REVELSTOKE SKI CLUB OFF TO GOLDEN START

By Katie Findlay - Revelstoke Times Review

Published: December 22, 2010 4:00 AM

The Revelstoke Ski Club has had a busy few weeks as they’ve charged full-throttle into the alpine racing season. Bringing home all shades of medals after the first weekend of racing, the team is looking fast and is certainly excited about another winter of skiing. “The kids skied really well,” said head coach Ned Lazarevic, joined this year by coach Hilary Blackett from Ontario, who will work with Ned and the Kinder group.

The Kinder team had their first races of the year this weekend at Apex, beginning with two one-run Slalom races on Saturday and one two-run Slalom race on Sunday. Lachlan and Callum Hicks each brought home a gold and a silver medal in their respective divisions: Lachlan in K2 (13-14 years) and Callum in K1 (11-12 years).

Mitchell Smith and Emily Unterberger both won bronze medals in K2, while Max Scharf and Sonia Schwenck were close behind with a fifth and a sixth place, respectively. Shayna Seyl had a tenth place finish and Donovan Miskiman a 14th.

Sara-Jo Howatt scored a bronze medal for K1s, while teammates Anne-Marie Duchesne, Caroline Bouwmeester and Bryce Molder cracked the top ten with an eighth and two ninth places. Thea Peasgood finished 12th and first-year K1 Erin Behncke placed 17th.

The FIS team (15 years and up) has grown from eight to 13 athletes and has welcomed Milan Arsovski from Macedonia to join Katie Findlay on the coaching team. After several days of training on the hard, man-made snow of Panorama, the team went to Norquay for an Entry Level FIS Slalom. Top results include Peter Behncke’s 18th place, Dominic Unterberger’s 21st, Brady Roy’s 39th, Adrian Bernava’s 44th, Cole Smith’s 46th and Alex Duchesne’s 52nd.

This weekend the FIS women traveled to Nakiska for four days of racing. After two days of Slalom Erika Park had secured two 33rd places, Alix Petit a 36th and Jamie Park a 45th. Unfortunately, Stephanie Landry’s ski came off in both races.

The FIS men raced two days of Giant Slalom in Panorama with great successes among a very competitive field with 14 different countries represented. Peter Behncke finished 67th, Eric Schwenck 78th, Alex Duchesne 81st, Richie Smith 83rd, Brady Roy 87th, Adrian Bernava 89th and Cole Smith 93rd. Duchesne, in his first year as a FIS racer, wasn’t too phased by the new level of competition. “The field is bigger, the other racers are bigger, and the courses are longer. It’s a good challenge,” he said. At the time of printing the men were about to race two more Slaloms and the women two Giant Slaloms.

FIS racers Dominic Unterberger and Daniella Aberger are returning to snow after sustaining injuries last season, and both hope to be racing again in January.

The Nancy Greene program (11 years and under) has also had a strong early start to the season. Veteran E2 head coach Matt Kieller has welcomed a very experienced team of coaches to the Revelstoke Ski Club this year, including 2008 J1 National Champion Mike Turnbull. The “eight awesome coaches” – as Kieller referred to them – will help run a program focused on fun, safety, skill development and fair play. Kieller has already run two training weekends at RMR and the “Nancy Greeners” will have two Christmas camps over the holidays as well. The regular program begins January 2.

The Revelstoke Ski Club will host a Nancy Greene race at RMR on March 5 and 6. If you’re interested in joining the Nancy Greene program you can contact the Nancy Greene Program Director Karyn Molder, whose information can be found on the club website: www.revelstokeskiclub.info.