Ken Germaine has a big smile even prior to winning
Coach Paul is FAST
The race course is set down Dromedary here at Marmot Basin and the last steep pitch is freaking most of us out. I’m skiing on a set of race skis borrowed from the guys at Pacesetter ski shop, and it feels like I’m riding a couple of rocket ships.
This foray back into the Masters Racing series started for me a few weeks ago in Edmonton.
Looking down from the chairlift at Snow Valley I see a man in a one piece retro pastel coloured ski suit blasting down a slalom course. There is the sound of “thwap-thwap” as he flattens the gates to the ground. He and his cohorts look like modern day gladiators that have entered an ice octagon.
Clad in thick plastic armour with faceguards like an old Tom Wilkinson helmet to protect from the constant beating of the gates, they take run after run at this heart of the city ski hill. The man in the one-piece suit is Derek, and he was a ski instructor, coach, and drove a groomer. And he loves to be back in the game.
Men and women, some of whom laid down their skis decades ago, are getting back into the sport with a new-found dedication in an attempt to bring their technical abilities up to where they feel comfortable going for more and more speed.
Paul Robinson is the head coach of this band of hooligans and he couldn’t be happier with the group. “They are so inspiring to me”
We are now at Marmot Basin for the first of two races. This will be different. The mountain is unrelenting in its steep pitch but perfect snow conditions. The giant slalom was set by Marmots ski school director and it’s fast. It is a Giant Slalom after all. As we inspect the first run we comment on how these gates will be coming at us much faster than anything we’ve been practising in Edmonton.
Diane Carves a Great Turn
Paul, as always, is an excellent mentor and coach as he explains the line and speed of the race course to all of us. Diane is at her first race and confesses she’s a bit nervous. But once the timer counts down 3,2,1 she’s off. I was privileged to be at the finish line when she came through and screamed “I tucked the last two gates!!”
Her sheer joy and sense of accomplishment was something I’ll never forget.
At the end of the day we are all happy with our achievements. Our 30, 40, 50 and 60-year-old bodies are all intact and ready for more. We will be back. Stronger and more confident in our abilities.
Thank you Paul and fellow racers. You are all awesome. Congratulations to Ken Germaine who won the race in fine form. I can’t wait for the next race.
Colin Cathrea
