Late Summer Check-in

Hello Friends,

9° here this morning in Calgary, what better time to update you what is going on with Winterstart World Cup.

WORLD CUP 2012

 

Registrations are strong to date; we need you to get your name in as soon as possible! If you have a friend who has always been talking of joining us for years – get them signed up too!   Visit www.winterstartevent.com

B u i l d   W e e k:   November 9 to 16

M e n ’ s   W e e k :   November 17 to 25

L a d i e s ’   W e e k :   November 26 to December 3 (INCLUDES TEARDOWN ON MONDAY)

QUEST FOR GOLD GOLF TOURNAMENT

There are still a couple of foursomes available for Alberta Alpine’s annual golf tournament in Canmore. 

When:  Monday, September 10^th - 10:00 am shotgun; registration opens at 8:30 am

Where: Silvertip Golf Resort, Canmore
What:  Descente wearable tee gift, BBQ steak dinner with all the fixing, snacks and on course libations
How:  Purchase a single or foursome by contacting Adam Hull via adam@albertaalpine.ca or 403.609.4731

LAKE LOUISE WORK PARTY AND LOBSTER BAKE

September is around the corner and we need your help to begin preparing the venue and equipment to host the world's fastest alpine racers.  This is your invitation to lend a hand - you know who you are!

When: Saturday, September 8^thand Sunday, September 9^th

·         Come one or both days (lunch will be provided)
·         Accommodation and dinner Saturday night for those working both days
·         Carpooling from COP on Saturday and Sunday morning
Where:  Lake Louise Ski Resort
What:  Installing snow fence in the alpine – if you have never been up this high in the early autumn you owe it to yourself to see the view
How:  Please contact Doug Campbell via 56fuller@gmail.com with your availability

SOCIAL MEDIA

Don’t forget to follow us on our different portals to stay up to date:

Facebook:  The Sled Dogs  •  Twitter:  @TheSledDogs  •  Web:  http://thesleddogblog.blogspot.com

Enjoy what is left of the summer.  Don’t forget to register for November  at www.winterstartevents.com

DOG DAY 2012

Tickets

One$30.00 CAD Two$60.00 CAD Three$90.00 CAD Four$120.00 CAD

Sled Dog Pack Back

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Trying to figure out what all the straps and zippers are for on your new High Sierra back pack?  Checkout http://www3.telus.net/thesleddogs/ to learn all the bells and whistles!

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THE DOG HOUSE IS BACK!

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It needs your support!
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For those of you new to Lake Louise, The Dog House is our volunteer après venue Located in The Wilson Room of The Lake Louise Inn.

Thanks to the initiative of a small group of Sled Dogs three years ago, whose intent was to enhance the après experience, “Dog’s Best Friend” help feed and water their fellow Dogs by donating funds to acquire non-sponsored items like wine, crunchy snacks and last year for the first time, pizza!

After slipping all day, these Dogs need a snack!

Sponsorships are available for a $100 contribution and can paid by clicking on the “Pay Now” button below or by INTERAC transfer via thesleddogs@telus.net and your financial institution. 

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Support options

Men's Week $100.00 Ladies' Week $100.00 Either $100.00 Men's & Ladies' $200.00

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PAW PRINTS

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Looking for information regarding your time volunteering at Lake Louise?  Paw Prints, our volunteer handbook is now available for download:

http://www3.telus.net/thesleddogs

The document has a large focus on Course Crew and their operations however there is plenty of information for you if you are making your first trip to the Winterstart World Cup.

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SLED DOG CAPS

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Our friends at New Era Caps have come up with a great piece for the 2011 edition of Sled Dog Schwag.  It is available to order now via PAYPAL - see link provided below, or INTERAC transfer to thesleddogs@telus.net

The cap is royal blue and features an embroidered Paw Print on the front, stitched New Era flag at wearer's left side and the title "SLED DOG NATION" embroidered around the rear opening. 

 

The New Era 920 is an unstructured cap featuring six panel construction, breathable eyelets, a curved visor and button at top. Open back has an adjustable New Era® flag clip closure.

Cost is $20.00 per hat; all orders and payments must be received by Monday, October 31st.

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SKI SWAP II

Round two of the Banff Alpine Racers Ski Swap goes tomorrow, Octoboer 15th, in Banff.  If you need gear for the track this season look no further for some great deals on race skis and also on fat skis from CMH Heli-skiing for those hoping for another La Nina winter.

October 14th, 15th, & 16th
Cascade Plaza - 2nd Level (across from high school) 
Consignment: Friday 5pm - 9pm and Saturday 9am - Noon
Early Bird Sale: Saturday 1pm - 2pm
Sale: Saturday 2pm - 9pm
Pickup: Sunday

SKI SWAP

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The Banff Alpine Racers are hosting the first of their annual ski swaps this weekend in Canmore.  If you are looking for a great deal on a pair of skis for the race course, something for that growing person in your life or are looking to unload some of your surplus equipment make your way west this Friday and Saturday.

October 7th, 8th, & 9th
Canmore Place, 1002 8th Avenue
Consignment:  Friday 5pm - 9pm and Saturday 9am - Noon
Early Bird Sale:  Saturday 1pm - 2pm
Sale:  Saturday 2pm - 9pm
Pickup:  Sunday

September Lobster Bake

Ok.  It's not really a lobster bake, but it is fun and it can include dinner!

September is almost here and once again we need your help to begin preparing our venue and equipment to host the world's fastest alpine racers at Lake Louise. This is your invitation to lend a hand - you know who you are!

Date:  Saturday, September 10^th and Sunday, September 11^th

·    Where:  Lake Louise!

What's On Tap:

§ Installing snow fence in the Alpine
§ Air Fence maintenance
§ B-Net inspection and maintenance
§ GPS survey crew (to be confirmed)

Details:
§ Come one or both days (lunch will be provided)
§ accommodation and dinner Saturday night for those working both days
§ Carpooling from COP on Saturday morning

Doug Campbell is making the trek west for the second year in a row to lend a hand to this important,and fun, weekend  and is looking forward to seeing you there.  Please contact Doug via 56fuller@gmail.com with your availability.

And if you haven’t registered for November yet… visit the website www.worldcupwinterstart.com

Calgary Stampede

Nationals at Nakiska

In a little more than 5 weeks time the GMC Canadian National Championships return to Nakiska. Nationals are a great event.  The best of Canada’s athletes competing in a relaxed atmosphere after the grind of the World Cup Season paired with the intensity of the up and comers of our provincial teams who are looking to make a name for themselves.

Races get underway on Thursday March 24th running through Thursday March 31st.  The first day for volunteers is Saturday March 19th with track prep and timing work to be done.  Do you have a weekend, time mid-week, or even more, that you can spare?  We need your help.

 

The ROC is working hard to provide a great experience for all involved.  For you so far:

• Accommodations at the Delta Lodge Kananaskis

• Daily Hospitality at the Race Shack and Woody’s Pub
• Volunteer Appreciation Night – Saturday, March 26th
• On-hill barbeque, thanks to GMC – Wednesday, March 30th
• Breakfast, lunch AND dinner• Good weather (it is March after all)

To register, simply follow the link to Alpine Canada’s website and fill in your info, www.canski.org/Canadian-Alpine-Races

A snowy discovery

Could this be the long lost grave of Dagger Jim?

SNOW CONTROL

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A tip of the hat to all the Sled Dogs who have been on-site at The Lake over the past week in making this happen. Once again the hard work pays off with a passing grade from the FIS - great job!

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The next five days stand to be a challenge for the crew as Mother Nature is throwing more snow and arctic like temperatures at the track. Get out there and lend a hand this weekend.

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WE'RE ROLLING

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Saturday marked Day One on snow for the 2010 Winterstart World Cup as Darrell, Jim, Mike, Craig and Dan made the trek to Lake Louise to check in on snowmaking, cats and all the great work of The Net Monkeys.

While things may look a little rough around the edges snow wise things are progressing well so far. The shots from the webcams may look sparse but one has to remember that it is only November 8th. As Darrell so aptly put Saturday morning, "I have been standing on grass more than a few times on the same date."

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Craig, Jim and Darrell - givin' their best Don Cherry

After a brief meeting in The Jury Room with Doug Savage The Team loaded up The Glacier Chair at 9am in there best Saskatchewan Ski outfits. Following a hike up to Platter Base The Crew successfully skied down to the Top of Fallaway!

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Of note, The Resort opened Glacier Chair and the Wiwaxy 500 on Friday morning. It is just 4 widths wide in a couple of places!

Upper Wiwaxy

Dan surveys Fish Net

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The long range forecast for the next two weeks calls for daytime highs hovering just below the freezing mark and lows in the -7°C range. With Randy and the Crew having all A Nets hanging and the weather looking good the arrival of the first volunteers this weekend is perfect timing. See you there!

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Meeting of the minds at Net 2B: Mark, Jim, Dan, Mike, Darrell

Award Winner

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Stephen Brunt of The Globe and Mail put this video essay together as The Olympics drew to a close in February.

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On November 4th, Brunt along with TSN producer Matt Dunn won The Gemini Award for Best Sports Feature Segment for the four-minute piece that aired on The Olympic Consortium of networks.

Winterstart Presser

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Alpine Canada, Bombardier and The Lake Louise Winterstart World Cup Race Organizing Committee invite you to the annual Winterstart World Cup Press Conference, Tuesday November 9th at Flames Central in Calgary. Come join friends and family and meet the 2011 Canadian Alpine Ski Team over lunch and a libation.

NEW GEAR

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The 2010 Sled Dog Gear design is here. Available in "Dodger Blue" three options are available to you.
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SHORT SLEEVE: $20 ● LONG SLEEVE: $30 ● HOODY: $50

Pieces are 100% pre-shrunk cotton; t-shirts are tagless, flat collar design. Sizes available are:

S: 34-36 ● M: 38-40 ● L: 42-44 ● XL: 46-48 ● XXL: 50-52 ● XXXL: 54-56

To ensure delivery by World Cup all orders must be received by 5pm MST, Wednesday, November 10th. Payments can be made via Interac Email Money Transfers to thesleddogs@telus.net.

Interac Email Money Transfers are a simple, convenient, and secure way to send and receive money directly from one bank account to another. All you need is access to online banking through a participating financial institution, and you can send money to anyone with an email address and a bank account in Canada — without sharing any personal or financial information. It's a great alternative to cheques and cash. For a list of those who offer this service visit http://www.interac.ca/consumers/productsandservices_ol_emt_list.php

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Globe and Mail Columns

The Globe and Mail's Stephen Brunt posted this column on October 27th after members of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team visited Toronto. Read his post at: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/stephen-brunt/spotlight-shrinks-for-winter-athletes/article1773881/

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James Christie on John Kucera's return at: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/more-sports/kucera-in-top-shape/article1773999/

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Manny on FAN 590

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Canadian Cowboy Manuel Osborne-Paradis appeared with Bob McCown and Stephen Brunt on Prime Time Sports this past Tuesday while on tour in Toronto. Check out his interview and hear his appreciation for the Lake Louise Crew by clicking on the link below.

http://www.fan590.com/ondemand/media.jsp?content=20101026_174734_10152

30 Days until Racer 1

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Winter has arrived and snowmaking is underway at Lake Louise. Checkout the webcam at www.skilouise.com to see how things are progressing; as you can see Fallaway and the top of Gunbarrel are starting to fill in.

Upcoming events and information for your attention this last Wednesday of October:

BANFF SKI SWAP

The Banff Alpine Racers and Bow Valley Quikies host part two of their annual Ski Swap this Saturday at Mount Norquay in Banff.

This is your last chance to find great deals on “new” boards for the race track. Retailers from across Southern Alberta will again be on-site with new and demo product at blowout prices as well as race and rec’ gear from all walks of the ski community. It is a great place to pick-up race skis at a cheap price.

For those with gear to sell, consignment takes place Friday evening and Saturday morning. Skis, boots, helmets, poles, clothes and other winter sport equipment are welcome. $1 is charged for each item consigned. The Clubs retain 20% of the sale price, which you set, and you keep the rest.

Mount Norquay Day Lodge

Sale: October 30th, 2 pm to 9 pm

*** Early Bird Sale: 1 pm to 2 pm ***

Consignment: Friday 5 to 9; Saturday 9 to Noon

*** Early Bird tickets are available for sale Saturday morning during Consignment. Tickets are limited to 100 at cost of $10 per person and allow you in the door 1 hour before the sale opens to the public.

THE DOG HOUSE

So far - awesome! That said The Dog House at Camp Canada still needs support. The “Dog’s Best Friend” program, an effort to take care (feed and wine) of ourselves, has sponsorship spots available. Please contact Craig via thesleddogs@telus.net to help your fellow Sled Dogs!

Who: Anyone – why not you?
What: Be a “Dog’s Best Friend”
Where: Camp Canada
When: 6pm nightly
Why: For the love of a Dog!
How: $100 per evening

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Johnny Ford, Sue and Tara: they have some help, but need more!

PAW PRINTS

The 2010 version has been delayed at the “editors” thus the 2009 edition of Paw Prints will be sent to all new volunteers in the next 24 hours. Of note are the changes to pages 12 and 13 - Event Schedules:

● November 13/14: 1st Day for Volunteers, Build Weekend/ FIS Snow Control
● November 20: Build Weekend – THE BIG ONE!
● November 24: 1st Men’s Training Run
● November 27/28: Men’s Downhill/Men’s Super-G and Ladies’ Crossover
● November 30: 1st Ladies’ Training Run
● December 3/4: 1st and 2nd Ladies’ Downhill Races
● December 5 : Ladies’ Super-G and NorAm Crossover

BUILD WEEKENDS

The Sled Dogs are responsible for the Men's, Ladies’ and NorAm events at Lake Louise which run concurrently until mid-December; this includes building, maintaining and tearing down the race hill. Building the course is no small task – your help is needed. Many hands truly make less work!

All local crew, those within driving distance including the likes of Calgary, Edmonton, Kimberly etc, are asked to help out on at least one of the November 13/14 or 20/21 weekends with the preference being the latter.

As the website is now closed to changes please contact Craig, Mike or Julie to arrange participation if you have not already committed to help out.

DUSTIN - given 'er!