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Date: 11/8/2021
Subject: GKHAT Chat - November 2021
From: GKHAT



Hello GKHAT Families,
 
Tick Tock!!! The time is neigh and the snow has begun. Soon, the landscape will be draped with snow. Those of us that seek out the experience will be looking for the pockets of snow... following the huge bowls of it. Are you ready? Are your athletes ready? I know that I'm ready!
 
Should you encounter any problems with this email, please be sure to let us know by emailing us: it@gkhat.ca 
  • Welcome to GKHAT
  • Important Dates and Upcoming Schedule
  • RCR Vaccination Requirements and Refunds
  • Pre-season Training
  • Fundraising Online Auction
  • Equipment Info and Fitting Day @ Selkirk
  • Lake Louise World Cup Social
  • Gear Check
  • Coaches Corner
The full PDF version can be found via this link.

Welcome from the President

Welcome to the 2021/2022 season to all GKHAT families!

After the challenges of the pandemic, I am thrilled that GKHAT is able to continue fostering strong starts in alpine skiing for children and youth at KHMR. Established in 1990 as the Whitetooth Race Team, our club has been delivering ski racing and alpine ski programming for over 30 years now. Our mission is to increase skier confidence, ability, and promote a healthy attitude to competitive sports through inclusion, team spirit and fair play. Although skiing is an individual sport, we work as a team to encourage and support participants at every level.

The 2021 club executive is comprised of parent volunteers:  Tracy VanZalingen (Vice President), Eric Poulin (Treasurer), Rhonda Laurell (Secretary/Parent Liaison), Helen Page (Registrar), Ed Van Wieren (IT),  and Sue McRoberts (Fundraising) and myself. The board meets monthly and minutes can be found on the GKHAT website along with our club constitution, bylaws, and policies.

GKHAT has approximately 100 athletes registered in the club for the 2021-22 season. While our club numbers have decreased during the pandemic, we plan to continue offering the best possible experience for our members. GKHAT is committed to following provincial and organizational health and safety guidelines; thus our program will continue to look a little different than previous years. As we experienced in 2020, with great coaches, committed families and plenty of fun turns, our athletes can continue having a wonderful time while developing as skiers. 

As a club we communicate regularly with members with monthly newsletters, emails and via our website (www.gkhat.ca). Give us a follow on social media (Instagram, Facebook) to stay up to date and catch some great photos of the kids on snow.  BC Alpine, our provincial body, provides guidance and support for club policies, club races, coach training, and athlete development. BC Alpine’s website is an excellent reference to review age specific athlete development goals, race schedules, official training and other ski racing resources. 

Our parent information meeting will be held online this year on November 23 for new families (“Welcome to GKHAT”) and November 25 for returning families (“Welcome back to GKHAT”). All are welcome at both events and an event link will be sent out in the coming weeks to attend the sessions to discuss the program and address any questions you may have prior to the start of ski season. 

If you have any questions regarding registration, please don’t hesitate to contact Helen Page (registrar@gkhat.ca). If you have any coaching or equipment related questions, Ryan Ford is the guy (headcoach@gkhat.ca). If you would like to get more involved with the club as a volunteer or a director,  please don’t hesitate to contact me at president@gkhat.ca.

I look forward to seeing you at the parent meeting and on the hill!

Jill Cunes
GKHAT President

president@gkhat.ca

Important Dates for the 2021/22 Season

 
A full race schedule for club and away events on the website. Events will be added or updated to the schedule as we become aware of them. Please note that all away races are optional but they are lots of fun and well worth participating in!


RCR Vaccination Requirements & Refunds

RCR sent communications to all season passholder on November 1, 2021. In that communication, RCR indicated that vaccinations will be required for everyone 12 and older. Here is the key paragraph:
 
Following the advice provided by the Provincial Government Health Authorities, RCR has decided to require proof of COVID-19 Immunization Record to access all chair lifts and indoor facilities at our resorts this winter. This decision has been made with the goal of providing you, our guests, our staff, and our resort communities with the safest environment possible.
 
This means that all guests 12 or older must show government-issued proof of COVID-19 Immunization Record to ski or ride at RCR resorts during the 2021.22 winter season.
 
Please check the RCR website for more details.

Families who are unable to participate in the program this year due to vaccine requirements are requested to email registrar@gkhat.ca by NOVEMBER 17 2021 in order to receive a 95% refund of program fees. After this date, refunds will not be available if an athlete pulls out of the program as per GKHAT’s refund policy.


Pre Season Training

 
We plan to offer early season training beginning in November, although due to COVID this year’s format will likely look different from what we have done in the past. If you have an interested athlete, please email headcoach@gkhat.ca for more information regarding this season’s pre-season plan.

GKHAT Auction

It’s time to get those auction items in! If you still have auction items to deliver, please reach out to Ed or Sue (contact details below).
  • Calgary Donation Drop off: Contact Ed VanWieren at evanwieren@gkhat.ca or text 403-863-4269. Texting is preferred.
  • Golden drop off: Mountain Motorsports, or contact Sue McRoberts at 250-439-8317
  • The auction will run between Nov 12-19, 2021
  • Successful bidders will be responsible to arrange pick up of their items by December 5th with either Sue in Golden or Ed in Calgary (contact info as above).
Stay tuned for emails when the auction goes live and get your bid on!


Equipment Info and Fitting Day

 
Selkirk Ski and Bike, Sunday November 14th.
 
Do you have some questions about getting your athlete's equipment ready for the upcoming season? On Sunday Ryan and some coaches will be at Selkirk to help check out the fit of your athletes equipment and/or help you figure out what you need for the season. A great chance to learn about:
  • Sizing/ fitting boots, skis etc.
  • How to properly buckle boots for best performance (ALL AGES!!)
  • Pick up a tuning punch card offered by Selkirk to GKHAT athletes
  • Whatever skiing / GKHAT related questions you can come up with!
  • Lots of great Jr boots in stock

Lake Louise World Cup Social 

Come watch the fastest women in the world race downhill and Super G events at Lake Louise Dec 4 & 5th. See https://lakelouiseworldcup.com/en/home/ for all the details about this amazing weekend. Contact president@gkhat.ca if you want to be included on the team email list for this event.

Dryland Training

Get your ski legs ready for winter!

GKHAT is once again offering Dryland training this fall starting Oct 12 and will run until the snow flies (hoping for 4-6 weeks). The program will be available to athletes in U10+. Cost of the program is $30 per athlete. Training will be on Tuesdays from 3:30 - 4:30 meeting at Lady Grey School field. The program will run outdoors, so please send your child dressed for the weather with athletic shoes and water.

If you would like to participate, please click the link here to sign up on the GKHAT website. Please contact info@gkhat.ca if you have questions about the program.
 
Please also remember to fill out this form if your U12 and up skier is interested in participating in dryland training this fall during the month of November.


Ski Gear Swap

Is your skier growing like a weed? Do you have gear you are ready to sell to another ski family? Are you looking for a place to find quality used gear for next season? Have a look or post an ad on the GKHAT Facebook Online Gear & Equipment Buy & Sell “event”. To get to this “event”, simply search for “GKHAT” on facebook, select the “GKHAT” page, and look for “events”. This event is an ongoing event to allow you to post what you would like to sell. Feel free to connect for purchases. GKHAT is not involved in these transactions in any way.

If you have a team jacket to sell or are looking for one please contact Rhonda Laurell at rlaurell@gkhat.ca

Coaches Corner
Head Coach - Ryan Ford 

Where I am from: Dundas ON/ Huntsville ON Hidden Valley Ski Area
Previous Coaching/racing experience:  I raced for 10 years until I was 15 and then made the decision to switch to coaching. I coached young Nancy Greene athletes at my home hill (Hidden Valley) for a few years before moving to Thunder Bay ON to attend Lakehead University. I continued coaching and instructing there until Dana and I moved to Golden 6 years ago to ski! This winter will be my 10th season with GKHAT and marks 17 years of coaching and teaching skiing. My dream job!
Favorite ski hill: Kicking Horse, OBVIOUSLY! Best outside the mountains.. Loch Lomond Thunder Bay!
Favorite run at KHMR: Truth, or Pioneer when it’s groomed all the way down
My superpower: Falling with style
Favorite skier: so many! Racers- Todd Brooker & the Crazy Canucks; Freeride- Glenn Plake, Shane McConkey and so many others...
Other Hobbies: Mountain Biking, Climbing, Whitewater Canoeing, General Outdoor Mountain Adventuring.
Fun Fact about me: I was once in a Warren Miller movie.

Coaches Corner
Nancy Green Head Coach - Sarah Recoskie

Where I am from: Barry’s Bay, ON
Previous racing/coaching experience:   I grew up ski racing in the Nancy Greene program and then raced on my high school ski team. While I was in High School I started teaching skiing and then two years later coaching as well. I spent many years teaching for a few different ski resorts in Ontario and then 7 years working at Whistler Blackcomb before finding Golden.  This is my 8th season coaching for GKHAT.
Favorite ski hill:  Kicking Horse
Favorite run at KHMR: Porcupine
My superpower: Warming up cold hands on the Gondola or Chair
Favorite skier:  Kerrin Lee-Gardner, The Crazy Canucks, and anyone who wants to go skiing with me
Other Hobbies:  Playing outside, doing mostly any activity. Cooking. Reading. Wood Working. Camping. Board Games and TIME with Family and Friends!!!!
Fun Fact about me:  I have driven across Canada 16 times with some of my favourite people!

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