| CFSC Juniors at Collignwood FIS series |
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Racing FIS is a whole different world in comparison to the J and K circuits that most of us are accustomed to. While all are competitive, there is a feel and pressure to FIS events that isn’t found elsewhere. It was with that in mind that Alec, Olivier, and I loaded up the car to drive to Collingwood for their first series. They had been told what to expect but what they found was a different competitive ski world staring unabashedly at them seeing if they would flinch. Not only did the boys not flinch, they stared it down. Going to Collingwood early was a great call and we trained one day of SL at Alpine and one day of GS at Georgian Peaks with the Ontario Team. It was great of them to host us and they have our sincerest thanks for allowing us to jump into training with them. Not only did the boys get to train on the same terrain they would be racing on but they also got to see some of their competition. When I came back from the Team Captains meeting the night before the first race I showed Alec and Olivier a list of the other skiers and their points. These were those who would be at the SL at Alpine the next day. The boys saw their names with 999 points listed beside them, and then they saw the top of the list with a name with 18 points. It was a bit of a reality check. The age range is bigger in FIS and so is your field of competition, and now the boys had a list to confirm what I had been saying for months. Day 1: The next morning we were on hill for 7.45 am inspection and as I watched the top seed coming down at 9 I realized that this was going to be a tough introduction to FIS. Within the first ten racers we had 50% of the field blow out. While this was exciting to watch, it wasn’t the morale building experience I had been hoping for two rookie FISers. The field was 112 skiers and only 56 finished. Olivier and Alec skied very well and while Olivier didn’t complete the first run that day I was proud that he got as far as he did. It was an extremely tough set with varying rhythm and an insane offset coming from a pin on the pitch that blew him out. Alec skied conservatively and crossed the finish line to get a chance at a second run. It was a considerably shorter afternoon with 50% of the field gone. Alec skied incredibly well and only two gates from the finish line was out of the course. A bit frustrating for him to be sure but he was going to make up for it. Day 1 was over. Expectations and reality were the topic of the night as we had to assess our mental strategies and gauge how to approach day 2. Mentally, the first FIS race was exciting and stressfull. So it was the time to prepare for the rest of the series since their feet were wet. Day 2: Day 2 was better for Alec as he finished both his runs to get a result and points to his credit. A great set with a royal flush leading onto the pitch that had a sweeping banana delay into three nicely offset gates and then into a pin before the flats. It was fast and very technical. Olivier DNFed, and was thrown by the delay into being a bit late which cost him into the offset afterwards. This was a section where many in the top seed were also eliminated. Day 3: Our first taste of GS on Rogers run at the Peaks. Rogers is known for being pretty tough. Icy, consistently steep, and a fall away top section make this a well known course in the area. I was glad to have trained on it earlier. The weather was wet, cold, and windy with the light being extremely flat. Brad dropped by to watch the boys and we stood at coaches corner watching as the course conditions deteriorated and tough unseeable ruts formed. Both the boys finished which was fantastic given the tough course and weather conditions. Day 4: It was our last day and now being veterans to the circuit it was time for business. All the sets up top were similar but once the steeps started different styles really started to emerge. The off camber set up into a delay was an interesting combination that proved fun and the second set was rhythmical and faster. The ruts and bumps from the previous day were still an issue as there was no grooming due to the temperature and rain we had had. So it was a bit of a rodeo but both boys managed run one. Alec unfortunately skied out his second run after the delay. Olivier finished very well. The trip overall was very successful. We saw that all of the boys’ hard training and effort really had paid off. The last day was by far the best for Olivier cutting his bib number in half and coming in 43 for his first series is a great accomplishment. Two finishes and great points for Alec surviving both disciplines was also a fantastic achievement. Two things we learned in particular was: 1) Focus on the day at hand and adjust your goals realistically to match the situation you are in. 2) Put your skis in the car and don’t forget them at home on race day. An unhappy coach is one that has to drive back to pick up your skis because you forgot them. ;) Thanks and congratulations to Olivier and Alec for a great first FIS series! See you out there! Shelley The distilled essence of an idea, which is infinite, must not be confused with its implementation, which is finite. -Daniel Barenboim |
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