CANADIAN MASTERS' CROSS COUNTRY SKI ASSOCIATION FALL 2001 NEWSLETTER |
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Hi Masters After another beautiful summer here on the "Rock", there are still snow patches in ravines high in the mountains not far from here, small reminders of the sixteen plus feet that fell back there this past winter. As I start this newsletter the weather is still excellent so how do I get motivated??? "NOT DIFFICULT"! this year Canada is the host country for the Masters World Cup which will be held at the Myriam-Bedard centre in Valcartier, Quebec. This is the ultimate event for Master cross country skiers the world over, so Canadian Masters make your plans early and join the more than one thousand skiers that will be participating.. more information follows... contact your provincial rep to join Canadian Masters Some highlights from last season Our Nationals at Charlo, NBAn unforgettable week of sunshine, tons of snow, beautiful trails, excellent organization and the friendliest atmosphere imaginable. New members and those of you who somehow missed reading the spring newsletter, dig up a copy or check out the Masters web site and read again the wonderful item by John Reeves of Alberta. Olav Stana of Kamloops, BC... two gold medals at the MWC in Mariazell Austria. Our third successive year contributing $1000 to CCC in support of the National JuniorTeam. Thanks Masters. I sincerely hope all of you have a safe and rewarding ski season. Most of all, enjoy yourselves and "have fun". JACK |
NEWSLETTERS
I would like to hear your thoughts on the newsletter. As you are aware a new format has been used for the spring and fall issues. Would you like this format to continue? The newsletter is also found on the Masters website
<x-c.com>. Should some of you prefer to access the newsletter via
this medium rather than through the mail, please contact your Provincial
Director and let your preference be known! Speaking of newsletters This past spring some Ontario members received their copies late, the reason being.. The newsletters (160 copies) were well packaged in cartons using the "Red Green" method (duct tape), and sent to Fiona. Approximately ten days later I received a package in the mail from a distribution center in Toronto containing eighty slightly damaged and soiled copies with the notation.. "found open on our warehouse floor". Of course it was then back to the printers to order another 100 copies. However the worst part of this ordeal was, the original package contained many photo's of Ontario members taken at the Nationals in Charlo, and these cannot be replaced. Spring newsletter explanation Page nine. The caption under the photo of Emmanuelle
Gunter was cut short, it should have continued
"it's impossible, she can't be in the F-7 category"! Page six. Guess the real person in the photo? Nobody asked, but I'll tell you anyway. "It's really Santa".
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MASTERS WORLD CUP 2002
The Masters cross country ski event of the year is in
Canada February 21st to March 2nd. Just north of Quebec City lies Canadian Forces base Valcartier and the Centre Myriam-Bedard trail system. Whether you are a "Serious" skier or a
"Recreational" one, come and join the excitement this event has
to offer, and make it "the experience" you want it to be. The timing of this MWC takes place just a few days
after the completion of Quebecs famous Winter Carnival. Many of the
carnival attractions will still be evident, so make your trip a week of
total enjoyment by taking in the cultural and other events for which this
famous "World Heritage City" is renowned. On off days ski the "Plains of Abraham" on
groomed tracks, then stop for lunch at one of the many cafes in "Old
Quebec" just minutes away. The Manege Militaire , or Armoury, at the entrance to
the plains will be the center of activity for the week. Registration,
banquet, award ceremonies and meetings will take place at this site, all
downtown hotels are within short walking distance. The organizing committee for MWC 2002 has also
provided bus transportation between Quebec City and Valcartier, on
registering check the daily schedule and stops enroute for one nearest
your accommodation. By now all of you should have received the entry
form, accommodation form and pamphlet containing the schedule of events
and all necessary information. If you should require further information
please contact the MWC office. tel.. 1 (418) 523-1370 fax... 1 (418) 523-1371 e-mail <mwc2002@qvc.qc.ca> Canadian Masters Nationals
In years when the MWC is in North America our Nationals are held in conjunction with this event, and that will be the case this year. It was decided several years ago that Canadian members traveling to two separate events would prove extremely costly, not to mention the amount of time away from work this would entail. As in Lake Placid, we will have an award ceremony for
Canadian Masters on February 28th. The location and time will be noted in
the winter edition of the newsletter. First, second and third place medals
will be awarded in both classic and free technique races. MWC Relays Each country is permitted one 4 person team per age category. Please note on your FIS form that women ski in ten (10) year age categories. Team selection will consist of the first and second place finishers in the Sunday and Monday races. If a top finisher decides not to participate in the relays, we will then continue to third place, fourth place, etc, until a team is complete! Also in some cases a selection process will be used, but only with unanimous consent of all those concerned. When sending me your entry form, please make note
your intent to ski in the relays. Thanks for your help. MWC 2002 - Words from the Organizing Committee
Only a few months away from the Masters World Cup
Quebec 2002 and the Organizing Committee are on the last miles to welcome
the event. Last February, Quebec 2002 was at Sugarloaf, USA, and Mariazell, Austria, to inform and promote the Masters. Since then, the Organizing Committee has been working hard to put all the best elements to present the best Masters World Cup Quebec 2002 has seen. The lodging booking and the registration for the races are coming in from all countries who are members of the World Masters Association. We are glad to inform you that the trails at the
Centre Myriam Bedard will be open a week before the commencement of the
event. So we invite you to come early, visit and train on the official
trails. There is still much work to do, but we are confident to deliver an unforgettable competition. So we invite you to join us from February 22nd to March 2nd in the Snow Capital of Quebec. WMA Meeting at Seefeld
Here are some items discussed at the annual meeting
held Sept 27th to 30th at Seefeld Austria. MWC 2003, Seefeld Austria. The organizing committee for MWC 2003 was in attendance and gave an impressive update on how things are progressing for the event. The committee, which is headed by Thomas Heckmann is on schedule with all requirements laid down by the WMA. On friday sept 28th all National Directors walked the trail system, part of which has been used for several world cup races, but of course complying with WMA standards. For Masters who have participated in past MWC's, it will be very noticible that this trail system is quite different from those in Lake Placid, Grindelwald and Mariazell. Much of this trail will be in deep forest with various uphills, downhills and turns, making it a wonderful technical course, and similar to those Canadian Masters are accustomed to in this country. Upcoming newsletters will contain all information on
this event with regard to format, accommodations, etc. Race format. There was a lengthy debate on race
format at future MWC's, with nothing resolved. This item will again be on
the agenda at the AGM in Quebec. At present, the only "set
format" is for Quebec 2002. MWC 2005. Bids for the MWC 2005 were presented by McCall Idaho, in the USA, and Krasnogorsk, a city 28 kilometers north of Moscow in Russia. More on this will be noted in the spring newsletter. MWC 2002 ENTRY FORMThere seems to be some confusion as to what, or how
many races in which a person may participate. The following is as
simplified as I can make it. The entry fee entitles a skier to participate in
three prescribed races! Class M 1-6, one 30K one 10K one 45K classic or free 7-8 " 15K " 10K " 30K " " 9-11 " 15K " 10K " 20K " " F 1-6 " 15K " 10K " 30K " "
F 7-11
" 15K
" 10K
" 20K
"
" If a participant wishes to ski in less than the three
prescribed races, please contact the MWC office for further details. |
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Ontario Director
We welcome Tom Cook of North Bay as the new director
for Ontario. Many of you will remember Tom (and Jean) from our Nationals
last year (2000) in North Bay where he did such a great job as head of the
organizing committee, overcoming incredible weather conditions to make the
event a success. Many thanks to Fiona Mckenna for her work as Ontario
Director over the past two seasons. She will continue at present to assist
Tom with memberships. But I see her future goal as head coach to her son
Patrice and any other family members that may come along. All the best
Fiona.
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SKI DRAW
Our draw will continue again this season. For the past three years income from the draw has fallen short of covering the cost of ski purchase and the $1000 contribution we make to CCC in support of the National Junior Team. This year the ticket cost will be $10, still a great
deal for a pair of Fischer RCS (choice of classic/Skate) signed by Pierre
Harvey. Again tickets are limited to "one per member". The odds
are exceptional at "one in less than one hundred". So when your
form arrives please fill it out and send
it in, our young Canadian skiers will really appreciate it. |
What's new in waxing
It was almost a hundred years ago in 1903 that the first wax was commercially sold and for some time those tar waxes would impregnate the wooden skibases. It took until the early seventies, with the development of plastic skis, that was mixtures were made by natural raw materials such as paraffin and microwax. These are chains of carbon hydroxide molecules and today we call them "Wax of the first generation". "Wax of the second generation" followed in 1987 with the first synthetic waxes. These waxes were designed by chemists and we know them as fluor waxes. The big advantage it provided was to exchange the hydro atoms with fluor atoms to create high water repellency. The right mixture of paraffin, microwax, synthetic paraffin and fluoro carbon wax provided waxes for all conditions and temperatures, but also made wax choice more difficult and with the necessary sublayering very costly. Now we are at the gate of "Wax of the third generation". You could also call it Nanogate, since it is designed through the most recent nanotechnology. Here are some main advantages: - no hotsealing of base with iron - no toxic fumes, no mask can be changed in last minute quickly - it is essentially temperature independent - no wax shavings (can be prepared in hotel room) - relatively low costs (no sublayering of fluoros
needed) A statement by Olav Stana, World Masters Champion at Mariazell 2001 in the 15K and 30K races will sum it up: "How many skiers do you positively know travel
to the highest level international competition with 7 bottles of CERAX,
two brushes and one hairdryer - and no iron, no scraper and, NO OTHER
WAX?? If you would like more information on Nanowax please check <www.cerax.com> or e-mail <snowhow@expertcanmore.net> |
A few thoughts on training
The summer is over and many ski clubs and training groups (Canmore comes to mind) have started their group sessions. Anyone starting with a clean slate has a little extra energy during the fall, while others who are training year-round begin to tire a little. Many choose to train a lot in summer and fall, and if a good percentage of these workouts are done with a high intensity, there is a danger of peaking too early. In this case many skiers are in the best shape even before the snow falls, and there could be a decreased desire to train over the winter. Intervals...As we age, we chose types of training which go a little easier. We can train, but the intensity of the workouts isn't like it was when we were younger. If we are going to press ourselves, we need to train with someone who is a little better than we are. It is then that we are able to really push our bodies. The truly hard workouts are the kind that few of us can possibly do alone. One day per week the workout should be pretty hard, so that we can become accustomed to more physical stress. It needs to hurt a little every once in a while. For those who are making progress against the best in your age group, but still need to ski a few minutes faster, a little advice.Perhaps you are in very good shape, but are lacking that little extra. Most of you can make up the time you need by improving your technique. Others need to have a better training plan over the fall and winter. Remember that a lot can be done on skis between December and March. September should to be used for building yourself up. Think about technique when you are doing your ski-walking and while roller-skiing. It is better to train short and more frequently than it is to train longer and infrequently. Remember to think about technique when doing skiwalking and roller-skiing, and don't forget to do explosive training. Those who are not using roller-skis should do some strength for their arms, stomach and back a couple of times each week. The first several days on snow should be spent concentrating on technique. For those who are not real serious about racing, train as much, or as little as you prefer. No matter at what level each of us decides to participate, once again the key words are "fun and enjoyment", remember this is not life itself, it is only a sport! |
USA Masters Nationals March 11-17, 2002 In March all eyes will turn to California as the 2002
National Masters comes to Tahoe XC (march 11-15) then Royal Gorge (march
16-17) with a week-long spring break filled with excitement and fun!
National Championships will be awarded in 5 year age categories to all
skiers 30 years and older, but all abilities are welcome to take part
every day with no qualifications required other than a day, or annual
license with the American Cross Country Skiers. New for 2002...an open
sub-Masters category for skiers 20-29 featuring product prizes as awards.
Canadian Masters are also invited to this event. Check <www.xcskiworld.com> for race format and all other information.
SKITRAX
This magazine has made an excellent offer to Masters on subscription discount. Your Provincial Director has sent you the information, those of you who aren't already subscribers check it out.
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Selecting Proper Ski Flexes
A good skating ski should flatten about 90 - 110 percent of one's body weight. This will provide a good skier with a ski he or she is capable of adapting to in most conditions. This addresses the fact also that courses are not flat, and don't often have stable track conditions, and the skier on top of the ski doesn't always feel as energetic as he or she might like to feel at all times! Some elite skiers, with excellent timing and ability to maintain aggressive technique for the entire race, and on harder tracks, may have skis up to and over 120 percent. I'd say much stiffer than this would be too much pressure on tip and tail, the skier would have difficulty flattening the skis, and would miss the benefit from the spring that comes from ski rebounding at weight shifts off that ski. Even the elite skiers have softer skis in their bags. Most elite skiers have a selection of skis and flexes (as well as grinds), and very important to remember, they also have time to test these skis, and probably a support staff to prepare and wax them! For mortals with jobs and other distractions of real life, having a very good pair that one knows well by skiing often, and knowing how to adapt one's technique in varying track conditions, is probably going to be between 95 - 110 percent of body weight to close. If a person has two good pairs, one should be at the lower end for soft snow, the other at the stiffer sid for hard tracks. For classic dry snow, a ski should close at 65 - 80 percent of body weight. For classic skiing on hard tracks and klister, the skis should close from 75 - 95 percent. Successful application of this formula also depends on technique, training, etc.. At a store, using a paper test, the skate skis should have a fairly open pocket with weight on both skis, approximately a couple inches behind the heel and twice the length of one's foot going forward from the heel - - up to 60 cm total. Shifting one's weight to one foot, the camber pocket should shorten but not close. Rolling weight forward onto the ball of the foot should still not close the skis for hard tracks, but close down or mostly close for soft powder tracks. |
Gerry Podhora
Many Masters and Loppet skiers will remember Gerry Podhora. For many years he took part in Masters Championships and Loppets, primarily in western Canada. It is with sadness that I relay the news of his passing. He died while he was on holidays last winter in the Philipines. In recent years he had some health problems, but that didn't deter him from skiing on our local trails. His "Viking" hat was sure to make other skiers smile. He participated in several American Birkebeiner races, most recently in 1998 and often in the Caribou Marathon and the Canadian Birkebeiner. He recently returned to his roots by running in the Berlin marathon. I'm told he had plans to compete in upcoming marathons as well. On a personal note, when I began to race he coached me for a season. As I struggled with the nuances of diagonal stride, his sage advice was "Look down the track your foot is in. Your body follows where the eye focuses." Whithorse skiers as well as Masters throughout the
country will miss Gerry's inimitable style. Mary Whitley |
Racing suitsJohn Roberts has informed me that another 60 racing
suits are in stock and available this fall. For those of you who do not
have one, or new members...these are quality suits from the Louis Garneau
company at a fantastic price (thanks to John),
top $60, pant $38, shipping $5. "Canadian suits will get the
loudest cheers at Valcartier"!
to order these Wilson Mountain Sports Tel (403) 522-3636 P.O. Box 194 Fax (403) 522-2178 Lake Louise, AB e-mail wmsll@telusplanet.net Warm-upsJohn has also been working on stocking matching warm-up suits, but as this goes to press a final design has yet to be determined. However please check the Masters web site, all information regarding the warm-ups will be posted as soon as it becomes available. I will also include this information in the Winter
edition of the newsletter for those who do not have computers. Enjoy the ski
season Jack
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Leading design so far, with a plain black bib warm up pant. |
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