When I qualified in the later part of January for the European B Tour it marked the fourth time in my ski career that I have earned a spot to represent Canada on the international racing scene. My first venture to Europe was in 2000 when I traveled to Slovakia for theWorld Junior Championships. My second was the following year (another B Tour) and my third was last year when I competed in the U23 Championships in Bormio, Italy. Up until today my experiences in Europe have been just that: experiences. Due to numerous circumstances; jet lag, intimidation, adjusting to food and culture as well as a myriad of other factors including the fact that I just wasn’t fast enough, I have been thus far unable to come up with what I consider a “good” race on European soil.
My first European race this year also happened to be my very first world cup experience; the third leg of a 4x10km relay in La Clusaz, France. This competition was, for me, a sort of baptism by fire as I attempted to convince my badly jetlagged body to follow the 2004 Norwegian National Champion and Olympic Bronze Medallist from the 2002 Salt Lake City Games around the grueling 10km skate course. I lasted about three kilometers, skiing more on the backs of Kristen Skjeldal's skis than on the snow, but was unable to keep up the relentless pace that he continued for the duration of the race. I tagged off to my teammate Gordon Jewett, exhausted and beaten but thankful for the chance to experience the pace it takes to be competitive at this level.
My next competitive undertaking was a 15km classic race in Gibswil, Switzerland. The trials and tribulations of waxing for this event are fully documented in . In short the waxing conditions were a nightmare and our struggles to find the magic bullet were all but futile. Racing with absolutely no warm up and with potentially the slipperiest classic skis I have ever raced on was again, quite the experience. I managed to squeak out a respectable 5th place but feel that I would have been in contention for the win if the day had gone according to plan.
After training for just under a week at the sight of the 2005World Nordic Ski Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany I was informed that I would be the odd man out of theWorld Cup sprint relay that would take place on those same German ski trails. While disappointed that I would not get further experience racing against the world’s top skiers, I was excited at the prospect of traveling, solo I might add, to Saalfelden Austria to contest a 15km classic race at an Austrian Cup.
After a rather eventful drive through Munich and Salzburg I arrived in Saalfelden the Friday before Sunday’s race. If you think that racing in Europe is a harrowing experience, I suggest that you attempt driving here! I stayed in a beautiful farmhouse style hotel only 4km away from the race site and had the good fortune of dining each night with some very friendly people from Frankfurt who, thankfully, spoke English rather well.
I arrived at the race site three hours before my start time, determined not to have a reoccurrence of our previous waxing nightmare. As it turned out conditions were not nearly as trying as they had been only a week ago in Switzerland. The track was hard and wet calling for three thin layers of universal klister. I was relieved when, testing wax a half hour before my start, my grip was close to perfect. After a proper warm up and with 100% confidence in my skis I was ready for a Gord’s Ski Newsletter Vol. 6, No.5 good race. I started hard and was able to maintain a strong pace throughout, building a lead that I would not relinquish. I ended up winning by just over fifteen seconds for my first ever European victory and more importantly my first real “good” race on European soil.
Winning a race is a great feeling, one that is paralleled by very few things for competitive athletes. All the more rewarding this race was for me because by winning I proved to myself that I can race well in Europe and that I can be competitive against top athletes outside of North America. Gone are the days of traveling to European races simply to learn, to see and to experience. When I come to Europe in the future it will be with my eyes fixed on the top step of the podium. I know that this goal will not always be achieved but at least it is, in my mind, now a distinct possibility and not simply a thing that I have no comprehension of. Attitude is everything in competitive athletics and it only takes one race to completely change ones attitude. My many experiences both good and bad have taught me that.
After a champagne toast, courtesy of the owner of the hotel I was staying at, it was time for an early night and a long drive back to Oberstdorf to retrieve my two stranded teammates, Dan and Gord. From there the road takes us to many more races and hopefully many more great results.
Until next time…. keep believing
