Canada’s national team athletes and experts tell you where they love to ski

 This issue: Freestyle Canada athlete Kaya Turski on four season resort Whistler Mountain

 Montreal-born Canadian slopestyle skier Kaya Turski is a seven time X-Games gold medalist and the 2013 World Champion in her sport, which debuted at the Sochi Olympic Games earlier this year.

We caught up with Kaya as she was on the World Cup circuit and preparing to represent Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Among other things, we asked her where she most likes to ski when she has a rare free day.

“I adore Whistler, because it’s one of the most versatile mountains I have ever skied. When it snows, which is often, you can have fun playing all day in the deep powder all over the mountain. I also love skiing park and Whistler/Blackcomb set up such a great assortment of features and jumps for all ages and levels.”

Kaya also pointed out that there’s more to Whistler than winter sports. “When not out skiing – during the spring and summer – you can do a bunch of other fun activities like zip lining, one of my favorites. There are also endless hikes to explore. The shopping is great, the dining is great, the night life is a ton of fun… there isn’t really anything I don’t like about Whistler! Plus it’s easy to get to and from the airport and then it’s only a beautiful drive up the freeway to get to one of my favourite destinations ever.”

 Quick facts about Whistler/ Blackcomb:

125 kms from Vancouver, or a short 2 hour drive from Vancouver International Airport

• The largest ski resort in North America with 4757 acres of skiable terrain at Whistler; 3414 acres at Blackcomb and over 1500 metres of vertical
• More than 200 runs to choose from (35 green; 110 blue; 35 black; 20 double black)
• Two runs that are 11 kms long (6.8 miles) – Burnt Stew at Whistler and Green Road at Blackcomb
• 10.22 metres a year snowfall
• 39 lifts, including 13 high speed quad chairlifts
• Venue for the alpine skiing events at the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic games

For more information visit http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/

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Canada’s national team athletes and experts tell you where they love to ski

This issue: Snowboard Canada’s strength and conditioning coach Matt Fisher on Mount Washington

Matt Fisher is the strength and conditioning coach for the national team snowboarders representing Canada in the slopestyle and half-pipe events at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Check out his pre snowboarding stretches and post snowboarding injury prevention tips.  Matt spoke to Snow Sports Canada during a break from training for the Dew Tour in Breckenridge, Colorado. Despite the fact that his work takes him to some of the best mountains in the world, Fisher’s favourite is still a mountain close to home, where he skied for the very first time on a grade 7 field trip.

“Mount Washington is the only mountain you can get to from Victoria without getting on a boat or a plane,” he laughs. It’s got a lot to offer though, whether you’re from the Island or further afield. “I love it because it’s so genuine. You don’t need to drive a fancy car or stay in a five star hotel to feel comfortable there. And there’s a really nice little sushi restaurant at the base of the mountain that serves sashimi better than anything I can get in the middle of Colorado.”

He also recalls the mountain’s reputation for huge snowfalls and diverse terrain. “It’s big enough to have some great runs and good variety, but not so enormous that you can get lost for days. And there’s so much snow most years – I was there with some athletes from eastern Canada, and they were all taking pictures of the snow because they said they’d never seen so much snow other than in Japan.”

Quick Facts about Mount Washington:

• Located near the Comox Valley, 100 km north of Nanaimo and 350 km north of Victoria.
• Average annual snowfall of 10.5 metres (34 feet)
• 1,700 acres of skiable terrain – 14% beginner, 35% intermediate and 51% expert /advanced runs
• 55km (30 miles) of machine groomed cross-country trails and 22 kms of snowshoe trails, meandering through the resort and scenic parklands.
• 360 degree alpine to Pacific Ocean ocean views
  • 5 chairlifts including the Boomerang, a high-speed, double-offload chair which serves two separate sides of the mountain
  • Two terrain parks
  • On-mountain ski-in, ski-out accommodation options
  • For more information, go to http://www.mountwashington.ca

 

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For Josh’s full bio visit: http://www.alpinecanada.org/athlete/dueck 

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An Introduction to Para-alpine Skiing

Slalom and giant slalom were the only two alpine events at the first Paralympic Winter Games, held in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, in 1976. Today, athletes with a physical disability compete in all five alpine events: downhill, super combined, super-G, slalom and giant slalom, and use some of the same venues as the women’s World Cup circuit.

Para-alpine skiing has three main classification categories: visually impaired, standing and sitting. Male and female athletes with a physical disability such as a spinal-cord injury, cerebral palsy, amputation and visual impairment compete within these categories.

* Para-alpine skiing is governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) through the International Paralympic Alpine Skiing Committee (IPCAS). The rules of the International Ski Federation (FIS) are used alongside IPC rules and regulations for all para-alpine events.

Categories:

Visually impaired

B1 – Totally blind (no sight)
B2 – Partially sighted (visual acuity of 20/60 – limited sight)
B3 – Partially sighted (visual acuity above 20/60 to 6/60 – more sight than B2)

In all visually impaired classes, a guide is mandatory; the competitor and the guide are a team. Blind skiers are directed down the course by guides skiing in front using only voice signals or radio communication.

No physical contact between the guide and competitor is allowed during the race. The distance between guide and athlete in technical events (slalom and giant slalom) must not exceed two direction changes, and in speed events (downhill and super-G) must not exceed one direction change.

In partially sighted classes (B2 and B3), the guide must ski in front of the athlete. For totally blind classes (B1), the guide can ski either in front of or behind the athlete.

All competitors in the completely blind class (B1) must wear approved blacked-out goggles during the competition.

Standing

LW1 – double above-knee amputees, or impairments that cause similar loss of limbs
LW2 – single above or below knee amputation, or impairments that cause a similar loss of limb
LW3 – double below-knee amputees, or impairments that cause a similar loss of limbs
LW4 – single below knee amputation, or impairments that cause a similar loss of limb
LW5/7 – double above or below elbow amputation, or impairments that cause a similar loss of limb
LW6/8 – double above or below elbow amputation, or impairments that cause a similar loss of limb
LW9 – equivalent activity limitation of amputation in both upper and lower limbs

Athletes in certain classifications (example, single-leg amputees who ski without a prosthesis and sit-ski users) use special poles called outriggers. Outriggers have short ski blades on the end and help the skier with balance.

A complete listing of the classifications and other information can be found at: http://www.paralympic.org/alpine-skiing/rules-and-regulations/classification

Sitting

LW10 – mono skiers (high degree of paraplegia, no muscles in lower body)
LW11 – mono skiers (lower degree of paraplegia, with muscles in lower body)
LW12 – mono skiers (lower degree of paraplegia, lower incomplete paralysis)

Some athletes with a physical disability compete from a sitting position using a sit-ski, also called a mono-ski. As the name suggests, mono-skis have a specially fitted chair over a single ski. The chair includes seat belts and other strapping, as well as a suspension device to minimize wear and tear on the skier’s body.

Disciplines:

Downhill: Skiers are timed as they race down a long, steep course that may include turns and jumps. They must pass through a few gates that are used as checkpoints. The penalty for missing a gate is disqualification. Each athlete is allowed only one run down the course. The athlete’s time determines the order of finish.

Super-G: Super giant slalom (or super-G) combines the speed of downhill with the turns of giant slalom. Like downhill, it is considered a speed event where racers take one run down the course. The athlete’s time determines the order of finish.

Slalom: Slalom is a technical event. The course is shorter than other alpine skiing events and has a high number of gates (55-75 gates on a men’s course and 40-60 on a women’s course). The penalty for missing a gate is disqualification. Each athlete completes two runs on the same day on different courses. Times from the two courses are added to determine the order of finish.

Giant slalom: The giant slalom is also a technical event. In comparison to the slalom, the course is longer, there are fewer turns and the turns are wider and smoother. The number of gates is determined by the vertical drop and the penalty for missing a gate is disqualification. Each athlete completes two runs on the same day on different courses. Times from the two courses are added to determine order of finish.

Super combined: The super combined event is a combination of one run of a speed event and one run of slalom.  Athletes’ combined times determine the order of finish.

 

For more information on Para-alpine skiing visit: http://www.alpinecanada.org/para-alpine 

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Action Camera Company Set to Own The Snow as it Enters Canadian Market

Snow Sports Canada announced today that it has signed a groundbreaking partnership agreement with iON America, a world-leading Point of View (POV) camera company, about to enter the Canadian marketplace. iON America is well established in the American snow market, having just been the Official Camera Sponsor of the Dew Tour in Breckenridge and signing on a number of high profile snow athletes as part of Team iON. As the official camera of Snow Sports Canada, iON cameras will be used for video capture, enhanced real-time review and performance feedback by technical staff and coaches involved in Canada’s premier winter sports organizations.

“We are very excited to announce iON America as the first corporate partner for Snow Sports Canada,” says Steven Hills, Executive Director, Canada Snowboard. “The support of the corporate community is key to success for Canada’s athletes, and this multi-year commitment from iON will help drive financial stability for the seven National Sports Organizations that form Snow Sports Canada. This comes at a particularly exciting time as we are only a few days away from the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, where our athletes are poised to own the snow.”

Snow Sports Canada is a unique and innovative partnership of seven of Canada’s premier winter sport organizations that have joined forces to support the overall development of winter sport in Canada. As a new marketing effort, Alpine Canada, the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association, Canada Snowboard, Cross Country Canada, Biathlon Canada, Ski Jumping Canada and Nordic Combined Canada have pulled together to leverage their assets to offer a more cohesive option to Corporate Canada and international brands.

iON athletes Nick Goepper and James Woods“Coming into the Canadian marketplace with this multifaceted partnership with Snow Sports Canada is the ideal situation for iON Canada,” says Giovanni Tomaselli, Founder and CEO, iON America. “Leveraging seven of Canada’s snow sport organizations while introducing our product into the market is incredible. We know that Canada is the land of snow, and we can’t think of a better way to reach winter sport enthusiasts who want to capture and immediately share their snow experiences.”

“iON is all about innovation and a desire to differentiate themselves, so breaking new ground in Canada with this partnership is a perfect match,” says Bill Cooper, Chief Operating Partner, TwentyTen Group, the Agency of Record for Snow Sports Canada. “The potential for engagement with consumers through Snow Sports Canada is extraordinary and iON is the first to harness this opportunity. We welcome their vision to dive into blue water and we look forward to nurturing a positive return on investment for both iON and the seven sports.

“The sponsorship industry is changing rapidly. It is no longer sufficient to approach corporate partnerships without strategy, integrated activation and a powerful story-building platform by which to create a meaningful connection with consumers. iON America is set to harness an incredible opportunity with Snow Sports Canada, and the timing couldn’t be better with their athletes taking centre stage in Sochi in a matter of days.”

About iON America

iON America pioneered the concept of Shoot/Share™ Wi-Fi connectivity in point-of-view (POV) cameras with its aerodynamic and fully-waterproof Air Pro, Speed Pro, Adventure and The Game lines. Designed for pros and amateurs alike, iON cameras make it easy to capture and share high-definition video and still images, with Wi-Fi connectivity and free cloud storage. iON America’s experienced team has been involved in the design, development and manufacturing of digital imaging products worldwide for over 20 years. For more information, visit www.ioncamera.com and its social sites:

https://facebook.com/ioncamera

http://twitter.com/ioncamera

http://instagram.com/ioncamera

http://youtube.com/ioncamera 

ABOUT SNOW SPORTS CANADA
Snow Sports Canada is a partnership of seven of Canada’s premier winter sport organizations that have joined forces to support the overall development of winter sport in our country. Representing over 93,000 registered members and 5.4 million recreational participants, Snow Sports Canada seeks to leverage the combined experience and expertise of their coaches, trainers, athletes and support staff to deliver high performance content to recreational snow sport participants in Canada.

Our mission is to ensure the safe participation in, and growth of, winter sport in Canada by providing access to the expertise of our national teams and to support the development of winter sport through the acquisition of corporate partners. For more information, visit snowsportscanada.ca.

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For Kelsey’s full bio visit: http://www.alpinecanada.org/athlete/serwa

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When Dominique wants something she devotes all of her energy to achieving that goal. For Sochi 2014, that goal is gold. Despite her incredible past results, Maltais endured disappointment at the last Olympic winter games where she crashed hard during training and ended up not advancing to the elimination heats.  She then decided to take four months away from snowboard to explore other interests such as kite surfing and cycling. This time off paid off and she returned with personalized training to improve her starts, quickness and technique. The three seasons following Vancouver 2010 shows it. With Maltais’s Four-Time Snowboard Cross Crystal Globe Wins (2005-06, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 Overall World Cup Champion) and 2012 Winter X Games Aspen Gold, she should have no problem achieving her goal. Dominique, as well as her friend and teammate Maëlle Ricker, will be one to watch during the Sochi 2014 Snowboard Cross event.

Before dedicating her self full time to snowboard, Maltais was working as a firefighter and she plans to return after her long and successful career as an athlete. During the summer, she enjoys dirt biking and playing piano or saxophone. She always carries with her, when she is travelling, a piece of motorcycle and a photo belonging to a friend who died in an accident.

For Dominique’s full bio visit : http://www.canadasnowboard.ca/en/team/?id=24

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Calvé has been competing full time on the World Cup circuit since 2005. She had a breakthrough 2011 season in Carezza, Italy, becoming the first Canadian to win a women’s PGS World Cup event. Calvé won her second World Cup event in the 2013 season in Moscow, this time in PSL, on route to finishing the 2012-13 season ranked third in the World Cup parallel standings. Calvé is looking forward to having two chances at an Olympic medal at Sochi 2014 when the parallel slalom joins the parallel giant slalom on the program.

Even though she is not considered First nation, Algonquin blood runs trough her veins that comes from her father’s side of the family. A big supporter and role model for the First Nation’s Snowboard Team, Calvé is proud of her roots, and vows to help others in the community excel in snowboarding. As a competition ritual Calvé always wears the same socks when racing and travels with a headlamp. Beside being an athlete, Caroline is a part time student at the university in kinesiology. When she’s not on the hill, she enjoys mountain biking, snowshoeing with her dog and cross-country skiing.

For Caroline’s full bio visit: http://www.canadasnowboard.ca/en/team/?id=2

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Rosanna started in the sport of biathlon when she was 10 years old,following the path of older sister Chandra, now an Olympic gold medal winning member of the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Team.Rosanna cites her sister as a major influence on her own competitive
career, and hopes to duplicate Chandra’s success in cross-country skiing in biathlon. Rosanna, who first started skiing at age five,turned heads with an impressive showing at her first ever Canadian Championships, where she took the overall title after winning gold
medals in three disciplines. She repeated the feat at the 2006 Nationals, taking the overall championship crown after winning one gold and two silver medals. After another year of dedicated tough training, she is now focused on continuing to gain experience on
the Senior Team. In her spare time, Rosanna enjoys snowboarding, hiking in the back country, reading and spending time with friends and family.

For Rosanna’s full bio visit: http://www.biathloncanada.ca/dbfiles/1850.pdf 

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Len has emerged as another one of Canada’s great young cross-country skiers after posting back-to-back medal-winning seasons with a silver and bronze medal this year at the World Cup Tour de Ski. Len’s breakthrough season came in 2012 when he won a silver and two bronze medals on the World Cup. The youngest member of the Canadian World Cup Team, Len is a three-time Canadian National Sprint Champion. Len was accepted to the National Team Development Centre in Thunder Bay, Ont. (2007-08), and trained at the Pierre Harvey National Team Development Centre (CNEPH) in Mont Ste. Anne, Que. last year. The sprint specialist also finished 15th at the World Championships in Oslo, Norway in 2011. With the fast approaching Sochi Olympics on the horizon, Len enters his third year on the Canadian World Cup Team with commitment and purpose to reach his potential as an elite skier.

Len’s Nordic heritage (Estonian/Swedish) introduced him to cross-country skiing as his parent’s would haul him around ski trails in a backpack as an infant. After getting involved in youth programs at his home club, his progression through the Jackrabbit and Development Team programs at Hardwood helped to prepare him for his journey as a cross-country skier. Len is very grateful to his parents who have supported him since the beginning, his home club, Hardwood, for believing in him, and his coaches and teammates who have helped motivate him to be the best athlete he can be.

Len participated in many sports as a youngster, and by the time he was 17, he excelled in two sports in particular: mountain biking and cross-country skiing. That year (2006) Len had the distinction of being named to the provincial teams in both sports. Soon after, Len realized that a decision had to be made, as to which sport he would focus on. He chose cross-country skiing and has never wavered in pursuit of achieving his Olympic dream. When Len is not skiing he loves to spend as much time in the water as he can. Two of Len’s favorite things to do are windsurfing and surfing. After every season Len spends a month and a half in Maui playing in the water and loving life.

For Len’s full bio visit: http://cccski.com/National-Ski-Team/Athlete-Information/Senior-World-Cup-Team/Len-Valjas.aspx

 

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