January Update from the Race Club

LLSC U14s with Mike Janyk

Hello Race Fans,
The race club has been busy chasing the local White Circus, with multiple race stops at Norquay and Panorama, along with events at the Lake and our FIS teams current stop in Kimberley for the Dreadnaught Speed Series and Night SL. As with most race weekends, some athletes achieved personal bests, some faced underwhelming performances, and all walked away with valuable learnings as they look to improve as we enter the heart of the competition season. 
We don’t measure success by podiums alone. We measure it by day-over-day improvement in ski performance, mental performance, and human performance.
That said… we absolutely celebrate podiums and wanted to highlight the following:

• Mike Janyk, Olympian and 2009 World Championship bronze medalist in slalom, delivered excellent mental performance sessions with our U14 athletes during the hostel camp.
• Our brave U12 coaches took their group away for three nights at hostel camp and are now looking ahead to the Ski Cross event at Nakiska this coming weekend.
• Six of the ten athletes representing our zone at the Alberta Winter Games are U14 LLSC athletes:
  • Arabella Booker
  • Carmen Bullock
  • Abby Caputa
  • Alex Howard
  • Meredith Kohlsmith
  • Zach Osborne
• Parker Howard earned top spot in U18 SL at Nakiska, laying down the 3rd fastest second run overall.
• Arabella Booker and Alex Howard brought home hardware at the first U14 Provincial Series, earning bronze and gold respectively in the slalom.
• The U16s are hungry for more at their 2nd race series in Jasper knowing they have more to give following Panorama
• Kael Johnston is your U19 National Champion in Ski Cross and is heading back from Europe this weekend to re-focus on his alpine racing until the next ski cross NorAm
• Emma Peterson speeding her way to her first FIS podium with a 3rd overall and 2nd U19 in The Dreadnaught Downhill on Wednesday

Plenty of progress, plenty of learning, and plenty to celebrate. Onward.

Gavin Preziosi

Executive Director, Lake Louise Ski Clubs