As February approaches, however, the forecast is for an extended period of cold weather with snow as early as the first weekend. That is just in time for our Revelstoke and Banff ski trips. Let’s hope the storms grace our local mountains as we still have a few trips to Whistler on the schedule.
For those of us with season’s passes, or the Mountain Collective passes, there are many options for our ski club members from which to choose. We do live in paradise in B.C.
What a great year for Canada, 2025 has already become.
I happened to be near a bar in Baden, Austria (rare occasion), and watched in fascination as Marco Odermatt fell short of his Swiss compatriot, Alexis Monney, who raced 4th and ran down fastest, at 1:53.72 in that early start. Odermatt, running in 8th position pushed out the next fastest to sit in 2nd place for a sliver medal.
Last Year’s 6th place finisher on the Hahnenkamm track, the oldest downhill racing site in the world and likely the hardest race of all, Alexander Cameron, was in bib #16 and came out of the start gate so fast that some thought he had jumped the gate or shit his pants. The cameras rolled and Longenes, the official timepiece for this race, showed he held that speed. For a time, it looked like he would be this year’s winner. For a second, as he ended his run, we waited with anticipation, but when the numbers were posted, they listed his run at 0.16 slower than Alexis Monney placing him into 2nd place, a feat for any (Canadian) downhill skier (editor’s note: As our fastest skier, Shannon Chadwick, on advice from her trainer during downhill ski trials at Whistler earlier in the year, has been placed on brand new skis--skis she has never even skied on - Head Skis, we have been told, she may indeed think second place in the Hahnenkamm is simply not racing hard enough). 
The top Austrian had fallen the week before and was out, but in bib #16 ran Austrian, Daniel Hemetsberger, who put down a blistering time of 154.07 pushing Marco Odermatt to the fourth spot and off the podium, a very rare day for the world’s top ranked (Swiss) skier. Three more races came down, 17, 18 – who looked like he would push the Austrian, Hemetsberger, out of third place, but fell 4 one hundreds back (0.04 seconds) & 19, the American who ended up 13th and was basically a non-issue
Then, bib #20 stood at the starting gate. It was Canadian, James Crawford. His run was flawless, and "only prefect skiing", as Marco Odermatt said in his interview after the race, "wins on this course." James Crwaford ran in a time of 1 minute, 53.64 seconds or 8 one hundreds (0.08 seconds) faster than Alexis Monney from Switzerland. This pushed the Austrian out and gave Canada a 1st place Gold, and a third place Bronze. It is the only time in the history of skiing that two Canadian racers were on the podium for the men’s Hahnenkamm Downhill Race in Kitzbühl, Austria 
The last time a Canadian won in Kitzbühl was Todd Brooker in 1983. Yet, that marked the end of the domination of the Hahnenkamm by the Crazy Cannucks – how many recall 1980 when Ken Reed first won it? The following year his teammate, Steve Podborski, won it back to back in both 1981 and 1982. Austrians, like me, tore up their passports and the Austrian Ski Federation (Team) booked the Sunpeaks Ski Resort in British Columbia for their training centre, looking ahead to the Olympics as the Hahenkamm seemed out of reach!
I’m back in Canada, and we head into our B.C. interior to ski Revelstoke and then to Alberta to ski Banff.
There is no chance, other than sneaking into the ski locker and sanding Shannon’s new ski bottoms with 50 grit sandpaper, that I will be able to keep up--her speed, and being being a Canadian are just too much. Yet, she will likely wait for me (us all) part way down, give us a pointer on technique, and that is what makes skiing with friends so much fun. Join our Club and Ski With US!!!
Remember, if you plan on skiing any mountain, in BC, Alberta, across Canada, in the USA, in Europe, or elsewhere, please go to our Live Web Cam tab on our PSC WEB SITE.
Remember:
- Be kind (yes even to the unvaccinated)
- Be Calm (no raising your voice and arguing on who is right)
- Spread good will, to one and all
- Be at peace, even if you are not at Wreck Beach (see photo right)
- Remain healthy
- Remain Active (ski or sun tan)
- Join a ski club (only the PSC)
- Ski or snowboard (on waxed and sharpened skis)
- Come Snowshoeing with the Pacific Ski Club
Become a club member and join the fun.
Check out our Winter Activities Page and book your spot before they are all gone.
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