Masters Ski Racing Club is all about:

Skill Improvement

At the heart of our program is the belief that everyone can enjoy the winter and skiing if they are learning at a pace that works for them. By dividing into ability groups rather than splitting up by age (as is the case elsewhere) we target the individual’s needs.

Race Coaching

For many people the idea of racing can be intimidating. Once you realize that its just skill improvement and training with tools your progress is amazing. The added challenge increases the fun of skiing and the self-confidence of the skier too.

Racing

By splitting the groups by ability in the races our club has managed to satisfy or challenge skiers at all levels of athleticism and experience. We are able to provide a safe environment for our newest members and push the nationally ranked racer too.

General Education

Our members learn not only on snow but off as well.  Through seminars and our website they learn about equipment selection, tuning and waxing, the technique and tactics of racing and even are exposed to the psychological and physical preparation part of ski racing. Video is used as well.

Fun

The ultimate goal of our club is to make skiing fun in Manitoba for adults of all ages. There are bus trips, organized social gatherings, golf dates and parties. The on and off snow friendships that results are a big part of who we are. It’s like a ski vacation without the airfare.  SIGN ME UP!

ORGANIZATION

The Masters Ski Program is divided into five groups that allow the coaching staff to concentrate on the individual needs of the members.  If you join for ski improvement, to learn to race or race better, Masters has it for you!
            -Bronze
            -Silver
            -Gold
            -Platinum

BRONZE

The focus is on FUNdamentals. Leadership by experienced ski teachers and coaches help develop the key skiing skills. Whether you joined for ski improvement, to get full value out of the new equipment or have an eventual desire to race this is a great place to start.

SILVER

For skiers who want to refine their skills and also become more comfortable in gates over the season. The focus is on developing more confidence and athleticism on the slope. Gates are a more integral part of the training process using all the tools at the club’s command.

GOLD

These skiers are up for a challenge but need to work on the skills as they are applied to courses. Beside skill drills there is more time in drill courses to help refine and develop their ability in the racecourse. An Introduction to speed events for versatility is part of the plan.

PLATINUM

Training to compete is the best way to describe the program focus for these individuals. For them racing is the key reason they show up. The goal this year is to increase the challenge in the type of courses they are exposed to. Training will be for combinations, rhythm changes and longer slalom courses too.

NEW for 2007/2008

As in prior years our basic program for members includes a combination of training and races.  This year, we have made some modifications to the program including.

• Training - This year the program will include a greater weighting of training during the early part of the season, in order to prepare skiers at all levels to improve their general skiing skills as well as race techniques and tactics.
• Races – This year there will be 8 races over the course of the year.  The current year’s schedule is posted on the website. It features a return to a combined race series. All members run the same courses but throughout the year the level of challenge increases so that all members can experience the excitement that racing offers and use the skills that they possess while testing their progress too. This is a unique approach to accommodating the needs unique to our club and in line with current ski coaching practices. Ensuring that you are properly prepared through the training program to enjoy success in the different experiences you will be presented with on race nights is key.
• Race Category Changes- The number of categories is reduced to 4 (with men’s and women’s divisions in each) instead of 5. The groups formerly known as Platinum and Diamond are amalgamating. This new group (Platinum) will also have results tabulated on the basis of age as well as an overall category championship in order to mirror the practice in other provinces for this ability range and to provide for more comparisons.
• New Learning Group Designations :

• Skier Essentials  (former Bronze) training group will be used for teaching the more basic skiing skills. Whenever possible there will be additional volunteer coaches scheduled on a few nights (see Club Instructor program).
• Learn to Train  (former Silver) training group would be taught more advanced skiing skills and introductory race skills (primarily classic techniques to promote better line before other tactics are learned).
• Learn to Race  (former Gold) and Train to Race (former Platinum and Diamond) training groups would be focused on high performance training for racing in the modern environment.
•  New Cancellation Policy: Our club program cancellation point will be adjusted to –32 (wind-chill included) for training nights and remain at –28 for races nights. This recognises the difference between training and racing in terms of the individual’s activity levels and the ability to self generate heat.

Why the Changes?

As a result of the separate race formats we have used in the past four years the transition from purely recreational skiing to racing technique was significantly improved for many participants. Our focus on training or instruction for the newer skier has helped attract or support members who may never have thought of our club as an option in the past. The introduction of the more modern slalom courses that take advantage of the greater potential of current race equipment and techniques has begun to attract the higher level athletes that are now joining our club because the challenge is on par with their past experiences. Its worthwhile to note that the vast majority of other Masters clubs in Canada have been focused almost exclusively on this ex-racer or highly competitive member. However we feel our mandate is to provide programs the adult skier as well as the racer will enjoy and to provide opportunities to experience and share the fun of winter outdoors with their friends. At the same time we recognise that the social aspect of the club which was facilitated by having everyone at the hill for the entire race night was affected by separating members into two different courses. While there were excellent reasons technically to do this at the time we believe that it can reduce the social interaction in the club which is a big part of enjoying skiing in our less than temperate climate. We hope to address the two issues that result (racing should be specific to the skier’s skills but everyone on the same course means everyone is together) with the new race formats and course designs. A full description of the race designs will be posted on the website before the race season gets underway.

It is also now not necessary to train in the same group now as you race. You can select your learning group based on the techniques that you need to improve rather than on the placement of points in a blended competition. This can be very valuable if you find that your race performance is being hampered by a weakness in some fundamental skill or technique that you missed. Coaches and instructors have always recognised that skiing is like building a pyramid. Some things can’t be learned or improved upon unless you build the foundation for it first. Sometimes for those of us skiing for a long time though it’s more like remodelling a home. There’s no sense just painting the walls if you need major repair to the foundations first. The cracks are just going to appear again later. You can have the greatest influence on determining what you learn.

For the purpose of improving potential training results there needs to be continuity and progression in the curriculum so that both the coaches and their students/athletes know what to expect on a week to week basis or at least throughout the season. This was one of the messages from our coaches communicated in an informal Program Advisory group that met this spring. Developing and supporting this curriculum will be an ongoing project that we are entering into in this year in order to provide members with a clear idea of how they are progressing. It will be based on an adapted version of the Husky Snow Stars program, the most significant coaching tool in use in Canada. The adaptation will take into account the differences in adult learning, our physical and psychological capabilities while remaining true to the skills and techniques that are the core of this program. Materials and resources will be made available to members as well as coaches as the program unfolds.

Why are there Optional Offerings?

Elsewhere you will find information on the additional information on some brand new offerings form the club this year. They include the Holiday 3 pack, The Fall technique Tune-up in Banff, the CSIA Level 1 course we are acting as hosts for and more. We set ourselves some lofty goals for the future of the program and the club. These goals are based in part on the following points:

• Many members realise that they can benefit from additional training in order to progress. Whatever your personal goals many members have made it clear that they wanted more opportunities to ski and receive instruction last year. We needed to ensure that this does not affect the core program budget while at the same time providing additional coaching opportunities. As a result the Options Program was created.
• Everyone recognises that the environments and challenges at mountain and out of town locations can greatly enhance or accelerate one’s learning. To be able to ski better on longer runs or enjoy different terrain is one of the reasons we all keep skiing.
• We wanted to see if we could create opportunities where the club could leverage our training expertise as a fund-raiser.
• Masters has a history of members helping members to improve. This strong heritage of service was the core strength of our club for any years. Recently many members have either upgraded their instructor or coaching certifications and experience or have just joined the ranks of new instructors or coaches (trained status). Often the motivation was to personally improve or understand the sport better but a number have indicated an in interest to participate in the program as volunteer instructors. Our goal is to promote more educational opportunities for the club membership and to help support and develop instructors who can work at the Bronze level. To do this we need to provide mentoring (which is a requirement for all coaching level trainees in order to attain a certified status) and additional training opportunities for coaches. The ultimate beneficiaries of this are the members who take advantage of the training that the club offers.

In order to manage these program offerings they are limited to specific group sizes and in some cases skill levels so early registration is the only way to ensure that you are included. The registration is on a first come basis for members. Only if room permits or it is possible to add additional staff will we expand to include members of the public at a higher price.

OUR COACHING STAFF

Our program is all about having fun, being challenged and discovering new capabilities inside yourself and maximizing your equipment’s potential.  The Manitoba Master’s Ski Club has assembled the finest team of coaches in its history for this year. They include members of the club who have progressed because of their desire to improve not only their own skiing skills but to share their love of the sport. The C.S.C.F. and C.S.I.A certify all staff.

MANITOBA MASTERS SKI CLUB EXECUTIVE