In the age of the specialist, specialization paid off last weekend for the Canadian national men’ s ski team. You saw the results from : ‘Schladming, Austria, in the — first’ World Cup downhill event of the season: Ken Read of Calgary, first; Dave Murray of Abbotsford, second; Dave Irwin of Thunder Bay, seventh, and Steve Podborski of Toronto, ninth.. Those four young men are the national team. There's no one else. They won four of the top. 10 positions, including gold and silver. In the official ratings, ‘now is the ‘top- rated. downhill skier in the world:. And Murray is right behind. . So, whatever happened to- Franz Klammer and all those’ other European giants? Will they round into form as the seasonprogresses and once. more take what they con- sider their rightful place at the top? THREAT BECOMES REAL Could ‘be. But right now four Canadians are the talk —- of Europe. At last they've done what they. had. been threatening to do, based on practice run times,for the last two or three years. As happy. as they and their coach, John Ritchie, must certainly be this week, they can't be much happier than Dr. Peter Andrews of West Vancouver, The final World Cup downhill event of the season, and the first ever staged in Canada, will be “held at Whistler Mountain on March 9. As race committee ‘chairman for this particular downhill, Andrews has two matters at the top of his | priorities list: ® Lots of snow e Canadian contenders 4A Gali, Mark Andreassen Price & | Erwon Smith TOYOTA CENTRE 1200 BURRARD near DAVIE: 682-8881. ‘'Wo're Service Orientod"’ Sorvice dopt. 7:30am - 6pm’ - Page 18, December 13, 1978 - North Shore News back Selection | DOWNTOWN He. doesn't have any : worries about the first item. -At the beginning of March . there’s never: less than 20 feet of the stuff on the premises. However...... To create public interest: -hereabouts in.a-race where. ‘competitors come from: all. _ -over the world,-there has:to be a hometown, or rather, home . country attraction. Now, it seems, he’s going to have f four of them. Read GOOD WEATHER a, 4 MUST Al he ‘must hope. for beyond this is a bright, sunny day, 'so the competitors can go full aut on what he says is - _one. of the three or four best . _downhill courses -in_ the world; and so. cameras along the route can properly show the’ race to a national TV audience. Chief. reason why the home country prospects look so good can be traced ‘five years to a ‘Canadian Ski downhill racing. Until then, the CSA had tried to stretch.. its limited resources into all _ three disciplines. There just. . wasn't enough to go around. For those not familiar with -competitive alpine skiing,’ downhill, slalom and giant slalom are the three races. But downhill is THE event: It's the original. It relates to skiing the same way freestyle realtes to swimming. The others. are lesser and more contrived offshoots. Bicycles & Mowers ~Sales & Service : LOCK & KICKSTAND. — if you. ‘present this. ad when purchasing a | bicycle. | C.C.M. Corsa BN cons and _ upright the entire distance. - ‘just - this” the CBC > Association’ 20. ' decision to. concentrate on “1719 LONSDALE AVE. THE REAL THING | Downhill is the real basic thing. Start at the top of the mountain and get to the bottom just as quickly as you can. At speeds of more than — 80 miles an hour, it requires strong legs, strong nerves the ability to stay Canadian skiers have never lacked for bravery and strength in the past. They among all three. disciplines, problem has remedied. They've been knocking. at ‘the door since 1976, years after the. decision to — specialize: was taken. We. | ‘should know in the next few. weeks if they have kicked the door down. Murray and Irwin are the two. originals. left from the.. - team of downhill specialists __ formed the season following .” 1972 Olympics in Sapporo. Read joined the —— program: a year later and [ the youngest at _ third |: the Podborski, is . starting his season. In total, the CSA probably ~ has sorted through 20 skiers in the last five.years to come. - up with these. four. Compare... ‘his \with European ' alpine ~ a prevail Switzerland and Germany. . _champions weren't fast enough. ‘Now that they don’t have to ‘try to spread their skills been > three pre-eminence | ‘in it. as an essential industry. And funds _ it accordingly.. Their men’s downhill team has a. dozen members. the elite from a starting group of more than _ 150. “Much the same conditions in France, - Italy. Ski champions in these countries are national heroes of dimensions reserved in Canada for hockey stars such as Guy Lafleur and Darryl Sittler. And while, technically. they are amateurs, their incomes | are comparable, too. Given such. little wonder come. out of Europe. Canadian skiers certainly ‘haye no such in- centives to spur them on.So. their emergence at the top of the heap has to be a tribute incentives, -to- their character, their athleticism and their dedication. Not to mention, that decision to specialize. countries, such as Austria. aM There the wintersport in-. fim dustry provides 37 per cent of the country’s currency earnings. BIG INDUSTRY Thus, the C.C.M.CORSA| 10 SPEEDS Super Sale $124.25 109. $164.96 | —Men's Frames 21" & 23" Ladies Frame 20" ' WARRANTY —Lifetine on Frame — 1 Year on components —3 months FREE service {NORTH STAR CYCLE] | 980-1317 foreign’ government regards skiing, and Austrian so many. involved in ‘holidays most’ people look: .. classes ‘forward to a little relaxation. Cour ‘ : :15:aim:-and from M1: 15 - 12:00" noon. ‘for ‘one week, -Monday.: through. Friday, Not so with the Lions Gate Swim Club. They take: this time -to increase. their work-. oad at their Christmas Work -shop while students-are out of school.This prepares their swimmers for the upcoming meets early in the new year, | not the least of whichis Lions © Gate’s own major meet ‘of international competitors - scheduled for Simon Fraser January | University’s Pool, Sth, 6th and 7th. During this Christmas Workshop, the club. offering a free swim. school to all youngsters on the- North Shore. This programme. is. those ‘not: designed - for competitive swimming ‘who wish to participate in an interesting introduction to this form of athletics. December 18th to December 22nd." ee - Each - “swimmer * will be evaluated’ before and after “the “weekly. sessions and - parents. will. ‘be mailed the _ results. : This ‘is an excellent ‘way’ for young’. ‘people to ‘become ‘more ‘familiar with ‘competitive. swimming and - Lions Gate is: looking: forward to” “much — interest “in. ‘this programme. For” ‘further: ‘information and actual registration, talk directly to Lions Gate head coach, Jim: Fowlie. :Jim: can be contacted “by phone at 988-0269 or the ‘Club. -Regis- ‘trar, Gwen Harvey is. also available at 988-2338. :