NATC Keeps Pace Up as Parents Run J1 Western Championships - Jeff Miles

I have to start off today by thanking all of the National Alpine Training Centre parents for a great race. Thanks to The Delta hotel and all other sponsors who helped in any way. Special thanks to everyone who was at my house for the early preparation meetings and all those who put their time towards the organization of such a smooth race. It was really great! Thank you all for your amazing hard work and your great dedication to making that race a success!

The conditions on the first day of competition were truly trying. 15 cm of wet snow overnight as well as snow flurries mixing with rain showers through out the day made for mediocre skiing at best. We were trying to run a super G for the women and a super combined for the men. Ultimately at about 10:30 it was announced that the women would not race due to the conditions. It was unsure about the men. I personally thought that it would get off, and I was eventually right. It was not an optimal super g course and it was a struggle for most of the entire mens field. The set did no allow any of the men to run out a turn like they usually would in a speed event. I struggled and only finished the day to get super combined points.

The next day we saw more snow but it was lighter and we could push it out of the way. We got one male super g as well as two super g races for the Ladies. It was a great day for both Zoe Hertz and Andrea Turner. In the first race for the ladies Andrea was fifth and Zoe was thirteenth. Andrea was also the top J1. They scored well. Thea Miles was close on their tails in sixteenth, and so was Megan Henkelman in twenty-first. In the second super g that day Andrea moved up to fourth but unfortunately Zoe crashed out. Thea moved into the top fifteen and megan pushed her way up to sixteenth. Andrea was second for J1's proving that she deserves a start at senior nationals. As for the men on our team it was unravelling as a disappointing series.

The third day of racing was really something for us as we had Andrea Turner atop the podium! she won her first F.I.S. race. It is really something. Zoe could not race thanks to her crash the day before but it was not serious enough that she didn't try. Thea had one really amazing run putting her in seventh overall. Megan had a spectacular crash into the timing system at the finish on her second run and as troublesome as it was for Norm our timing guy it was really quite funny. The sad part was that she did suffer shin bang that kept her from skiing the next day. Overall it was still a great day on the women's side for NATC.

The fourth and final day came with some good news. It was slalom! I prefer this event although there are some things that can just go wrong with no expectation of it happening. For me it was very near to the start of my run. I had just pushed out of the start gate and was just making my turn around the first gate when my tip caught the wrong side and I was out before I began it seemed. It was Really quite a strange sensation I must admit. My day was over on the race hill so I went over and ripped up the moguls with the K-Squad and their coach Mike. The girls however had a much longer day. The first run was won by Andrea much to the dismay of Terra Moran (NATC Alumni). In the end Terra won the race followed by Andrea. Thea was going so fast that she could not handle it and unfortunately went out.  As for Zoe she managed to tough it out and ski on a hurting body. She still managed to cut her start almost in half, moving into eighteenth.

Although the scoring opportunities in the technical events were sparse since there were no ladies that were willing to give their points away and the opposite on the mens side with Trevor White and Paul Stutz winning by almost three seconds. It was still a good series for our team. The girls really stepped up their game and pulled through on the occasion. It was great to see.

Thanks again to the race organizing committee. You guys did really well and we really appreciate all the hard work that was put in!

NATC Athletes Compete at Red Mountain in GMC Cup - Jeff Miles

The National Alpine Training Centre took just a small portion of their team to Rossland B.C. for a competition at Red Mountain. With Andrea Turner, Thea Miles and our Head Coach Ian Fulton at the Canada Games in Halifax as well as the unfortunate loss of two other athletes, one to homework and another who moved to the other side of the world. It was a group consisting of coach Scott Zahn, Megan Henkelman, Zoe Hertz, Jonas Ordman and myself; Jeff Miles.

The race had some top competition with members of the Junior U.S. Ski Team and Canadian Prospect Team. A GMC Cup usually draws these better athletes, even in the cold weather that we had the first day thanks to the prize money that can be won.

 The first day proved to be trying for Megan and Jonas where as Zoe and I both finished close enough to the leader to score some points. I came in 8th and scored my first under 60 point result (59). Zoe placed in the top 30 and scored a 93. The second day was a little tougher for myself as on the seventh gate my ski popped off and I slid down the pitch on my chest. Megan still didn't do great and Jonas went out again. Zoe scored a matching result to bring her F.I.S. points to an even 93, she had a good day. As the third day came along we switched events and runs. Zoe scored for the third day in a row coming 24th and Megan placed 3rd for the J1 category and in the top 15 overall as well as scoring a 78. Quite good! As for Jonas and I… We both went out

The fourth and final day was warm. Finally! but it was foggy and snowy. Zoe didn't manage to continue her streak as she messed up really badly. Jonas went out but was so close, I screwed up on both runs and moved back. Megan was great as she carved into 2nd for J1's and 15th overall. we are not sure yet what she scored but it should be about another 70 today.

Now we are driving back and I think about the last four days. A smile pulls across my face as I think of how our team faired. It was good on all accounts i'd say. Even if we didn't ski our fastest I know that we all had fun in some of the worlds steepest tree runs and deepest snow. It was truly special weekend I'd say. I just hope some of the roads open so that we can actually get all the way home tonight or even by tomorrow morning. If not I guess we will have to just go skiing in the 68 cm of snow at Fernie until they open. Shame (sarcasm!)

Canada Games Athlete Report - Andrea Turner

This past February Thea Miles and I (Andrea Turner) were lucky enough to attend the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where we raced at Wentworth Ski Area for 3 days. We travelled to Halifax and we were astounded at how good the food, accommodations and entertainment was! With live concerts by Canadian artists every night you could hardly call it boring, in fact the first night we were there we got the chance to see Great Big Sea perform and on the last night City and Colour was up on stage and they were unbelievable. The food was great and I now have enough pudding in my system to last a lifetime.Thea Miles, Andrea Turner and Ian Fulton at Canada Games

 The organization of these games was impeccable, if they weren’t on top of it we would have had a very nasty bed bug issue where we would have been staying originally (yuk!), fortunately they moved us into a town called Truro where half of the athletes stayed in a Comfort Inn and the other half in the Holiday Inn. We were a little farther away from the ski hill but we could hardly complain, it was loads better than itching our way down the course! 

 We stayed our first night in Halifax and then headed out to Wentworth and Truro. Now, imagine a ski area in Nova Scotia, look pretty flat? Well your right. Wentworth wasn’t exactly the Men’s Downhill at Lake Louise but they made it work running a super combined and GS from top to bottom and a slalom on a semi-steep pitch.

That’s not to say we didn’t have a great time though, Thea and I got to see so many other kids our age from different provinces that we don’t get to see anywhere else but at nationals.  Everyone from Alberta had a great time and we even held our own in the races too with Tony Naciuck (CARC) receiving a silver medal in the super combined. Team Alberta had some tough luck with a lot of 4^th place finishes, I contributed 2 of those placing’s in the super combined and the GS. Thea had a great week finishing 13^th in the GS and 5^th in the slalom. Unfortunately we both had DNFs, mine in the slalom and Thea’s in the super combined.

 Being at the Canada Winter Games was an extraordinary experience, especially since it was in Halifax, one of the coolest little cities in Canada, although I do advise you to go in a much less rainy season! Spending the last two days there was awesome and the closing ceremonies was the cherry on top of a fun filled trip.

Note - Andrea conveniently forgot to mention that she was the top Alberta women finishing 4th overall in both the GS and Super Combined events. 

NATC Skis Fast at their First Downhill of the Season! - Jeff Miles

            It was an eight day long trip to Big Sky Montana where NATC (the F.I.S. athletes of the Nakiska Alpine Ski Association) competed in our first speed series. Six days of ski racing on America's biggest ski area that thrilled every one of us!  It was the first downhill race for our fifteen year old athletes because racers do not get to compete in downhill until they are fifteen. 

            The whole race series started with the slower Super G event on February1 and 2. The first day had a more easy and open set down the pitch. It a good day for me (Jeff Miles) and for Zoe Hertz. Zoe almost halved her start position:  a great day indeed!  Andrea Turner placed in the top 30 too. WIth the first day down we began to realize the stiff competition of a tight American field. Both Thea Miles and Andrea stepped up the performance on the second day of the Super G.  Andrea made the top ten as she carved a clean ski into eighth and Thea was 19th. As for the other athletes, it proved to be a tougher day. Good thing that the downhill was just ahead, especially for Zoe!

            I was the only one that had experienced the speed, exhilaration or strong wind  that blows in your face as you race downhill before this week. The event is the fastest and in my opinion most fun.  Some girls found it daunting and at times even overwhelming at first. The two man made jumps on the course was enough scare the girls into what might seem like torment. They all made it down the track and were not even last!  February 3 and 4 were both training days where we grew more accustomed to the speed, air, line and competition of the downhill. For the men, the main competition were members and ex-members of the U.S. National Team. Saturday was to be the first day of downhill racing but the weather took a turn for the worse. Strong winds and lots of fresh snow made running a downhill seem.  In speed events, there is a large margin of error and it can become larger in slightly off conditions. This means that a scheduled week of downhill racing almost never goes off without changes. The race was cancelled.  Some of us caught up on sleep and 4 of us did some great tree skiing with powder that was up to my knees. That sure replaced any disappointment.  We also built a little jump beside our condo were the girls could practice their jump and improve their confidence. Karolina Donnelly is best at trick among the girls. Jonas Ordman and I were more interested in spinning 360's and other fun little tricks.

            Friday night we were lucky enough to be taken out to dinner by Doug Donnelly. If you want to see any of the shenanigans that we pulled at that restaurant, ask him for a glimpse of the origami that inspired it all. A big thanks Doug!

            Preparing both mentally and physically kept our spirits high going into the second day of downhill. The track had been groomed enough to ensure that we would be racing on a beautiful Sunday and the wind had died almost completely. The girl's race got off without a glitch and improved confidence on the track and off the jumps helped to move them all up. Andrea was the top Canadian, placing sixteenth. followed by Zoe who proved that she really is a true downhiller rather than the slalom skier as she claims. Thea and Megan Henkelman also had more respectable finishes compared to training. 

            For the men, the winner was Scott Macartney, an ex-national US team member. He now coaches but also races for fun and to give some of his low points away to the up and comers. He suffered a career ending crash on the infamous Hahnenkamm Downhill in Kitzbuehel, Austria. He still is very fast indeed! As for me, the race was not as good as my training days and a severe mistake on the lower part of the course put me in 17th. Still an improvement on my start of 52 but not as good as I would have liked. Jonas also proved that he had the heart of a downhiller as he scored points that almost beat all of his technical event points! He moved up considerably.

            On Sunday night the Race Organizing Committee had decided that there were enough people willing and able to try and make up the lost Saturday race. This was good for the racers but the weather didn't cooperate. More snow, wind and everything that should stop a downhill race, but the ROC was determined and so were we. The ROC used the men to try and slip out the course and a groomer pushed snow off the track at strategic points. It was a huge effort and it took a lot of work from many coaches, athletes and the hill. Thankfully, the weather seemed seemed be clearing up for the day. The girls were started with a snow seed. It's a way to help everyone at the top a little by sending some of the athletes from the back of the pack down the track first. Zoe and Thea were lucky enough to be part of this draw. It proved to be very effective for both of them. Zoe was our fastest girl placing 18th and she scored a huge result! She is a downhiller all the way! it should be some really good encouragement for her. Andrea was our next best in 26. She too is a downhiller. The girls that started further back did have a large disadvantage because it started snowing again and became much more windy. It stayed like this for the rest of the day, through the whole men's race. The top guys were still going fast but the times were slower. I got caught in a wind gust that practically pushed me back up hill at one gate and at the next I was trying hard just to stay on my feet as it was very rough with little to no visibility. I made mistakes but still placed 21.  If I thought it was bad, then for Jonas Ordman it was brutally tough but he made it down.

            Although we all had  tough conditions that day we had a good learning experience. Even our coaches Scott Zahn and Ian Fulton agreed that it was the worst conditions that they had ever seen for downhill. Now at all other downhills and later this year at Senior Nationals at Nakiska, the downhill will seem like a breeze.

            I think the whole team agrees that the series was a great success. Zoe had some great skiing but everyone scored the much needed points that will certainly move them up the start list for the next race. I know that I am always excited for downhill races and I think that we all are excited for them now!



NATC Shines at the GMC FIS Race at Lake Louise!

GMC sponsors a race series for FIS athletes across Canada.  The first western race was the Lake Louise GMC Cup on January 8-11, 2011.  NATC athletes, both current and the alumni, had very good results.  Megan Henkelman had the best GS results on the team, coming 7^th overall both days (1st and 4th J1 -15 and 16 year olds).  She also had good slalom results coming 8^th overall (3rd J1) one day and 11^th overall the next.  On the first slalom day, she was the only team member to finish the race! 

On the second SL day, Thea Miles finished 3rd overall (2nd J1) and Andrea Turner finished 6th overall (5th J1)    Nicole Sperling was delighted to try her first races of the year, although she did not get a finish.  After a few frustrating days, Jeff Miles was pleased with a 6^th place overall finish on the last slalom day.  Jonas Ordman and Zoe Hertz had consistent series and are slowly moving up the points ladder. Unfortunately Karolina Donnelly suffered frostbite on her toes and was unable to complete the series. 

Alumnus Vanessa Alboui (Alberta Ski Team) had a very good series finishing 2nd, 2nd, 1st, and 5th overall durring the event.   Filip Gigic (Alberta Ski Team) had 3 top 5 overall finishes in the series (3rd, 2nd, 5th) Alumni Nicole Poleschuk (Nevada State University) consistently placed in the top 10 overall with 5th, 9th and 2nd placings.