The GMC Canadian Championships have wound to a close in Canada’s other Olympic city, Calgary with some first-time title winners, a 13-time title winner, a retirement and a bunch of cars being given away.

The championship series opened with downhills March 22 with Manuel Osborne-Paradis and Britt Janyk picking up the gold hardware.

It was the first national title for Osborne-Paradis who said he has never had enough left in the tank at the end of a season to really go for a national crown.

“I think at the end of the year you need to muster up enough strength after the end of the World Cup season (to win a GMC Canadian Championship) and today just shows that I am maturing a little bit that I am able to do that,” he said.

The surprise of the race was Toronto’s Kelby Halbert, 19, grabbing second. At least it was a surprise to him. “I had no idea,” he said. Manny and Erik (Guay) both won World Cups this year. I just went for it, used my size and I am really happy with the result,” said the six-foot-eight Halbert, the top junior of the field. Erik Guay (Mont-Tremblant, QC) was third in 55.76s.

Britt Janyk won the women’s event by a narrow margin over Emily Brydon (.23).

“It’s great. It’s definitely a little bit lower stress compared to the World Cup season,” said Janyk, of the GMC Canadian Championships. “And its always nice to finish the season off with a race at home.”

Defending champion Shona Rubens finished third while national development team member Victoria Whitney was the top junior, placing fourth overall.

The men faced a super G the next day with the women adding a slalom run for a super combined. Erik Guay collected his eighth national title in four disciplines as he continued the late season surge that brought him the World Cup SG title.

Surprisingly, he said being expected to win raised his game. “There is a little bit more pressure, more than I thought actually. But it’s a good position to be in. I think that’s what we are here for and it worked out. There are some great skiers here like Manny, Jan (Hudec) and others so it’s great,” Guay said. Hudec finished second and Osborne-Paradis third

National development team skier Erik Read was the top junior, placing 13th overall in 1:09.54.

Marie-Michèle Gagnon successfully defended her combined title winning the super G leg and holding on through the slalom for an easy gold medal.

“I was really happy I won the super-G. For me that’s a pretty big step, I mean to be beating girls like Britt (Janyk) and Emily (Brydon) that’s really good,” Gagnon said.
Shona Rubens got second and Brydon third on the day.

The top junior was Laura Rozinowicz, fifth overall.

Brydon won the GMC Canadian Championships super-G at Nakiska, by a scant .07 over Janyk with Rubens just another tick of the hundredths clock back in third. Brydon then announced her re-retirement.

Brydon had previously announced the races at World Cup finals earlier in the month were to be her last races, but relented to ski the Canadian Championships and was rewarded with the narrow win.

“Today was a landmark day for me,” said Brydon, who last won the super-G title in 2005. “I wanted to really enjoy it. I knew I could do well but I also knew that the competition would be tough, Britt and Shona are skiing really well and I knew it was a shorter course and would be really tight.”

Stephanie Irwin was the top junior, placing in sixth overall.

On the men’s side, Ryan Semple by posting the fastest super G time and then powering through the slalom leg.
“I tried to take advantage of a good start number in the super-G,” said Semple, who wore bib 4.

“I just kept it simple and I knew that in the slalom the time was going to be easy to make-up but I just tried to push as much as I could and it ended up pretty close.” He beat Paul Stutz by just .11 for the win. Michael Janyk got third.  Perhaps the most impressive result of the day came from Brad Spence who finished in fourth place despite starting the super-G with bib #80. Halbert got his second junior crown of the meet in sixth.

That evening Emily Brydon and Genevieve Simard’s racing careers were celebrated during a ceremony at Delta Lodge at Kananaskis in Nakiska.

“I can’t believe that 13 years has past,” said Brydon, a member of the national team since 1997. She encouraged other young skiers in the audience to pursue their dreams in ski racing.

“Ski racing is not just about the results, it’s about the friendships that you make and relationships that you build. The people that have come into my life over the past 13 years have made it better and helped me achieve my goals. They will be forever a part of my life.”

Simard retired in January after 14 years with the ski team said she had been a team member “Almost half of my life.” She said,  “This sport has given me a lot and I have only great memories to take with me. If I can keep giving back and stay involved with the sport I will be lucky.”

Brad Spence culminated a return from a nasty downhill crash at Bormio in 2005 with a dominant second run in the men’s giant slalom for the first national alpine ski racing title of his career.

“Obviously it’s a pretty awesome day. My first national title, for it to come in GS I am a little surprised, I didn’t really expect it,” said Spence, who sustained a fractured tibia and fibula and torn ACL and MCL to his right leg in the 2005 crash.

He trailed 2008 GS national champion Guay by .02 after the opening run and said thes win was surprising.

“My slalom was a little stronger this year and I was focusing on that for Saturday. So to come out here and get the title today is a huge accomplishment. It will look good on the resume,” said Spence.

Guay was second Nor-Am Cup overall champion Dustin Cook on the podium at a GMC Canadian Championship for the first time in his career. Sasha Zaitsoff was the top junior grabbing ninth place overall.

Britt Janyk won the 13th Canadian championship of her career, picking up her second title of the 2010 event in the women’s GS.

The 29-year-old Janyk, trails only Nancy Greene in terms of national alpine ski racing titles.

“I am just going to keep trying,” said Janyk with a laugh when asked if she could catch Greene’s Canadian record 17 titles.

“I am just enjoying competing. We have some great skiers in Canada and this week has been a lot of fun,” Janyk said.

“GS is an event that I am trying to get some good results in. I am trying to get in there in order to start World Cups in the top 30 in GS and this will definitely help,” she added.

First-run leader Marie-Pier Préfontaine ended up in second place. Rubens was .07 behind Préfontaine’s time in third.

On the final day of the championship Michael Janyk repeated his 2009 title effort in the slalom Gagnon was able to achieve her goal of winning more than one national championship at the 2010 event by finishing with the top time in the women’s slalom.

Janyk, now a four-time men’s slalom champ said, “This is pretty good. I have to try to keep up with my sister. (13 time titlest Britt). “It’s always a good way to end the season. You’re in Canada, competing against your teammates and the younger guys. It’s fun and we really get a chance t
o enjoy competition that is a little less intense and you can just ski for fun,” Michael said.

It wasn’t an easy day for the men’s slalom skiers however as just 27 of the 85 racers were able to cross the finish line in both runs.

For Gagnon, she said it was her mission to win the slalom after finishing a disappointing fourth in GS.

“I was going for three titles this week. I took revenge today because yesterday was the GS, my favorite discipline and I did not do so well. So I just wanted to come out today and get my revenge and I’m glad that I did,” said Gagnon.

And the GMC Cup race series also has its champions 2010 champions, with Toronto Ski Club’s Kelby Halbert (Bradford, ON) the men’s winner and Mont Tremblant’s Victoria Stevens (Ottawa, ON) the ladies winner.

Four Canadian ski racers were presented with keys to brand new General Motors vehicles following the conclusion of the GMC Canadian Championships. GMC provides a vehicle for one year to a Canadian skier who finishes in the top 10 in any discipline, wins a World Cup race or earns a podium at the World Championships or Olympic Winter Games through the unique incentive program now in its eighth year.

With World Cup wins during the 2009/2010 season Erik Guay and Manuel Osborne-Paradis both qualified to keep the vehicles they received last season. Osborne-Paradis and Guay selected a GMC Yukon Hybrid and GMC Yukon Denalil respectively after qualifying a season ago.

Michael Janyk, the slalom bronze medalist 2009 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, qualified to keep his GMC Acadia or select another vehicle this season by finishing ninth in the men’s slalom standings this season with 267 points.

Emily Brydon, placed sixth in the downhill and tenth in the ladies super combined.
“I have fallen in love with my GMC Acadia so I am extremely happy I have the opportunity to drive one for another year,” said Brydon.

-Hank McKee

GEPA photos, from top, Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Marie-Michelle Gagnon, Ryan Semple and Michael Janyk. On cover, Britt Janyk.