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WMSC gears up for new season

Ski club sets sights on competitions, 2010 There’s a new energy at the Whistler Mountain Ski Club this season, and it’s coming from a lot of different places.

Ski club sets sights on competitions, 2010

There’s a new energy at the Whistler Mountain Ski Club this season, and it’s coming from a lot of different places.

According to Brett Macfarlane, FIS and junior coach as well as the communications manager for the club, coaches, athletes and parents are starting to realize the potential that is out there.

One of the sources of this new energy is the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Bid and the LegaciesNow program.

"Our FIS racers are realizing that this is about them – our athletes will be competing for gold in 2010, and that’s pushing us," Macfarlane says.

Although the initiatives in the new Podium 2010 program launched by Alpine Canada Alpin have yet to reach the club level, Macfarlane says the coaches and parents are familiar with it, and feel the sport is moving in the right direction.

"I think it really is the return of Canadian pride in the sport, and the pursuit of victory. The kids see that and they want to go for it," Macfarlane says.

"For the last decade we have focused on participation in the sport, which is fine, but at the same time we haven’t been doing that well. The ACA puts the emphasis back on winning, and that can mean a lot of different things. For some kids that means winning medals, and moving up the ranks. For others, that just means showing up and winning their own little battles, making new personal bests.

"We look at athletes individually in terms of what they want to achieve, and we help them to get there."

Macfarlane also praised the ‘holistic’ approach to athlete development that is being suggested by the ACA that takes long-term education and health into consideration, and works with parents to meet their needs.

"We’ve always tried to balance athletics with education, and social needs, and we have a great relationship with the school. This is a bigger approach to make skiing a way of life for life for these kids. If they go to university down the road, they can still ski race there," Macfarlane says. "Right now there is a tendency to see athletes as pieces of meat. You bring them along as far as you can and discard them when they get a little bit stale."

Attendance in the club’s summer racing programs doubled compared to last year, and registration is up at the FIS and K2 level (age 13 and 14) this year. In addition, the dryland training camps in Whistler and the city were well attended.

While kids were shying away from alpine skiing in the past, but they are realizing that a lot of the top new school skiers trained in Olympic disciplines.

"In skiercross, for example, the top racers all have alpine skiing backgrounds. In the park, a lot of these guys are coming from freestyle. And all the big mountain skiers, most of them used to race as well. People are starting to look at it as a foundation sport again that can go anywhere," Macfarlane says.

Another positive for the club is the continued involvement of the six WMSC alumni that are currently on the national and development teams – Britt and Michael Janyk, Scott and Jeff Hume, Christina Risler, and Allison Forsyth.

"All of them make it a point to drop by the glacier camps and dryland training, and they have really helped out. It’s good for them to be seen, to be around, to show the kids that they’re not some people on TV that live in Europe – they’re here and they are showing the other kids what it takes to get to the top," says Macfarlane.

Another source of energy was the hiring of Canadian ski legend Rob Boyd to coach the K2 racers this season.

The club will be focusing on the usual regional and provincial races this year, with an eye on finishing well at the Whistler Cup and national championships – both the younger racers and the older FIS racers have high profile home events again this year.

The club is also looking to open up to the public more. On Dec. 7 and 8, they will be hosting a free rookie camp, inviting kids 11 to 14 to work with coaches and see what ski racing is all about.

"It’s for a combination of things. We want more kids to get involved in the club, but we also want the opportunity to open ourselves up, show people what we do here. You can sign up, or use what you learn for your own skiing, it’s your choice."

K2’s training in Europe

The Whistler Mountain Ski Club K2 level skiers, age 13 and 14, are getting a preview of the European competition this fall.

On Oct. 9 a group of 14 K2’s, along with coaches Rob Boyd and Pierre-Luc Dumoulin, headed to Tignes, France to train in the French Alps. Not only will they get to train on the glacier alongside some of the top skiers in the world, they will also get to see some of the legendary venues first hand.

"Tignes is an awesome training venue, the athletes are free of the distractions of home as they live in a secluded village at 3,000 metres altitude," said Dumoulin. "The racers can really focus on… good technical development. Additionally, we as a team have a chance to get to know each other and really figure out our goals for this winter."

According to Dumoulin, the athletes will get a chance to work on the skills they learned in dryland training and glacier training this summer, and will start to progress into the gates as they prove they are ready.

Because there are only a few open venues in the world to train for the upcoming season, the glacier at Tignes typically attracts some of the top names in alpine skiing.

"This is a great opportunity to rub shoulders with the Europeans and train side-by-side with the world’s best racers," said Boyd.

"This exposure to the Europeans will ensure our racers aren’t overwhelmed when they meet them in future competitions such as (the juvenile races in Topolino, Italy) or Whistler Cup.

"We are competitive and can beat the Europeans, and this kind of experience will prove that to them. The travel experience and feel for the European scene will undoubtedly benefit the racers now and again when they come back later on in their racing careers.

"But our main priority is to get some good early season mileage and get an early jump on the season," added Boyd.

In addition to race training, the K2 skiers will be visiting the Salomon factory to find out how their skis are designed and manufactured.

Ski Swap this weekend

While you’re shopping for gear at the annual Whistler-Blackcomb Turkey Sale, drop by the Whistler Mountain Ski Club tent to check out the club’s annual ski swap. Thousands of skis, snowboards, snowshoes and boots will be on sale at reasonable prices.

Anybody can sell their gear in the swap, and there is a $2 entry fee per item which goes towards the ski club.

Check-in is after 3 p.m. on Friday or between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Swap keeps the same business hours as the Turkey Sale: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Sunday.

Bike-A-Thon returns

The 12th annual WMSC Bike-A-Thon returns on Thanksgiving Monday, Oct. 14, as racers make good on the pledges towards their program fees for the coming winter. Last year one racer raised more than $500 in the Bike-A-Thon.

This year’s even starts on Monday, Oct. 14 at 9 a.m.. The start and finish for the event is at the base of Whistler Mountain Bike Park, which closes for the season on Sunday.

There will be two different courses in the Bike Park based on age and ability that will be followed by a descent on B-Line.