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POSTED DECEMBER 20
What does FIS mean? Well it’s full length version is “ Federation International de Ski” based in Switzerland; the international ranking for all the ski racing athletes around the world. This means that our Vernon Ski Club athletes are on the same race list as Bode Miller or Lindsey Vonn; pretty cool. They can race in other parts of the world under this ranking. The FIS age starts at 15 years old called Junior 1 or J1 (15 &16 years old) then J2 (17 &18 years old) after that you start senior categories. This is the second year in many years that the Vernon Ski Club has FIS racers. Last year we had three, this year with the three New Zealand athletes that will join us we will have 10 making it a solid race team. The coaches for this group are Canaan Pollock, former National Ski Racer and coach from Eastern USA, and Ian Chernencoff former Vernon Ski Club member, National Racer and BC Team speed coach.
The FIS athletes have been hard at work all summer long doing dryland work in the gym and many other activities to get strong. Some of our athletes have been in the gym everyday all summer; quite a commitment. Canaan, who coaches in New Zealand in our summer time, arrived back in Vernon in the Fall, and at that time our FIS athletes started a very intensive strength building period. This meant in the gym five days a week going at 6 AM and 3:30 PM. These young racers worked a minimum of 14 hours a week getting stronger. Coming home like zombies, falling asleep in class sometimes, eating huge amounts of food and drinking gallons of water to keep their bodies going. So why do you ask do they have to get so strong? As Ian put it “when you drop into Devils Drop corner at Apex Downhill you will know why you had to get so strong”.
The FIS team has attended two, four day on snow camps at Sun Peaks. The first camp was to work on balance and the second camp was gate training GS and Slalom, where the Austrian National Ski Team has been training in preparation for their World Cup season. They also spent a weekend at Silver Star continuing on balance work, going back to basics. This going back to basics never stops - even the best in the world are still learning to do a better turn. As Manny Osborne-Paradis said that he just learned how to turn this summer in South America. It showed in his Super G World Cup win at Lake Louise.
What’s next for this group? They have been to Alberta to race and train and will arrrive back home to Vernon just before Christmas. They had better get their mom’s Christmas gift before they get home…..
You will see them in the club cabin over the Christmas holidays. Say hi, ask them how their skiing is going, take a run with them and try and pass them.
Until the next update ski fast and have fun.
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