preparation for next season.

Complete results will be posted online at www.whistlercup.com.