CANADIAN MASTERS' CROSS COUNTRY SKI ASSOCIATION WINTER 03/04 NEWSLETTER |
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Canadian Masters Newsletter Spring 2004 Hi Masters Another ski season is coming to a close but here on
the “rock” one would never think so. If I tried to describe how much
snow we have, you probably wouldn’t believe me. In the past three weeks, I have witnessed two very
different worlds. As you will note in my item on Lillehammer in this
newsletter, Masters who were there enjoyed nothing but sunshine. Not a
snowflake fell and only on one day was there was a slight breeze. Here, we’ve had three feet of snow in three weeks
(not that there’s anything wrong with that). More than a foot just fell
overnight (Mar 12th) and of course the wind rarely stops
blowing (not that there’s anything wrong with that either). This just
means skiing will be great right into May and my golf buddies will be
throwing profanities at me a little longer than usual. I always get blamed
for snow around here. Two other lows and highs occurred. At our Masters Nationals in Onaping Falls, attendance was down from previous years, probably due to several factors, one of which was a conflicting event (Keskinada). At Lillehammer, more Canadians attended MWC2004 than
any other year when this event has been held in Europe. This can be
attribute to the words “Lillehammer” and “Norway”! A few changes will occur during the coming season
which I hope will strengthen our Association for years to come. Overall
it’s been another good year for the Masters in Canada. I would like to wish all of you a successful summer
and look forward to seeing many of you on a trail or at an event this
coming ski season. All the best, remember to always have fun
Jack Masters Nationals at Onaping FallsBy Rob Cheskey I look back to Charlo 2001 as being a “benchmark”
Nationals, with the great effort put out by organizers and volunteers, and
the wonderful feeling, meeting friends from across the country. Québec
2002 Worlds/Nationals was more cosmopolitan, perhaps not as homey. I
missed Whitehorse in 2003; I’m sure it was fun. This year at Onaping Falls we experienced a February
week of bright sunshine, cold temperatures, low winds and trails groomed
to perfection by the father and son team of Richard and Kevin Leblanc (who
both won medals racing as well!) The volunteers did a great job led by the
team of chief organizer Lise Leblanc (femme de Richard et mere de Kevin),
Susan Tarlton and Janet Martindale. Lise showed her polished speaking
skills (en deux langues!). while emceeing at awards ceremonies. Racer turnout was low, some blame was placed on a
scheduling conflict with the Keskinada, but where were all our Western
skiers? (save for Californian Rick Mitchell). Some folks were blaming the
poor turnout (only fifty racers) on the “week-long”
format, but this same format (which I like) brought 115 skiers to
Charlo in 2001 and 121 skiers to Whitehorse in 2002. Spectators at the races were treated to several
sprint finishes, including a 1/10 second victory by Charlotte Knight over
Wendy Grater in the opening 20 km Freestyle race, and another 1/10 sec.
win by Gaetan Beaulieu over Alf Parsons in the 30 km Classic race on the
final day. Gaetan and Alfie were the fastest in each race. Minus 20
celcius degree temperatures delayed the start of two midweek races by an
hour. It snowed during the week; but no klister tubes were opened. Monday
evening’s Social and Thursday’s Banquet were terrific get-togethers
with lots of good food in a rustic yet majestic setting at the Colonial
Golf and Country Club, where owner René took great pride in catering to
our group from across the land. Jack White, who has been National Director for the
past seven years, introduced incoming Director Jean-Yves Babin, a classy
gentleman who goes like a rocket on skis. Next year’s Championships are
at Jack’s hometown of Stephenville, Newfoundland. Two promoters of this
event were on hand to give us information, and it promises to be a
worthwhile experience, as was February 9-14, 2004. Editors note: My thanks to Rob for this item, during
the past several years I have approached several Masters requesting they
contribute an item on their view of our Masters nationals, and these
personal perspectives are truly appreciated. Nationals
Despite low numbers, the “Nats” were terrific! Some long time members will say, Jack give it up with your raving about the Masters Nationals! But I reiterate, these are much more important to me than any Masters World Championships! This is a gathering of friends and competitors who in most cases have known each other for many years. After a race is over, they can share a liquid refreshment with each other and chit-chat about all aspects of that particular day of competition. They brag about how good their wax was or complain about the opposite, rib each other about various things and vow to train harder for next years event. (The MWC is taken much more seriously). My ski friends and I from the “Rock” et Ottawa
spent the first night in the basement at the Windy Lake Motel but were
promptly moved up to the “Penthouse Suite” for the remainder of the
week. These friends are always appreciative of the many “perks” that
seem to follow the National Director. (If any of you believe this, you are
extremely gullible!) Things I will remember from this years Nationals
Onaping Falls ski trails are fantastic! Yo Richard. The “dry cold” of Northern Ontario. Completely
opposite of here in NL! This never poses a waxing dilemma though. Green or
blue wax of any brand will suffice. Jessica at the Windy Lake Motel. One of the hardest
working persons I have ever witnessed. Go there at 7AM or 7PM, she’s
taking orders, chatting it up with regulars or transients alike, and
always with a genuine interest in making them feel welcome. All of our
group agreed that Jessica is one special Lady! The dozen or more people who told us we were “going
the wrong way” our first day on the trail. We simply told them we were
from Newfoundland and they seemed to understand???? The House (now Colonial Golf Course Clubhouse) that René built! The amazing René and his charming wife Carmelle can be placed in the category of “very interesting people”! Has anyone told Wayne Ronstad about them? What they have done is truly remarkable. If you ever travel through Chelmsford, just north of Sudbury, this place is well worth stopping to visit, and in summertime to play a round of golf, but mostly, to order some food. René’s talents in woodworking, masonry, music and
cuisine are unparalleled! At this year’s banquet I tasted the best roast
in my 64 years on this planet. Thanks to all who made us welcome in your part of the
country.
Jack 2005 Canadian
Masters With the 2004 ski season winding down after a successful Canadian Masters in Onaping Falls and a very memorable World Masters in Lillehammer I would like for you to start focusing on your plans for 2005. I urge you all to put the 2005 Canadian Masters on you skiing calendar. The event will be held in Stephenville in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Information packages were distributed to participants at the Canadian Masters and also to the Canadian contingent at the World Masters. If anyone would like to receive a package please contact me by email at bruce.legrow@nf.sympatico.ca. All information will be on our club website at www.whaleback.ca in the near future. I look forward to seeing you in 2005. Bruce LeGrow Event Coordinator THE END OF AN ERA After seven years at the helm of the Canadian Masters
Cross Country Ski Association Jack White has stepped down as National
Director. Through Jack’s efforts the profile of the Canadian Masters has
been raised both Nationally and on the World scene. Jack’s easy going
personality and endless patience has endeared him to those of us that were
fortunate to know him. No concern that was brought to his attention was
too large or too small to deal with. I speak for all Masters when I say
thanks to Jack for his years of dedicated service and wish him well for
the future. Bruce LeGrow (inside joke)
You have my vote Bruce. Jack Masters World Championships 2004, Lillehammer Norway
Cool nights and sunny days were the norm for the 1,060 participants at this year’s MWC. The awe-inspiring ski stadium we all remembered from watching the cross-country races during the 1994 Winter Olympics. Wonderful trails groomed to perfection and skied on each day by huge numbers of local residents, their children, and dogs! Whoops, as Joseph would say watch your step on the brown klister. Yes Masters,
Norway really is a cross-country Nation! The city of Lillehammer is pretty much located on the
side of a hill and from anywhere in the city, one can see the two ski
jumps (90 and 120 metre) located at the top of the hill. The ski stadium
is also located a little further over the top of this same hill. Sunday Feb 29th… First day of competition, 15 and 30 Km Classic. No medals for Canada but several top ten finishes! On
this day, most of the medals were won by Norway and Russia. Monday Mar 1st… 15 and 30 km Free Technique. Two gold medals performances by Alena Branda and
Helen Bourchier. Tuesday Mar 2nd…Morning 10K classic/afternoon 10K free technique. Another beautiful sunny day with a light breeze, the first hint of wind since arriving here six days ago. Great results for the Women. Helen Bourchier gold in F-9, Maria Hawkins silver in F-3 and Alena Branda bronze in F-8. Wendy Grater, Louise Poole, Janet Findlay, Lene Nielsen, Barbara Vrabec and Eva Gaarder all had top ten finishes in free technique. For the men. Gerhard Schopp was 6th in
M-8, Vic Emery 8th in M-9. Jonas Sandstrom, Kim Poole, Gerry
Morrison, Peter Donitz and Ken Sidney had good results in their respective
age groups. Thursday Mar 4th. Relays One team competed in the M-5 category, finishing a
respectible 7th out of 11 teams. Note: see item on relays
further in this newsletter. Friday Mar 5th. Classic distance races. Things are starting to get boring - another cool sunny morning with not a cloud in sight! Many Canadians will be returning home this weekend with bronze faces. No medals, but several Canadians had top ten results Saturday Mar 6th Free Technique races Once again, Alena and Helen came through with gold medal performances. Canmore’s Maria Hawkins also won bronze in her category, just two seconds out of first. In F-5, Judy Buchanan-Mappin was in a scramble for the bronze medal but when changing lanes for a sprint to the finish, caught an edge, fell and had to settle for fourth place. Vic Emery also had a 4th place in M-9. Wendy Grater, Sarah Manning, Barbara Vrabec, Eva Gaarder, Gerhard Schopp, Jonas Sandstrom,
Ken Sidney and Peter Donitz all had top ten finishes. A very good day. Overall I’m certain the majority of Canadians were satisfied with their results. It was unfortunate that several suffered the flu bug and could not race, but that sometimes happens. All of those with whom I spoke were extremely impressed with the former Olympic Stadium and trail system, and of course the incredible weather, We had sunshine every single day, the only hint of wind coming on Tuesday’s 10K competition and then only a slight breeze. The lack of new snow made for fast conditions which I’m sure no skier will complain about. Another thing to the credit of Norwegien cross country ski knowledge was trail marking. Anyone taking the wrong route here would have had to jump barriers to go astray! One glitch.-.At this years event, the banquet was held on Tuesday night at Hakkons Hall. It took just too long for the meal to be served, so that some portions went cold while waiting for others. Another thing was seating. Tables were not allocated and members of various countries were scattered about, generally making for communication problems! I’m surprised this OC didn’t learn from last year’s banquet at Seefeld where seating was allocated and where the service, food and entertainment were the best I have seen in seven years. Lake Placid’s closing banquet in 1998 also comes to mind as an exceptional one. In most cases at a MWC, the Banquet is the only time members from a specific country all get together, so it is imperative they are seated accordingly. All of this was relayed to the WMA executive during
our AGM Wednesday and steps will be taken to ensure future banquets have
guidelines that must be adhered to! Canadian Get-Together
This was held 5PM on Wednesday at the downstairs Pub in the Radisson Hotel. Most of our fifty-eight member contingent attended and were treated to a few free drinks of choice while meeting and mingling with friends and new acquaintances, something which was not possible at the previous night’s banquet. The WMA gives a rebate to each country of $9 per person attending MWC’s, so this helped cover the cost. An odd note and a testament to the high cost of living in Norway that I related at our gathering was… When speaking with the Hotel’s head waiter on Tuesday, I inquired about purchasing hors d’oeuvres and stated that about 3 per person would suffice. An hour later, he called my room to inform me that this was possible and it would run about 750 kroners per ($15 Canadian). Thinking this was per tray, I said “Perhaps I will order a few more trays”, to which he added, “This is not per tray, but per person”! Instantly my mathematical expertise kicked in, and heavy ciphering deduced that 50-plus hungry Canadians at $15 per for three tiny bite-sized morsels would cause me excessive anxiety, not to mention a severe overburden on our meager budget of $500. I was forced to inform Knute to give the chef and kitchen staff a break and concentrate on serving dinner to their hotel guests at 7PM. MWC ItemsAlena and Helen seem to get faster each year. Young Georges Girard of QC, who was born in 1915, attended his 19th Masters World Championships, definitely a record for a Canadian competitor. Georges continues to be a promoter of the sport of cross country skiing and I wish him many more returns to this event. Francois Bernier, formerly of Quebec but now working in another hotbed of skiing, Morocco, also competed at Lillehammer. He had my vote as Canadian with the best suntan, by far! Those of us who enjoy great winters can only imagine
how someone living in the warmth of a country like Morocco could still be
motivated enough to ski? Cyd Fraser, who recently moved to Canmore, overcame a
trying pre-race day of registration problems, had three good races and is
now aware of what it takes to medal at this event. She has vowed to work
towards this goal at future MWC’s. During 13 days at Lillehammer the only snow machine
(ski-doo) seen was the one grooming the track, a striking difference from
here in Canada! But all children own skis and little push-sleds that they
seem to thoroughly enjoy, Wonder what the health care situation is like in
Norway? Mike Mappin of Canmore, who is now the Solde Wax Guru for Canada, got rave reviews for his waxing talents, and not only from wife Judy. One day outside our wax trailer, a Russian lady enthusiastically grabbed Mike in a bear hug and planted one on him. She had won a gold medal, presumably he had waxed her skis. The next day several equally enthusiastic members of the German team were looking for Mike, hopefully just to shake his hand! Mike informed me that he will be at our
“Nationals” in Stephenville next year looking for more hugs. Relays at
MWC’s. AKA “The National Director or Team Captains nightmare”! Men’s teams are formed in five year age categories,
with a MAXIMUM of 2 skiers permitted to drop down from a higher age
category; example…If two M-3 skiers want to form a team and there are no
other competitors in M-3, two skiers from any other higher age group are permitted
to drop down to make up the M-3 team. The same applies to women’s teams,
but in ten-year age categories. Women’s teams are formed in ten-year age categories
(due to lack of sufficient numbers of competitors) with the same MAXIMUM
of two skiers permitted to drop down from a higher age category. I would like to wish good luck to all future National
Directors and appointed Team Captains when it comes to forming relay
teams. Thanks
I would like to sincerely thank Laddy Branda for doing the chores of team captain at Lillehammer (also at Seefeld last year). The captaincy consists of attending meetings each day, listening to all rules and regulations laid down by the OC of the particular event, and formulating any protests that might occur during races. Any pertinent information is relayed to the National Director. Laddy did all this, along with providing wife Alena with very fast skis on her way to two gold medals and one silver. My thanks go to both good friends Alena and Laddy. MWC 2005
Krasnogorsk Russia At the WMA meeting in Lillehammer several officials from the city of Krasnogorsk were on hand to promote next years event. These included Mayor Boris Rasskazov , Ivan Kuzmin, Victor Popov and Head of the Organizing committee Alexander Kulakov. The presentation was very impressive and this delegation is working extremely hard to entice Masters the world over to visit their wonderful country. In Hotels where English isn’t spoken, there will be
interpreters to translate. There will also be television coverage in
Russia of the event. Important: For this year only, entry forms must be
sent to the National Director and not to the Organizing Committee!!! Canadian
members attending MWC2005 should plan ahead! Visas are required and these
take time to obtain. Payment for
MWC2005 registration must be done by bank transfer, no credit cards! More information on transportation from airports to
hotels, hotels to stadium, etc will be discussed at the AGM this fall in
Brusson, Italy. Check the website for further information
www.mwc2005.com Krasnogorsk
The city of Krasnogorsk is located 23 kilometers northwest of Moscow and is one of the most picturesque areas of the Moscow Region. The population of the city and suburbs is approximately one hundred and fifty thousand. Like many areas of Russia, Krasnogorsk has a rich cultural and historic background. Many palaces, estates and parks have been established over several centuries and are located throughout the region. The city is also famous as a sports center. Competitions of various sports are held here, but cross country skiing has become the most popular one. Each season the Elite ski race attracts the strongest National skiers. There are several airports near Moscow but two of these are idealy located, they are Sheremetevo and Domodedovo. On official days of arrival and departure of participants, shuttle bus transportation will be scheduled. The OC has informed the WMA that on off days, tours of Moscow and the Kremlin and many other historical cities and locations have been planned. Make no mistake, this is one beautiful and historic country, so if you are going, visiting these sites is a must. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Note: If you plan on attending mwc2005, please
notify your National Director prior to September as he will be required to
have an estimate on numbers for the AGM in Brusson. Ski Draw
The lucky winner of our ski draw this year is Penny
Taylor of Edmonton. Her name was drawn during banquet night at our
Nationals. Congratulations Penny and thanks for supporting the draw. Thanks
To Matthias Ahrens of Canmore who is the Cerax Rep
for Canada. For the past few years Matthias has donated some of his
product to be drawn at our Nats banquet. This year the winners were
Normand Mireault and Alf Parsons. I’m outa here!
Well folks this is it, my last newsletter and last month as National Director. I won’t bore you with cliché’s such as “where did these seven years go so quickly”? or “it seems like just the other day I started doing this”. Seven years is seven years in anyone’s book! When I took over this job I was a young person, now I’m turning into an M-8 this summer. Just kidding about the young person part, but the M-8 part is true. I consider myself fortunate in still having a very good memory and recall in 1997 Alena Branda asking if I would accept the job of National Director. Our AGM that year took place up the spiral staircase and in the upstairs lounge at the Menihek Nordic Ski Club in Labrador City. Alena turned over to me a small box of Masters records she had toted all the way from BC. I will be sending incoming Director Jean-Yves Babin substantially more in volume next month! What an experience it was going to Lake Placid in 1998, my first year as Nat. Dir, with just under two hundred Canadian Masters participating. We drove from Montreal through the devastation of that incredible ice storm which had caused such damage just weeks earlier. Snow was at a premium for much of the trip but seemed to get deeper and deeper the closer we got to Lake Placid. It was a wonderful MWC. In his first year Jean-Yves will have significantly fewer members with which to cope as Krasnogorsk is a really long drive! I could go on and on but this newsletter has to be out to Provincial Directors asap so I’ll simply say this. It’s been an interesting and rewarding seven years, with the rewards coming in the form of meeting and making so many more new friends that I hope to see from time to time at future Masters Nationals and MWC’s. I wish all of you the very best, and again always remember to have fun. Jack |
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