The Audi 2020 Canadian Ski Racing Votes and Nominations are open for only 2 more days.

Nominate WMSC as the Ski Racing Club of the Year Now! Follow this link to nominate and vote for your athlete, coach, volunteer, Ski Racing club of the year https://alpinecanada.org/awards

Let’s have some good news on this difficult time. Please forward to your friends and family.

Rob Boyd Bursary Nominations deadline Monday, April 20th

Athletes, if you haven’t nominated a teammate, do it now! Deadline is fast approaching. Please email the WMSC Bursaries Committee at bursaries@wmsc.info

This is the Second Year of The ‘Rob Boyd Bursary’ which is awarded annually, to the next seasons U18 athletes, making current 2nd year U16’s eligible for the award as well.

​1 female and 1 male athlete will be awarded $1000 each, which will be credited towards their WMSC account. In time, as the fund grows, additional bursaries may be awarded.

Candidates should embody the ‘WMSC Teamship Values’ and include (but not limited to):

• Passion for the sport – ski racing as well as knowledge/skills/desire to ski all aspects of the mountains.
• Sportsmanship – showing positive attitude, assisting fellow athletes and appreciation for officials/volunteers (on or off the slopes).
• Be a role model/mentor/ambassador for the sport (yet perhaps have a bit of a wild side?!?).
• Work ethic – arrive early, stay late (to take one or two more runs – off piste?), show a willingness to assist coaches, collect/transport training equipment and gear when necessary
• Show potential and desire to be successful in racing, and when appropriate, give back to the sport.

Nominations should be submitted by teammates or coaches directly to the WMSC Bursaries Committee at bursaries@wmsc.info explaining why the individual should be considered for this award. Submissions should be in letter form and include anecdotes or examples that exemplify the individuals’ character and/or actions deserving of recognition and support.

A quick note to inform you that our 2020-2021 WMSC Bursaries are still taking place.

All 2nd year U16 to U21 Athletes who are enrolling in the WMSC 2020-2021 season are eligible to receive any of the WMSC Bursaries. These are financial awards which can be applied to further your participation in pre-season camps and races. Rob Boyd, Dave Murray and Jordan Schick set an example in the Ski Racing community and it is in this spirit that we are pleased to honor them with these bursaries.

The purpose of the WMSC bursaries is to support, promote, encourage and sponsor WMSC Teamship Values, sportmanship, leadership and passion for ski racing. These bursaries recognize U16 to U21 athletes who exemplify these qualities.

We will be announcing the winners on Saturday, April 25th virtually. Stay tuned!

For specific details and criteria for each bursary, please visit WMSC Awards and Bursaries

Rob Boyd Bursary

Rob Boyd – the first ski racer to win a downhill world cup on home soil. Rob has generously agreed to support a bursary for continuing U18/U21 athletes as well as aspiring 2nd year U16 athletes who are moving into U18/U21. The Rob Boyd Bursary will be awarded to one athlete of each gender in the amount of $1,000 each.

Nominations may be made by teammates or coaches in writing. Athletes, if you train with a friend that embodies the qualities above, please send your nominations now to bursaries@wmsc.info

Nominations should be received by Monday, April 20th

Dave Murray Bursary

Dave Murray is well known as one of the Crazy Canucks! He ski raced in the same hills as our athletes race today. He left us a legacy: The Dave Murray Bursary of $750 and plaque or trophy awarded to one racer, either gender.

Nominations will be made by coaches for 2nd year U16 athletes moving to U18, U18 or U21 racers with financial need, committed to the the sport; that shows athletic ability and potential to rise in alpine ski racing.

Jordan Schick Bursary

Jordan Schick Bursary of $750 and plaque will be awarded to one racer, either gender

The family of Jordan Schick awards this bursary to a racer at WMSC in Jordan’s memory. Jordan lost his life in a car accident while he was a WMSC racer.

Nominations will be made by Coaches and the bursary will be awarded to one racer in the 2nd year U16 moving to U18, U18 or U21 program

Dear all

​It is with very mixed emotions that I move on from my position with the Whistler Mountain Ski Club. The WMSC is so much more than a ski club. The community that is the club, and the wider communities that the club are involved with have led me to meet and learn from an incredible range of champions in life.

There is no doubt that it is a big ship to steer, yet with the many incredible staff, members, volunteers and partners it has been an incredibly enjoyable and rewarding experience and since day one it has felt like a team effort.

I cannot express enough gratitude and appreciation to all the staff, volunteers and partners who work tirelessly to keep evolving the club, the programmes and the events that we deliver. It would simply be impossible without such great people and I have certainly benefited from the support at every turn. I have learnt an incredible amount from all of you and I endeavour to take the lessons learnt and the enthusiasm to keep learning forwards with me.

This past season has been particularly challenging, and the club has shown its true colours. With the lack of snow at the start of the year, followed by the inundation of snow, health challenges for key staff members and their families and now the Coronavirus, the team has stepped up, rallied and made the very best of every situation.

I have been truly humbled to work with the entire team that we have. From the athletes who turn up every day to make the most of every opportunity and continually give their best, to the coaches who’s enthusiasm and passion for the sport and their tireless efforts in their pursuit of personal excellence and that of their athletes is remarkable.

One area where I have learnt a great deal and built an enormous respect in my time at Whistler Mountain Ski Club is for everything that goes on behind the scenes. The admin staff who work round the clock to make it all happen, the parents who give enormous support to their athletes, the volunteers who get up in the dark to go on hill or the race office and organise everything from lunches to start lists. You are all true champions in life.

I have received a great amount of support and I am incredibly grateful for the guidance from the Executive Committee and the Board of directors over the last years, and none more so than through the Covid-19 pandemic and the challenge and complexities that this has been, and continues to be creating in the world.

Of course, I am delighted that I will be passing the ‘keys’ back to Bob Armstrong when I leave. Bob transitioned me in and the fact that he will transition me back out shows the level of loyalty, knowledge and passion that Bob has, and I know that together with the board the club is in very good hands particularly in these difficult times.

It is never easy to move on from something that you are completely invested in and there would never be a good time to step away, and with the current challenges it makes it even harder. However, I am very reassured in the knowledge that Bob, Blanca and the coaching team, particularly the Lead Coaches and Athletic co-ordinator, Conrad, Drew, Henry, Mat & Richard will continue to develop the club.

I look forwards to watching the team evolve along with the club and the continued development of Champions in Life and Sport in the years to come and you will be hearing from this team directly in the next few days regarding the transition into next season along with initiatives to be taken over the next several months to strengthen the physical & psychological readiness with the technical and tactical understanding.

Finally however, I am incredibly excited about the challenging journey that lies ahead of me, I will maintain contact with the club and look forwards to see you all again soon (whenever we are allowed to interact).

From the bottom of my heart, thank you all.

Your sincerely

Mark Tilston

March 31, 2020

On behalf of the Club’s Board of Directors, I wish to thank our athletes, staff, members, and stakeholders for your support and patience as we navigate these uncharted waters.

Our world has forced us to take pause, leaving space to consider how we address the varied challenges that life throws at all of us, and I am hopeful that for all of us the Club’s Teamship Values can play a part in that. Centrally, one attribute that all ski racers develop is perseverance in the face of adversity, which will serve us well as we face this unprecedented health crisis together.

I can report that the Club’s Management and Board have been fully engaged over the past fortnight, assessing the impact this quickly changing environment has had on the Club and taking steps to respond prudently to protect the Club’s long-term viability. I am now writing to provide you with an update on our efforts and report on other important developments within the Club.

Whistler Cup

As the COVID-19 crisis began to unfold in January, the potential impact of international travel restrictions on the Club was closely monitored. Our initial focus was on determining the viability of holding the 2020 event, as we needed to put a cap on ongoing expenditures were the event to be cancelled. However, as the severity of the crisis crystallized the discussion quickly turned to the health and safety of our athletes and volunteers, and following a whirlwind of developments over a two day period we cancelled Whistler Cup on March 12th.

While the Whistler Cup team has done an excellent job of managing preparation expenses, the cancellation of the event has resulted in a financial loss to the Club.

We are working with the 2020 Whistler Cup sponsors to defer their commitments to next year, and we are very pleased to announce that O2E Brands, our title sponsor, has agreed to roll their commitment over to next year’s event. Plans are already underway to bring next year’s Whistler Cup event back, bigger and better than ever.

Early Shutdown of Whistler Blackcomb

Once Vail announced on March 14th that Whistler Blackcomb would be closed for the remainder of the season, it was obvious that the Club’s operations would need to be severely scaled back for several months at a minimum. Club Management moved to suspend programming and immediately began taking steps to reduce operating costs and preserve the Club’s financial resources in light of the significant uncertainties ahead. Seasonal coaching staff were released several weeks early, and all non-essential spending was reduced.

However, recognizing that the Club’s staff are one of the most important assets of the Club, the Club will be keeping our lead coaches and key administrative and athletic staff on until at least April 30th, and we are actively pursuing the recently announced wage subsidies to keep our team engaged through June. The situation on this front is evolving daily and I appreciate your patience as we work through the details on all of this.

The Club will also be taking the step of paying all of our coaches year-end gratuities.

I know many of you have already done so, but do please take the time to reach out to your coaches and let them know that we are thinking of them.

Potential Refund of 2019/20 Program Fees

The Board has spent a considerable amount of time discussing the question of a potential refund of Program Fees to parents for the shortened season. We discussed a number of factors including; the actual number of lost training days, program costs structures, early season termination costs. the Whistler Cup loss and the major uncertainties the Club faces in coming months and into next year, as the COVID-19 crisis and the related economic fallout continues to unfold.

After careful consideration, the Board felt there were too many uncertainties to be in a position to make any decision regarding a potential refund of Program Fees at this time. We plan to revisit this issue during the summer months, once the full impact of the COVID-19 crisis comes into focus.

All Trip Fees relating to cancelled travel are being refunded.

Recruitment of Mark Tilston as Canadian National Ski Team Head Men’s Coach

Mark Tilston has advised the Board that he has accepted the position of Head Coach of the men’s Canadian National Ski Team, and I am personally very pleased to congratulate him for this success.

In announcing his resignation, Mark stressed that leaving the Club was a difficult decision, particularly given the timing, but that his discussions with Alpine Canada had been ongoing since last year and his decision to take the position was not related to the COVID 19 crisis – noting that this poses challenges for all of us no matter where we are. Mark has worked hard to stay in front of the rapidly changing events impacting the Club, and is leaving the Club with an organizational structure capable of addressing the uncertainties ahead. Mark will be sending a personal message following this announcement and will be continuing in his position through April 30th.

The Board thanks Mark for his outstanding contribution to the Club in his five years as Executive Director, and wishes him and his family every success with the new position.

We are very proud to see yet another WMSC Alumni move forward to a position on the Canadian National Ski Team!

Appointment of Bob Armstrong as Interim Executive Director

The Club has appointed Bob Armstrong as Interim Executive Director, effective May 1st.

The Club is very fortunate to have deep bench strength in its senior management team: in addition to having been on staff with the Club for the past seven years, Bob previously served as interim Executive Director for the 2014-2015 season and is also a WMSC parent. Bob is already known to most of our athletes, parents and stakeholders and has a deep understanding
of how the Club operates.

The Board is extremely grateful to Bob for agreeing to step up and provide the Club with the opportunity for a seamless executive transition in a highly uncertain environment. Bob has the unanimous support of the Board and we have great confidence in his ability to lead the Club through the challenging times ahead. A communication from Bob will follow, setting out opportunities for athletes and families to remain connected and engaged through the coming months.

Personal Thoughts

We are living in unprecedented times. We do not know what the “new normal” will be, but we all realize that we will have to adjust to it as it comes.

The Whistler Mountain Ski Club is at its core the sum of the contributions, efforts and character of its past and present athletes, parents, staff and stakeholders, arrayed around a common passion. To all of you, please draw upon and rally around this collective character as we face the challenges ahead, together.

On Behalf of the Board
WHISTLER MOUNTAIN SKI CLUB
John Legg
Chair