S Competition - Early Winter 2016

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2016 WORLD CUPPREVIEW

Early Winter 2015Vol. 10, No. 1

ATHLETE DEVELOPMENTPatience required By Max Gartner

WORLD CUP TURNS 50Restoring the

balance between athletes and fans

By Mike Janyk

Dustin Cook leads the Canucks

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Perspective and passion


EDITOR Gordie BowlesART DIRECTOR Holger MeicheMANAGING EDITOR Don CameronCOPY EDITOR Christina NewberryADVERTISING Ashley Herod TaitCONTRIBUTORS Max Gartner, Mike Janyk, Paul Morrison, Michel Painchaud.

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editor’s note

My greatest satisfaction in leading the editorial team on this magazine is also my biggest challenge — reader knowledge. It’s something I cannot escape, avoid or skirt around, other-wise we’ll lose readers. You, the one holding this magazine in your hands or on your iPad, know a lot when it comes to the snowsports world. And you have access to instant news and social media feeds that keep you in the know. You’re a fan, a consumer of the ski industry, and you know what’s what.

Our ambition with S-Comp is to give you something that you cannot find elsewhere. Insightful editorial, from those who live and breathe the sport even closer than you. For example, take our lead feature writer for this issue, Michael Janyk. We all know Mike as a former slalom machine, someone who repre-sented our country on the world’s grandest stages ... and suc-ceeded. We followed his meteoric rise to the top (27 top-10 finishes and a historic World Championship medal in 2009, a first for a Canadian man). On a personal note, I had the oppor-tunity to coach Mike on the BC Ski Team in the late 1990s and witnessed first hand his insatiable desire to be the fastest racer down the mountain.

Today, Mike is in that golden moment, where he is “giving back,” providing insight, passion and perspective to the next generation and also to us, the fans. It was Mike who sug-gested to me that S-Comp spotlight FIS’ 50-year World Cup milestone. “You guys should consider doing a story on FIS, and the 50-year journey,” he messaged me. “Good idea,” I thought. Hey wait, Mike, you’re now on the FIS Athlete Com-mission (one of only two former athletes) and about as close to the inside as one can be; how about you write the story? After many phone calls, strategizing and discussing the direc-tion — almost feeling like I was coaching him again — Mike agreed to take on his first editorial assignment. See Back to

the Drawing Board (next page), for Mike’s historical take on why the World Cup started and where it is today. (P.S: I’ll hire you again any day, Mike!)

Speaking of perspective and passion, Max Gartner again pro-vides our opinion commentary for this edition (see Athlete Development: Patience Required, on page 14). A former CEO/president of Alpine Canada, longtime coach, program direc-tor and ski racing dad, Max has the perspective that brings to light the challenge we’re facing in Canada in the develop-ment pipeline. It’s that awful time, in the middle of an Olympic cycle, where corporate Canada falls asleep. Kind of sad and shortsighted really, but c’est la vie — our robust Canucks will persevere and rise to the top, in large part due to the support of you, the enthusiast devotee.

We queued up the 2016 World Cup season (see World Cup 2016 Preview, page 8) with a few key storylines to follow. Will Mikaël Kingsbury and Justine Dufour-Lapointe continue to reign in the moguls scene? Probably. And how about Roz Groenewoud and Mike Riddle’s chances in the pipe? Will ski cross vets Brady Leman and Chris Del Bosco return to their winning ways? Will rising star Evan McEachran’s switch double misty 1440 be enough to catch Joss Christensen and the pow-erhouse American slopestyle team?

Benni Raich is out, Bode is on the fence and a few key injuries have shaken up the men’s alpine field. The biggest storyline for the women is again Lindsey Vonn. She’s sidelined with an ankle injury but rehabbing like there’s no tomorrow. Did you really think she would sit this one out? Us either. Should be an exciting 2016 season.

— Gordie Bowles, Editor

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The alpine World Cup circuit is 50 years old this coming season, and the rising sentiment from within and around the world of ski racing is that

it has fallen flat. It’s true that as athletes, we seem to love to complain almost as much as we love to ski: The coach is working us too hard, or not hard enough. It’s too cold. It’s too hot. My start number sucks. The lift is too slow. I did my fair share of complaining over my 10-year career on the World Cup circuit. Now that I’ve retired from competition and sit on the FIS athletes’ commission, it’s my turn to listen to others’ concerns.

It’s clear there are real challenges here. Statistically, the TV figures have remained relatively level over the last few seasons, although it is noteworthy that more total broadcasting time is required to achieve the same overall media impact. At the same time, Rogers Sportsnet has dropped World Cup ski racing from its broadcasting line-up. Our current state can be consid-ered solid on the surface, but shaky within.

Fortunately, adversity can be turned into motivation to succeed and can help to bond a team, especially once all the BS is aired out. It can also spark some really great discussions with constructive

4 S-Competition / www.snowsportsculture.com

ideas to bring positive change. In his opening remarks during the latest International

Ski Federation (FIS) conference, Niklas Carlsson, chair of the alpine World Cup committee, suggested that alpine skiing might be in “a midlife crisis.” This was reiterated in questions posed by FIS alpine committee chair Bernhard Russi: “Do we know who we are, where we are, and where we want (have) to go?”

To me, these remarks are refreshing, like coming up for air after being underwater far too long. These words represent a readiness for change and the possibility to discover a new way forward.

Before looking for a possible solution, let’s look at Russi’s questions and see if we can come to answers about who we are, where we are and where we want to go by looking back at where we started, where we’ve gone and who we were in the beginning.

All the way back in 1966, at the hotel/lodge/only thing in Portillo, Chile, two national alpine directors — Bob Beattie of the United States and Honoré Bonnet of France — met with French journalist Serge Lang to try figure out a way to bring major ski athletes together and, at the same time, fulfill a request from Jacques

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AFTER 50 YEARS, CAN THE WORLD CUP RESTORE THE BALANCE BETWEEN ATHLETES AND FANS?By Michael Janyk

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD


LET’S LOOK AT RUSSI’S QUESTIONS AND SEE IF WE CAN COME TO ANSWERS ABOUT WHO WE ARE, WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE WANT TO GO

Goddet, then-director of the French sports paper L’Équipe, to educate the paper’s readers about the ski racing alpine circuit.

I’m picturing this remote building located beside a picturesque alpine lake, nestled at the bottom of a bowl created by the surrounding Andes Mountains. Inside, the fireplace roars hot, but it is not necessary, as the three men are heated from the passion that fuels their words. Outside, snow falls onto the frozen lake, and a few hotel guests silently take in their winter

surroundings. Back inside, our three allies sit in silence for a moment, then a few moments longer, as cigarette smoke gently drifts through the still air. All at once, their eyes rise and meet. Eureka! They jump up, and with a few handshakes, the World Cup is born. At least, this is how it goes in the opening scene of my mental screenplay.

While I’m indulging in a little quasi-fiction, I’ll put myself in the room during this exchange. If they turned to me and asked, “Mike, who are we?”

I would reply, “We are of the athletes, for the fans.” That sounds kick-ass!

If these are the founding elements of our sport’s elite circuit, then we must seek balance between them to create alchemic gold: between athletes and fans.

We’ve come a long way over 50 years, through good times and bad, and I’m sure if you were to look back at the successful times compared to the stagnant, you would see a correlation with this balance. I wonder if the pro circuit was created because the World Cup athletes felt confined?

FIS currently runs eight different alpine events: slalom, GS, super-G, downhill, alpine combined, the team event, city parallel events and new this year, a dual GS in Alta Badia, Italy. This is all done with the good intention of giving the viewer more of what we believe they want — but does the viewer need more?

Bob Beattie (centre).

Honore Bonnet Serge Lange

Ingemar StenmarkThis schedule is taxing on the athletes, especially those who compete in all events to go for the coveted overall Crystal Globe, aka the Große Kugel. There are currently a combined 90 World Cup events shared between 38 resorts for the men and ladies — and that’s in years with no World Championship or Olympic events.

For fans, this seems like a bonus. There’s more content, more variety and a greater ability to showcase the sport. It should be a winning formula to attract viewership and a stronger fan base. But over these last few years, there’s been an opposite trend. There are concerns from some race organizers that it’s becoming harder and too expensive to put on World Cup events. Athletes are being restricted by rigid sponsorship and content regulations and inundated by constant equip-ment and competition rule changes.

The delicate balance has been lost, and I can see only one solution.

Give the sport back to the athletes. Free them up to push the limits of the sport. Make it exciting and enjoy-able for the athletes first, and see if the fans respond. The new additions to the FIS and the Olympic umbrella are very much athlete-centred. Snowboard and ski half-


pipe, slopestyle and ski cross still have a freshness to them, a freedom for creativity that allows them to build up from their athlete base, and it seems to be resonat-ing with fans. It connects to the spectators’ own desire for freedom and to push the limits of life, which is far more powerful than any amount of extra content.

My solution: Refine the World Cup circuit. Create consistent programming of the best events and show-case them with a regular schedule throughout the year. Instead of seven events going towards the overall Crystal Globe, trim it to three: downhill, GS and slalom (sorry super-G), and host these events in a grand prix format Friday to Sunday. Classic venues may have to have combined winners between the downhill and slalom rather than run a separate event.

The athletes will feel more rested and more focused, and maybe more inclined to “throw down” for their runs, creating more excitement for fans. More fans plus a higher quality product delivered by FIS and the

GIVE THE SPORT BACK TO THE ATHLETES. FREE THEM UP TO PUSH THE LIMITS OF THE SPORT. MAKE IT EXCITING AND ENJOYABLE FOR THE ATHLETES FIRST, AND SEE IF THE FANS RESPOND.

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Steve Podborski

Hermann Maier

Alberto Tomba


Nancy Greene athletes equals greater value for the event organizers to sell to sponsors and broadcasters. More broadcaster and sponsorship interest opens up room for higher prize money for the athletes. Imagine 1.5 million euros on the line for the overall Kitzbuhel weekend winner. I’d watch that!

Whatever form the solution takes, the focus should be on restoring the balance between athletes and fans. This balance was behind the creation of the circuit. Maybe restoring it can allow the circuit to thrive for another 50 years.

�Michael Janyk of Whistler, B.C., is a retired World Cup ski racer and current member of the International Ski Federation Athletes’ Commission.

Ben Thomsen

Maxime Dufour-Lapointe



Notable injuries and retirements, new faces and trends, questions and drama

provide plenty of storylines to follow entering the 2016 FIS World Cup season

By Gordie Bowles and Don Cameron

//////2016WORLD CUPPREVIEW


ALPINE

COOKIE MONSTERDustin Cook came barreling into the national mainstream consciousness with a stellar 2015 season, including a silver medal at the World Alpine Championships in February in Vail, Colorado, with a near-perfect run. The 25-year-old from Lac-Sainte-Marie, Que., followed up with a bronze med-al at Kvitfjell, Norway, quickly dispel-ling the one-hit wonder notion. Soon after came his first World Cup win in Meribel, France, giving Cook a rightful spot on the Canadian Cowboys roster and making him a hot commodity entering the 2015-16 season.

CANADIAN, SWISS RETURNSA formidable group of recovering skiers from the Swiss and Canadian teams are returning to competition at some point in the 2015-16 season. Canadians Erik Guay (knee) and Jan Hudec (knee) were back on snow in the late summer and primed for a return to the spotlight at the season opener in Lake Louise, Alberta, in November. Swiss speed skiers Patrick Kueng (knee), Beat Feuz (achilles tendon) and Mauro Caviezel (leg) were injured in the offseason, with all three unlikely to return before Lake Louise or Beaver Creek, Colorado.

OLDIES BUT GOODIES, PART 1Who you callin’ old? Long regarded as a sport that requires “maturing,” especially in the men’s speed disci-plines, the age of the best technical skiers now appears to be increasing, nearly matching the downhillers. The average age of the top-ranked slalom and giant slalom male skiers from 2015-16 was 29, compared to 28 for downhill and super-G.

COACH MUSICAL CHAIRS With the departure of Paul “PK” Kristofic, a longtime coach and later athletic director for Alpine Canada, to the U.S. Ski Team, and the retirement of longtime Canadian women’s World Cup coach Jim Pollock, the Canadian roster has taken a new European flavour. Austrian Roland Pfeifer and Italians Valerio Ghirardi and Paolo De Florian join the Canadian team. Pfeifer, who coached Mikaela Shiffrin on the U.S. team last year, and Ghirardi, Tina Maze’s former coach, have an impressive pedigree, now tasked with lighting a spark under Erin Mielzynski and Marie-Michèle Gagnon as well as moving along a slate of promising younger athletes such as Candace Crawford and Mikaela Tommy.

HOME SWEET HIRSCHERHome is where the training is. Marcel Hirscher, the best ski racer on the planet, opted to avoid the Southern Hemisphere for his offseason training, staying close to home on the Moel-taller Glacier, despite a hot summer in Austria. The balance of the summer was not exactly focussed on training for his potential fifth crystal globe, but as of mid-August he was re-focussed, entering what he called “the dirt-pig-badass phase” of training.

LEGEND ON THE FENCEWith Benni Raich’s 90 World Cup medals (34 wins) off the table as he announced his retire-ment in September, the next big question mark is Bode Miller, who is still on the fence for the 2016 season. Latest reports have Miller in a like-ly position to return, but then again the most decorated U.S. Olympic skier of all time with six medals likes to keep everyone guessing.

GENERATION NEXTWith a few suitcases full of Nor-Am hardware in tow, a youthful crop of Canucks has been making its move toward a steady World Cup campaign. Phil Brown (Craigleith Ski Club), Trevor Philp (Banff Alpine Racers), Ford Swette (Whistler Mountain Ski Club), Tyler Werry (Fernie Alpine Ski Team) and Broderick Thomsen (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) are all rising. Who will get the tap on the shoulder and which ones will be ready?

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Jan Hudec

Manny Osborne-Paradis

Dustin Cook


MITCH READY FOR MAGIC?Not long ago, the international media were touting the rising star of Marie-Michèle Gagnon. The talented racer from Lac-Etchemin, Que., has flirted with greatness over her first five years on the World Cup but has yet to find the next gear to reach the ultimate pinnacle. With two World Cup medals and 32 top-10 finishes, including two fifth-place finishes last season, “Mitch” is reportedly prepared to make a move.

CAN ANYONE STOP SHIFFRIN?The American tech superstar always has done things her way. Preferring an Italian pianist over Taylor Swift for prerace music, icy pitches over powder glades for freeskiing and word searches over visualization for race preparation, the 20-year-old who barely raced as junior has found her own unconventional path. And can anyone keep Mikaela Shiffrin’s rapid trajectory from reaching the zenith of the World Cup?

REHAB MACHINE: WHEN WILL VONN BE BACK? It wasn’t too long ago when Lindsey Vonn was sharing gross photos of her gnarled-up ankle after a training crash in New Zealand in August put her on the sidelines (again). But Vonn has returned from several serious injuries, managing to set the all-time women’s World Cup win record last season and capping the year by winning her seventh World Cup downhill title.

FENNINGER BATTLE WITH OSV DONE?The boiling hot offseason feud between World Cup overall champion Anna Fenninger and the Austrian Ski Federation was reduced to a simmer by the end of summer. In June, the federation ordered the Olympic super-G champion to instantly stop an advertising campaign with Mercedes Benz, a rival brand of Audi, the association’s

sponsor. The ad shows a car driving on a mountain road with Fenninger’s face projected in the skies and appeared in an Austrian magazine in June.

A-MAZING OPPORTUNITYWhen two-time Olympic champion Tina Maze of Slovenia decided to sit out this season before deciding if she will return to competition, she left a gaping hole in the overall race. Maze, the only skier to win multiple gold medals (downhill and super-combined) at the Sochi Olympics also captured two golds and a silver at the World Championships at Beaver Creek, Colorado, in February.

OLDIES BUT GOODIES, PART 2Female ski racers typically have moved through the sport quicker than men. But an interesting trend is developing at the top end. The average age of the top speed skiers (super-G and down-hill) last season was 29.5 years, whereas the men’s side was a cool 28. And the overall top 10 World Cup tells a similar story, with an average age of 25.3 for women and 27.4 for men. Take 20-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin out of the equation and the women’s average age jumps to 29.1.

AUSTRIAN EXODUSA massive wave of retirements after the conclu-sion of the 2014-15 season has opened room for the next wave to grab hardware and top 10s. Five formidable Austrian ladies have jumped on the retirement bandwagon — Kathrin Zettel, Nicole Hosp, Andrea Fischbacher, Regina Sterz and Alexandra Daum.

Marie-Michèle Gagnon

Erin Mielzynski


MEN’S MOGULSMIKAËL KINGSBURY, CANADAThe numbers are astounding: 28 World Cup wins, Olympic silver, two World Championship golds, four straight crystal globes and a tour-record seven straight victories. He needs one win to eclipse the all-time wins mark set by Frenchman Edgar Grospiron.

PHILIPPE MARQUIS, CANADAThird in the World Cup points race last season, he secured silver in Canada’s historic sweep at 2015 worlds, with Mikaël Kingsbury winning and Marc-Antoine Gagnon scoring bronze. Marquis has two World Cup wins and seven podiums to his credit.

ALEXANDR SMYSHLYAEV, RUSSIAThird at the Sochi Olympics, Smyshly-aev trailed only Mikaël Kingsbury in the chase for crystal last season. He took bronze at the 2013 worlds and has one tour win and 11 podiums to his credit, including five on Canadian snow.

WOMEN’S MOGULS JUSTINE DUFOUR-LAPOINTE, CANADAOlympic gold medallist just ahead of silver sister Chloe, Justine ranked second behind American Hannah Kearney last season. The Montreal native has nine World Cup wins and three worlds medals and has been runner-up for crystal for four straight seasons.

CHLOE DUFOUR-LAPOINTE, CANADAWith the retirement of Kearney, the top five returning World Cup point-getters are Canadian. Chloe was third last season and reeled in silver at Sochi. She looks to add to her hefty career total of 19 tour podiums.

AUDREY ROBICHAUDPart of a Canadian core that also includes Andi Naude and Maxime Dufour-Lapointe, Robichaud has scored two career wins and seven podiums. Last season, she became the first female Canadian moguls skier to compete in 100 World Cup events.

MEN’S AERIALSOLIVIER ROCHON, CANADABack last season after a two-year injury layoff, Rochon hauled in four top-10 placements and was ninth in the points. The 2011-12 crystal globe winner, he has six career podiums and is joined by Travis Gerrits in the Canadian A Group.

MAC BOHONNON, USAAfter earning fifth at the Sochi Games at age 19, Bohonnon claimed five podium finishes in the 2014-15 season, bringing the crystal globe to the U.S. for the first time since Jeret “Speedy” Peterson in 2005. He has two World Cup wins.

GUANGPU QI, CHINAThe runner-up for crystal in a close race last season, he is joined by team-mate Hang Zhou on a formidable Chinese squad. He has eight tour wins and two golds from World Champion-ships. He also took home the season title in 2011.

WOMEN’S AERIALSMELISSA CORBO, CANADAThe lone Canadian women on the A Group, Corbo is a rising star after winning the 2013 Nor-Am Grand Prix and taking second in 2014. She took bronze at the Lake Placid World Cup in January and has her sights on Pyeongchang 2018.

MENGTAO XU, CHINAThe only medallist from Sochi still competing, she nabbed silver in those

Olympics and was sixth last season in the points chase. She has 16 tour wins and four medals from worlds, as well as overall crowns in 1012 and 2013.

ASHLEY CALDWELL, USASecond in the World Cup points standings last season, Caldwell helps anchor a deep U.S. team that includes crystal winner Kiley McKinnon. A former gymnast, Caldwell has three World Cup wins and six podiums in just 16 starts.

MEN’S SLOPESTYLEJOSS CHRISTENSEN, USAChristensen headlines a potent Red, White and Blue slopestyle squad. Despite only one World Cup win, he made history at Sochi, winning the first-ever gold medal for men’s Olympic slopestyle and triggering a U.S. sweep ahead of Gus Kenworthy and Nick Goepper.

JAMES WOODS, GREAT BRITAINA rare snowsports force from the UK, Woods snagged silver at 2013 worlds, bronze at Euro Winter in 2011 and topped the field in New Zealand to kick off this season. Woods secured the crystal globe for slopestyle in 2013.

EVAN MCEACHRAN, CANADABuoyed by a switch double misty 1440, McEachran, 18, is a rising star, with a win at the 2014 AFP World Championships and fourth at the 2014 Dumont Cup. He joins Alex Beaulieu-Marchand and Alex Bellemare on the Canadian A Group.

WOMEN’S SLOPESTYLEDARA HOWELL, CANADAThird in the World Cup rankings the past two seasons, golden girl Howell and bronze medallist Kim Lamarre honored Sarah Burke with medals at Sochi. Howell boasts a trio of

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Audrey Robichaud

FREESTYLE


X Games bronzes as well as silver from 2013 worlds.

DEVIN LOGAN, USAThe Olympic slopestyle silver medal-list came out firing this season, win-ning the late August halfpipe World Cup at Cardrona, New Zealand. In slopestyle, she owns three career po-diums. A former youth football player, she won silver at 2012 X Games.

TIRIL SJAASTAD CHRISTIANSEN, NORWAYThe young Norwegian ruled the X Games course in 2013 and took silver in Winter X Europe that same season. Christiansen qualified first, then won the World Cup competition in late August in New Zealand, giving her four career World Cup wins.

MEN’S HALFPIPEMIKE RIDDLE, CANADAThe most decorated of a stacked

Canadian men’s team, Riddle ramped up tricks and combos last season, winning the season finale at Tignes. He won silver at Sochi, World Cup crystal in 2013 and gold at the 2013 world champs.

DAVID WISE, USAThe outspoken American Olympic champion owns four World Cup podiums, gold from the 2013 World Championships and an array of X Games hardware. His three straight X Games golds from 2012-14 matched a feat equaled by the legendary Tanner Hall.

KEVIN ROLLAND, FRANCEWinner of the opening event this season in New Zealand, Rolland was third in the chase for crystal last winter. His hardware includes eight medals from X Games, gold and silver from world championships and Olympic bronze in 2014.

WOMEN’S SKI CROSSMARIELLE THOMPSON, CANADAThe 2014 Sochi Olympic gold medallist ahead of teammate Kelsey Serwa, Thompson has 17 World Cup podiums, including three wins last season and nine in her career. The Whistler Ski Club product reeled in the ski cross crystal globe in 2012 and 2014 and added a silver at 2013 worlds.

KELSEY SERWA, CANADADestined for the hills with a grandad

MEN’S SKI CROSSBRADY LEMAN, CANADAA perennial challenger for the crystal globe, Leman has two World Cup wins and 10 podiums to his credit. Haunted by injuries throughout his career, he was just off the podium in fourth at the Sochi Olympics. Leman had a good start to the season, winning a Sept. 1 Australia FIS race.

CHRIS DEL BOSCO, CANADAThe Del Bosco résumé is certainly not boring: seven World Cup wins, world champs and X Games gold, mountain biking prominence and one of the most audacious gambles in ski cross history when he wiped out at the 2010 Olympics, finishing out of the medals after refusing to settle for bronze.

JEAN FREDERIC CHAPUIS, FRANCEPacesetter for France’s dramatic podium sweep at the Sochi Olympics, Chapuis also owns a gold from world championships (2013) and a half- dozen World Cup wins. Chapuis earned the ski cross crystal globe last season after taking fourth, fourth and seventh the previous three seasons.

who helped develop Big White, Serwa has racked up an Olympic silver, 2011 world champs gold and the top prize at the 2011 X Games. Despite a rash of knee injuries, she boasts 16 career World Cup podiums and returns after sitting out a season.

ANNA HOLMLUND, SWEDENThird at the Sochi Games behind two Canadians, Holmlund won the crystal globe last season as well as in 2011. She owns 13 World Cup wins and bronze from 2011 worlds. She finished last season red-hot, winning her final six events — a trio of World Cuppers and three FIS races.

WOMEN’S HALFPIPEROZ GROENEWOUD, CANADAFourth in the season-opening World Cup in New Zealand, “Roz G” boasts the 2011 world title, two X Games golds and numerous AFP honours. She leads a formidable Canadian team that includes worlds bronze medallist Keltie Hansen and rising star Cassie Sharpe.

KELTIE HANSEN, CANADAGrinding her way through injury last season, the Edmontonian managed a top-10 finish in the World Cup pipe standings and second-place finish at the AFP World Tour Final. She was third at worlds in 2011 and is primed for her sixth season on tour.

AYANA ONOZUKA, JAPANBronze medallist at Sochi, Onozuka led the World Cup tour halfpipe standings in 2014-15 and was third two seasons earlier. She has eight career podiums on the world tour and took third at 2013 worlds. She podiumed in August in New Zealand.

Brady Leman leading the pack at a World Cup in Arosa, Switzerland.

SKI CROSS


LAST WORD

In 33 years of working with the Canadian ski team, I have had the privilege of working two home Olympics (Calgary 1988 and Vancouver 2010) and

witnessing the accompanying “run up” of national interest and financial support.

The few years before both home Olympics were the best of times for winter sports in Canada. The additional funding allowed Alpine Canada (ACA) to properly support elite skiers while simultaneously building a pool of future athletes. But shortly after both Olympics were over, funding and development programs were reduced or outright dropped. This highly cyclical programming has an enormous impact on the health of the sport in the long run.

ACA has drastically reduced the number of athletes it supports because of post-Olympic fiscal challenges. There is simply no room for an off year at the World Cup level. The selection criteria are a “hard line”; if not met, ACA no longer supports the athlete, regardless of past success. Equipment issues, nagging injuries or personal circumstances are not considered in the final selection.

The Canadian team selection guidelines are the most difficult in the ski racing world, and it is very difficult for athletes outside the ACA program to earn their way back onto the team. Coaches’ discretion is critical to gauge potential in an athlete, but ACA’s financial challenges no longer allow this consideration.

Jan Hudec is a prime example of an athlete with unwavering coach support. Jan fought through countless devastating injuries and recoveries to an Olympic bronze medal — and continues to perform.

But last season, Erik Read’s top-30 finish in World Cup slaloms and silver medal in the team event at the World Championships were not enough to meet the

ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT PATIENCE REQUIRED

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By Max Gartner

Tyler Werry in Wengen, Switzerland

�Max Gartner is the former CEO/president of Alpine Canada, and a longtime coach, program director and ski racing dad.

“hard criteria.” If coaches’ discretion had been used, Erik would likely have been renamed to the team and benefited from a complete summer program.

On the development level, patience is even more of a factor. A solid foundation for long-term success cannot be replaced by race performance measures. Time is needed to develop athletic ability, technical foundation and race strategy. A multi-year commit-ment to the athlete is necessary for this development to be successful. Unfortunately, the current system encourages the chase for lower FIS points, a devas-tating strategy for long-term success.

Moving athletes from the Nor-Am level to the World Cup requires a comprehensive plan and plenty of patience. A clear path for racers must begin at the grassroots level, with provincial ski teams.

Thankfully, the American NCAA racing circuit has proven to be a viable alternate route to the national ski team. Many athletes are adjusting their goals to consider accepting scholarships at American universities and continuing racing through the school teams. Take Laurence St. Germain, of Quebec, who reached the hard criteria after a year of balancing university and ski racing. St. Germain proved that the NCAA option can work, but it remains better suited to technical racers. Those with ambitions in the speed disciplines are finding it difficult to receive the scholarships and training needed to continue to develop in the sport. Many young Canadian racers quit ski racing between 18 and 20, well before reach-ing their physical and mental athletic maturity.

Times are tough for young Canadian ski racers. Club programs continue to develop young racers with big dreams, and provincial teams continue to develop athletes, but without a full national devel-opment team, it is nearly impossible to reach the national team.

It takes time and patience to develop Olympic and World Cup champions. Canada has the athletes and the potential. Many of the young Canadians racing for universities in the States would be recognized and supported by the European powerhouse nations of Switzerland and Austria.

It’s time for the national and provincial organiza-tions to commit to this crucial development level. It’s time to incorporate athletes pursuing educa-tion into the Canadian system and provide the creative programs needed to support the athletes of the future.


LINDSEY VONN67 WORLD CUP WINS

AND COUNTING

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Cleared for takeoff.Introducing the all-new Audi TT. Reinvented from top to bottom, the new Audi TT combines the genes of the first-generation TT with the race-bred R models. Featuring a powerful TFSI® engine with quattro® all-wheel drive and the Audi virtual cockpit that transforms traditional analog gauges into a completely digital experience, the Audi TT puts you more firmly in the driver’s seat than ever before.

audi.ca/TT

©2015 Audi Canada. European model shown. Some features may not be available on the Canadian model. Do not drive distracted. “Audi”, “TT”, “TFSI”, "quattro", “Vorsprung durch Technik” and the four rings emblem are registered trademarks of AUDI AG. To find out more about Audi, visit your Audi dealer, call 1-800-FOR-AUDI, or visit us at www.audi.ca.

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AUD5563_TT_Cockpit_FP

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100% of final size 100% of final size

Thurs, Sept 17 2015

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7.125" x 9.5"

7.375" x 9.75"

280

6.375" x 8.75"

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Lisa Crowley: [email protected]

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