|
R
A
C
I
N
G
|
 |
Thunderbird Ski Club
RACE TEAM
Wanna’
Be Racers>>>>Listen Up!
The
Thunderbird Race Team is a group of app 50 members of the
Thunderbird Ski Club who participate in downhill ski racing (slalom
and giant slalom) in the Metropolitan Detroit Ski Council [MDSC] –
Michigan Alpine Competition Committee [MACC] ski race program.
The program consists of 12 races over 5 weekends, primarily at Boyne
Mountain in northern Michigan, with one weekend at the Searchmont
Resort, outside of Sault St. Marie, Ontario.
Am I a
good enough skier to race?
The answer is an emphatic, “YES”! You need no prior race
experience to jump right in. Coaching by the TBird veterans will
help you along. Racing is done versus other persons of the
same gender and similar ability [adjusted with handicaps] on courses
that are set for the ability level of that class. If racing
has ever, even remotely, entered your mind, you need to try
it!
Why
participate?
It's FUN
to race, and it will clearly make you a better skier. There
are also after-race activities on race weekends like Hot Tub
parties, a pizza party, spaghetti dinner, and an on-the-hill
barbeque with your fellow racers. The last race weekend
features the MACC Awards Banquet. We are working on other
activities for next season. The emphasis, however, is still on
having fun.
When do
the races take place?
See the 2007 schedule below.
You don't have to make all of the
races. Make as many as you want or can. And being a
“GUEST RACER” for your first time out makes trying it easy and
inexpensive.
Check out
more information about racing on the
MACC Website.
How do I
sign-up?
At this time, just provide your name, address, phone number, and
e-mail address, to
Jim Michon, Director of Marketing/Recruitment,
313-258-4522 Email:
Jim Michon.
He
will make sure that you receive the information and registration
forms when they become available as the race season approaches.
|
|
Racing Schedule for 2010 |
| January 9-10 |
Boyne Mountain |
| January 23-24 |
Boyne Mountain |
| February 5-7 |
Searchmont |
| February 20-21 |
Boyne Mountain |
| March 5-7 |
Boyne Mountain |
|
Thunderbird Race Team Newsletter
Second Race Weekend: January 23 & 24
The second race
weekend, with the fine snow and moderate temperatures
made for an interesting weekend. It was also a success,
with 20 TBird Racers going through the courses on
Saturday and Sunday. We are still the largest race team
in the MACC program. The TBirds that made the podium (1st,
2nd,
or 3rd)
are as follows:
Slalom (Saturday):
1st
Eric Klaban (E1M),
Tom Klaban (VE2M), Ron Glowzinski (SVCM), Dick Synowiec
(SVDM)
2nd
Jill Geyer (E2W),
Zach Jablonski (AM), Patrick Smithbauer (SVBM), Scott
Soucie (BM), Bob Rossi (CM)
3rd
Will Heckman
(E2M), Ted Jablonski (BM), Steve Vollmer (SVCM)
Giant Slalom (Sunday):
1st
Janie Guiliani
(E2W), Mike Haffey (SVAM), Steve Vollmer (SVCM), Dick
Synowiec (SVDM)
2nd
Eric Klaban (E1M),
Zach Jablonski (AM), Patrick Smithbauer (SVBM),
3rd
Chuck Trewin (BM),
Bob Rossi (CM)
Our “racer of the week” is Dick Synowiec (SVDM) with two
1st
place finishes.
Other TBirds with two podium finishes include Eric
Klaban with a 1st
and 2nd,
Steve Vollmer with a 1st
and 3rd,
Zach Jablonski and Patrick Smithbauer with two 2nd,
and Bob Rossi with a 2nd
and 3rd.
The TBirds had an amazing 75% of our racers (15 of 20)
make the podium at least once this weekend. Hopefully,
we will continue this success for the rest of the
season.
In addition, Eric Klaban, due to his phenomenal
performance in Saturday’s slalom, was upgraded from E1M
to Open Elite, putting him with the fastest racers on
the hill. Most of us can only imagine what a 13.7
handicap feels like. Congratulations Eric!!!
The Past
Weekend’s Party:
We had 14 TBirds in attendance at the lasagna and salad
party at the Vollmer Condo in Boyne Falls. Though it
wasn’t home-made, one of the highlights of the evening
was a great, triple chocolate bundt cake. In addition,
Tim Loula treated everyone to some of his home made
grape wine. As always, the spirit of the Race Team made
it a fun event.
Extracurricular- The Boyne Bash:
In addition
to the usual goings-on, some team members partied with
the club’s group of Boyne Bash participants from their
trip to Boyne on this same weekend. A great time was had
at the Snowflake Lounge with some of our racers
“helping” the Bashers add to their party level!
Sick Bay:
In the last
newsletter, we wished Steve Vollmer as speedy recovery
from his bad fall. Obviously, he took this seriously as
he skied to a 3rd
in
Saturday’s slalom and smoked everyone in Sunday’s GS,
getting a strike in the process. This is amazing, since
if you saw him after his return from the hospital on
Saturday of the first race weekend, you wouldn’t believe
that he could recover so quickly. I guess that he is a
tough old bird!
Doug Fellman, while training at Mt. Brighton, jammed his
ski on a gate. He went home feeling a bit sore and when
he got up during the night, couldn’t put any pressure on
that leg. A visit to the doctor showed a possible torn
meniscus. The injury caused him to miss the second Boyne
race weekend and the trip to Searchmont. He plans
to be on the race course for the February 20th
race
weekend.
Arlene Bellas has been under the weather, forcing her to
miss the second Boyne race weekend and Searchmont. She
also expects to be back on the race course on February
20th.
Judy Sullivan has been on the mend, but complications
have forced her to miss most of the ski season so far.
Though she is not racing this year, she was planning to
cheer Chuck on to victory on the race course. She plans
to be around for the last couple of race weekends and
plans to ski at Mammoth in March.
And finally, yours truly, while running a slalom
practice course after the Wednesday night race league at
Boyne Mountain on January 20th,
hit a gate straight on, ripping off one ski and
launching me hard to the snow, landing on my left
shoulder. I couldn’t get up without help, but was hoping
that it was just a bad bruise. Unfortunately, it wasn’t
a bruise as the x-rays at the hospital in Petoskey
showed a dislocation (about 1.5 inches out of the
socket). The very painful resetting process popped it
back into the socket and 90% of the pain went away. This
forced me to miss a couple of weeks of skiing and
racing, but I plan to be back on the race course at
Searchmont, though possibly in a bit more conservative
mode. The moral of this story is for old guys to not run
tight slalom courses in your GS skis. Oh well.
Mike’s
Musings:
There was
no battle of the brothers this weekend, as I was not
racing with my shoulder in a sling. Ted did have a
podium finish (3rd)
in Saturday’s slalom and a 5th
in Sunday’s
GS. The battle will resume at Searchmont, though I do
have an excuse if he wins.
A number of our other racers had notable races this past
weekend. Jill Geyer’s 2nd
place
finish in slalom was her first podium finish in E2W.
Will Heckman’s 3rd
place
finish in slalom is his first podium finish in E2M.
Congratulations Jill and Will!!! In addition, Janie
Guiliani returned to her championship form from last
season with a 1st
in E2W and
Mike Haffey returned from a one year rest to return to
his previous form with a 1st
in SVAM.
Good going Janie and Mike!!!
See you at Searchmont.
Your
Thunderbird Race Team Director:
Mike
Jablonski
734-283-5510 (Home)
231-582-7339 (Cottage)
mtjablonski@wowway.com |
|
Thunderbird Racers January 23-24
|
|
THUNDERBIRD RACE TEAM
NewsLetter:
January 11, 2010
First Race Weekend: January 9 & 10:
The first race weekend, with the great snow, sunshine, and blue
skies made for a fine start to the season.
It was also a success, with 24 TBird Racers going through
the courses on Saturday and Sunday.
We are still the largest race team in the MACC program.
The TBirds that made the podium (1st, 2nd,
or 3rd) are as follows:
Giant Slalom (Saturday):
1st
Frank Dusina (E2M)
2nd
Eric
Klaban (E1M), Mike Jablonski (SVBM), Scott Soucie (BM),
Gail Kovaleski (CW), Dick Synowiec (SVDM)
3rd
Zach Jablonski (AM), Ron Glowzinski (SVCM), Bob Rossi
(CM),
Slalom (Sunday):
1st
Ron Glowzinski (SVCM), Dick Synowiec (SVDM)
2nd
Frank Dusina (E2M), Zach Jablonski (AM),
Gail Kovaleski (CW)
3rd
Patrick Smithbauer (SVBM), Scott Soucie (CM), Gary
Sonnenberg (SVCM)
Our “racers of the week” are Frank Dusina (E2M) and Dick
Synowiec (SVDM), each with a 1st and 2nd
place finish. Other
TBirds with two podium finishes include Ron Glowzinski with a 1st
and 3rd, Gail Kovaleski with two 2nd, and
rookie Zach Jablonski and Scott Soucie, each with a 2nd
and 3rd.
The TBirds had 46% of our racers (11 of 24) make the
podium at least once, a great start for the 2010 season.
Hopefully, we will continue this success for the second
race weekend and the rest of the season.
Welcome New TBird Racer:
The TBird Race Team welcomes our new racer,
Zach Jablonski (AM).
As you can see by the results, Zach jumped right to the
podium twice this weekend, with a 2nd and 3rd
in the tough AM class.
He is off to a great start and will probably get better
during the season.
Of course, he has been following his dad, sister, and uncle
racing for years and had also been a course forerunner for
years.
This Weekend’s Party:
We had 12 TBirds in attendance at the pizza and salad party at
the Vollmer Condo in
Boyne Falls.
One of the highlights of the evening was a great, home
made cherry coffee cake made by Mary Ann Jablonski.
As always, the spirit of the Race Team made it a fun
event.
Sick
Bay:
The season started off on an unfortunate note, as Steve Vollmer,
while doing a practice run before his race on Saturday, fell
hard and ended up taking an EMS ride to
Northern Michigan Hospital
in Petoskey. I
didn’t see the fall but heard that it was quite spectacular.
When I inspected his skis when they were brought back to
the Othmar Chalet, it was quite apparent what happened.
The new Fischer race skis had very sharp edges from tip
to tail, something that Steve (the king of dull edges) was not
used to. He
apparently caught an edge, which flung him off the skis.
Fortunately, it appears that he didn’t break anything,
but he really jolted his head and shoulder and is really sore.
Of course, a couple of Vicodin help.
We wish Steve a speedy recovery and return to the ski
hills and race course.
Mike’s Musings:
The first race weekend came off very well, with a LOT of TBirds
skiing fast and making the podium.
Combined with the great snow and sunshine, it was a
pleasant start to the season.
The battle of the brothers ended in a tie this weekend,
with me smoking Ted by almost 5 seconds in the GS and him
smoking me by 2.6 seconds in the slalom.
My first GS run was a strike (an A level handicap) and I
was hoping that the massive 0.01 second lead that I had over my
nemesis Bruce Johnson would allow me to coast to victory, but he
beat me by 0.3 seconds on the second run to get the top spot on
the podium.
However, both of us beat ALL of the Supervet A racers, which is
fun (and fast). As
I’ve said many times before, I’ve got to continue working at
getting faster, especially in slalom.
See you on January 23rd.
Your Thunderbird Race Team Director:
Mike
Jablonski
734-283-5510
(Home)
231-582-7339
(Cottage)
mtjablonski@wowway.com
|
For more information about TBird Racing contact: |
Mike Jablonski
Director - Thunderbird Race Team
Chairman - MACC
h734 283 5510
|
or |
Jim Michon
Director of Marketing/Recruitment
313-258-4522
|
|
|