CANADIAN MASTERS' CROSS COUNTRY SKI ASSOCIATION SPRING 2003 NEWSLETTER |
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IN THIS NEWSLETTER - Canadian Masters "Nationals" Whitehorse Yukon March 3-8. - Masters World Championships 2003, Seefeld Austria - WMA Meeting at Seefeld, Feb 6th, 2003 - Lillehammer MWC 2004, Feb 29-Mar 6 - A Master's Thoughts on the Nats at Whitehorse - A few items from our AGM at Whitehorse - Québec Package to Lillehammer - USA National Masters - Canadian Masters Cross Country Skiing Championships February 9 to 14, 2004
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Hi Masters Another ski season has gone by and again it was a winter of varied snow conditions throughout the country, ranging from BC's warmth to wicked cold on the Prairies, good snow in many parts of Ontario, Québec and the Maritimes to mountains of snow in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Masters World Championships at Seefeld Austria was an excellent event with more than a thousand participants. This one will be remembered for the incredible amount of snow that fell each day during the week and how well the Organizing Committee coped with it. Fourteen Canadian Masters travelled to Seefeld. We could not have asked for a better way to cap off the season than our Masters National Championships at Whitehorse Yukon. Director Mary Whitley, the organizing Committee, volunteers and local residents made our visit and competition so enjoyable in this Northern Valley setting surrounded by snow capped Mountains. Another gathering of ski friends to cherish and remember for years to come. Now the time has come to put that final layer of wax on the skis, get out our summer toys and enjoy the warm season. Before long we will all be saying, '' seems like just the other day I put those skis away'' here it is November and snowing already. Think positive, have a fun and safe summer. Jack
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Canadian Masters
"Nationals" Whitehorse
Yukon March 3-8. Canadian Masters arrived at the bustling Whitehorse airport smack-dab in the middle of "Sourdough Rendezvous 2003", an event that has been in existence since 1964 and which features several days of kick up your heels fun for all ages. A large main street tent saw Canadian Forces and USA
Air Force bands perform with a variety of local entertainers. There was an
air show/display with the Snowbirds, sourdough pancake breakfasts galore,
dog sled races/rides, helicopter rides, and various other competitions,
not the least of which was the Robin Hood flour packing event. Competitors
carried ?? sacks of flour weighing several
hundred pounds on their backs for specified distances. (It was this one
that Marlene, Joseph and I blamed for the lack of
pancakes and bread for breakfast at our hotel on Tuesday morning
...we assumed they used up all the flour in town). Monday Mar 3, 20K Free technique Springtime has come to the North, well at least until wednesday. Daytime temperatures here have been hovering around the zero mark and even into the plus department since last week. It was a beautiful day for racing, +1 and partly sunny. All of the field skied 2 laps of the well-marked course which varied from flats to uphills to some pretty fast downhills. There were nothing but raves about how good and interesting the course was. The medal ceremony following the competition was really cozy and well attended. The organization went like clockwork, mass starts every two minutes from a wonderfully laid out stadium, great commentary from a professional sounding lady announcer, lots of delicious goodies to eat and drink after the finish. I won't go into statistics as results will be posted
on the Masters website but I must add that once again the Canmore team was
out in force and extremely fast, especially the women. Tuesday Mar 4- Rest day- AGM Wednesday Mar 5, 10K Free technique Gusting winds, cool temperatures, sunshine and
crystal clear northern skies were the order of the day and the races again
ran like clockwork. There were no major surprises as the girls from
Canmore were once again very impressive. After the race skiers took little
time hustling to the Chalet to partake of the delicious goodies that were
in abundance. The homemade cookies were once again the hit of the day!
Emcee Paul did another great job at the medal ceremony. Thursday Mar 6, 10K Classic Another brisk and sunny day with the usual great race organization. All wave starts for the three days have started exactly on time and this race also ran perfectly! The evening was capped off with a wonderful banquet of Arctic Char. Entertainment was supplied by the comedic tales of Roy Ness. The highlight was a performance by the "Snowshoe Shufflers", four ladies who had the full house on it's feet applauding and taking innumerable photo's of their act. Of course National Director Jack and effervescent Paul Junique were persuaded to dress up with "can-can"skirts, blond pigtails, lipstick and snowshoes and join them for the closing set. I'm certain photo's of this overall act will be shown and talked about for years to come. What a great evening! The ski draw was made and former National Director
Nianne Foley was the winner. Congratulations, Nianne. Canmore coach and
National Rep for Cerax, Matthias Ahrens, kindly donated four containers of
his product, which were also drawn for and won by lucky Masters present.
Thanks for your generosity, Matthias. Friday Mar 7, Day off Saturday Mar 8 Loppet day in Whitehorse. Unfortunately the morning temperatures got all the way up to -23 and the Masters 30K Free technique races were cancelled. However, in the North the cut-off temperature is -30 so the loppet went as scheduled with most Masters participating. Brian Healy and Maria Hawkins from Canmore had the fastest times in this classic competition which was run on a beautiful scenic course. Several skiers caught glimpse of a moose. Vic Emery swears he's sticking to his story about being clawed on the forehead by a lynx but we all know he simply ran into a brittle tree branch! The banquet was another wonderful event with lots of great food; many draw prizes, especially for the children. It was great to see such a large number of them participate. This year’s loppet also saw the greatest number of skiers since it's inception, with over 350 taking part. A sincere tribute must go to all organizers and volunteers who braved such temperatures; especially out at the feed stations making certain all skiers were kept hydrated and fed. The overall facility at Mt McIntyre is truly impressive. It is a large structure containing Curling Club and Cross Country Ski Club and has offices, dining facilities, saunas, locker rooms and a huge waxing area complete with benches. Who can forget the incredible view from the dining area looking out over the river valley at snow-capped mountains. In closing, this has been a great Masters National Championships and I'm certain all 112 skiers who attended had a wonderful time. Yukon Director Mary Whitley and all those from Whitehorse involved in any way with this event should be extremely proud of their efforts in making all Masters so welcome to" True Northern Hospitality"! Many thanks from us all.
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Masters World Championships 2003,
Seefeld Austria Saturday Feb 1 Opening ceremonies. All participants assembled at the town centre and paraded (accompanied by Bands from Hirschau and Seefeld) to the Olympic Hall. Our group was led by young Georges Girard who carried the Canada banner. Short speeches were given by local dignateries followed by hot drinks and a very impressive fireworks display. All festivities were completed early as Sunday was the start of racing. Sunday Feb 2-Free technique A beautiful day for the free technique races. As usual our women were right up there..Judy Buchanan-Mappin was a silver medalist in 15K, Alena Branda won bronze in that same distance and Suzel Donitz placed 6th in a very competitive field of F-7 women, slightly over a minute out of the medals. The most amazing thing about the days competition was the extremely fast times recorded on these trails, which all admit were some of the most challenging in years. The M-1 and M-2 men's winners skied the 30K in 1:11! Several M-7's (the largest group with 85 skiers) did the 15K in 37 minutes fifty-plus seconds. No matter how you look at it, these are very fast times. Monday Feb 3-Classic A large dumping of powder snow overnight added to the already ample amount already on the ground in Seefeld. No medals for Canada on this, the second day of competition. Tuesday Feb 4-10K Free and Classic And the snow continues to fall. There's hardly been a break since arrival last week. But this is good news for there will be no more gouges and scrapes on ski bases as happened during the first race. Many skis will have lasting changes of structure! Judy and Alena once again had great results, finishing with bronze medals in the 10K free technique, Times slowed slightly due to the added snowfall. The OC did an excellent job with track grooming and controlling. Wednesday Feb 5-Relays No Canadian teams entered. Banquet The evening banquet was held at the Tennis Hall and was a huge success. Two musical groups (Russian, Austrian) provided the entertainment and had the audience singing along, aplauding and dancing late into the night. The few speeches were kept short, always a good idea! A wonderful meal was served by what seemed like an army of young people, who were extremely efficient and cheerful. Of course in the German/Austrian fashion, local beer flowed freely all evening. In particular the Russian Musical group and female vocalist alone were worth twice the price of a banquet ticket. hursday Feb 6 Day off Friday Feb 7-Free technique-distance Seefeld awakened to a clear morning without falling snow, but the race start temperature was -15. You all know this scenario! Yesterday's forecast called for much warmer temperatures, so waxes were diligently applied but completely usless this morning. As it was too late for most to re-wax colder, it was squeak, squeak around the trails. Many of you will remember the great glide in these extreme conditions. None the less, in the 20K Alena squeaked faster than all but one to win a silver medal. Suzel was a 5th place finisher. I must make note that the medal ceremonies were also a wonderful show. An excellent video with clips of the days event was shown on a large screen prior to the awarding of medals. Saturday Feb 8-Classic-distance If only the OC could have switched these last two days! Nearly a foot of snow fell overnight and temperatures soared to that nightmare level for classic-- the dreaded 0!-- with a continuous downfall of damp snow. (Now wax for that!) Oh yes, police were warning that chains were to be used on all vehicles travelling in the area. I recall chains being used in Canada back in the 1940's and 50's, but not since, except on snow clearing vehicles. I guess studded tires would be usless on these steep mountain roads. Back to skiing, or should I say "icing up". No Canadian medals, but Pierre Lacasse turned in a fine performance in the M-5 classic with a 10th place finish. I must check with him... maybe he could be persuaded to act as "wax tech" at the next MWC? Just kidding, Pierre. Anyway, indecision and frustration ruled the day with 113 DNS's, and 29 DNF's... for the first group, "my wax isn't working so what's the use?" and for the second group, "I'm not getting much glide with this inch of snow which refuses to leave my grip zone, so I'm outa here!" I recall a similar occurrance at a World Cup race in Thunder Bay many years ago...Coaches and wax techs were putting pieces of 2x4 with rags soaked in wax remover at various locations along the track. Skiers went over these to take the excessive dirt build-up off the ski bases. Out of desperation, in Seefeld some were frantically breaking branches off large spruce trees and placing them beside the track for their skiers. But alas, to no avail! As happens on occasion, the snow gods won! As I write this Saturday evening, there's been no let-up in snowfall. The bus is supposed to pick us up at 1:00 AM to catch a 7:00 AM flight out of Munich, normally a two hour drive away. Overall this has been a superb MWC, well attended by 1,064 participants, well organized and a lot of fun for most competitors. Lillehammer will have a hard job topping this one!
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WMA Meeting at Seefeld, Feb 6th,
2003 1. MWC 2004 at Lillehammer. There are a few slight changes...first day of racing will be classic 15 and 30K and alternating throughout. This means those doing all free technique will race on successive days, Mon + Tue. In future this format will alternate each year making it equitable for both disciplines. Also, Wednesday will be a rest day with an evening banquet. Relays will be held on Thursday. 2. A motion was made to consolidate the relays into groups ie; M-1 to M-6, M-7-up and women. It was noted again this year that late starters were finishing with only race organizers in attendance. Even teamates were seeking warmer quarters. A format such as this would also make it much easier on volunteers and their length of time spent out in the cold. 3. This year two large (kidding) countries joined the ranks of the WMA. Liechtenstein and Luxembourg now bring the present total to 28. 4. A new MWC rotation was voted on and accepted. 2004....Lillehammer Norway 2009....France 2005....Krasnogorsk Russia 2010....Sweden 2006....Brusson Italy 2011....Austria 2007....??? Finland 2012....Canada (West) 2008....???USA Note the large gap from 2002-2008 where an event is not held in North America. This happened with the awarding of MWC2005 to Krasnogorsk Russia (very worthy recipients) hence moving the USA to 2008. 5. "Please note" Future entries for MWC's must go to the National Director by email or post. They will not be accepted by the WMA or organizing committees. As usual, the Organizing Committee for Lillehammer is requesting entries be sent in as early as possible to prevent the last minute deluge which can sometimes lead to errors and little time for corrections! Entry forms can be downloaded from the Lillehammer website or by contacting me. <www.mwc2004.com> A survey was done this year at Seefeld to determine the number of skiers who participate in both disciplines. It was noted that the figure was between 15 and 20 %. As an exact percentage was not given, my guess is that it is closer to 15%. I feel there is something in the air (limburger), however remote, to discuss the possibility of a total "three race format" requiring a skier to participate in both disciplines. Such an idea is doomed to failure, as this years survey clearly indicates! "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"! Note: I would appreciate Canadian Masters thoughts on this or any other matter. If there are any changes or suggestions you feel might add to this MWC annual event, please send these to me. Thanks in advance. The WMA is always looking for ideas. Jack
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Lillehammer MWC 2004, Feb 29-Mar 6 Many Canadian Masters have told me they will be going to this coming year's MWC at Lillehammer, and if only 50% of those go, we will still have a large group! I guess it's the mystique about Norway being known as the land of Cross Country Skiing, and rightfully so! Those of you planning on making the trip please try and get your accommodations booked as soon as possible. Lillehammer is the oldest of the inland towns of Eastern Norway. It was founded as a trading post in 1827 and granted full market town status in 1842. Lillehammer is situated at the north end of Norway's biggest lake, Mjosa. Lillehammer is the small town with the big attractions. Charming "Gagate" (pedestrian street) is the town artery, with its characteristic buildings. The town now appears more beautiful and has more attractions than ever before. Whether you like bustling city life, cultural venues or first hand encounters with nature, illehammer has something for every taste and every age group. Lillehammer is a skiing Eldorado for ski enthusiasts. The area offers varied terrain and more than 350 kms of double-track ski trails, with direct links to Lillehammer, Oyer and the Olympic tracks at Birkebeineren Ski Stadium. There are both mountain and forest trails, and all are clearly marked and signposted. More and more tourists are discovering what excellent qualities Lillehammer and the surrounding area can offer with respect to education, recreation, sports and culture. The residents of Lillehammer are proud of their town and welcome you, summer and winter. Masters World Cup Committee Box 183, N-2901 Lillehammer, Norway Tel: 47 61 05 42 00 Fax: 47 61 05 42 01 email <post@olympiaparken.no> Package deal for Masters/Lillehammer/Vasaloppet This is being offered by Ian Daffern, details can be found on the Masters website <x-c.com>
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A Master's Thoughts on the Nats at Whitehorse by Russ Evans A host of skiers from south of 60 received warm northern hospitality from the residents of Whitehorse in general and from the members of the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club specifically. Our appreciation goes to Meet director Mary Whitley and her organizing committee for a week of excellent skiing and other events. The Mt. McIntyre Recreation Centre provided the setting for the weeks activities. As the name suggests, the clubhouse which also houses a curling rink sits well above the city providing a very spectacular view of the historic Yukon River and surrounding mountains. The facility includes a large waxing area and changing facilities on the ground floor. The second floor has a large lounge and restaurant. Both the Master's banquet (featuring Arctic Char) and the loppet banquet were held in this facility. All this was located 5 to 10 minutes from City centre. The Whitehorse Ski Club has close to 1,000 members and has developed a magnificant set of trails with a great range of difficulty. The organizing committee made excellent decisions in providing couses which were appropriate for Master skiers. The course remained the same for the 10 K and 20 K free technique races used for the skating course. The 30K classic loppet was 1 lap with most of the trail either new for us or we were skiing in the opposite direction to which we had raced previously. Any skier who expected consistant waxing conditions in the north had a huge surprise. The 20K free technique race on Monday saw temps around +2. By Wednesday, 15 cm of fresh snow had fallen and the air temp had dropped to -11 leaving slightly greasy snow for the 10K free technique race. The temp continued to drop with -14 for the 10K classic race on Thursday. By Saturday, the start was delayed 1 hour until noon but the temp was still -21 at start time. The Master's races were cancelled as the temp was colder than the -18 limit imposed by our organization. However, loppet director Mike McCann's research showed that -30 is the limit for a loppet and the skiers who completed the various courses had fabulous skiing with brilliant sunshine and no wind. One week later, I was skiing in the Ontario Master's Championships at Onaping Falls at +10. I am sure that everyone will enjoy the skiing at next years Canadian Masters on the Onaping Falls trails. Some highlights from our Whitehorse week: At the Masters banquet, Paul Junique and Jack White demonstrated an outstanding Can-Can while shod in snowshoes (the traditional large wooden frames; not the new metal imposters). One skier after finishing 2nd in his category on all four days was heard to say "Everyone comes to the Yukon in search of gold, but I could only find silver in them thar hills''. What is the source of the tremendous results from the Canmore skiers-Brian Healy, Maria Hawkins, Kathy Davies, et al? -good mountain air, Bow River water, great waxing or extremely proficient technical skiers in excellent physical condition. Jack White was finally healthy after being under the weather at the 3 previous Canadian Championships. Was this the reason for Jack smiling all week? I have another theory. On his flight from Edmonton on Air North, Jack was seated at the rear of the plane with some male stripper's who were appearing at Whithorse's Rendez-vous (their winter carnival). Rumour has it that one of the flight attendants confused Jack for one of the dancers. Who on the organizing committee takes credit for turning on the Northern Lights a couple of evenings? Our approaching septugenarian Vic Emery cut a mean pace on the ski trails and the dance floor. A heartfelt thank you to all of Whitehorse for providing an outstanding week that we shall all remember. Russ is an annual competitor at our "Nats'', thanks Russ..
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A few items from our AGM at
Whitehorse Newsletter...It was decided that we revert back to the old newsletter format this fall due to the high cost of printing. 2006 Masters Nats awarded to Rimouski, QC. They sent a very comprehensive bid and are solidly backed by Léon Simard, President of l'AMSF and Jean-Yves Babin, Masters Director for Québec. Dirk noted that if Vancouver gets the 2010 Olympics there could be an opportunity to have the 2007 Masters Nats at that facility. We will continue with the ski draw in support of the
National Junior Team. Québec Package to Lillehammer I have been informed by Léon Simard, President of l'AMSF in Québec, that a survey of their membership will be done in June to determine the level of interest for a package deal for the 2004 Masters World Championships at Lillehammer Norway. Anyone interested check the website <www.amsfski.com> Ski Draw Winner Former National Director Nianne Foley was this year's winner of the ski draw. Her name was drawn at our Masters banquet at Whitehorse. She and Dale have been supporters of the draw since it's inception. Congratulations Nianne. Maybe if those skis are really fast we'll see you at Onaping Falls next February. USA National Masters This coming years competition will be held January 17-24 2004 in Marquette, Michigan. As usual Canadian Masters are invited to attend, so those of you near the border check out your schedule. For further information log on to the AXCS website <xcskiworld.com> Masters Ski Suits and Warm-Ups John Roberts has told me that they have received a new order of fully-lined jackets. There are still some racing suits in stock but not a large quantity. Several of us had extremely positive comments on these outfits at the Nats in Whitehorse, and they are very impressive. Those of you not familiar with the design, or want more information please check out the Masters website at.. <x-c.com> To order: Wilson Mountain Sports P.O. Box 194 <wmsll@telusplanet.net> Lake Louise, AB Tel (403) 522-3636 T0L 1E0 Fax (403) 522-2178 |
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Canadian Masters Cross Country Skiing Championships February 9 to 14, 2004 Hosted by Onaping Falls Nordics Ski Club Races planned********* Fees Monday Feb 9 ** 20K **Fr Tech Ind. starts**$20.00 Wednesday Feb 11 **10K **Fr Tech *Ind. starts**$20.00 Thursday Feb 12 **10K **Cl Tech *Ind. starts**$20.00 Saturday Feb 14 **20K/30K *Cl Tech *Mass starts**$20.00 (20K for MM9+ and MW7+) This event is our Annual Windy Loppet Monday Feb 12, Social & Medal presentation (cost to be determined) Saturday Feb 14, Banquet & Medal presentation (tentative cost $20.00) With Saturday being St Valentine's Day we are planning a special Windy Loppet entry fee for the Sweetheart/Partner/Mate of registered Masters. For more information please contact: Susan Tarlton, Race Secretary 81 Laura Ave, Lively, ON P3Y 1A4 Phone (705) 692 1571 Fax (705) 692 7208 E-Mail: tarlton@isys.ca ACCOMMODATIONS: (the following are the closest to the trails but all facilities may not necessarily be appropriate or suitable for everyone - at the moment a facility partnership exists only with the Windy Lake Motel but will be pursued with other facilities) Local Motels, Inns Bed & Breakfast*Drive to race in minutes. Phone Address Windy Lake Motel and Restaurant* 1*966-3967* Hwy 144, Levack Hillary's Caf* BB* 10*966-2190* 111 Service Road, Onaping Dowling Motor Inn* 15*855-3123* Hwy 144, Dowling The Gryphon's Inn* 20*855-5151* 1977 McKenzie, Chelmsford Northland Motel* 20*855-4533* 15 Hwy 144, Chelmsford Valley Inn* 30*983-4267* 500 Notre Dame, Azilda For Sudbury's tourism site, including hotel web site links and motel telephone #s please click on the URL below. Accommodations in Sudbury are approximately 45 - 50 minutes from the race site. Greater Sudbury Tourism Travel Guide, Ontario, Canada For Bed and Breakfast sites in Sudbury, please click on the URL below and scroll down to Sudbury. BBCanada.com: Ontario, Northern_Ontario **More info will follow in the fall newsletter-Have a great summer Masters Jack
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This is a note I received from a very fast BC skier who's mind at times also moves quickly: Jackson, Congrats on the National Masters....rumours are flying already, so could I verify or refute the following: That next years Masters Nats have been awarded to Iqualuit, NWT? That the dates are sometime in June? That you and Joseph K have already booked all available igloo rooms? That transportation is provided with snow planes and that skiers must lend their skis with the stiffest camber for landing gear? That a new event will be tested in preparation for final inclusion in the World Masters Championships in Siberia; skijoring with reindeer? That skijoring will include the long-anticipated sprint events: 100 meters with and without whip? You better meet these rumours head on or they may just snowball into something larger! Keep up the good work. OS
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