|
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 2009 |
| January 10-11 |
Boyne Mountain |
| January 24-25 |
Boyne Mountain |
| February 6-8 |
Searchmont |
| February 21-22 |
Boyne Mountain |
| March 6-8 |
Boyne Mountain |
Race Team Reports
THUNDERBIRD RACE TEAM

Fifth Race
Weekend: March 7-9:
The fifth race
weekend at Boyne was another success, with 29 T-Bird Racers going
through the courses on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
We continue to be, by far, the largest race team in the MACC
program. The T-Bird's that
made the podium (1st, 2nd, or 3rd) are
as follows:
Slalom (Friday):
1st
Janie Guiliani (E2W), Brian Dusina (VBM), Patrick Smithbauer
(SVCM),
Art Ellwanger
(CM), Dick
Synowiec (SVDM)
2nd
Scott Soucie (BM), Doug Fellman (SVCM), Bob Rossi
(CM)
3rd
Mike Jablonski (SVBM), Dale Pacynski (VBM),
Gail Kovaleski (CW), Judy Sullivan (DW)
Giant Slalom
(Saturday):
1st
Brian Dusina (VBM), Gail Kovaleski (CW),
Art Ellwanger
(CM)
2nd
Janie Guiliani (E2W), Hunter Brisson (AM), Jim King (VBM), Tim
Loula (BM), Patrick Smithbauer (SVCM), Bob Rossi (CM), Dick Synowiec
(SVDM)
3rd
Mike LeVan (VE1M), Steve Vollmer (SVCM),
Dual Slalom
Cantor Cup (Sunday):
1st
Tim Loula (BM), Patrick Smithbauer (SVCM),
Art Ellwanger (CM)
2nd
Eric Klaban (E), Mike LeVan (VE1M), Doug Fellman (SVCM), Arlene
Bellas (DW), Dick Synowiec (SVDM)
3rd
Katie LeVan (E2W), Mike Jablonski (SVBM),
Gail Kovaleski (CW), Bob Rossi (CM)
Our “racer
of the week” is Art Ellwanger, with three 1st place finishes.
However, not far behind with three podium finishes are: Patrick
Smithbauer with two 1st and a 2nd, Dick Synowiec
with a 1st and two 2nd, Gail Kovaleski with a 1st
and two 3rd, and Bob Rossi with two 2nd and a 3rd.
With two podium finishes were: Brian Dusina with two 1st
(and would have had a third 1st had he raced Sunday in his
old class), Janie Guiliani and Tim Loula, each with a 1st and
a 2nd, Doug Fellman with two 2nd, Mike LeVan with
a 2nd and a 3rd, and Mike Jablonski with two 3rd.
The T-Bird’s had 69% of our racers (20 of 29) make the podium at
least once, another great showing.
Final 2008
Season Results:
The 2008 season
was a great success, with 33 T-Bird Racers going through the courses at
least one time. The T-Birds
are the still the largest racing club in the MACC program (out of 12
clubs). This participation
is the true measure of success for the program, but the club is also
quite successful in the winning part of the equation.
After a full
season of racing, the T-Bird Race Team finished 4th (out of
12 teams) in the overall combined standings.
In the giant slalom standings, we were in 5th, while
we were 4th in the slalom standings.
The individuals
that made the season long World Cup podium (1st, 2nd,
or 3rd) are as follows:
1st
Frank Dusina (AM),
Gail Kovaleski (CW), Patrick Smithbauer (SVCM), Art Ellwanger (CM)
2nd
Tim Loula (BM), Doug Fellman (SVCM), Bob Rossi (CM)
3rd
Katie LeVan (AW), Brian Dusina (VBM), Dick Synowiec (SVDM)
Of the 33
T-Bird racers, 27 made the podium at least once during the regular
season (not including the Cantor Cup), 19 made it at least twice, 13
made it at least three times, 11 made it at least four times, and 9 made
it at least five times. The
top racers who made the podium six times include Brian Dusina,
Frank Dusina, Tim Loula, and Scott Soucie.
Making it seven times is Art Ellwanger.
Making it eight times were Patrick Smithbauer and Bob
Rossi. The queen of the
hill, Gail Kovaleski, made it to the podium in 10 of the 11
races, with only a 5th place in race two marring the season.
Racers of the
Year:
The female
“T-Bird Racer of the Year” is Gail Kovaleski.
Last season, Gail finished third in CW, with six podium finishes
and won the Cantor Cup handicap improvement award.
I predicted that “next season should be even better for her”.
How accurate this prediction was, as she ran away with 1st
place in CW and was the “MACC Most Improved Female Racer of the Year”,
with a total improvement of 17.82 points in her handicaps.
Congratulations Gail!!!
The male
“T-Bird Racer of the Year” is Patrick Smithbauer.
Patrick won his class, made the podium eight times, was upgraded
to B, and was the most improved male T-Bird racer, improving his
handicap by almost 5 points.
Congratulations Patrick!!!
Of course, I
would be remiss if I didn’t mention the large number of other male
T-Bird racers that had remarkable seasons.
Starting with Art Ellwanger, who was 1st in his
class and had seven podiums. Bob Rossi was second to Art in CM
and had eight podiums, as well as improving his handicap by almost 4.5
points. Frank Dusina
was first in his class, had six podiums, and was upgraded to E2M.
Old timer Brian Dusina had six podiums, finished third in
his class, and might have won that class if he hadn’t been upgraded to
VAM. Tim Loula
finished 2nd in his class and made six podium appearances.
Somewhat lost in the shadow of Patrick is Doug Fellman,
who finished 2nd in SVCM and had five podium finishes.
Congratulations to Art, Bob, Frank, Brian, Tim, and Doug!!!
Then, there is
new T-Bird racer, Scott Soucie, who is the “Rookie of the Year”
with seven podium finishes in the eight races that he participated.
He had four podium finishes in CM before being upgraded to BM,
where he had three more podiums.
With only four races in each class, Scott still finished 4th
in each class. Had he had
another weekend in either class, he would probably placed on the World
Cup podium. Congratulations
Scott!!!
Also worth
mentioning is another new T-Bird racer, Katie LeVan, who started
in BW, realized that she was misplaced and went to AW, where she won
three straight races, and then was upgraded to E2W, but not before
placing 3rd for the season in AW.
Congratulations Katie!!!
Sick Bay:
Some of last
seasons injured racers, namely Matt Dubois, Arlene Bellas,
and Steve Vollmer have recovered from the falls that they took
and were back on the slopes this season.
Wesley Schmida still is recovering from the surgery to
repair her torn ACL and meniscus and hopes to be on the slopes and race
course in 2009. Mr. Gimp,
Ted Jablonski, had his hip replaced and was back on the race course
this season. Of course, his
shoulder has been hurting, and it looks like rotator cuff repairs may be
in order. Dick Synowiec
(torn ACL) did not come back on the slopes until midway through the
season and only made the last four races.
Of course it appears that Dick has returned to form, placing 1st
in the last two slalom races and 2nd in the last two GS
races, which was enough to place 3rd for the season in SVDM.
In addition, long-termer Dennis Parrott (bad knee joint)
is getting better and has been on the slopes this season, but not on the
race course. Hopefullly, he
will be racing next season.
The Social
Side:
The T-Bird Race
Team is also the best and most multi-dimensional race team, having a
strong social side with a party for the racers and friends every race
weekend. There was the pizza
party, the submarine sandwich party, and the lasagna party during the
first three Boyne race weekends and the great dining at Searchmont. The
Marks weekend brought the great turnout for Saturday’s MACC banquet, and
the usual great annual T-Bird on-the-hill three-day barbeque at the
Othmar Chalet at Superbowl.
No other club has this kind of race season festivities.
Thanks also go out to Gail Kovaleski, Arlene Bellas, Judy
Sullivan, Mary Ann Jablonski, Jim Michon and many others for making
these activities the success that they were.
It was a season-long good time for all!!!
Mike’s Musings:
The T-Bird Race Team continues to be the best
all-around team in the MACC race program.
A few other teams may have finished higher in the team standings,
but the T-Birds were not far behind.
We have the most racers, the most winners, the largest group of
improving racers, the best social activities, the best Mark’s weekend
barbeque, and best of all, the friendliest group of people on the hill.
This is hard to beat (but we will try to do so next season).
The battle of
the brothers went to me this year, as Ted only raced four races this
season and I won three of the four races. Ted’s hip has improved to
almost full normal function, but his shoulder is now the problem.
The kid is falling apart.
Hopefully, he will be 100% next season, as I don’t want to beat a
cripple.
I stopped my
two-season string of 4th place (invisible award) World Cup
finishes by finishing 6th this season.
This wasn’t the change that I had in mind.
However, it does build character.
But, at this point of my life, I think that I’ve built enough
character and need to get faster and start winning.
Again this
season, future racer, nephew Zach Jablonski, ran as a forerunner for
most of the Course #4 races.
Interestingly, he regularly posted times better than his dad (Ted) or
mine. This is an indication
that another racer on Team Jablonski will be a force to be faced in a
couple of years.
A few of our
T-Bird racers did the Boyne Highlands Downhill race on March 16th.
Two of us were successful, as I placed 2nd and Art
Ellwanger placed 3rd in the 60 & Over class on the Mac Gully
course. I was clocked by
radar at 53 mph near the bottom of the course, as I beat Art by 0.26
seconds. This is a fun time
that anyone who likes going fast should try.
It is a good way to conclude the race season.
In addition,
two of our new T-Bird racers, Katie LeVan and her dad, Mike LeVan,
traveled to the NASTAR National Championships in Steamboat after the
completion of the MACC season.
Not only did they have a good time, but they returned as national
champions of their respective classes.
Katie won the 15-16 Women’s Gold Division by 0.02 seconds and
Mike won the Men’s 40-44 Gold Division by about 2/3 of a second.
This shows that our racers do well, wherever they race.
Congratulations Katie and Mike!!!
See you next season on the race course and between now
and then at other T-Bird activities.
Your
Thunderbird Race Team Director:
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
|
|