You may have heard about the recent retirement announcements by a couple of world class athletes….
This year, will be the last time we will see own own Erik Guay racing in a World Cup on Canadian snow.
We are excited to cheer Erik on to add to his 24 career World Cup podium results.
This will also be the last year of World Cup skiing for Lindsey Vonn.
Since winning her first World Cup at Lake Louise in 2004, she has won an incredible 18 races at Lake ‘Lindsey’.
With 82 World Cup victories, she is 4 shy of Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 86.
Looks like racing at Lake Louise will be an excellent start to the World Cup season!
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Speaking of retirements….
After many years of getting us up the mountain, the Olympic Chair has finally come down off of the mountain.
The slow and steady Oly Chair which got us access up to Upper Wiwaxy on the course, went offline when the Glacier Express was built several years ago.
This fall, the towers and lift hardware were finally removed.
All that is currently left is the lift base platform….
….and the towers are out in the parking on their way to be ‘re-purposed’.
Back in the days before the Glacier Express & Top of the World Chair – it was the Oly Chair up and then we skied down and loaded onto the Summit Platter and we would offload at Tower 5 (marked with a simple bamboo and flagging tape) and traverse across to get the Ladies DH start. It was how everyone – athletes, techs, coaches and Sled Dogs got to the start.
There were many a willie bag dragged up that poma lift….and the bags would fill up with snow on the ride up and the weight on the rope….would slowly strangle your fingers.
Ahhh – those were the days.
Nama-ski,
Brian