Weasel Workers at Lake Louise - 2008
John Benbow, our Chief of Course for the Men's track (the Dave Murray downhill) was in Lake Louise in late November and early December, 2008 as part of a Weasel contingent assisting with the annual Winterstart World Cup downhill (DH) and super giant slalom (SG) ski races.
John, who was Assistant chief of Course at Lake Louise, this year, has provided the following report ................
"THE
Hi everyone.
The rush of the holidays have past
and we are now readying
ourselves for the race season ahead in our own Whistler backyard. As we
start to prepare for
these races I thought I would pass on my perspective on the Lake Louise Winterstart Downhill
and Super G
which I was able to attend this year.
If you had the chance to watch the
races on T.V. you saw a
track that was well constructed and maintained. The crew at "The Lake"
is not
much different than our Whistler crew, made up of dedicated volunteers
from across
From the moment I arrived to the time
I left I was welcomed
with open arms. It was great to be able to work with Chief
of Race, Darrell MacLachlan and Chief of Course, Mike Kirker,
as they will both be out here for
the 2010 winter Olympic Games.
This was the second year in a row for
me to attend the races
at The
A new FIS rule on track maintenance is in play this year, one that limits access to the course during the race. No one is aloud on the track except at official predetermined 4 minute breaks, which occurred after racers 15, 22, 30, and 45. From racer 45 to the end of the field, the jury will call for a "hold". whenever it finds it necessary.
During the four 4-minute breaks any
and all track repairs were performed. As well,
the track was slipped and repainted. After each break, the
track was "good to go". At each break, the crews jumped to
action,
got their tasks completed and were off track without delay.
I
congratulate the entire crew for a job well done.
Although there was not a large number
of Weasels at the
Lake Louise men’s races this year, those that did come out were not
only appreciated for
their hard work but, more importantly, well respected. At the first
coaches meeting,
Darrell introduced Gary Taylor and myself as the Assistant Chief of
Race and
Here is a list of the Whistler Weasel Workers who assisted with the Men's downhill and Super G and the the positions they held:
| Name | Position | Comments |
| Gary Taylor | Assistant Chief of Race | worked hand in hand with Darrell attending all meetings and being on board with all decisions |
| Carl Ricker | Crew Chief |
assigned to "Fallaway" an d "Timing Flats" |
| Christine Yanisiw | Asst. Crew Chief | assigned to "Fallaway" an d "Timing Flats" |
| Dave Oser | Crew Chief | assigned to "Olympic Crossing" |
| Doug Wylie | Crew member | stepped up to be a runner when asked on Race Day |
| Bill Scott | Crew member | say no more, he does it all and the Lake Louise crew appreciates it |
| Richard Prokopanko | Crew member | first up, last down c/w snacks in between—a FIS trump card |
| John Benbow | Assistant Chief of Course | worked with Mike Kirker, with FIS Race Director, Helmuth Smatzel. and with crews. |
On a personal note I would like to
thank Mike Kirker for
allowing me to contribute to the races by working directly with Helmuth
Smatzel
from FIS and the individual course crews.
As the Alberta Sled Dogs have grown,
our Weasel crew at Lake Louise has dropped in numbers from a few years
ago, when 30 or more Weasels would work on the Winterstart races.
I would highly recommend this opportunity to work
with our Alberta brethren. However, anyone
interested in attending the Lake Louise Downhill should decide early
as the race organizers have limited numbers that they can support.
Happy New Years to all. I look forward to seeing you on the Dave Murray track at the end of February"
Sincerely,
John Benbow – Assistant Chief of Course, Lake Louise Men’s Downhill and Super G
