Gagnon, Frisch win SG titles, VanderBeek says good-bye

Marie-Michèle Gagnon and Jeffrey Frisch claimed national super-G titles at the Sport Chek Alpine Canadian Championships in Whistler, B.C., on Monday (March 25).

“Today was a good day for me,” said Gagnon, “I’m happy I skied well. Generally I let the skis run and I had a good approach to it. I’m happy to be Canadian champion – that’s pretty awesome.”

In the men’s race, Frisch, of Mont-Tremblant, Que., was the first man out of the gate and his time of 1:10.36 stood up as the snow began to soften up in the sunshine for the later bib numbers.

“It’s amazing – I’m so happy. I was pumped for this today,” said Frisch, who has been racing on his own and is hoping to get back on the national team. “I’m super happy about this run – it was pretty solid. There were two little safe moves in the run where I could have pushed a little more but I’m happy. This is awesome.

“Thanks to all my sponsors and supporters. Without you guys I wouldn’t have been able to do this. It’s a little emotional but I’m very happy.”

Gagnon dedicated her win to the retired Kelly VanderBeek who garnered the biggest cheers of the day while making a ceremonial lap down the Whistler course.

“She was a great inspiration for me. I remember watching her in the Torino (Olympics). I was like, ‘One day I want to be in the Olympics and do as well as her’.”

Racers, coaches, staff and family members gathered in the finish area to greet VanderBeek. She was given a rousing reception as she skied towards her teammates, who played toy musical horns and other instruments, covered her with streamers and awarded her with her vey own plastic ‘Speed Queen’ tiara.

VanderBeek officially retired from ski racing earlier this year following a 12-year career. She made a courageous comeback from a knee injury suffered in 2009 but in January announced she was hanging up her race skis for good.

“Now I’m officially retired,” VanderBeek said. “I never got to say goodbye to the girls and my teammates.  I’m so lucky to be around my family, around coaches I’ve worked with my whole life, people from the association. It was really incredible. Thank you to everybody for the whole journey. It was an awesome ride.”

For the second successive day, Julia Roth, of Waterloo, Ont., found herself on the podium as the top junior in the field

“It was pretty good up top. It was really clean. Down here I got a little bit late but I think everyone did that; it was pretty technical,” said Roth, a member of the Ontario Ski Team. “I’m excited to be up with the national team girls. That’s where I need to be for next year.”

Sixteen-year-old Quebec Ski Team member Valérie Grenier produced another good run to take fourth for the second straight day with a time of 1:14.92.

Other finishers in the men’s race included B.C. Ski Team racer Tyler Werry who found speed from bib No. 13 to jump into second place with a time of 1:10.87.

“The snow is soft but it still has a lot of grip to it so I knew I just had to stay in the groove and I really had to charge today,” said Werry, who grew up skiing in Fernie, B.C., and is hoping to do big things in Tuesday’s giant slalom race. “I’m really happy.”

Manuel Osborne-Paradis has been the man to beat all week but he lost time up top and wasn’t able to close the gap lower down.

“There was a groove I couldn’t stay in but all in all it was fine,” said Osborne-Paradis, who clocked a time of 1:10.95. “I was happy with the way I skied. It was hard to push the limit as much with the softer snow. A podium’s a podium. The guys get points – it’s good that they get points today.”

The top junior Monday was Quebec Ski Team racer William St-Germain in fifth with a time of 1:11.28. Canadian Alpine Ski Team member Dustin Cook was fourth.

Alpine Canada photo

Whistler, BC (CAN)
National Championships
Ladies’ Super G
March 25, 2013

National Champion
ships
Men’s Super G