yyzcanuck

"Mouth guards have a role in preventing dental and oro-facial injury but have not been shown to decrease concussion occurrence." I read that recently in the Toronto Star. Article can be found HERE. I wear a custom made mouthguard when playing lacrosse. I have 8 teeth missing 'cause I didn't!

From the article posted HERE: Snow airlifts have made Olympic venue ready, IOC says Temperate weather at ski venue close to Vancouver is not a problem, says VANOC January 28, 2010 Petti Fong VANCOUVER—After desperate attempts to truck and fly in snow, Cypress Mountain, will be ready for the Olympics, said the IOC president this morning. Earlier this month, VANOC closed Cypress to the public after warmer-than-expected temperatures turned snow into slush. Cypress Mountain, on the North Shore of Vancouver, just 20 minutes from downtown has had problems keeping the snow that it had earlier in December. VANOC had to helicopter in snow from higher elevations, put existing snow under protective tarps and use hay and wood to bolster runs in order to keep the venue snowy enough for competitions. In an interview from Lausanne this morning, Jacques Rogge, head of the IOC, said he's just been informed by VANOC that there is no problem. “The latest I have been told by VANOC is that the field of play is absolutely unprecedented and ready for competition,” Rogge said. He added it would be nice if Vancouver and Whistler had the same snow storm that was presently hitting Lausanne. VANOC is set to announce later this morning that efforts to pile on snow have been successful enough to allow for competitions. Alpine events in Whistler, which is an hour and a half north of Vancouver, have not had the same temperate weather problems. The competition begins Feb. 13 after the torch arrives in Vancouver and the opening ceremonies are on Feb. 12. Over the Christmas season, organizers stockpiled snow by "farming" the natural snow from the upper reaches of the mountain and mixed it with artificial snow to make a firm base for racing. A dedicated team of 45 people working 24/7 have used eight snowcats out of a fleet of 24 and two large dump trucks to move more than 300 truckloads of snow from the top of Mount Strachan - where more than three metres of snow remains untouched in the Skychair area - to the field of play on neighbouring Black Mountain. In the case of the of mogul and aerials venue, the steepness of the course requires the snow to be winched up Black Mountain by snowcats. So far, 1,065 bales of straw, which will eventually be covered with a layer of snow, have been used to replace the base of packed snow originally anticipated. Of these bales, approximately 800 were airlifted into place by helicopters to shape and construct snowboard cross and ski cross course features, which will also be covered with a layer of snow. With files from Canada News Wire

From the article posted HERE: Loo makes team, ready to board for gold Accessible athlete imposes blackout Mark Booth, Richmond News Published: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 With the biggest race of her life now just weeks away, Alexa Loo has a strategy to deal with all the potential distractions of competing in her hometown. "Right before the Olympics, I will be changing my cell phone," chuckled the outgoing 37-year-old. "Only a few people will have my new number and my sister (Nancy) will be screening everyone else who will be trying to get hold of me." It's hard to believe one of Canada's most accessible athletes will be putting her own personal "blackout" in effect but it's not everyday you get to participate at the Olympics in your own backyard, no less. Loo's spot at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games was confirmed Monday in Quebec when she was one of 18 athletes named to Canada's snowboarding team. She is the lone Richmond athlete participating at the Games and will be competing in the parallel giant slalom (PGS) on Feb. 26 at Cypress Mountain. Caroline Aylmer (Quebec) and Kimiko Zakreski (Alberta) will also represent Canada in the event. Her nomination hardly came as a surprise given she is currently ranked 14th in the world and is the reigning two-time national champion. Still, there is plenty of satisfaction given the uncertainty that surrounded her career just three years earlier. Thirteen months after becoming the first Canadian to compete in the women's PGS event at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Loo tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee. Surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation process followed. Loo's recovery was almost too good as she was back on the slopes in time for the next World Cup season and she recaptured her title at the 2008 national championships. However, that wasn't good enough for Sport Canada as her annual funding ($18,000) was withdrawn for not making enough progress at the international level. "I probably would have been better off with a slower recovery and not coming back for a full year," recalled Loo, suggesting she would have been given a medical exemption. "Basically, my injury wasn't factored into my world ranking at all." Determined to continue her career and not be sitting behind a desk as a full-time chartered accountant, Loo came up with a new game plan to market herself and her sport. The community listened and financial support emerged, headed by Kin's Farm Market. The Richmond-based company launched a $1 reusable bag campaign, featuring Loo. Last month, she was presented with a $20,000 cheque. Now she gets to say thanks to the many who have supported her career by competing at home on the world's biggest stage. Loo bought 14 tickets for her own event and donated four of them to local elementary school children. Through her contacts at Snowboarding Canada, she has helped other families and friends buy tickets to ensure a large cheering section come Feb. 26. Loo will be looking to make amends for what happened four years ago in Torino when she crashed four gates from the finish line during her qualifying run. She has since shown she is fully capable of reaching the podium including a career-best silver medal at a World Cup event in Austria three weeks ago. She returned home on Monday for the first time in a month and will be catching up with family and friends for a few days before heading to Mt. Batchelor in Oregon for a NORAM Cup event. The Canadian team will be back in Vancouver for the 2010 Opening Ceremonies at BC Place Stadium then will head off to an undisclosed location in the Interior for a training camp and final preparations for Cypress. It means Loo will see little else of the Games, and that's fine with her. "I have seen and experienced everything before," she said. "An Olympian is there to compete." mbooth@richmond-news.com

Here's another Canadian to watch in the future... from the article posted HERE: The first time Steve Barlow hit the slopes at Brimacombe was his second birthday. After that, Steve has a hard time remembering weekends that he and his family didn't spend on the snow! At eight, Steve traded in his skis for a snowboard after watching his friend Matt Morison board the hills of Brimacombe. Racing began a few years later and quickly grew into a passion as he began competing with excellent results, and was named to the Ontario Provincial Team. In 2006, Steve took time off from his training to complete his machinist apprenticeship. During that time Steve competed occasionally at east coast races and coached the Brimacombe snowboard race team on weekends. Once Steve got his machinist certification he knew his heart was in snowboarding and made the move to Calgary to join the Calgary Snowboard Club. For the past two years Steve has been racing all over North America and Europe, earning four top five places on the Nor-Am tour including two silvers, a third place at a FIS race in Switzerland and sixth place at the North American finals. Steve had his first world cup start in Stoneham, Quebec last season. His hard work paid off, as this spring Steve was named as the first alternate to the National snowboard team. With this nomination, Steve has the possibility of more World Cup starts next season and a chance of qualifying for the Canadian Snowboard team at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. Through all his successes, Steve says it's still fun come home and go out to Brimacombe with his family, rip the bowl with his dad, and devour one of his mom's delicious lunches. Though he doesn't get to come home much, he cherishes when he does to see old friends and all the talented alpine snowboarders that ride at Brimacombe.

From the Press Release HERE: CANADA TO NOMINATE 18 SNOWBOARDERS TO CANADIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE Canada~Snowboard is proud to nominate the best snowboarders to represent at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, BC, from February 12 to 28, 2010. (Québec, QC – January 25, 2010) Canada~Snowboard announced on Monday the nomination of 18 Canadian snowboarders to the Canadian Olympic Committee. “The team we have for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games is solid, experienced, dynamic and ready to compete for gold, at home, in our backyard. The riders we have selected deserved to be selected following years of hard work, and stellar results in the year leading up to the Olympic Winter Games,” said Christian Hrab, Director of High Performance for Canada~Snowboard. The high performance objective of the 2010 Canadian Olympic Snowboard team is to win five medals at the Olympic Games. 2010 CANADIAN OLYMPIC SNOWBOARD TEAM NOMINATION NAME DISC. HOMETOWN HOW THEY QUALIFIED CALVÉ, Caroline PGS Montreal/Aylmer, QC Other Nomination CONRAD, Sarah* HP Halifax, NS Other Nomination LOO, Alexa* PGS Richmond, BC Other Nomination MALTAIS, Dominique* SBX Petite-Rivière St-Francois, QC Top 5 Nomination NICOLL, Mercedes* HP Whistler, BC Other Nomination RICKER, Maëlle* ^ SBX West Vancouver, BC Top 5 Nomination TAYLOR, Palmer HP Collingwood, ON Other Nomination ZAKRESKI Kimiko PGS Calgary, AB Other Nomination ANDERSON, Jasey-Jay* ^ PGS Mont-Tremblant, QC Defending World Champion BATCHELOR, Jeff ^ HP Oakville, ON Top 5 Nomination BOIVIN, François* ^ SBX Jonquière, QC Top 5 Nomination FAGAN, Robert SBX Squamish, BC Top 5 Nomination LAMBERT, Michael PGS Toronto, ON Other Nomination LAMOUREUX, Justin* ^ HP Squamish, BC Top 5 Nomination MORISON, Matthew ^ PGS Burketon, ON Top 5 Nomination MARTIN, Brad* ^ HP Ancaster, ON Other Nomination NEILSON, Drew* ^ SBX North Vancouver, BC Other Nomination ROBERTSON, Mike SBX Canmore, AB Top 5 Nomination Legend ( * ) : Olympic Winter Games experience ( ^ ) : FIS World Championships medals COACHES FAWCETT, Mark PGS Saint-John, NB Head Coach, Alpine JEAN, Sylvain PGS St Férréol Les Neiges, QC Coach, Alpine MARKS, Carl PGS Bromont, QC Video coach, Alpine MATHIEU, Marcel SBX France Head Coach, Snowboardcross BRUNNER, Rene SBX Austria Coach, Snowboardcross MILNE, Tim SBX Whistler, BC Coach, Snowboardcross HUTCHINSON, Tom HP Val David, QC Head Coach, Halfpipe DeCOSTE, Kris HP Thornbury, ON Coach, Halfpipe SUPPORT STAFF LEBRUN, Connie Edmonton, AB Physician COX, David North Vancouver, BC Clinical Sport Psychologist HELLIER, Marilyn Whistler, BC Head Physiotherapist MORO, Vas Whistler, BC Physiotherapist OSBORNE, Heidi Calgary, AB Physiotherapist HRAB, Christian Vancouver, BC Team Leader M’SEFFAR, Nadia Vancouver, BC Team Manager JONCAS, Robert Vancouver, BC Team Manager NAPERT-FRENETTE, Guy Calgary, AB Media Attaché 2010 Canadian Olympic Snowboard Team – By the Numbers 37: Oldest rider: Alexa Loo (PGS) 17: Youngest: Palmer Taylor (HP) 27.5: Average age 18: Total number of riders 8: Total number of women 10: Total number of men 8: Number of First Time Olympic 17: Number of riders with World Cup podiums 60: Number of World Cup victory 169: Combined numbers of World Cup podiums 10: Number of riders with OWG starts 1: Number of riders with OWG medals (Dominique Maltais, Bronze, 2006) 15: Total number of OWG Starts 17: Number of riders with FIS World Snowboard Championships starts 8: Number of riders with FIS World Snowboard Championships medals 87: Total number of FIS World Snowboard Championships starts 6: Number of riders from British Columbia 5: Number of riders from Ontario 4: Number of riders from Québec 2: Number of riders from Alberta 1: Number of riders from Nova Scotia . . .

This girl... Ekaterina ILYUKHINA, is putting in some better results this season. Perhaps Russia has a secret weapon too?

From the results posted HERE: Women 1 - BOLDYKOVA Svetlana RUS 2 - ZAVARZINA Alena RUS 3 - DESMARES Nathalie FRA Men 1 - KARL Benjamin AUT 2 - PROMMEGGER Andreas AUT 3 - ANDERSON Jasey Jay CAN . . .

Not mine... found on Kijiji. Go to link HERE.

I posted this in another thread... HERE . . .

From the article posted HERE: Cypress Mountain alpine runs closed early to preserve snow, prepare venue for 2010 Winter Games Ski resort to reopen to public after Games on March 9 VANCOUVER, Jan. 13 /CNW/ - To preserve and protect the integrity of the 2010 Winter Games snowboard and freestyle skiing courses at Cypress Mountain, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) and Cypress Mountain management have agreed this morning to close the ski resort's alpine runs to the public effective today, two and half weeks earlier than planned. Cypress Mountain will reopen its alpine runs for public use as planned on March 9. The decision to close the mountain until after the Games follows several days of unseasonably warm and wet weather in the Vancouver area, during which VANOC has been running an intensive snow salvage project to conserve snow, including stockpiling snow at higher elevations. This week Cypress Mountain management decided to close for two days, as did other West Vancouver Mountains, because of heavy rain. With this early closure, VANOC will move forward with construction in areas previously contemplated to start on February 1. These tasks include: the installation of warming tents, fencing, wayfinding signs and Look of the Games banners around the venue. Snowmaking will also continue as soon as conditions permit. "Closing Cypress Mountain early is the responsible thing to do, given the recent weather, in order to make sure we're ready to host the world's best athletes in one month's time," said Tim Gayda, VANOC's vice president of sport. "We appreciate Cypress Mountain management's support and we'd like to thank all Cypress Mountain users for their understanding and look forward to helping welcome them back in March." Cypress will host competitions at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games in aerials, moguls, parallel giant slalom, halfpipe, and ski cross - which is making its Olympic debut in 2010. About Snow Making at Cypress Mountain Cypress Mountain has a snowmaking reservoir of more than 22.7 million litres of water (five million gallons) and the terrain has been shaped to accommodate the construction of freestyle skiing and snowboard event courses with the minimum amount of snow needed. State-of-the-art snow making using 35 snow guns has been operating around-the-clock since November and has converted over 95.3 million litres of water (21 million gallons) to snow needed to construct the courses. This snow has been stockpiled all over the mountain to ensure the terrain at Games time can sustain all weather conditions. Over the next three weeks, the snow will be pushed down the mountain by snow grooming machinery where it will be shaped by machine and by hand to create the freestyle and snowboard courses, including the 60-metre-long superpipe, which is 19.5 m to 20 m wide and 6.5 m high.

The original trademark was used for windsurfing products... F2 Fun & Function® is a registered trademark used for Metal Trapeze Harness Hooks For Use In Sail Boarding Sail Boards, and Structural Parts Thereof, Masts, Wishbone Booms, Daggar Boards, Skigs and Foot Straps For Sail Boards Sails and Sail Bags Surf Boards, Trapeze Harness, Ski Boots, and Ski Bindings For Snow Skis and owned by F2 International Gesellschaft M.B.H., Peter Brockhaus Gesellschaft m.b.H. Serial Number: 73354630 Registration Number: 1317581 Filing Date: Mar 15, 1982

Looks like Bruce Varsava (RN) has opted for an interactive website for you... HERE.

From the article posted HERE: Unsung Heroes Help Snowboarders Reach Apex The guys at Apex Composites in Burlington, featured on the front page of today's Toronto Star, really have gone above and beyond to help the Canadian alpine snowboard team in the chase for Olympic gold. They're not publicity seekers – we found them; they didn't come to us. How dedicated are these guys? Take the time Apex president Gerry Kavanaugh and manager Matt Clarke showed up for a training camp in Whistler and realized the plate system they designed – now on about Generation Seven – wasn't working like they'd planned. They didn't want the trip to be a waste so they drove to a Canadian Tire in Squamish, bought grinders, epoxy, fibreglass, polyester resin, wood and hacksaws and began to re-configure the plate system on the balcony of the hotel room they were sharing with coach Mark Fawcett – the fiercely driven coach let them bunk with him. They even used the bbq there to cure their handiwork. “We actually set up a little makeshift composite shop on the balcony, so we could hack and saw and do whatever we needed,” said Kavanaugh. The trip started on a rough note, too, as they noticed a mistake in the plate system when they finally assembled it in Burlington late the night before they left. Their flight was at 6:30 am. Kavanaugh went home, got his suitcase, kissed his wife and baby good-bye, and went back to the plant to keep working all night with Clarke to fix things up. The carbon fibre plates were still warm from the oven when they packed them up to rush for their flight. Some other little bits that didn't make today's story: * Snowboard Matt Morison's father, Paul, was kind of the guineau pig for the plate system at times. The entire Morison clan, from Burketon near Oshawa, are avid snowboarders. So when the team was over in Europe and the boys at Apex need somebody to try out a new version of the plate system, they enlisted Paul Morison to take it out on the slopes for a test run. “He's not as fast as Matt,” said Kavanaugh. “But he could tell us if it was going to fall apart or not.” * Peter Meszaros, a scientist and one of the foremost experts in North American in terms of composites technology, was a consultant on the project. At 65, Meszaros wasn't exactly into the snowboard lingo, but brought a direct and scientific approach to the project. * There is one potential bonus in this whole thing for Kavanaugh. “If anyone gets a medal at the Olympics, Mark Fawcett owes me snowboard lessons next winter,” he said.

Don't forget our southern Canadian... Sean!

I think it's this... from the website HERE. . . .

Here's Lindsay... . . . © FIS – Oliver Kraus

Sorry guys... I've been sitting on this for a while so as not to ruin your Christmas but... From the article posted HERE: Loo's Olympic hopes get boost January 7, 2010 Somebody stopped by Alexa Loo's sister's desk at work the other day to offer advice in Alexa's bid to make the Canadian Olympic snowboard team. "Alexa's going to have to put all this media pressure and all her elementary school kids' pressure aside and get out there and race – and race for her," the co-worker said. Loo managed to do just that Wednesday at a World Cup parallel giant slalom in Kreischberg, Austria, winning a silver medal. It is the best result of her career and bolsters her chances of making the squad. "I stopped thinking about the outcome and started thinking about the riding," said Loo, who was panicking after two 25th-place finishes at Telluride, Colo., before Christmas. Loo is an accountant from Richmond, B.C., a hometown girl for the Games, and has been feeling the heat like never before. She competed at the Turin Winter Games, finishing 20th in the women's parallel giant slalom. "If I hadn't made it to Torino, not that many eyes were on me," she said. "People run into me on the street, `Hey, how are you going to do? We're going to watch you at the Olympics.' Oh God, what if I don't make it to the Olympics?" The Canadian team was missing a key cog, Matt Morison of Burketon, Ont., who is out with a broken elbow. "This course would have been one where he would have had a lot of success," Loo said. "I wanted to get those podium flowers for him, because he's hurting and we definitely miss him here." Loo got engaged on Dec. 22 to Ari Goosen, who works as a boot fitter. She joked the rock on her finger might have kept her more balanced on her heel side edge. Randy Starkman Source:Toronto Star . . .

OK, just for you guys... . . . © FIS – Oliver Kraus

A new pic from recent race in Kreischberg. . . . © FIS – Oliver Kraus

Windows 7 was MY idea!

you beat me to the punch! Alexa is on the podium too.

Results of the PGS in Kreischberg on Jan.6th,2010 are HERE: Men 1 - ANDERSON Jasey Jay CAN 2 - PROMMEGGER Andreas AUT 3 - KARL Benjamin AUT Women 1 - SAUERBREIJ Nicolien NED 2 - LOO Alexa CAN 3 - MAEGERT- KOHLI Fraenzi . . . Hopefully some updates will arrive soon at the World Cup website. . . . All photos :© FIS – Oliver Kraus . . .

I believe the shape of a rider's foot is the largest contributor to toe pain and often getting the wrong size boot when buying without trying. With the Raichle/DeeLuxe shell, having a "peasant's" foot is one of the most problematic. If you're lucky and have the "Egyptian" shape you will likely fit nicely. . . .

If only one screw is holding the binding, you may now be able to turn the entire binding on the board, thus releasing the thread tension.

From the article posted HERE: Anderson: Finally ready to go Snowboarder says athlete funding for 2010 Games has made all the difference Last Updated: Thursday, December 17, 2009 By Lindsey Craig, CBC Sports Jasey-Jay Anderson said it wasn't until Canada was chosen to host the Games that he was given access to proper resources. Don't tell Jasey-Jay Anderson, "It's you, not the equipment." Correction: Never tell him that. The 34-year-old from Mont-Tremblant, Que., has spent more than half his life with a snowboard strapped to his feet. And if he knows anything, it's while an athlete's physical and mental state are important, what's also crucial is having the tools necessary to compete. "For the last three Olympics, my head was as right as it could be, and what plagued me was equipment. I would put my whole body in the fire and say that a thousand times over: 'It was equipment, not me,'" he said. Vancouver 2010 will be Anderson's fourth and final Olympic Games— and it's the first time in 20 years he feels adequately prepared. "With this one, I'm at the forefront as far as equipment ... and that's exactly where I wanted to be my whole career ... But it had to take an Olympics in my country to get this done." What Anderson's referring to is the spike in funding for 2010 athletes. With the announcement that the Games would take place in Vancouver came a flood of initiatives to ensure Canadians would be contenders. So far, it's paying off. Anderson is the 2009 world champion in his Olympic event, the parallel giant slalom (PGS). And on the 2009 World Cup circuit, he's reached the top of the podium twice and won bronze. 'No evolution' Anderson credits his success to the increased support. Until recently, he said snowboarders were virtually left on their own to find proper resources. "When you compare it to ski racing, where they have complete industry support…they have the materials, the minds, everything is set up," he said. Not so in snowboarding. "It's all about style and image and what your snowboard looks like. There's been absolutely no evolution in snowboard performance," he said. But with Canada hosting the Games, programs like Own the Podium began pumping funds to athletes and sport federations— giving Anderson and his teammates a new world of possibilities. "If you don't have the money, you have to think inside a certain box, and if funds are available, you can think outside that box and go beyond it," he said. "That's what happened this time around. We did all these extra little steps, and they've been working out." Boots and bindings, which usually cost him a few thousand dollars a season, have been provided by YYZCANUCK, a Toronto-based distributor. The company modified the gear to suit Anderson's specifications. His board was manufactured by a Swiss company, which Canadian athletes couldn't access until this year. And Toronto-area Apex Composites helped develop a unique plate system. "It's proving to be the new piece of technology where you can gain percentages," Anderson said of the base plate, which connects the snowboard to the rider's bindings. "So that was priceless." Breaking loose Feeling encouraged has been a long time coming. Equipment woes and a lack of resources almost led Anderson to retire four times. Staying with the sport is what he's most proud of. "Just being hard headed and sticking to my convictions," he said. "For nine years I was told, 'It's you, not the equipment,' and I had to break loose of that system." Anderson's perseverance has been a lesson for his 23-year-old teammate, Mike Lambert. "Looking at Jasey, you can see that becoming best in world is not an overnight game, it's something that takes years," he said. "He's got a lot of discipline. He's always searching for ways to be better, with his equipment, with his riding, he's constantly driven." Competing at the Olympics will certainly be no exception. Anderson hopes to repeat his recent World Cup success at the Games. "A career, especially when you get four shots at it, is more complete with an Olympic medal," he said. But just as he's ready for Olympics, he's also ready to say goodbye. The 2010 World Cup season will also be his last, he said. "An athlete's life is very, very selfish. I'm tired of it. Hundreds of people have helped me in the last 20 years … it's time to give back," he said. 'Two different worlds' One way of doing that will be focusing on another chapter in his life. Anderson is married and has two daughters— Jy, 3, and Jora, 4. "It's two different worlds, being loving, caring husband and father and then hard-ass competitor. It's really tough," he said. Being a family man in the snowboarding world may have been more difficult if Anderson wasn't so clean-cut. "Before I had kids, I went through life as though I wanted to be an example for my kids, and now I live my life in the same way," he said. It's likely why he was able to maintain a relationship with his wife, Manon— who he's been with since age 18— throughout more than a decade of World Cup seasons filled with all sorts of temptations. "When you have the best thing waiting for you at home, or wherever, you don't even consider anything else," he said. "I confirmed that time and time again, that Manon was the best thing in my life." His family is part of the reason he stopped competing in snowboard cross, which he considers more dangerous than alpine. "When you race with other people … you're basically putting your life in other people's hands," he said. As for what he'll do post-snowboarding, for one, he'll continue working the blueberry farm he and Manon began after the 2006 Olympics (intended as a retirement project). Beyond that, there are thoughts of coaching, and reconnecting with his artistic side (he studied art at Montreal's John Abbot College). But there's much to do between then and now. Looking to the Vancouver Games, he said, "I'd love to podium, but you never know what can happen... as long as I'm as prepared as I can be, I'm happy." . . . .