yyzcanuck

From the article posted HERE: Elk Meadows' seller, buyer have same address Foreclosure » Plans for $3.5B project east of Beaver fell apart. By Mike Gorrell The Salt Lake Tribune After an online auction, ownership of Elk Meadows ski area near Beaver has changed names but not addresses. Beaver County Recorder Bruce Brown said Friday that title to the 1,138-acre resort -- it has not operated since 2002 -- now is held by Bowman Asset Management, which listed its address as 24 W. 40th St. in New York City. That is in the same building as AMDS Holdings, which had put Elk Meadows up for auction last month after acquiring it in a foreclosure proceeding earlier this year from Holladay-based Mount Holly Partners. Mount Holly's principal figures had ambitious, but controversial, plans to turn the property in the Tushar Mountains, 18 miles east of Beaver, into a posh gated community with a private ski mountain, a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course and multimillion-dollar residences. They claimed it would be worth $3.5 billion. But the development, approved by county officials but opposed by many residents who were turned off by its exclusivity, never materialized. When an online auction ended last week, the high bid was just under $1.6 million -- far below the property's suggested value of $5.15 million. Brown said Bowman Asset Management "did send the county enough money to pay back taxes and special service district assessments and clean all of that up. That's progress. AMDS hadn't done that. They were letting them go delinquent." He was referring to liabilities, described in disclosure documents for the online auction, of $85,000 to the county and $202,000 to the Elk Meadows service district. How this transaction impacts long-term plans for Elk Meadows is unclear. Officials of AMDS Holdings did not respond to a request for comment.

I was going to stay out of this thread because I had nothing nice to say... But now that Sean has put the Pilot on the table, I just wanted to chime in with a thank you. Without the Pilot we would have nothing to offer first timers and younger, lighter riders. With our Pilot Package we can offer a board (Pilot), bindings (IBEX) and boots (DeeLuxe 225T) for $999. To me that's a deal and it's only possible because: a) we're willing to accept a reduced margin on the Pilot due to Sean being willing to work for nearly free. b) we're the DeeLuxe distributor so we can deep discount the Track 225T due to early season pre-payment of our order. c) this entry level package is growing the sport by creating potential long term customers. This very process (buying multiple used and NOS boards) was the foundation of my company. I was buying and selling so many boards, boots and bindings I figured what the heck, there must be a viable business somewhere in this alpine snowboard market. I can tell you that Andrea & I receive numerous emails from people looking for used gear. I'm certain there is a great market for that type of gear but it's best left to the one on one classified section to work out the proper quality/price... not for a business such as ours.

Except with SnowPro. I couldn't fit INTEC™ heels into the standard bail binding.

OK, what do you have to trade?

Want me to return her? I've only ridden it once.

From the article posted HERE: Elk Meadows auction extended until 6 p.m. today Foreclosure sale » $1.5 million bid late Monday kept it going By Mike Gorrell The Salt Lake Tribune Updated: 12/01/2009 11:26:21 AM MST The online auction of Elk Meadows Ski Resort was extended until 6 p.m. today after a bid was submitted an hour before Monday's deadline. That offer of $1,580,000 -- an increase of $100,000 over the previous high bid -- remains far below the auction's suggested price of $5.1 million for the 1,138-acre resort, 18 miles east of Beaver in southwestern Utah. Grandiose plans to turn the ski area, closed since 2002, into an exclusive, gated resort worth $3.5 billion did not materialize. The owner, AMDS Holdings, obtained the property in a foreclosure proceeding after its Holladay-based developers, Mount Holly Partners, failed to pay off an $18 million debt, according to auction disclosure documents. Jeff Lunnen, auction manager for The LFC Group of Companies, said that if a bid is submitted before today's deadline, the auction will be extended again. When it resumes at 11 a.m. Wednesday, shorter deadlines will be implemented until no new bids are forthcoming.

Better than a bikini... . . .

From the article posted HERE: U.S. and Canadian Gold Medal Hopefuls Grace the Cover of Official Olympic Videogame SEGA heats up the slopes and announces cover athletes for Vancouver 2010 - The Official Videogame of The Olympic Winter Games. SEGA of America, Inc. today announced it is partnering with top American and Canadian gold medal contenders Lindsey Vonn (USA; alpine skiing), Seth Wescott (USA; snowboard cross), Kristina Groves (Canada; speed skating) and Matthew Morison (Canada; snowboard) to appear on the cover of the upcoming video game Vancouver 2010 - The Official Video Game of the Olympic Winter Games that will be available for purchase at North American retailers on January 12th, 2010 for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, and the PC via digital download. These outstanding athletes represent the elite in each of their respective sports and are among the favorites to hoist their country's flag and hopefully bring home gold this winter at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games."These athletes have reached the pinnacle of performance in each of their respective sports and we are proud to have them representing our video game," said Sean Ratcliffe, VP of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. . . .

From the article posted HERE: Alexa Loo is a veteran local snowboarder who will be competing against the world’s best in the 2010 Olympics held here on her own mountain (how sweet is that?). Just a few weeks ago, she won a bronze medal in the Parallel Giant Slalom at Copper Mountain, Colorado’s Race to the Cup, so we’re stoked for her chances this winter. Do us even prouder, Alexa. Freakin’ giv’er. ———————————————– Scout Q&A The thing that you eat that is bad for you that you will never stop eating: Beef jerky. Default drink: Beer. Drink you’ll never have again: Rum and coke with Fin Doyle. Best thing about the B.C. in the Winter: Skiing/snowboarding in fresh snow. Best thing about the BC in the Summer: Patios after golfing or mountain biking. Best hotel room, ever: Mandarin Oriental in Munich. Top two mountains in the world: Whistler, Blackcomb. Best post ride indulgence: Ice cream while sitting in a hot bath. Book you’re reading: Bhagavad Gita. I am intrigued by the Hindu religion/philosophy. Last place traveled: Soelden, Austria. Or do you mean a vacation travel spot? In that case it is NYC…love it there! Biggest fear: Being hungry and alone. Pre-competition superstitions: None. If you could rename yourself: I wouldn’t, although I probably will change my last name when I get married. Your ancestry: Dad is Chinese and Mom is French and English. Mixed race kids are the cutest (that is not just my opinion!!). Under what circumstances would you join the army: If the uniform were pink. No, seriously, if Canada went to war, then I would consider signing up. Your paternal grandfather’s personal story: He came to Canada from China around 1908 or so as an apprentice in order to avoid the head tax. When he arrived in Vancouver he took an English name: Charlie. He had a Chinese/Canadian restaurant in Flin Flon, Manitoba and then he moved on to a corner store in Vancouver. My grandfather had a stroke when I was 4 and couldn’t really speak. I was not able to speak with him very well or get to know him. He died when I was 8. What are you proud of: My work ethic that was instrumental in helping me become an Olympian. The thing that makes you the angriest: When people who cannot fight for themselves are taken advantage of or mistreated, particularly children. The view from your favourite window: Grouse Mountain with snow on it. Favourite ice cream flavour: Chocolate. Most beautiful body of water: Strait of Georgia. Talent you wish you possessed: I would love to be able to sing Opera. The trend you wish you never followed, but did: Overalls. Musical instrument you long to master: Cello. If you couldn’t snowboard which would you pick up first, a skateboard, skis, or a surfboard? Skis. Who were you mentors in Snowboarding? Mark Fawcett, Jasey-Jay Anderson. The game you’re best at: Marco Polo, or pretty much any game played in the pool against my snowboard teammates. Mac or PC: Don’t care, but I have a Mac currently. The number of fist fights you’ve been in: 0. The scariest situation you’ve ever been in: First on scene at a fatal bus crash. Local person you admire most: Tamara Taggart. The thing you’re most ashamed of: Being jealous. Best concert experience ever: Il Trovatore at the Met in NYC last year. Your first board: Gnu Antigravity. Describe your tattoos: A thunderbird with a wave coming over it and the sun coming up in the background. I swam and rowed for UBC in and on the water at the crack of dawn. The dish you’re proud of: Roast lamb. The thing that makes you the most nervous: People who don’t believe that we should be teaching our kids competition or physical education in school, especially if those people are teachers [helping the students] to prepare for the world after grade school. Town you were born in: Vancouver. Old television shows you can tolerate re-runs of: MASH and Little Mosque on the Prairie. First memory: Playing with play-doh in the kitchen. What are you listening to as you answer these questions? My stomach growl. Album that first made you love music: INXS, Kick. Default junk food: Granola bars. The career path you considered but never followed: Hotel management. I love hotels! Two things you miss most about home when you’re on the road: Quiet. My own room. Two websites you visit every day: Hotmail. Facebook. The first three things you do every morning: Wash face, brush teeth, eat breakfast. The thing you’re addicted to: Lip balm. Vaseline Intensive Care. Biggest hope: World Peace – or at least for kids to grow up playing sports and loving life. Luckiest moment of your life: When Mark Fawcett agreed to coach the National team. Favourite book as a child: Encyclopedia Brown. . . . .

From the article posted HERE: Racers are home from Copper Camp This past Nov 7th to 15th two riders from Beaver Valley Traveled to Frisco Colorado to train and compete with some of the best riders in the world. Waking up very early to be on the hill at 6 am Adam Weigert and Sam Dano got their first gate training of the year in. They had the opportunity to share the hill with the Ontario, Quebec and Steamboat Teams. After gate training the riders had a chance to freeride at Copper Mountain. It took riders and the coach a little while to get used to the altitude of over 12,000 feet, but once we got used to it. We were very lucky with great snow and clear blue skies (once the sun came up). Sam Dano who specializes in Boardercross was able to get lots of freeriding in and hit his first jumps of the year in the Copper Park. He also had to opportunity to ride with World Cup BX Coach and an Olympic hopeful from Steamboat. Adam Weigert was able to get lots of gate training in then competed in the first NorAm Race to the Cup PGS races of the year on Nov 12th and 13th. The field of competitors was so elite it was very close to a world cup caliber. 13 nations were represented. At least 23 world cup athletes and more then 9 world cup medalists took part; including: the entire cast of over the bolt, Sigi Grabner, Simon Schoch (Olympic Medalist), and many national world cup teams. The first race had some challenges with a 3 hour delay due to timing issues. So the coaches and jury changed the format to a 2 run combined time GS. Adam had a tough race; he was disqualified in his second run, in a very rutty course. Sam Dano with the Japanese Olympic hopefuls in the background Day 2 was a whole different matter. Adam improved every run, to finish 53rd out of 68 riders I his very first NorAm race. I hope all of Beaver Valley congratulates him with the Snowboard Race Team in scoring his very first international FIS points. The race day 2 final was an all Canadian affair; in which last years World Champion Jassey Jay Anderson, defeated Oshawa’s Matt Morrison. On the women’s side Canadian Alexa Loo took home the Bronze. The camp went well beyond expectations. Adam and Sam went home exhausted, and pumped for when the snow flies in Ontario. For any rider looking to get a great jump on their winter this pre-season camp is a great opportunity to get some gates in with some great company. . . . .

Is it possible that it may be re-scheduled in time to be used as a qualifier?

For the World Cup... Mens' Parallel are here. Women's Parallel are here. And... more HERE but doesn't seem to be up to date!

From the news posted HERE: Limone Piemonte (ITA) canceled This is to inform you that the LG Snowboard FIS World Cup scheduled in Limone Piemonte (ITA) on 06.12.2009 unfortunately has to be canceled due to the current snow conditions. We will inform you as soon as possible about a possible rescheduling. http://www.limoneworldcup.it/en/index.html

From the article posted HERE: According to national alpine snowboarding coach and Nelson, BC, resident Mark Fawcett, Farnham Glacier is the secret weapon in Canada’s alpine skiing arsenal. “Along with the Austrians, us Canucks are at the forefront of tech-training,” says the two-time Canadian Olympian. Fawcett’s opinion is there is no better training ground on the planet in September and October than Farnham. . . . .

From Jack Michaud's interview (October 13th, 2000) posted HERE: BOARD INFO BOL: Up until now, it seems to me that you've been back and forth between Sims and Prior, is that right? MF: Actually I was with Sims straight for nine years, and Prior made some of my custom race boards within that period. Last year though, I was only on Prior. BOL: Were you ever riding a board that was strictly manufactured by Sims? MF: Absolutely, from the spring of '97 till last fall, I was riding boards that were made by Sims at the Sims factory, engineered by myself and the Sims engineers, who were really good. OLYMPIC BREAKAGE INFO BOL: What exactly broke and how? MF: I had been using a Derby-flex like system that had been fabulous, had lead me to a lot of victories, but then it just ripped out of the board. BOL: Had you ever experienced that sort of failure before? MF: Not exactly. But back in the early '90's bindings were produced quite sub-par for how much force we were putting on them and I'd broken just about every part of a binding you can imagine... front foot, back foot, double ejection, you name it. But from about '93 on I haven't had any problems with bindings.

From the article posted HERE: Fawcett’s Coaching Gives Back to Snowboarding By Cory Wolfe, Saskatoon StarPhoenix November 24, 2009 The event that made Ross Rebagliati famous made his Canadian teammate Mark Fawcett sleepless. Leading up to snowboarding’s Olympic debut at the 1998 Nagano Games, it was Fawcett, not Rebagliati, who was favoured to capture gold in the giant slalom event. The native of Rothesay, N.B., had won four of eight races he entered that season, and when the Olympic competition began, no one was devouring the Mount Yakebitai course faster than Fawcett. His first-run split time led the field. But before Fawcett got to the finish line, his rear binding blew apart and steered his Olympic dream into the fence. “I slept great the night before the event,” recalls Fawcett, “but I had the worst sleep of my life the night after.” Rebagliati subsequently won gold, charging from eighth place after the first run. That’s where Canada’s good fortune ended, though. First-run leader Jasey Jay Anderson fell in the second round, and Fawcett finished an inglorious 29th. “You deal with the cards you’re dealt and I’ve dealt myself some good hands since then,” says Fawcett, who now coaches the Canadian alpine snowboard team. “I’m in a great place.” Fawcett, 37, will make his fourth Olympic appearance, and second as a coach, this February in Vancouver. His transition from athlete to coach wasn’t seamless, though. After the 2002 season — which included a 17th-place finish at the Salt Lake City Olympics — Fawcett sought a more rustic relationship with snow. He began guiding at a friend’s snowcat skiing operation near Nelson, B.C., and made Baldface Lodge his base for nearly four years. During that time, Fawcett beefed up his guiding credentials and also hosted Sacred Ride, a TV series dedicated to backcountry riding. Then he got a call from an old friend. Anderson, who remained active on the World Cup circuit, wanted Fawcett to bring his coaching acumen to the Canadian team. “He was pretty adamant that I come and help,” Fawcett says of his conversation with Anderson prior to the 2006 Turin Olympics. “He genuinely wanted the help to get things figured out. We knew that, as an athlete, he was as good or better than anyone else on the tour. But it was kind of at a point where he seemed to be slumping. “We had to figure things out.” The 34-year-old Anderson has enjoyed a rejuvenation with Fawcett’s guidance. In addition to winning two World Cup races last season, Anderson captured gold in the parallel giant slalom event at world championships in South Korea. Younger riders such as Matthew Morison and Michael Lambert have excelled under Fawcett’s tutelage, too. He’s a cerebral coach who loves discussing mental preparation techniques. Canadian snowboarders have also benefited from having a broader support staff than they did in 1998, when athletes such as Fawcett were largely responsible for their own travel arrangements on tour. “Now,” he says, “they have very little to worry about other than waking up in the morning, eating properly and warming up properly so that they can rip the **** out of a course.” . . . .

Go the link HERE and then click on the 'Feedback' link that is just below the large image of the Track 700 (see attached image). The more people that provide feedback directly to DeeLuxe, the more likely they are to listen. The other choice would be to email DeeLuxe directly at info@deeluxe.com. In fact, I would encourage anyone that has any feedback (positive or negative) to contact DeeLuxe. . . . .

From the article posted HERE: Michelle Gorgone heads out on the road to the Vancouver Olympics November 12, 2009, 2:33 PM By: Alyssa Roenigk Michelle Gorgone won her first race of the season at Copper Mountain's Race to the Cup on Nov. 12. Nov. 4 marked 100 days to Vancouver. That means less than four months to study up on the hundreds of athletes from more than 80 countries who will compete in 86 events in 15 sports at the 21st Winter Olympic Games. Better get started. Michelle Gorgone grew up on skis. But, as a kid, "I wanted to go to the lodge and drink hot chocolate," she says. Then, on a family ski outing to Waterville Valley, N.H., a cousin asked her if she wanted to ditch the skis and try snowboarding. "I was 12. She was older than me. I wanted to 'Be like Mike,' if you will," Gorgone, 26, says. "She taught me to ride and I loved it. I wanted to snowboard all the time." However, snowboarding in the Boston area, where Gorgone (accent on the e) grew up, meant little chance for powder days, backcountry riding or steep terrain. When she hit the local mountains with her friends, they beelined for the resort's only jump at the end of one of the longer runs. "I'd be like, 'Race you there!'" Gorgone says. "I was more excited about racing them to the jump than hitting it. I wasn't all that into jumping." When a Mountain Dew Vertical Challenge came to her local mountain, Gorgone entered a slalom race and did well. More importantly, she had a blast. "It snowballed from there," she says. Gorgone enrolled at Waterville Valley Academy and spent three years in their PGS (parallel giant slalom) program before moving to Steamboat Springs, Colo., and joining their Winter Sports Club. She made her first U.S. snowboard team in 2003 and her first Olympic team in 2006. "I botched it," she says of her 22nd-place finish. "The Olympics messes with your mind. Everyone goes crazy and you do things you normally wouldn't do. Now that I know what it's like, I'll keep my head in the game this time." In Vancouver, she's aiming for a medal, something only one other American female has accomplished in PGS. (Rosey Fletcher took bronze in Torino, and then retired the next year.) Wait. PGS snowboarding is in the Olympics? What the heck is PGS? Although slalom snowboarding has been in the Olympics since 1998, when halfpipe and GS (the single-rider, time-trial version of PGS) were added to the Olympic lineup, few people in the U.S. know much about the sport. It's a predominantly European sport, with athletes from Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and Austria dominating the World Cup circuit. When people in the media talk about the rise in popularity of the Olympic Games and snowboarding's effect on its increased popularity, their talk usually centers around halfpipe and boardercross, Shaun White and Lindsay Jacobellis. Seldom (OK, never) is PGS mentioned in that conversation. "I'm known as a carver -- a balls-to-the-wall racer -- which gets me in trouble sometimes. I tend to fly into the woods. I'm like an unguided missile. A little Bode Miller." "We wear spandex unitards, so we're not under any illusion that we look cool," Gorgone says. "Our equipment is more expensive, more uncomfortable and hard to come by, so few people do it. But I know if people had the chance to feel the g-forces you can only experience by riding an alpine board, they would love it. A lot of boardercross racers and halfpipe riders have racing backgrounds, and it probably helped them accomplish what they have in their discipline, so they respect what we do. But there are some snowboarders who absolutely hate PGS and look down on us. I can't worry about them." Contrary to the beliefs of these latter folks, PGS riders are not aliens who drop from UFOs to compete in the Olympics. They are snowboarders, too. "A lot of my teammates travel with soft boots and twin-tip boards, so they can ride when we have a day off," Gorgone says. "I live in Boston when I'm not training or traveling, so I don't get out that much anymore -- maybe two or three days a year. But I like a challenge, so it's fun to ride powder or go to the park with my friends." Off the snow, Gorgone says her training is more similar to that of her boardercross peers than to alpine ski racers. "We have multiple runs that are shorter in length, like boardercross," she says. "Skiers do one or two two-minute runs. But our mindset is similar to ski races. We aren't jumping and we're not trying to win over the judges. It's all about time. Off the mountain, we're very free-spirited. So we're sort of a cross between snowboarders and ski racers." Gorgone has already decided this will be her final season on the U.S. team. After competing at Vancouver, she plans to attend college and major in advertising. Before then, she hopes to win her first World Cup race -- "I have my share of seconds and thirds" -- and finish in the top three in Vancouver. Known for her speed (her nickname is Pirelli, for the Italian tire company) and fearlessness on steep courses, Gorgone is definitely one to watch on the Cypress Mountain course next February. "I'm not a technical, flat-course person," she says. "I'm known as a carver -- a balls-to-the-wall racer -- which gets me in trouble sometimes. I tend to fly into the woods. I'm like an unguided missile. A little Bode Miller." Hopefully she means Bode on a winning day. But even if Gorgone medals, she doesn't expect to receive the attention typically showered on her freestyle counterparts. "I look at the attention they get and I'm excited for them and supportive, but I know we are never going to get that," she says. "It's like looking at a movie star and wishing you were rich and famous, too. It's just not going to happen." So, for now, she's just enjoying the ride. . . . . .

From the news article HERE: Intrawest selling Colo.'s Copper Mountain to Powdr BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. — Intrawest ULC has agreed to sell its Copper Mountain ski resort in Colorado to Powdr Corp. Intrawest, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, said Tuesday it has reached a definitive deal with Powdr but the sale still needs approval from the U.S. Forest Service and federal regulators. At least some of Copper Mountain's terrain is leased from the Forest Service. Intrawest says the sale is expected to close in December. Intrawest spokesman Ian Galbraith wouldn't disclose the sales price and said he couldn't elaborate on what assets were included in the sale. At least some of the commercial properties at Copper Mountain are owned by CNL Lifestyle Properties and leased back to Copper Mountain for day-to-day operations. Powdr Corp., based in Salt Lake City, owns eight other resorts: Park City and Gorgoza Park in Utah, Killington and Pico Mountain in Vermont, Mount Bachelor in Oregon, Boreal Mountain and Soda Springs in California and Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard in Nevada. Privately owned Intrawest still owns Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. and manages Winter Park Resort in Colorado. Three-mountain season passes for Copper, Steamboat and Winter Park are still good for this season, said Copper Mountain spokeswoman Lauren Pelletreau.

Neil, drop an email to MJB and ask him what's available around Calgary. He should have some history with shops there.

From the article posted HERE: Canadian Snowboard Coaches Honoured Wednesday, November 11, 2009 11:33 AM ET Two coaches of the Canada's national snowboarding team were named as 2009 Petro-Canada Coaching Excellence Award recipients, Wednesday. Mark Fawcett (Saint-John, NB/Nelson, BC) and Sylvain Jean (Saint-Férréol-Les-Neiges, QC) will receive the award at the Sport Leadership Awards Ceremony of the Petro-Canada Sport Leadership conference on Friday November 13th, in Vancouver, British Columbia. "The coaching team planned and executed a perfect plan to enable two champion athletes to succeed when it counted," said Christian Hrab, Director of High Performance at Canada Snowboard. "This coaching team is meticulously working towards improving these past results for the upcoming season." Fawcett, head coach of the Canadian alpine snowboard team, has been leading the alpine team since 2005, coaching Jasey-Jay Anderson (Mont-Tremblant, QC) to his fourth career world-championship title in 2009, while leading rookie Matthew Morison (Burketon, ON) to his first world-championship medal - a bronze - in the same event. It was the first time in Alpine snowboarding's history that Canada placed two athletes on the podium at the world championships. Jean, technical coach of the Canadian alpine snowboard team, was chosen for his on-snow leadership and off-snow swift execution of administrative tasks. He is also working towards the completion of his NCCP level 4. In the same season, three other alpine snowboard athletes attained personal bests. Kimiko Zakreski (Calgary, AB) earned the career first World Cup podium finish. Alexa Loo (Richmond, BC) matched her 2006 career best with a third place finish at a World Cup event in Sunday River, USA, and, at the World Cup finals in March, Caroline Calvé (Montreal, QC/Aylmer, QC) stepped on the World Cup podium for the first time, winning the silver medal. Recipients of the Petro-Canada Coaching Excellence Award are some of Canada's most outstanding national team coaches. These coaches have dedicated their time and efforts to ensuring that athletes reach their potential on the international stage. . . . .

It's also important on the F2 INTEC™ Titanium that you adjust the toe bail height to match the boot toe ledge. You must adjust the toe bail (using the small thumbwheels on each side of the binding) to put the boot's toe pad under some compression. More compression = more ridgid the feel due to reduced play in the system. If you have any other questions... contact us direct at www.f2-canada.com.

From the article posted HERE: Snowboarder Alexa Loo is persistence personifiedBy Jack Christie After 13 years on the circuit, Richmond’s Alexa Loo looks forward to competing in the 2010 Games at Cypress in front of a hometown crowd. Don’t blink. An elite parallel giant slalom snowboard competition, last staged locally at the 2005 World Snowboard Championships in Whistler, is headed this way. When that happens at the 2010 Winter Games, don’t miss the likes of Jasey-Jay Anderson and Alexa Loo in action. The odds of a repeat anytime soon seem slim; in fact, February’s races may well be the last time these two alpine-snowboard trailblazers pass this way. That’s a shame. The rest of the world has seen far more of their speed-suited bodies than most Canadians. Snowboard racers are reputedly the hardest-working athletes in a world dominated by bad-ass halfpipe freestyle riders and snowboard cross racers. They’re more persistent souls, too. After seasons of training and rehab, coupled with more good and bad fortune than most pain thresholds could tolerate, come February 26 Richmond-based snowboarder Loo will make her sophomore appearance at the Olympic Winter Games. This time, she will be plummeting down old-growth-lined slopes on Black Mountain in West Vancouver’s Cypress Provincial Park, which is the venue for Olympic freestyle ski and snowboard events. In the past month, the Georgia Straight spoke with Loo during early-season glacier training in Solden, Austria, and again while she was dealing with a leaky roof at her grandmother’s house in Richmond. Talk about typifying the challenges many athletes face balancing home and work. After a decade on the World Cup circuit, Loo sounded more than up for the challenge of dealing simultaneously with tradespeople and a journalist. By her own estimation, since she began competing in 1997, Loo has entered about 100 World Cup events, seven world championships, and numerous Nor-Am Cup contests, in which she won three gold medals last season. Still, whatever plays out this year, the first Canadian woman to earn a World Cup medal in alpine snowboarding won’t ultimately be satisfied until she adds winning the Mt. Baker Legendary Banked Slalom to her roster of accomplishments. Canadian women, including Squamish’s Maëlle Ricker, who won the last three LBSs, have a lock on the classic race first staged in 1985. Owing to a scheduling conflict—the Washington-state event runs each year on February’s Super Bowl weekend—that’s not likely to happen in 2010 as both snowboard cross racer Ricker and her Canadian Snowboard Federation teammate Loo will be in the final stages of focusing on their Olympic events. “Still, I’m hopeful that, come 2011, I’ll get an invitation,” Loo said somewhat wistfully. Meanwhile, the chartered accountant turned Olympian has got enough work cut out for her in the next six months as it is, including capitalizing on her bronze medal at the Sunday River World Cup in Maine last February. It was a hard-won accomplishment that she acknowledged as a defining moment in her recent career. Understandably, the 38-year-old found the lofty view from the podium most satisfying. “After a long wait [since her previous World Cup top-three finish in January 2006], the podium was a gratifying place to be. You feel this is where you belong. It validates everything I believe about myself and what I’m capable of achieving.” An oft-repeated judgment in the Book of Changes advises that “Perseverance furthers.” Two key individuals Loo most wanted to credit for inspiring herrecent successes are teammate Anderson, a current world champion, and Olympic racer turned coach Mark Fawcett, the coach Ross Rebagliati once credited as pivotal to his gold-medal giant-slalom win at the Nagano 1998 Winter Games. “Since Mark became my coach two years ago, I’ve evolved from being an athlete who could, at best, qualify for a spot in the top 16 finalists in my sport to one who could be a legitimate podium contender in every race,” she said. “His technical skills, plus an ability to explain the finer points of letting it all hang out at speeds of 100 kilometres per hour, are what made the difference. Plus, training with Jasey-Jay and understanding how he squeezes every hundredth-second out of his board has helped me make vast improvements as well.” Thanks to her “ski crazy” parents, Toni and Charlie, Loo carved her first turns at the Mt. Baker Ski Area in the North Cascade Mountains, the home of snowboarding in the Pacific Northwest. “We had a small cabin in the woods at the base of the mountain where we spent lots of family time. When we weren’t skiing, my dad and I played Scrabble. When I finally beat him, we never played again,” she recalled, laughing at the memory. After graduating from UBC with a commerce degree, she worked at accounting firm KPMG’s Vancouver office. At the same time, she was drawn deeper into racing after joining the Blackcomb Snowboard Club. Her background as a varsity swimmer and rower made coping with the pressure of blending work and fitness training second nature. And she welcomed the opportunity that competitive snowboarding offered to tour the world. “At first, I worked at KPMG in summer,” she said. “They gave me the winter off so I could train in winter. Along the way, I managed to write my chartered accounting exam, but I got so stressed before the 2006 Olympics that I left before being able to put in my practical time.” Years after embarking on her journey, Loo spoke with pride of the portfolio of life lessons now tucked under her Lycra. “Hard work isn’t always the answer to achieving a dream,” she said. “After working with sports psychologists [like former Vancouverite Dana Sinclair], I’ve learned to reevaluate and develop the personal side of my nature. To succeed, I need to bring the strongest part of my being to this year’s Winter Games. Dana’s style worked for me because I was ready for the message: inner happiness and self-belief are the keys to staring down defeat.” Loo says the analytical skills she learned from accounting are helpful in her roles as a board member with Athletes CAN, an advocacy group for Canadian athletes, and as a volunteer with the International Paralympic Committee. “As I’ve matured in my sport,” she said, “I’ve acquired leadership and soft skills. I enjoy motivational public speaking, helping people be the best they can be.” There’s one thing Loo can count on: if she makes a name for herself at the Olympics, she is a shoo-in for a spot in the next Legendary Banked Slalom. Inspired by fellow B.C.–bred racers such as Karleen Jeffery, Victoria Jealouse, Don Schwartz, and Rebagliati, Loo might still achieve immortality—a name plaque affixed to the unpretentious wooden snowboard that occupies a place of honour in Mt. Baker’s day lodge. In the inner sanctum of her once-outlawed sport, glory doesn’t shine with more golden radiance than from that trophy. . . . . .

From the article posted HERE: Ontario Ski Area Picks New Name Orono (ON), Canada - Beginning this season, Ontario's Oshawa Ski Club has been rebranded as "Brimacombe". The new name and branding was developed through extensive research, including online surveys, telephone interviews and names submissions from members and visitors. Over 1,000 participants took part in the process. The facility’s new name is a tribute to a geographical reference from the early 1900’s when local residents referred to the area as “Brimacombe’s Hill.” “Our club has a rich history,” says Mark Rutherford, General Manager, “but the name Oshawa Ski Club has many limitations. We have one of the biggest public facilities in Southern Ontario, yet many people incorrectly think we are a private club or a travelling ski group. Brimacombe is not just a fresh twist on an old name, it’s a reinvention of one of Ontario’s hidden gems.” Additional changes at the ski area this season include the addition of a new terrain park dedicated to beginners and the adoption of a Park Pass system in the Main Park. The winter event line-up includes the return of many popular events, as well as some new additions, including the Red, White & GOLD! Celebration marking the debut of long-time club member, Matt Morison, at the Winter Games in Vancouver. First Frost at the Brim, the official launch party and grand reopening, will take place Sunday, Nov. 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the ski area. The general public is welcome

The the article posted HERE: Teenage snowborder to carry Olympic torch through Shubie FALL RIVER: Jennifer Hart will get to experience an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as an Olympic Torchbearer. The Fall River resident learned Oct. 2, she was chosen from amongst the million-plus entries to be a Coca-Cola 2010 Olympics Torchbearer in a community near her. In her case, she will get to carry the Torch as it makes its way through Nova Scotia en route to Vancouver, in time for the Olympic Games in February, when it makes a stop in Shubenacadie on Day 18 of the torch run, Nov. 18. “I thought it would be something to do and it would be great to be a part of the whole Olympic torch run,” Jenn said. In May, Jenn applied to Coca-Cola to become a torchbearer. She received word in July, via e-mail, asking her to write an essay on how she or a group have had an impact on the environment. That was easy, because she is a member of a youth group named Helping the Earth by Acting Together (HEAT), which is based out of Halifax and includes youth from Fall River, Sackville and Halifax. “We do a lot of environmental things across Nova Scotia to raise awareness, so it (the essay) was right up my alley,” she added. Then, two weeks ago when Jenn checked her e-mail to her surprise there was a message from ICoke. She couldn’t contain herself as she opened the message from SOGO Active, a subsidiary of ICoke for teens and the letters spelling Congratulations came across the screen, explaining she had been selected. She will get to carry the torch, wearing Olympic clothing she gets to keep. She also has the option of purchasing the torch, which she quickly asserted she would be. “It’s going to be pretty amazing to have the chance to be a part of it, carrying the torch has a long history of being very important in the Olympics,” Jenn explained. “It unites the whole country with the rest of the world to be together. I think it’s pretty unbelievable that I get to be a part of that and help out Canada to host our Olympics.” Scott Tabachnick, Corporate Communications Manager with Coca-Cola Canada, said as a presenting partner of the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, Coca-Cola had the opportunity to select Torchbearers. As part of their partnership with ParticipACTION, they created an active living program designed to encourage Canadian youth to make a lifelong commitment to physical activity and that result was SOGO Active, www.sogoactive.com. “We’re hoping the torchbearers we selected, such as Jenn, will serve as a collective call to all Canadians to live positively by making the same commitments as our torchbearers - commitments to active living or environmental sustainability,” Tabachnick said. Jenn, a Grade 11 student at Fall River’s Lockview High School will not only carry the torch, but hopes to one day participate in the Olympics in her sport of Alpine snowboarding. Currently, Jenn is a member of the core development team for Nova Scotia 2011 Canada Games Alpine snowboarding team. The 16-year-old became interested in alpine snowboarding in Grade 5, thanks to the RBC Riders program sponsored by the Royal Bank and with the support of the folks at Ski Martock. “I have loved it ever since,” she said. “I did well at it and was scouted by the Nova Scotia Provincial team coach. He (coach Steve Fairbairn) told me if you want this (Alpine snowboarding) would be more of a challenge for you,” Jenn said. “I was then asked to train alongside the development team, which was the Ski Martock race team and did that season and he said ‘alright, it seems to be not challenging you enough’ so I was asked to join the N.S. provincial team.” In 2008, she competed at her first-ever Nor-Am national competition in Ontario and finished 25th , racing against athletes who are on Canada’s national team, like Dominique Maltais and Maelle Ricker who will compete in Snowboard cross (SBX) in the Vancouver Olympics. “It’s a real eye-opener to race against them and see how much they put into it and see how hard they train,” she said. “You learn a lot from them. We went to B.C. to train with them at their summer camp and to see the training they do. To be able to train alongside them and lookup to them and say ‘wow, you’re my idol. I’d love to be just like you one day’, it was great.” Jenn does have two home-grown locals she looks up to, Sarah Conrad and Alexandra Duckworth, both who finished one-two at a recent national championship. They both also began their snowboarding careers at Ski Martock’s program and got scouted. “To follow in their footsteps and represent Nova Scotia at Canada Games would be a dream come true” she said. “It would be really cool if I could become as good as Alex Duckworth or Sarah Conrad in my own discipline of parallel giant slalom (PGS) and SBX.” But, to be like them will be a hard training regime, something Jenn is becoming accustomed to. The Canada Games team’s regime consists of training as a team once a week plus individual training, physical testing every three to four months, nutrition and psychology lectures. And all that was just the summer training. “In the winter we have multiple training camps that we go to,” she added. On Nov. 25, the team will be heading to Italy to train for 10 days on the Italian glaciers in preparation for the coming season. The reason is simple. Because competitions start in January and N.S. doesn’t get snow that early to avoid getting behind as teams in Western Canada have already begun their training, the team will get in their training during these 10 days. “We’ll get to see the teams over there, so we’ll see the Italian and Swiss teams training,” Jenn said. But what has Jenn on cloud nine this month is being able to be a part of the torch run. “It’s all huge steps in my aspirations as a snowboarder,” she added. “I’m pretty excited to be a part of it.” The core team currently consists of 10 athletes. However, only two guys and two girls for each discipline will be able to partake in the 2011 Canada Games, in Halifax, so Jenn has a tough road ahead. The coaching staff told the team members the N.S. team will be chosen in late 2010. Jenn explained to make the team she will have to attain certain goals as she attends Nor-Am’s. Her chances also ride on how well she does result wise at nationals and provincials. That alone would be enough for the faintest at heart to crack under the pressure, especially in a year that’s the most important education-wise. But Jenn takes it all in stride. She wished to thank all her coaches, teammates, family and friends for all the support they have given her as she pursues her goals. “Trying to find the balance between school, family, snowboarding and training is pretty hard,” Jenn said. “I don’t have a lot of time for extra stuff. Schoolwork takes up a lot of time in Grade 11, trying hard to maintain a high average, and then you realize it’s the year before Canada Games, so it’s like alright pressure’s on to make this team. Hopefully I’ll be cool under the pressure.”