A New Season

It's December and the snow has already been falling. Unfortunately, so have I. Cory and I hit the slopes at Whistler last week, and I took that literally, taking a pretty bad fall on Harmony Piste, breaking my bindings, if not quite my neck. That ended our first day of the season rather abruptly, and now a few days later, the bindings are repaired and the neck nearly so, and we're ready for our second trip to Whistler later this week.

Cory is looking forward to another great season, not just skiing but attending the Winter Olympic Games next February 14th, when we'll watch the Canadian Speed Queens in Super Combined action against the rest of the world taking place on the run immediately below us as we ride this gondola:

In fact, in the background is the grandstand that is currenty under construction where we'll be sitting cheering on Britt Janyk, Emily Brydon, and Kelly Vanderbeek.

And it's the first year now of the Special Olympics 4-year competitive cycle that could lead to Cory's hopes of World Games competition in 2013. On March 14th, 2010, Cory will compete in a Regional Qualifier at Silver Star in Vernon, BC for the right to move on to the Provincial Games in 2011.

And so far, the weather is cooperating with over 17 feet of snow already fallen at Whistler.

So it seems like an appropriate moment to look back at how "Ski Racing With Cory" got started. Cory started skiing in Grade 6, about 7 years ago. But it wasn't until 2007 that he really got interested in ski racing. From basically his first moment on skis, he really enjoyed going fast, so racing was a rather natural progression, although finding an appropriate environment for him was a bit of a challenge.

Here's Cory on his first day ever on skis, using a rope tow at Cypress Mountain near Vancouver, BC:

He joined Special Olympics but we quickly saw that he really wasn't getting the coaching and race opportunities that he needed to improve, so thanks to the magic of the internet, we found a summer ski racing camp that was very happy to accept Cory. And that's when racing really became a reality for Cory. We attended Bob Vial's Hurricane Race Camp on Mount Hood in July 2007 and learned a heck of a lot about what ski racing really means. A lot of hard work and a lot of new equipment for starters.

Race suits, race skis, race boots, pole plants, an athletic stance, brushes, delay gates, ski tuning, we learned about all of that and more in 5 exhausting days of race training.

At Mount Hood, Cory faced a lot of new challenges of all types under stressful conditions. He listened carefully to his coach and tried to do everything that was asked of him. On the last day, faced with a particularly difficult race course, and in spite of a lot of fear and confusion, he confronted his fears and attacked the course, proving to me that he has the true heart of a champion. It was soon after that we started blogging.

Here's Cory on Mount Hood:

Learning the hard way:

He competed in his first Provincial Winter Games in 2007 as well, earning 3 Bronze medals, a great start, though not good enough to qualify for the National Games in 2008.

Here he is in action on Crystal Mountain near Kelowna, at those Games in February 2007:

And a podium celebration:

Since then, Cory has joined a local race team called the Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports (VASS) Blue Streaks, where he trains twice a week and competes in about a half dozen races every winter, while continuing to ski with Special Olympics once a week. He also does weight training and biking to build strength and endurance. He also participates in 5 Pin Bowling with Special Olympics and plans to join their basketball program in January.

He's met the Canadian ski team during a World Cup event at Whistler in March 2008, and we regularly watch them compete on TV throughout the winter.

Here he is with Robbie Dixon, who has had a remarkable start to his race season for Canada:

Here's Cory in action in his last race...April 25, 2009...and he's a winner, making him the Disabled Skiers' Association of BC Provincial Champion for 2009:

And the champion savouring the moment, and the coffee, the next morning:

So, we're ready for the new season and if I can stay upright and not try to ski on my head, all will go well. Cory will continue to work hard at improving his ski racing skills and hopefully do well enough at the Regional Qualifier in March to proceed to the Provincial Games in 2011. We'll also get to see in person the best skiers in the world at the Olympic Games on Valentine's Day and Cory will also be representing British Columbia in 5-Pin bowling next July at the Special Olympics National Summer Games.

So come along and enjoy the ride!

Sports Celebrities Festival Vancouver

Cory was invited by Special Olympics British Columbia to participate in the Sports Celebrities Festival in Vancouver on October 14, 2009. The Festival is sponsored by the Vancouver Canucks and is a major fundraiser for Special Olympics British Columbia.

Special Olympics athletes are paired up for the evening with a Canuck and Cory was joined by Alex Edler.

Here they are being introduced by John Shorthouse, the play-by-play voice of the Canucks.

It's Official!!

Cory's official invitation to join Team BC at the Special Olympics National Summer Games in London, Ontario next July arrived today! He will join his 3 bowling teammates and coach, with a few other athletes from other sports as Delta's first ever athletes chosen to represent British Columbia at a Special Olympics National Games.

The letter arrived while Cory was away for the day, so we decided we would pick him up and go out for dinner at a local restaurant. We previously had arranged for a server to place the envelope containing Cory's invitation inside a menu that would then be given to Cory. Here's what happened (and you'll see that Cory makes sure an envelope is completely open before removing its contents - the anticipation was killing us!!):

It's a long video, so here's the first part:

Part Two, with a brief replay of "the moment":

And Part 3:

So Cory will now have to train 3 times per week and submit his training records to his Provincial bowling coach. But that won't be a problem. He has signed up in a new bowling league every Monday beginning September 14, then wil be bowling with Special Olympics every Sunday beginning October 18. January to May, he'll be skiing up to 3 times a week (except maybe during the Olympic Games in February), and he does weight training every Friday beginning in mid-October. Throw in some biking and some Wii, and he's a pretty active athlete. And a very happy one right now too.

Still grinning an hour later:

This will work very well with Cory's ski schedule since he has only one important race this coming season, the Special Olympics Regional Qualifier scheduled for February. He successfully qualified in this event 3 years ago so it shouldn't be too difficult for him to qualify again. So concentrating a bit more on bowling to prepare for the National Games will not likely affect his ski racing development.

That's it for now, look out London, here comes Cory!!

Summer Time!

And the weather is fine, you can reach right up and touch the sky...(apologies to Mungo Jerry). And if you're under 40, you likely have no idea what I'm talking about. Too bad, you missed out on some great summertime music.

Well, it's mid-August, just about halfway through the off-season for us ski racers. Cory's enjoying a summer filled with great weather on the west coast. In fact, we had the hottest two days ever in Vancouver a couple of weeks ago.

And he's keeping in ski racing shape by biking, kayaking, and hitting the local waterslide park once a week (hey, that's a lot of steps up and down those slides in one day!).

Together with his Blue Streak colleague Mark, Cory has put in a few huge biking days. A few weeks ago, they started on the waterfront at New Westminster, followed the Central Valley Greenway into the City of Vancouver, into Stanley Park, across the Lion's Gate bridge, over to the Second Narrows bridge, back into New Westminster. A total of 81 kms! Even if you don't know Vancouver, 81 kms is a good day of biking.

Last week, they toured Richmond and put in another day of 76 kms.

And a couple of days ago, they hit the 100km mark. From White Rock to Abbotsford and back was 98kms, so they put in one more kilometre, came back and 100kms it was. Yesterday though, Cory said maybe 100kms in one day was a bit too much. Feeling the pain...

Now, when Dad is around (me that is), we do something a bit more sedate. Ocean kayaking. Find the right combination of wind, tide, and current and all you gotta do is drift along. I'll save my energy for Grouse, Cypress, and Whistler next winter.

So we've been out kayaking a few times. Cory had kayaked once or twice before so it didn't take long for him to get the hang of it. Out on the ocean, you really do have to keep aware of your bearings, since you can be far from shore in a hurry if you don't keep on eye on where you're drifting. And paddling against tide, current, and wind can get you nowhere fast - backwards fast perhaps. Skiing's easier, point the boards downhill and push!

A good friend of ours has a couple of kayaks that we can use at our leisure in Point Roberts, Washington, which is about a 10 minute drive from home. It does require a border crossing but that's usually just a 5-10 minute wait. Point Roberts is a unique place, surrounded by the ocean on 3 sides and borders Canada on the 4th side. It has more gasoline pumps per capita (population about 1300) than any other community in the U.S., since it's so easy for Canadians like us to hop across to save $8 - $10 on a tankful of gas.

The kayaks are stored at Lighthouse Park that believe it or not has a lighthouse. Though not much of a lighthouse, in the traditional sense, but a lighthouse nonetheless:





But it's a magical place with some amazing sunsets:






that get bigger and better, and wetter in this case...






now that's a gorgeous sunset:




And even amazing moonrises:





Ok back to the kayaking:


Car's unloaded, a bit of sunscreen..







Photo opp before we get going...and if you've ever tried to get into a kayak before, you'll understand why there will be no photo of me trying to do so! That's the Roberts Bank coal port and Tsawwassen ferry terminal in the background - ferry to Victoria BC.





Cory's ready...





And off he goes







Might as well get in some fishing...






Dinner? Don't think so...bullhead, all bones...back in the water it goes...







A bit of solitude for Cory...with Georgia Straight and Vancouver Island in the background:










And of course, one great thing about being on the ocean is the chance to see some marine wildlife. First some harbour porpoises...rather far off in the distance, but we don't want to harass them either so that they'll keep coming back:









Much better on video so you can hear that awesome sound when they come up for air:





And then on a different day...orcas!!...also known as killer whales:


An adult female:

This adult male turns to come right at us as it surfaces:

The female again:

Back to the male:

And then this, right place right time with my camera:

So after a show like that, time to enjoy one more sunset and head home. Hope to update again soon with a recap of Cory's story. We've been blogging now since 2007, so we'll recap as we get closer to the exciting 2009/2010 ski racing season (173 days to the 2010 Olympics).

And of course we'll know any day now whether Cory will be on Team BC at the National Games next July in London, Ontario.

Please leave a comment to tell us you were here. Just click on comments below and you don't need an account - just click on the window to comment with your name.

Double Gold!!

Cory was a double Gold Medalist at the Special Olympics British Columbia Provincial Summer Games last weekend!

These Games are held every four years and are used as a qualifying competition for the next National Games, also held every four years, this time in London, Ontario in July, 2010.

The Games were held in Abbotsford, BC, about an hour's drive east along the Trans-Canada Highway from Vancouver from July 9 to July 11. Cory participated in 5-Pin Bowling, which is a team event for the purposes of qualification for the Nationals, but there are also medals presented individually.

Cory had the best overall score for the 6 great games he played, and Cory's team took first place in their division. Two Gold Medals.

For Provincial Games, athletes travel as a team, without parents or caregivers, staying in school gyms or classrooms. Cory and his team met in the parking lot of a local hotel on Thursday afternoon, July 9, to board their bus to take them to Abbotsford.

Cory's in the middle holding a large garbage bag:

On the right with his 3 bowling teammates:



Some last-minute instructions from the team chef-de-mission:





Cory has learned that there is a lot of baggage-handling when you're an athlete, so here he is loading his own bags onto the bus:

Time to board:

Get a good view from a window seat:

And off they go!

Later in the day, we drove to Abbotsford to attend the opening ceremonies that night:

And a crowd forms at the site of the opening ceremonies:

And the opening ceremonies were excellent, with Gordon Campbell, the BC Premier, and Wally Buono, head coach of the BC Lions in attendance, with Tamara Taggart, a local CTV personality as MC.

The audience waits in anticipation of the athlete's march into the arena:

And Cory's team (Region 4) enters the arena - I have to learn not to ring our cowbell while I'm using the camera! The view settles down about a third of the way through the video just in time to see Cory recognize us in the crowd, smile and wave:

Our athletes are now in their seats, and Cory hears me ringing that cowbell and again smiles...

Some inspiration from the Premier:

A bit of fun with beachballs and Cory has his chance just at the end of this video, just before...

...the arrival of the Special Olympics Torch. The Torch was carried throughout British Columbia by law enforcement officers in the Law Enforcement Torch Run, which is also used as a fundraiser for Special Olympics. Cory participated in the Run when it came through Delta, BC on June 25 - he's right in the middle of the pack here:

And now the lighting of the Torch:

So the Opening Ceremonies are done, and the next morning, the competition starts. Cory and his team arriving at Galaxy Bowl in Abbotsford on Friday morning, July 10:

A few words on competition at Special Olympics. There is a wide range of skill and ability that Special Olympics athletes bring to competition. In order to provide a level playing field, different approaches are taken at different sports. In team sports, divisioning takes place based on a team's skill level, and "A" compete against other "A" teams, "B" teams against other "B", etc. In skiing, one timed race is held at the beginning of the competition and those times are then used to identify Novice skiers, Intermediate skiers, and Advanced Skiers. Novice race against novice, intermediate against intermediate, and advanced against advanced. This is done regardless of age, just skill level. So it is as fair as it can be.

In 5 Pin Bowling, averages are used and the bowlers then compete to see who bowls the highest versus his or her average, by gender - highest male, highest female. So it's not the highest score that determines the winner, but the highest score compared to that bowler's average. The average was determined using the first 25 games of league competition, which in Cory's case was from October to December 2008. During that time, he averaged 203, certainly the best average from our team of 21 bowlers, and quite possibly, the highest average in the province. So Cory's average of 203 is quite good, even for a non-disabled bowler.

But in Special Olympics competition, it's all about points over average. Now a bowler with an average of say 140, whose skills are still developing, can bowl say 200, even 210, on a fairly regular basis. That bowler would then earn 60 or 70 points over average. For Cory to match that score, he would have to bowl 263 or 273. Now a lot of things need to go right for that kind of score. Just a few frames without a spare or a strike and that makes a 270 quite unachievable.

At Special Olympics Provincial Games, 5 Pin Bowling is a team competition, with each team having 5 bowlers. The averages of all five are added up, and compared to the actual scores of all 5 bowlers to determine the winning team. So since the other members of Cory's team have averages in the 105 - 120 range, we'd hoped that Cory would be able to at least maintain his average (since too many games, even in the 160 range, would really hurt his team's chances), and that the other bowlers on the team would contribute to a high score over their averages.

But in sport, as in life, as in a box of chocolates it's been said, you never know what you're going to get. Cory didn't just bowl his average, he blew it way, with an average of 219 for the six games. He saved his biggest game ever in competition for when it meant the most. He bowled one game of 294 - 7 strikes in that one game alone! Performing at his best when it's most meaningful, under great pressure - that's the mark of a champion. And Cory is learning how to do just that.

He worked hard to be ready. His coach had held one practice per week since late May but Cory wanted to do more and took the half-hour bus ride to the bowling alley to practice a couple more times per week during the last month or so. He'd also had some success at Galaxy Bowl in Abbotsford, and his coach held one practice there the week before the Games, just to make sure the athletes were comfortable at the venue. He bowled an awesome 330 during that practice, so he knew he was well-prepared, focused on the process of bowling well (hitting the target, follow through, balance, etc), and very confident. And it all came together for him and his team on game day.

But Cory's team was struck by tragedy 2 weeks before the Games. To make up the required 5 bowlers, a bowler from a neighbouring community named Ron joined Cory's team and they all practiced together from May and into late-June. On Friday, June 26, Ron died in an industrial accident. Cory, another teammate, and his coach attended Ron's memorial service on July 3.

On that first day of competition, Cory bowled 228, 184, and that amazing 294 game. He twice had 3 strikes in a row - known as a turkey - and one other strike for a total of 7 strikes in 10 frames in that game:

Strike #1:

#2:

And the first Turkey (with a turkey flashing on the score screen above):

And then this close to his 4th strike in a row:

Starting the 2nd Turkey with strike #1:

Strike #2:

Turkey #2:

So 3 very good games, and Cory provided his team with 97 points above his average. Two of the 3 other players on his team did well too, the other one faltered a bit, so after the 3 games, Cory's team was in 3rd place out of the 20 teams competing, and in 2nd place in their division of 6 teams, with 3 games to be played the next day, Saturday July 11.

Cory had another good day on Saturday. He started a bit slow with a 177, with things not going quite like the extraordinary day before.

But Cory stayed focused and things started getting a bit better, with a 212 in his second game. Here he just misses on a strike, but follows up with a good shot for a spare - and with a lot of focus before throwing the ball:

An exhuberant mum cheering on her son, "woooooo-hoooooo":

And another good ball here, with congrats from Kerry, Coach Judy, and Chelsea:

While the results are posted after each game, the athletes are too busy playing to be able to check them out. After the 5th game, with only one more game to go, Cory's team was still in 3rd place but had now taken over 1st place in their division. So I now knew that Cory and his teammates had a chance for GOLD! But I wasn't about to tell them of course. Couldn't chance that they would get too excited and distracted about being so close to a Gold Medal. And I knew that Cory was in the top 5 overall so he had a chance for an individual Gold too.

By the 8th frame, I could tell that Cory was starting to look a bit discouraged. I guessed that he was thinking his first game of 177, and even his second game of 212 (a good game but not like the 294 of the day before), would not be good enough for him to win. So I took a chance and quietly went over to him and told him "You're still in this, you're in the running. Go for it, you still have a chance to win". Risky, as this could put too much pressure on him. But I've gotten to know him in competition. I know that he usually responds and he has a deep will to win. He proved that to me at a ski racing camp on Mount Hood, Oregon, in 2007, and I hoped he would respond the same way again.

So up he went for the 9th frame - a very important frame in 5 Pin Bowling because if a bowler can then follow up with 3 strikes in the 10th frame, that's a total of 90 points, which can quickly change an ordinary game into a very good one. I watched, too nervous to film this time, and he really seemed focused. He took his time, stared at his target, started his delivery with a nice low approach and a good follow through and sure enough - a STRIKE!

Then the 10th frame, good focus...nice delivery....good follow through....rolling now...over the target...onto the head pin...and another STRIKE!!

2nd ball...good focus...nice delivery...good follow through...rolling over the target....on the head pin...yes!...no, oh no...the right corner pin remained standing in spite of pins flying all around it.

Still, a 216, 13 points over his average for the game, and he provided his team with 93 points over his average for the 6 games. Now, we'd have to wait and see what the results would bring.

Back onto the bus for the trip to the awards ceremony:

In a rather non-descript building, on a hot July afternoon with no air conditioning, our team waited for the results. First Division A, then Division B, finally Division C.

The 3rd place team was announced and medals presented. Then the second place team was announced and it wasn't us. So now I was worrying and wondering....what no medal at all? Or, could it be GOLD?? I had done a quick calculation and believed we'd be in second place...surely we couldn't be off the podium...could it actually be a GOLD MEDAL??

Here's the team's reaction to the announcement - my loud "yes!" preceeds it - with Chelsea and Cory celebrating at the front of the table, joined by Tyler, and then by Kerry, and then Coach Judy.

And then it was time for the individual medals...Gold Medal for Highest Series Score (all 6 games)...the Division A and B winners were announced at the same time and with the applause for them Cory did not hear his name called:

Then a Gold Medal photo opp before the athletes head back to their dorm to prepare for the closing ceremonies and to party the night away - no parents allowed mind you!

All together now - "GGOLLLLLLDD!!!!"

The next morning, Sunday July 12, back in Delta for the arrival of the team bus:

Cory getting off the bus, gold medals around his neck:

More baggage handling:

Talking about a great weekend, but not letting go of those medals!

So the Special Olympics British Columbia Provincial Summer Games come to a very successful conclusion for Cory. Not he must wait a month or two before learning whether he will represent British Columbia at the National Games next July in London, Ontario. You can be sure we will update this blog as soon as we know.

In the meantime, we'll go back to his skiing story, and we'll have a review of Cory's ski racing career later this summer right here.

And gee, it would be great to hear from you, it only takes a minute. Click on "comment" below and tell us you were here.

Whistler, April 18, 2009 and May 9, 2009

Well, with all that was happening at the end of racing season, there wasn't time to update after a couple of very enjoyable days at Whistler Blackcomb back on April 18, 2009 - the week before Cory's win at the Disabled Skiers Association of BC Provincial Championships, - and then again on May 4, 2009


First, April 18:


It was a 6am start from home, and then we picked up two of Cory's Blue Streak teammates - Mark and Alex - it was a crowded car, what with skis and all. Maybe we should have bought an SUV after all instead of our Sonata last fall, but it all makes for a memorable day - "remember when all four of us drove up to Whistler with four pairs of skis in the car too?" we'll say...





And some video of our drive along the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler, with the usual banter going on in the background...















This was to be a day of recreational skiing, no gate training, just enjoying a great day at Whistler, and using the new Peak to Peak gondola that now connects Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. It used to be a choice, either Blackcomb or Whistler, since both are so big that it would take an hour to get down one and back up the other. Now the Peak to Peak Gondola gets you from the top of one to the top of the other in 11 minutes, mind you that's at 1100 feet above the valley floor. A couple of the gondolas have a glass floor and we were lucky enough to be able to wait just a little while for it to arrive.


As a racer, Cory gets to spend a lot of time on skis, from January to April, Monday evenings on Cypress, then from about 11am to 8pm on Thursdays on Grouse, and Saturdays on Grouse from 8am to 2pm. That's a lot of snow time, but much of that is working on specific skills under the watchful eye of his wonderful coaches, on specific terrain best suited to racing, running through gates, and a lot of time spent waiting for teammates to gather and listening to his coaches' instructions. So free-skiing days are really special and they help to keep the fun in the sport - so that it's not all work.

We met up with Coach Paul from the Whistler Adaptive Snow Program who knows the mountain so well and began our day.


The Peak to Peak Station near the top of Whistler:

3 Blue Streaks waiting for the glass-bottom Gondola, Cory on the right:

Cory, Alex, and Mark:

The view through the floor:

The valley between Whistler & Blackcomb:

Cory really enjoyed the ride and had a smile on his face for the whole trip across, here he is getting as close a view as possible:

Some video of the ride:




This one shows a good view of the drop down into the valley, yet remaining 1100 feet off the valley floor. Shows how high Whistler/Blackcomb really are!

A couple more photos, with Blackcomb ahead in this one:

Whistler Village below behind the gondola:

Cory, Alex, and Paul near the top of Blackcomb looking down at some awesome snow!

And then, then I dropped and broke my camera!!

So Paul took these with his camera of us having some fun on a bump:

Cory's approach:

Kinda disappears behind the bump....






Then pops up like a slice of toast...








Now airtime is not a good thing when racing - slows ya down - but while fun skiing? You bet.







And with the camera now in Paul's hands, not mine, I get to indulge in posting some shots of me in action, perhaps there's someone out there who would like to see me again:
























And now me on the bump:





Definitely airborne, but not quite as graceful as Cory:







Yup, I'd say that is the look of fear on my face...that's my 55-year-old knees coming up to ask me what the hell I thought I was doing!






So with a broken camera, that's about it for photos/videos from that day. We skied 3 out of 4 Saturdays on Whistler in April & May, and each one featured brilliant sunshine and great snow. What an amazing end to our season.



May 9, 2009:



With a new camera, we headed back to Whistler for one last awesome day, picking up Mark on the way and again meeting up with Paul from the Whistler Adaptive Snow Program.



The beauty of a gorgeous early morning on a quiet the Sea-to-Sky:












And signage announcing Whistler as the official site of Alpine Skiing competition for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games (and we'll be there as spectators on Valentine's Day 2010!)

Then onto our first chair ride up:

All smiles...

And why not? Pristine snow, clear blue sky...

We did get some cool video during the day...here are Cory and Mark on some nice rollers on a run called Ross' Gold (named after Ross Rebagliati, from Whistler and the first ever Gold Medalist in Snowboarding, in Nagano, Japan in 1998).

Cory is on the left:






Now it's great to have a local with us, Paul leading Cory and Mark to some brand new snow...

but a long ways up!








to ski on this...new glacial snow on a steep pitch, a bit of a new challenge for Cory and although this is not part of his training, doing this kind of skiing just adds to the confidence that he is building so that in time, no matter what kind of snow or terrain he may race on, he'll feel confident in his ability to tackle it.








A gentle start...








Easy now...






OK, time to go for it!








A nice rooster tail of fresh Blackcomb snow!










Now a panoramic video from the same spot:

And some fun on the T-Bar:

And a marvelous little video that Paul took of us skiing pretty much in sync on Horstman Glacier on Blackcomb, ending with me eating just a bit of snow...Cory on the left, Mark on the right, me in the middle:

Then, down Blackcomb Glacier and heading home:

And thanks for bearing with us...

Taken from the gondola on the way down, with a zoom lens!

See you again soon, we hope.

Cory participates in the Special Olympics Provincial Summer Games as a 5-Pin Bowler in Abbotsford, BC in less than 2 weeks (July 9-11). We'll update with photos & video then and we're also working on a review of Cory's story from the beginning. Besides, it's only 6 months till ski season!