An enormous thank you to those of you who came to the 50th Anniversary Gala and to the team of volunteers who worked incredibly hard to put the event together.

Patrick, Corrie, Sarah, Suzanne, Gill, Stephanie, Geraldine and Carol Anne, thank you and congratulations on a great event!

There was a great turnout of members ranging from the current day to the early days of the club with a strong representation of alumni athletes and parents who enjoyed an evening emceed by club alumni Mike Janyk & Jeff Hume and familiar music to all Whistlerites, The Hairfarmers. Another thanks to Jeff & Mike!

Finally, thank you our beer and wine sponsors – Blackcomb liquor store and Gibbons Life.

And to all of our sponsors who provided auction items:
Adele Campbell Fine Art
Anne Popma
Araxi’s
Anissimoff Fine Art
Britt Tilston
Burrowing Owl – Wyse Family
Ciaran Keogh
Descente
Elements
Fairmont Hotels
Head
Kathi Jasiartisit – Lianne Gilka
Leah Alexandra
Nita Lake Lodge
Patina
Red Door Bistro
Rob Boyd
Ryders Eyewear
Scandinave Spa
Shannon Smith
Westin Resort and Spa
Whistler Blackcomb
Whistler Contemporary Gallery
Whistler Rustics
Whistler Village Sports
Wildwood Café
World Cup Supply

As this marks our 50th year we are going to build on this momentum to engage more and more of our alumni and to make a concentrated effort to get the community together again. There were a lot of people at the Gala who had not seen each other for many years, and many more who we are not connecting with. So, one of our goals for this year, is to improve our database and get contact details for the members who were a part of the club before computers, email and mobile telephones.

I hope you have noticed that we have just launched a new website and we will be building in an alumni sign-up feature for those who are no longer involved in the club but would like to hear what is going on.

Our club’s vision of ‘developing champions in life and sport’ still stands strong! We believe that while we celebrate the champions in sport, there are many many champions in life who we need to celebrate more often and engage with. It is the entire community that makes our collective passion possible through our sport, our community and our values.

To all, please remember that if you are no longer part of the program as a racer, parent or volly, you are always welcome at the club cabin and we hope to see you at our social events and races throughout the season.

Congratulations to Mollie Jepsen, the Para Alpine breakout star who is receiving the award for Best Female Athlete at the Canadian Paralympic Sport Awards for her remarkable achievements in PyeongChang.

“It is a huge honour to be recognized with this award from the Canadian Paralympic Committee. I was thrilled to represent Canada at the Games and compete alongside so many amazing athletes. I will never forget listening to the Canadian anthem on the podium with a gold medal around my neck.”- Mollie Jepsen

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Mauro Detassis who had been an incredible proponent of FIS children’s skiing http://www.fis-ski.com/news-multimedia/news/article=passing-mauro-detassis.html

While we are all aware of the dangers presented by head injuries, as well as whiplash-type injuries that may also result in concussions, our understanding of and protocols for potential concussion injuries is continually evolving.

Alpine Canada has recently adopted an extensive and comprehensive Concussion Protocol for ski clubs which covers the recognition, medical diagnosis, and management of athletes who may sustain a suspected concussion during a sport activity. The Alpine Canada Concussion Protocol aims to ensure that athletes with a suspected concussion receive timely and appropriate care and proper management to allow them to return back to skiing safely. WMSC is implementing this Protocol for the upcoming season.

The Alpine Canada Concussion Protocol includes the Concussion Recognition Tool 5 developed by Parachute Canada http://www.wmsc.info/organizations/3850/documents/198384 and our coaching staff are trained to use this Tool as part of the Club’s Emergency Action Plan. However, it is important to note that our coaches are not certified to make medical assessments of concussion injuries, and the Club will follow the Alpine Canada Return to Sport protocol (including requiring a clearance letter from a health professional prior to returning to training).

The Alpine Canada Concussion Protocol states that “current evidence does not support the use of baseline concussion testing” for youth athletes. Parents/Athletes who wish to utilize baseline testing are recommended to consult with their health professionals.

Further information can be fount at: http://www.parachutecanada.org/injury-topics/item/concussion.

On Saturday, September 29, 2018, in conjunction with its Annual General Meeting & Member Summit in Kelowna, BC Alpine recognized some amazing individuals who went above and beyond last season to make sure ski racing in BC was the best it could be!
A huge thank you to the staff and chefs at Kelowna’s Bohemian Cafe for hosting our biggest-ever group of about 95 guests! They outdid themselves again this year, the meal was outstanding and everyone had a great time.

Please follow this link for a full list of awards and photos http://bcalpine.com/news/article/2018Goldie-Award-Winners/

2018 Athlete Awards

Dave Murray Ski Foundation Bursary ($750)
Dylan Timm
Fernie Alpine Team

Dave Murray Ski Foundation Bursary ($750)
Charlotte Gibson
Prince George Ski Club

Bob Parsons’ Memorial Fund Bursary ($1,000)
Aaron Leaman
Okanagan Ski Team

Bob Parsons’ Memorial Fund Bursary ($1,000)
Freya Jumonville
Whistler Mountain Ski Club

Ski Canada Magazine Bursary ($1,000)
Heming Sola
Apex Ski Club

Cary Mullen Sportsmanship Award (Trophy)
Isabella Cross
Whistler Mountain Ski Club

2018 Coach Awards
Learn/Train to Train Coach of the Year
Samantha Fournier
Sun Peaks Alpine Club

U16 Coach of the Year
Nat Cohen
Fernie Alpine Ski Team

FIS Coach of the Year
Conrad Pridy
Whistler Mountain Ski Club

2018 Volunteer, Official and other awards
Coast Zone Volunteer/Official of the Year
Laura Harley
Whistler Mountain Ski Club