SunPeaks Day Nine

Day nine started off cold...really cold. In the morning we did about a hour and a half of drills/warmups. We had to wait until our lane space opened at 10:00. When our lane opened at 11:00 we had a full gate GS course all the way down the hill. It was really fun because you got going pretty fast. There were brushes in the course to get you to turn above the gate. Towards the end of the morning I got news that a teem mate(Max) had fallen and hurt him self. I later found out that he had broken his leg... The team and I feel really bad for him and hope he feels better. It lunch it was a relief to be out of the cold. In the afternoon we went tree skiing and it was a lot of fun. It was a great second last day of skiing.

SunPeaks Day Eight

This morning we did the same as every morning. On the lift by 8:30 did drills than when our lane opened on OSV we did gates. We did full gates speiss and then another drill. It was really cold and the frost was biting my face... It was a relief to go in for lunch because my hands, feet and my face was freezing. In the afternoon we went to the “back country”. It was really cool because there was powder and jumps and a lot of stuff. On our way in team mates Graydon and Max and I were in the back. Max went off a jump and he landed in a ditch but he was ok. Than I went off the jump and the tips of my skies landed in the ditch and I face planted. After that Graydon went flying off the jump and went flying over Max and landed it. We caught it all on video. I will post the video later. At the end of the day I was really cold and had some frost bite but I covered my face and it was good.

SunPeaks Day Seven

Our day started REALLY EARLY... We got up at 6, run at 6:15, get dressed, breakfast at 7 and chairlift at 8:00. Than we do our drills/warm up. We got to do gates all morning. It was our first time doing full gates this season. It was really cold today. It was -28 at the bottom and at the top it was -30. I was really cold at the top. I had to go in for a break every third run. By the end of morning my hands, my feet and everything was freezing! In the afternoon we got to go the very top of the mountain. It was really cold but really fun up there. The chairlift ride on a bad day is about 45 minutes. At the end of the day I way freezing and ready to go to bed...

SunPeaks Day Six

Today we had a late start. We had to be on the hill by 10:00. In the morning we did our warm up it was really cold out today so we were suppose to layer our clothes. I had about 5 layers on . After warmup we got to go in for a really long break, After that we trained on OSV for the whole morning. In the afternoon we got to shred some gnar gnar (powder). We went to the top of the Crystal Chairlift. On the first run one our team members, Max, found a 10 foot cliff. On the second run all the boys went off the cliff. I was really cool. After that we went tree skiing. Tomorrow we have to wake up really early and it's suppose to be colder...!

SunPeaks Day Five

Today we had to wake up really early. We had to wake up at 6:15 to go for a run at 6:30 then breakfast at 7:00. We had to be on the hill by 8:00 and when we got to the top, we had to do our warm up. We had to do drills by our self this time. When we were done our drills I was really cold; we took a break and we got to go  inside. When I was all warm we went to go train on OSV. We trained on OSV the whole morning but then skied only a half day. So when we were done training we went inside and we did dryland. For the rest of the day we just got to chill.

SunPeaks Day Four

Today we split the team into boys and girls. Rookie team members were paired up with a third year on the team. I was paired up with Will for some drills. We did hockey stops, hand on the hip, the picture drill, and a lot more that helped us with lower body separation. You  want  lower body separation in skiing because you want your feet moving under you and moving around the gate while you upper body is looking down the hill. After that we were lucky and we trained gates on the only hill that we can train on. We did a picket fence, speiss and a mini GS course. In the afternoon we did some one skiing all afternoon switch was really fun.

Day Three At SunPeaks

The third day of Sun Peaks was amazing. We switched up coaches so I was with "Sharpie" this time. Matt Sharpe is one of the other coaches that we have. He is a great coach. We headed over to the highest peak of one of the mountains. Even though it was really windy and really cold up there we got through it. It was also really bumpy but we still managed to do a drill.  The drill was to put your polls on you hands and too keep them balanced there while skiing down the hill. This drill helps with upper and lower body separation. Another good drill for separation is to put your hands together as if you were taking a picture. You look at a place down the hill and keep your hands locked on that focal point while skiing down the hill while your hands have to be in front of you face.

It was also my team mate Steffi Ralph's Birthday yesterday so HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEFFI!!!!!!!!!

Day Two At Sun Peaks

Day two at Sun Peaks was great. We skied all over the mountain today. There was a lot of powder which was really great for training. By the end of the day all the good powder was in clumps all over the hill which was practically mogul  skiing. We did a drill today that was a no poll drill. It was putting your up hill hand facing strait down the hill. Than you put your downhill hand on your downhill boot. In between the turns, when you stand up, you put your hands together. This drill is really good because it helps you with separation. It also helps you stand up between the turns (just like the small mouse big house drill). Its a really good drill and it really helps.

Day One At Sun Peaks

The first day here was amazing. I forgot how good it felt to be flying down a mountain at top speed. Today we split into two groups. In my group was me, Graydon Taylor,Scott Sellery,Stefan Zivkovic, Grace Raymond and Annika Caswell. Our coach is Bennet Carter. He was amazing; he is so fun as a coach and was amazing with all of us. I can't wait to start the ski season with him.

Sun Peaks Travel Day

The travel day of Sun Peaks started early. I had to wake up at 5:00 am to leave the house by 5:30 am then be at the airport by 6:00 am!. After I checked my bags at the airport and put my skis in the over-sized luggage check-in, I met my new team outside Security.  The terminal staff threatened to call security because we were such a big group with a LOT of gear, so we headed inside to the waiting area. Than we waited, and waited, for a couple hours. Finally we boarded our flight. We finally took off from Toronto at about 8:40 am. We flew to Calgary, then from Calgary to Kelowna, then bused from Kelowna to Sun Peaks.

By the time we got to Calgary it was around noon Calgary time and I was starved.  We had an hour and a half to chill between flights, so of course we (the boys and I) went to Subway. Finally we boarded our flight to Kelowna. At 1:55 pm we took off and were on our way to Kelowna, one more step closer to Sun Peaks. When we got off the plane to Kelowna I realized that it was a really short flight. The flight had been 40 minutes long. When we got to the carousel I got all my bags and was really to  go. We headed out to the coach bus that was waiting outside. We loaded all our stuff in and were ready for 2 and a half hour drive to Sun Peaks. After that two hour drive we arrived in Sun Peaks!!!!! We had dinner and got settled into our room. I am rooming with two people: Graydon Taylor and Stefan Zivkovic. On the planes I sat with Norman Struthers and Max Wisemen. I can’t wait to get started skiing. And I can’t wait to shred some POW POW!               

As the ski season hits :)

As the ski season hits at a fast past I can't wait for a ski that I am going on in the end of November. But first let's start from the beginning...

At the end of the summer I change new schools. I went to a school called Fairmount Public School in the Scarborough area. I am having a lot of fun here being on the student council being a prefect but of course I do miss my friends from Northlea.

And now back to skiing...

I am in the U14 Extended (Individual) program for skiing. At the end of the month of November I am going  to a ski trip to Sun Peaks in BC. It will be my first time skiing outside of Ontario. Of course I will be blogging in Sun Peaks so please be sure to take a look at my website. I travel on the 29th of November and I get back on the 10th on December.

Training In Kingston and Canada Summer Games

This past week my sailing team did a week of training in Kingston. The first day great wind we had a thermal come through and it was just perfect. At least every day we had at least on just upto 15 knots. We stayed at SLC (St Lawrence College). Every night we would go out to the beach volleyball court and play some volleyball. It was really fun. At 8 every night we would have about a 45 minute debrief. We would go over some video from the day.


Right now I'm blogging fro Quebec right now. I am in Quebec for the Canada Summer Games. My sister is competing in them. She is representing Ontario! I am very proud of my older sister because right now she is in first after the first day! Go SISTA!

Third Day Of Racing In Bermuda

The third day of racing was not really a day of racing... When we got to the venue there was no wind so we were AP on shore,but still rigged so we could go out at anytime. According to weather forecasters there is something called a "high pressure zone" over Bermuda. That "high pressure

Me playing rocks.

zone" is stopping any wind from coming. So the most of our day was trying to trade stuff, lying around and playing rocks...


Rocks is a Mexican game that the Mexicans taught us how to play.

There are three piles of rocks the first has three rocks, the second has four rocks and the third has five rocks. In total there are 12 rocks. You can take as many rocks as you want from one group. But you can't take rocks from two groups in one turn. In the end the loser is the one that takes the last rock.


The game was really fun and some of my team mates tried to teach it the the Japanese. Then they show up with Chinese writing on their face and said it was there name. (You sure about that?). But at the end of the day even though we didn't get any racing in we still had fun.

Second Day Of Racing In Bermuda, Team Racing and Rest Day

In the hotel that I am staying at the Wi Fi is really hard to connect to. I haven't been able to write on my website for the last two days. I am really sorry but I will cover everything.

Our second day of racing was a terrible day for me. I'm not quite sure why but I had two rwally bad races and one OK race. The first race I did't have a good start at all. I reacheds the upwind mark looked back and saw about ten other people behind me. I kept that position for thw whole downwind/reach. I finally finished that race in about bottom 20. The second races after talking with my coach I was really trying to get a good start. I did't have anyone to leeward of me. I got off the starting line with a really good position but got rolled at the stared. I finished that race in about bottom 30. The last and third race of the day I had a really good start and did't get rolled. I rounded the windward mark in  about 25. On the last up wind I finished in about top 20. Not my best day but hoping I will have betters.


Team Racing
There are 8 people on our team. So we were able to enter two team racing teams. My team was Me, Justin Vitqoc, David Sapp and Eric Lyal. We raced the first race of the day against Bermuda3. We won that race. Our next race was against USA 1 which we lost. Then our our next race was against Bermuda 1. It was a go big or go home situation. But we lost so that was the end of our team acing for the North Americans. At the end USA 2 won the team racing.



Rest Day.
For our rest day we went to a beach that belongs to the hotel. It was really cool. We rented some snorkeling equipment and went snorkeling. We cool see all types of coral and fish. The bigest fish we saw was at least 3 feet! It was really cool and I hope we can do it again sometime!

First Day Of Races In Bermuda

Today was our first actual day of races in Bermuda. The fleet was divided into 3 groups. The first group was yellow (they started first). The second group was blue (who stared second and I was in). The third and last day group was red (who started third). The wind was blowing about 8-12 knots when we got out. The course we were using was a trapezoid. That is upwind, reach, downwing to a gate, than upwind finish. The first race I had a OK start. I rounded the upwind mark in about 15. I kept my spots on the reach/downwind. Then on the last upwind I lost about 8 boats and on finished in 23.

The second start was pretty good. I went right and rounded in the upwind mark in about 25th. I gained about 2 boats on the downwind. Then on the upwind I gained about 3 boats and finished the race in 20.

The third race was not my best race at all. I got buried at the start and I went to the wrong side of the course.  I rounded the upwind mark in about 35 but lost about 2 boat on the downwind/reach. The last race was my worst race because I was really tired and I had't had enough to eat. I finished the third ad last race of the day in 40.

Right now I am standing in eighty third place with a total of 83 point.
Click here to view the results of the first day.

Pool on the first day

View from our balcony 

Happy Birthday Galen!

Hey Super G - a big happy birthday from Canada!<3

LSSA-OYS

The weekend of the 15th I attended the LSSA regatta at OYS (Oakville Yacht Squadron). We had four amazing races the first day. The first race of the first day I was very nervous because it was the first race. I came forth (which was my worst race). The second race I did even better; I placed second in the second race! The third race of the first day I did even better than the first and second race. I think you all know what I'm talking about. Yes I did come first in the third race of day one!!!!!! Four of my friends and I noticed a lucky shift (we saw it coming).  We were 200 metres in front from the first up wind to the finish. Georgia Stein and I got a head of two others and then we battled it out in the final stretch of the race. I got a head of her and got the gun for the third race. Bullet! The fourth race (the last race of the day) I did even better (I know what your thinking). I finished the last race of the first day in first but this time the boat behind me was 100 metres behind me. Bullet again with a gun! I finished the first day in first with two bullets.

The second day was a bit more interesting because it was raining so we stayed inside the whole morning. We watched an optimist sailing video which was really fun. The Race Committee told us they would make the call by 11:30 whether or not we would go out or pack tn up for the regatta. At about 11 the rain started to stopped. At 11:15 the sun started to come out. At 11:25 the Race Committee told us that we would be going out so we started to rig. We got the first race of the second day off at 12:00. The wind started to pick up and I stared getting very worried because Georgia Stein was in second behind me with 1 drop race; we were tied and she is 2 years older than me. The first race I didn't have a very good start. I rounded the bottom mark in 7th place with Georgia in front of me. I saw a shift coming from the right so I went over to the right. I made the upwind in three tacks. I finished the first race of the second day in third place! It was ok because the two people who achieved first and second in this race were more than 10 points behind me in the scores. The last race of the regatta I won the start and finished in second place. I was about 20 feet behind the person in front of me. 

I finished the whole regatta in first and won the whole regatta for the Optimists fleet. It was a lot of fun and I hope to be back next year!  

Royal Hamilton Yacht Club Lilac

Last weekend I attended Royal Hamilton Yacht Club for a regatta called Lilac. At the end of the first day I was in seventh and second in blue fleet:). Although the wind was very shifty it was pretty easy to spot out the shifts. The shifts were mostly coming from the right. The wind would die to about 2-3 knots, then it would shift and a big gust would come in at about 9-10 knots. At the end of the the second day I finished up in eighth and second in blue fleet.Click here to view the results of the regatta.