S Competition - Early Winter 2016

2016 WORLD CUP

PREVIEW Dustin Cook leads the Canucks

Early Winter 2015 Vol. 10, No. 1

WORLD CUP TURNS 50

Restoring the balance between athletes and fans

By Mike Janyk

ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT Patience required

By Max Gartner

www.snowsportsculture.com / S-Competition 1

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editor’s note

Perspective and passion

Cover: Dustin Cook en route to a silver medal at the world alpine championships in Beaver Creek in February 2015. Photo: ACA / Pentaphoto.

My greatest satisfaction in leading the editorial team on this magazine is also my biggest challenge — reader knowledge.

It’s something I cannot escape, avoid or skirt around, otherwise we’ll lose readers. You, the one holding this magazine in your hands or on your iPad, know a lot when it comes to the snowsports world. And you have access to instant news and social media feeds that keep you in the know. You’re a fan, a consumer of the ski industry, and you know what’s what.

Our ambition with S-Comp is to give you something that you cannot find elsewhere. Insightful editorial, from those who live and breathe the sport even closer than you. For example, take our lead feature writer for this issue, Michael Janyk. We all know Mike as a former slalom machine, someone who represented our country on the world’s grandest stages ... and succeeded. We followed his meteoric rise to the top (27 top-10 finishes and a historic World Championship medal in 2009, a first for a Canadian man). On a personal note, I had the opportunity to coach Mike on the BC Ski Team in the late 1990s and witnessed first hand his insatiable desire to be the fastest racer down the mountain.

Today, Mike is in that golden moment, where he is “giving back,” providing insight, passion and perspective to the next generation and also to us, the fans. It was Mike who suggested to me that S-Comp spotlight FIS’ 50-year World Cup milestone. “You guys should consider doing a story on FIS, and the 50-year journey,” he messaged me. “Good idea,” I thought. Hey wait, Mike, you’re now on the FIS Athlete Commission (one of only two former athletes) and about as close to the inside as one can be; how about you write the story?

After many phone calls, strategizing and discussing the direction — almost feeling like I was coaching him again — Mike agreed to take on his first editorial assignment. See Back to

the Drawing Board (next page), for Mike’s historical take on why the World Cup started and where it is today. (P.S: I’ll hire you again any day, Mike!)

Speaking of perspective and passion, Max Gartner again provides our opinion commentary for this edition (see Athlete Development: Patience Required, on page 14). A former CEO/ president of Alpine Canada, longtime coach, program director and ski racing dad, Max has the perspective that brings to light the challenge we’re facing in Canada in the development pipeline. It’s that awful time, in the middle of an Olympic cycle, where corporate Canada falls asleep. Kind of sad and shortsighted really, but c’est la vie — our robust Canucks will persevere and rise to the top, in large part due to the support of you, the enthusiast devotee.

We queued up the 2016 World Cup season (see World Cup 2016 Preview, page 8) with a few key storylines to follow.

Will Mikaël Kingsbury and Justine Dufour-Lapointe continue to reign in the moguls scene? Probably. And how about Roz Groenewoud and Mike Riddle’s chances in the pipe? Will ski cross vets Brady Leman and Chris Del Bosco return to their winning ways? Will rising star Evan McEachran’s switch double misty 1440 be enough to catch Joss Christensen and the powerhouse American slopestyle team?

Benni Raich is out, Bode is on the fence and a few key injuries have shaken up the men’s alpine field. The biggest storyline for the women is again Lindsey Vonn. She’s sidelined with an ankle injury but rehabbing like there’s no tomorrow. Did you really think she would sit this one out? Us either. Should be an exciting 2016 season.

— Gordie Bowles, Editor

THE SOURCE FOR ALL THINGS COOL IN THE WORLD OF SNOWSPORTS

Subscribe to the Weekly Wrap at: snowsportsculture.com/newsletter EDITOR Gordie Bowles ART DIRECTOR Holger Meiche MANAGING EDITOR Don Cameron COPY EDITOR Christina Newberry ADVERTISING Ashley Herod Tait CONTRIBUTORS Max Gartner, Mike Janyk, Paul Morrison, Michel Painchaud.

SNOWSPORTS MEDIA INCORPORATED PRESIDENT Chris Robinson, chris@s-media.ca VICE PRESIDENT Mark Kristofic, mark@s-media.ca CONTROLLER Lisa Crowley, lisa@s-media.ca S-Magazine is an independent publication of Snowsports Media Inc., 82 Hume Street Collingwood, Ont., L9Y 1V4.

Phone: 416-840-6615. E-mail: info@s-media.ca | www.snowsportsculture.com LETTERS: All letters to the editor should be addressed to editor@s-media.ca with subject header “MailBag Letter.”

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BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD

AFTER 50 YEARS, CAN THE WORLD CUP RESTORE THE BALANCE BETWEEN ATHLETES AND FANS?

By Michael Janyk

T

he alpine World Cup circuit is 50 years old this coming season, and the rising sentiment from within and around the world of ski racing is that it has fallen flat. It’s true that as athletes, we seem to love to complain almost as much as we love to ski: The coach is working us too hard, or not hard enough. It’s too cold. It’s too hot. My start number sucks. The lift is too slow. I did my fair share of complaining over my 10-year career on the World Cup circuit. Now that I’ve retired from competition and sit on the FIS athletes’ commission, it’s my turn to listen to others’ concerns.

It’s clear there are real challenges here. Statistically, the TV figures have remained relatively level over the last few seasons, although it is noteworthy that more total broadcasting time is required to achieve the same overall media impact. At the same time, Rogers Sportsnet has dropped World Cup ski racing from its broadcasting line-up. Our current state can be considered solid on the surface, but shaky within.

Fortunately, adversity can be turned into motivation to succeed and can help to bond a team, especially once all the BS is aired out. It can also spark some really great discussions with constructive

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ideas to bring positive change.

In his opening remarks during the latest International Ski Federation (FIS) conference, Niklas Carlsson, chair of the alpine World Cup committee, suggested that alpine skiing might be in “a midlife crisis.” This was reiterated in questions posed by FIS alpine committee chair Bernhard Russi: “Do we know who we are, where we are, and where we want (have) to go?”

To me, these remarks are refreshing, like coming up for air after being underwater far too long. These words represent a readiness for change and the possibility to discover a new way forward.

Before looking for a possible solution, let’s look at Russi’s questions and see if we can come to answers about who we are, where we are and where we want to go by looking back at where we started, where we’ve gone and who we were in the beginning.

All the way back in 1966, at the hotel/lodge/only thing in Portillo, Chile, two national alpine directors — Bob Beattie of the United States and Honoré Bonnet of France — met with French journalist Serge Lang to try figure out a way to bring major ski athletes together and, at the same time, fulfill a request from Jacques

Bob Beattie (centre).

Goddet, then-director of the French sports paper L’Équipe, to educate the paper’s readers about the ski racing alpine circuit.

I’m picturing this remote building located beside a picturesque alpine lake, nestled at the bottom of a bowl created by the surrounding Andes Mountains.

Inside, the fireplace roars hot, but it is not necessary, as the three men are heated from the passion that fuels their words. Outside, snow falls onto the frozen lake, and a few hotel guests silently take in their winter

LET’S LOOK AT RUSSI’S QUESTIONS AND SEE IF WE CAN COME TO ANSWERS ABOUT WHO WE ARE, WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE WANT TO GO surroundings. Back inside, our three allies sit in silence for a moment, then a few moments longer, as cigarette smoke gently drifts through the still air. All at once, their eyes rise and meet. Eureka! They jump up, and with a few handshakes, the World Cup is born. At least, this is how it goes in the opening scene of my mental screenplay.

While I’m indulging in a little quasi-fiction, I’ll put myself in the room during this exchange. If they turned to me and asked, “Mike, who are we?”

I would reply, “We are of the athletes, for the fans.”

That sounds kick-ass!

Honore Bonnet

Serge Lange

If these are the founding elements of our sport’s elite circuit, then we must seek balance between them to create alchemic gold: between athletes and fans.

We’ve come a long way over 50 years, through good times and bad, and I’m sure if you were to look back at the successful times compared to the stagnant, you would see a correlation with this balance. I wonder if the pro circuit was created because the World Cup athletes felt confined?

FIS currently runs eight different alpine events: slalom, GS, super-G, downhill, alpine combined, the team event, city parallel events and new this year, a dual GS in Alta Badia, Italy. This is all done with the good intention of giving the viewer more of what we believe they want — but does the viewer need more?

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Ingemar Stenmark

Alberto Tomba

Steve Podborski

Hermann Maier

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This schedule is taxing on the athletes, especially those who compete in all events to go for the coveted overall Crystal Globe, aka the Große Kugel. There are currently a combined 90 World Cup events shared between 38 resorts for the men and ladies — and that’s in years with no World Championship or Olympic events.

For fans, this seems like a bonus. There’s more content, more variety and a greater ability to showcase the sport. It should be a winning formula to attract viewership and a stronger fan base. But over these last few years, there’s been an opposite trend. There are concerns from some race organizers that it’s becoming harder and too expensive to put on World Cup events.

Athletes are being restricted by rigid sponsorship and content regulations and inundated by constant equipment and competition rule changes.

The delicate balance has been lost, and I can see only one solution.

Give the sport back to the athletes. Free them up to push the limits of the sport. Make it exciting and enjoyable for the athletes first, and see if the fans respond.

The new additions to the FIS and the Olympic umbrella are very much athlete-centred. Snowboard and ski half-

GIVE THE SPORT BACK TO THE ATHLETES. FREE THEM UP TO PUSH THE LIMITS OF THE SPORT. MAKE IT EXCITING AND ENJOYABLE FOR THE ATHLETES FIRST, AND SEE IF THE FANS RESPOND. pipe, slopestyle and ski cross still have a freshness to them, a freedom for creativity that allows them to build up from their athlete base, and it seems to be resonating with fans. It connects to the spectators’ own desire for freedom and to push the limits of life, which is far more powerful than any amount of extra content.

My solution: Refine the World Cup circuit. Create consistent programming of the best events and showcase them with a regular schedule throughout the year. Instead of seven events going towards the overall Crystal Globe, trim it to three: downhill, GS and slalom (sorry super-G), and host these events in a grand prix format Friday to Sunday. Classic venues may have to have combined winners between the downhill and slalom rather than run a separate event.

The athletes will feel more rested and more focused, and maybe more inclined to “throw down” for their runs, creating more excitement for fans. More fans plus a higher quality product delivered by FIS and the

Ben Thomsen

Nancy Greene

athletes equals greater value for the event organizers to sell to sponsors and broadcasters. More broadcaster and sponsorship interest opens up room for higher prize money for the athletes. Imagine 1.5 million euros on the line for the overall Kitzbuhel weekend winner. I’d watch that!

Whatever form the solution takes, the focus should be on restoring the balance between athletes and fans.

This balance was behind the creation of the circuit.

Maybe restoring it can allow the circuit to thrive for another 50 years.

M ichael Janyk of Whistler, B.C., is a retired World Cup ski racer and current member of the International Ski Federation Athletes’ Commission.

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Maxime Dufour-Lapointe 8 S-Competition / www.snowsportsculture.com

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2016 WORLD CUP

PREVIEW

Notable injuries and retirements, new faces and trends, questions and drama provide plenty of storylines to follow entering the 2016 FIS World Cup season

By Gordie Bowles and Don Cameron

www.snowsportsculture.com / S-Competition 9

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ALPINE COACH MUSICAL CHAIRS

Dustin Cook

COOKIE MONSTER

Dustin Cook came barreling into the national mainstream consciousness with a stellar 2015 season, including a silver medal at the World Alpine Championships in February in Vail, Colorado, with a near-perfect run. The 25-year-old from Lac-Sainte-Marie, Que., followed up with a bronze medal at Kvitfjell, Norway, quickly dispelling the one-hit wonder notion. Soon after came his first World Cup win in Meribel, France, giving Cook a rightful spot on the Canadian Cowboys roster and making him a hot commodity entering the 2015-16 season.

CANADIAN, SWISS RETURNS

A formidable group of recovering skiers from the Swiss and Canadian teams are returning to competition at some point in the 2015-16 season.

Canadians Erik Guay (knee) and Jan Hudec (knee) were back on snow in the late summer and primed for a return to the spotlight at the season opener in Lake Louise, Alberta, in November. Swiss speed skiers Patrick Kueng (knee), Beat Feuz (achilles tendon) and Mauro Caviezel (leg) were injured in the offseason, with all three unlikely to return before Lake Louise or Beaver Creek, Colorado.

With the departure of Paul “PK” Kristofic, a longtime coach and later athletic director for Alpine Canada, to the U.S. Ski Team, and the retirement of longtime Canadian women’s World Cup coach Jim Pollock, the Canadian roster has taken a new European flavour. Austrian Roland Pfeifer and Italians Valerio Ghirardi and Paolo De Florian join the Canadian team. Pfeifer, who coached Mikaela Shiffrin on the U.S. team last year, and Ghirardi, Tina Maze’s former coach, have an impressive pedigree, now tasked with lighting a spark under Erin Mielzynski and Marie-Michèle Gagnon as well as moving along a slate of promising younger athletes such as Candace Crawford and Mikaela Tommy.

HOME SWEET HIRSCHER

Home is where the training is. Marcel Hirscher, the best ski racer on the planet, opted to avoid the Southern Hemisphere for his offseason training, staying close to home on the Moeltaller Glacier, despite a hot summer in Austria. The balance of the summer was not exactly focussed on training for his potential fifth crystal globe, but as of mid-August he was re-focussed, entering what he called “the dirt-pigbadass phase” of training.

LEGEND ON THE FENCE

With Benni Raich’s 90 World Cup medals (34 wins) off the table as he announced his retirement in September, the next big question mark is Bode Miller, who is still on the fence for the 2016 season. Latest reports have Miller in a likely position to return, but then again the most decorated U.S. Olympic skier of all time with six medals likes to keep everyone guessing.

GENERATION NEXT

With a few suitcases full of Nor-Am hardware in tow, a youthful crop of Canucks has been making its move toward a steady World Cup campaign. Phil Brown (Craigleith Ski Club), Trevor Philp (Banff Alpine Racers), Ford Swette (Whistler Mountain Ski Club), Tyler Werry (Fernie Alpine Ski Team) and Broderick Thomsen (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) are all rising. Who will get the tap on the shoulder and which ones will be ready?

Manny Osborne-Paradis

OLDIES BUT GOODIES, PART 1

Who you callin’ old? Long regarded as a sport that requires “maturing,” especially in the men’s speed disciplines, the age of the best technical skiers now appears to be increasing, nearly matching the downhillers. The average age of the top-ranked slalom and giant slalom male skiers from 2015-16 was 29, compared to 28 for downhill and super-G. 10 S-Competition / www.snowsportsculture.com

Jan Hudec

MITCH READY FOR MAGIC?

Not long ago, the international media were touting the rising star of Marie-Michèle Gagnon. The talented racer from Lac-Etchemin, Que., has flirted with greatness over her first five years on the World Cup but has yet to find the next gear to reach the ultimate pinnacle. With two World Cup medals and 32 top-10 finishes, including two fifth-place finishes last season, “Mitch” is reportedly prepared to make a move.

CAN ANYONE STOP SHIFFRIN?

Marie-Michèle Gagnon

The American tech superstar always has done things her way. Preferring an Italian pianist over Taylor Swift for prerace music, icy pitches over powder glades for freeskiing and word searches over visualization for race preparation, the 20-year-old who barely raced as junior has found her own unconventional path. And can anyone keep Mikaela Shiffrin’s rapid trajectory from reaching the zenith of the World Cup?

REHAB MACHINE: WHEN WILL VONN BE BACK?

It wasn’t too long ago when Lindsey Vonn was sharing gross photos of her gnarled-up ankle after a training crash in New Zealand in August put her on the sidelines (again).

But Vonn has returned from several serious injuries, managing to set the all-time women’s World Cup win record last season and capping the year by winning her seventh World Cup downhill title.

FENNINGER BATTLE WITH OSV DONE?

The boiling hot offseason feud between World Cup overall champion Anna Fenninger and the Austrian Ski Federation was reduced to a simmer by the end of summer.

In June, the federation ordered the Olympic super-G champion to instantly stop an advertising campaign with Mercedes Benz, a rival brand of Audi, the association’s

Erin Mielzynski

sponsor. The ad shows a car driving on a mountain road with Fenninger’s face projected in the skies and appeared in an Austrian magazine in June.

A-MAZING OPPORTUNITY

When two-time Olympic champion Tina Maze of Slovenia decided to sit out this season before deciding if she will return to competition, she left a gaping hole in the overall race. Maze, the only skier to win multiple gold medals (downhill and super-combined) at the Sochi Olympics also captured two golds and a silver at the World Championships at Beaver Creek, Colorado, in February.

OLDIES BUT GOODIES, PART 2

Female ski racers typically have moved through the sport quicker than men. But an interesting trend is developing at the top end. The average age of the top speed skiers (super-G and downhill) last season was 29.5 years, whereas the men’s side was a cool 28. And the overall top 10 World Cup tells a similar story, with an average age of 25.3 for women and 27.4 for men. Take 20-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin out of the equation and the women’s average age jumps to 29.1.

AUSTRIAN EXODUS

A massive wave of retirements after the conclusion of the 2014-15 season has opened room for the next wave to grab hardware and top 10s.

Five formidable Austrian ladies have jumped on the retirement bandwagon — Kathrin Zettel, Nicole Hosp, Andrea Fischbacher, Regina Sterz and Alexandra Daum. www.snowsportsculture.com / S-Competition 11

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FREESTYLE MEN’S MOGULS

MEN’S AERIALS

The numbers are astounding: 28 World Cup wins, Olympic silver, two World Championship golds, four straight crystal globes and a tour-record seven straight victories. He needs one win to eclipse the all-time wins mark set by Frenchman Edgar Grospiron.

Back last season after a two-year injury layoff, Rochon hauled in four top-10 placements and was ninth in the points. The 2011-12 crystal globe winner, he has six career podiums and is joined by Travis Gerrits in the Canadian A Group.

MIKAËL KINGSBURY, CANADA

PHILIPPE MARQUIS, CANADA

Third in the World Cup points race last season, he secured silver in Canada’s historic sweep at 2015 worlds, with Mikaël Kingsbury winning and Marc-Antoine Gagnon scoring bronze. Marquis has two World Cup wins and seven podiums to his credit.

ALEXANDR SMYSHLYAEV, RUSSIA

Third at the Sochi Olympics, Smyshlyaev trailed only Mikaël Kingsbury in the chase for crystal last season. He took bronze at the 2013 worlds and has one tour win and 11 podiums to his credit, including five on Canadian snow.

WOMEN’S MOGULS

JUSTINE DUFOUR-LAPOINTE, CANADA

Olympic gold medallist just ahead of silver sister Chloe, Justine ranked second behind American Hannah Kearney last season. The Montreal native has nine World Cup wins and three worlds medals and has been runner-up for crystal for four straight seasons.

CHLOE DUFOUR-LAPOINTE, CANADA

OLIVIER ROCHON, CANADA

MAC BOHONNON, USA

After earning fifth at the Sochi Games at age 19, Bohonnon claimed five podium finishes in the 2014-15 season, bringing the crystal globe to the U.S. for the first time since Jeret “Speedy” Peterson in 2005. He has two World Cup wins.

GUANGPU QI, CHINA

The runner-up for crystal in a close race last season, he is joined by teammate Hang Zhou on a formidable Chinese squad. He has eight tour wins and two golds from World Championships. He also took home the season title in 2011.

WOMEN’S AERIALS

MELISSA CORBO, CANADA

The lone Canadian women on the A Group, Corbo is a rising star after winning the 2013 Nor-Am Grand Prix and taking second in 2014. She took bronze at the Lake Placid World Cup in January and has her sights on Pyeongchang 2018.

MENGTAO XU, CHINA

The only medallist from Sochi still competing, she nabbed silver in those

With the retirement of Kearney, the top five returning World Cup pointgetters are Canadian. Chloe was third last season and reeled in silver at Sochi. She looks to add to her hefty career total of 19 tour podiums.

AUDREY ROBICHAUD

Part of a Canadian core that also includes Andi Naude and Maxime Dufour-Lapointe, Robichaud has scored two career wins and seven podiums. Last season, she became the first female Canadian moguls skier to compete in 100 World Cup events.

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Audrey Robichaud

Olympics and was sixth last season in the points chase. She has 16 tour wins and four medals from worlds, as well as overall crowns in 1012 and 2013.

ASHLEY CALDWELL, USA

Second in the World Cup points standings last season, Caldwell helps anchor a deep U.S. team that includes crystal winner Kiley McKinnon. A former gymnast, Caldwell has three World Cup wins and six podiums in just 16 starts.

MEN’S SLOPESTYLE

JOSS CHRISTENSEN, USA

Christensen headlines a potent Red, White and Blue slopestyle squad. Despite only one World Cup win, he made history at Sochi, winning the first-ever gold medal for men’s Olympic slopestyle and triggering a U.S. sweep ahead of Gus Kenworthy and Nick Goepper.

JAMES WOODS, GREAT BRITAIN

A rare snowsports force from the UK, Woods snagged silver at 2013 worlds, bronze at Euro Winter in 2011 and topped the field in New Zealand to kick off this season. Woods secured the crystal globe for slopestyle in 2013.

EVAN MCEACHRAN, CANADA

Buoyed by a switch double misty 1440, McEachran, 18, is a rising star, with a win at the 2014 AFP World Championships and fourth at the 2014 Dumont Cup. He joins Alex BeaulieuMarchand and Alex Bellemare on the Canadian A Group.

WOMEN’S SLOPESTYLE DARA HOWELL, CANADA

Third in the World Cup rankings the past two seasons, golden girl Howell and bronze medallist Kim Lamarre honored Sarah Burke with medals at Sochi. Howell boasts a trio of

SKI CROSS MEN’S SKI CROSS

BRADY LEMAN, CANADA

A perennial challenger for the crystal globe, Leman has two World Cup wins and 10 podiums to his credit. Haunted by injuries throughout his career, he was just off the podium in fourth at the Sochi Olympics. Leman had a good start to the season, winning a Sept. 1 Australia FIS race.

CHRIS DEL BOSCO, CANADA

The Del Bosco résumé is certainly not boring: seven World Cup wins, world champs and X Games gold, mountain biking prominence and one of the most audacious gambles in ski cross history when he wiped out at the 2010 Olympics, finishing out of the medals after refusing to settle for bronze.

JEAN FREDERIC CHAPUIS, FRANCE

Pacesetter for France’s dramatic podium sweep at the Sochi Olympics, Chapuis also owns a gold from world championships (2013) and a halfdozen World Cup wins. Chapuis earned the ski cross crystal globe last season after taking fourth, fourth and seventh the previous three seasons.

X Games bronzes as well as silver from 2013 worlds.

DEVIN LOGAN, USA

The Olympic slopestyle silver medallist came out firing this season, winning the late August halfpipe World Cup at Cardrona, New Zealand. In slopestyle, she owns three career podiums. A former youth football player, she won silver at 2012 X Games.

TIRIL SJAASTAD CHRISTIANSEN, NORWAY

The young Norwegian ruled the X Games course in 2013 and took silver in Winter X Europe that same season.

Christiansen qualified first, then won the World Cup competition in late August in New Zealand, giving her four career World Cup wins.

MEN’S HALFPIPE

MIKE RIDDLE, CANADA

The most decorated of a stacked

Brady Leman leading the pack at a World Cup in Arosa, Switzerland.

WOMEN’S SKI CROSS

MARIELLE THOMPSON, CANADA The 2014 Sochi Olympic gold medallist ahead of teammate Kelsey Serwa, Thompson has 17 World Cup podiums, including three wins last season and nine in her career. The Whistler Ski Club product reeled in the ski cross crystal globe in 2012 and 2014 and added a silver at 2013 worlds.

KELSEY SERWA, CANADA

Destined for the hills with a grandad Canadian men’s team, Riddle ramped up tricks and combos last season, winning the season finale at Tignes.

He won silver at Sochi, World Cup crystal in 2013 and gold at the 2013 world champs.

DAVID WISE, USA

The outspoken American Olympic champion owns four World Cup podiums, gold from the 2013 World Championships and an array of X Games hardware. His three straight X Games golds from 2012-14 matched a feat equaled by the legendary Tanner Hall.

KEVIN ROLLAND, FRANCE

Winner of the opening event this season in New Zealand, Rolland was third in the chase for crystal last winter. His hardware includes eight medals from X Games, gold and silver from world championships and Olympic bronze in 2014.

who helped develop Big White, Serwa has racked up an Olympic silver, 2011 world champs gold and the top prize at the 2011 X Games.

Despite a rash of knee injuries, she boasts 16 career World Cup podiums and returns after sitting out a season.

ANNA HOLMLUND, SWEDEN

Third at the Sochi Games behind two Canadians, Holmlund won the crystal globe last season as well as in 2011. She owns 13 World Cup wins and bronze from 2011 worlds. She finished last season red-hot, winning her final six events — a trio of World Cuppers and three FIS races.

WOMEN’S HALFPIPE

ROZ GROENEWOUD, CANADA Fourth in the season-opening World Cup in New Zealand, “Roz G” boasts the 2011 world title, two X Games golds and numerous AFP honours. She leads a formidable Canadian team that includes worlds bronze medallist Keltie Hansen and rising star Cassie Sharpe.

KELTIE HANSEN, CANADA Grinding her way through injury last season, the Edmontonian managed a top-10 finish in the World Cup pipe standings and second-place finish at the AFP World Tour Final. She was third at worlds in 2011 and is primed for her sixth season on tour.

AYANA ONOZUKA, JAPAN Bronze medallist at Sochi, Onozuka led the World Cup tour halfpipe standings in 2014-15 and was third two seasons earlier. She has eight career podiums on the world tour and took third at 2013 worlds. She podiumed in August in New Zealand. www.snowsportsculture.com / S-Competition 13

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LAST WORD ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT PATIENCE REQUIRED

“hard criteria.” If coaches’ discretion had been used, Erik would likely have been renamed to the team and benefited from a complete summer program.

On the development level, patience is even more of a factor. A solid foundation for long-term success

By Max Gartner cannot be replaced by race performance measures.

Time is needed to develop athletic ability, technical n 33 years of working with the Canadian ski team, foundation and race strategy. A multi-year commitI have had the privilege of working two home ment to the athlete is necessary for this development Olympics (Calgary 1988 and Vancouver 2010) and to be successful. Unfortunately, the current system witnessing the accompanying “run up” of national encourages the chase for lower FIS points, a devasinterest and financial support. tating strategy for long-term success.

The few years before both home Olympics were Moving athletes from the Nor-Am level to the the best of times for winter sports in Canada. The World Cup requires a comprehensive plan and plenty additional funding allowed Alpine Canada (ACA) to of patience. A clear path for racers must begin at the properly support elite skiers while simultaneously grassroots level, with provincial ski teams. building a pool of future athletes. But shortly after both Olympics were over, funding and development Thankfully, the American NCAA racing circuit has programs were reduced or outright dropped. This proven to be a viable alternate route to the national highly cyclical programming has an enormous impact ski team. Many athletes are adjusting their goals on the health of the sport in the long run. to consider accepting scholarships at American universities and continuing racing through the school Tyler Werry in Wengen, Switzerland teams. Take Laurence St. Germain, of Quebec, who reached the hard criteria after a year of balancing university and ski racing. St. Germain proved that the NCAA option can work, but it remains better suited to technical racers. Those with ambitions in the speed disciplines are finding it difficult to receive the scholarships and training needed to continue to develop in the sport. Many young Canadian racers quit ski racing between 18 and 20, well before reaching their physical and mental athletic maturity.

Times are tough for young Canadian ski racers.

Club programs continue to develop young racers with big dreams, and provincial teams continue to develop athletes, but without a full national develACA has drastically reduced the number of opment team, it is nearly impossible to reach the athletes it supports because of post-Olympic fiscal national team. challenges. There is simply no room for an off year It takes time and patience to develop Olympic and at the World Cup level. The selection criteria are a World Cup champions. Canada has the athletes and “hard line”; if not met, ACA no longer supports the athlete, regardless of past success. Equipment issues, the potential. Many of the young Canadians racing for universities in the States would be recognized and nagging injuries or personal circumstances are not supported by the European considered in the final selection. powerhouse nations of The Canadian team selection guidelines are the Switzerland and Austria. most difficult in the ski racing world, and it is very It’s time for the national difficult for athletes outside the ACA program to earn and provincial organizatheir way back onto the team. Coaches’ discretion tions to commit to this is critical to gauge potential in an athlete, but ACA’s financial challenges no longer allow this consideration. crucial development level.

It’s time to incorporate Jan Hudec is a prime example of an athlete with athletes pursuing educaunwavering coach support. Jan fought through tion into the Canadian countless devastating injuries and recoveries to an M ax Gartner is the former system and provide the Olympic bronze medal — and continues to perform.

CEO/president of Alpine creative programs needed But last season, Erik Read’s top-30 finish in World Canada, and a longtime Cup slaloms and silver medal in the team event at the to support the athletes of coach, program director and ski racing dad.

World Championships were not enough to meet the the future.

I

14 S-Competition / www.snowsportsculture.com

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LINDSEY VONN 67 WORLD CUP WINS AND COUNTING

RAPTOR 140 RS REBELS WC iSL RD www.snowsportsculture.com / S-Competition 15

Cleared for takeoff.

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