CANADIAN NATIONAL TEAM SUMMER CAMP 2008

[musicalmom]

I had a chance to spend the morning yesterday at the Pacific National ice arena with The Canadian National Short Track Speed Skating team. This was an invitational media event and I attended as a free lance writer. Until I can get my notes and pictures processed for uploading, here are 2 articles that resulted from this event :

www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=8fc3d7c7-dc20-499c-9b62-534fdf78cc66
www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080724.OLYSKATE24/TPStory/Sports

I was fortunate and got a chance to interview Amanda Overland and Charles Hamelin, and speak to a few others..got several photos with my "old fashioned" camera which I'll post on this thread with my notes.
Wasn't sure where to put this thread so I'll leave it to the moderator to move to a more appropriate place if required.

Had an opportunity to meet some parents of local junior development team . They told me that World Cup #2-Vancouver info will likely be released in mid September as they are busy planning a big national/regional event here for early September . The new ice system is being completed and tested and they are hopeful it will be done by their Sept. event. This is the system that will remain for the World Cup and the Olympics. Because this venue will also be used by figure skating events on alternate days, there is some fine tuning needed to have the type of ice that will work for both sports. I spoke to one of the Calgary coaches and he said they were hoping that this compromise wouldn't negatively affect the speed of the ice. I believe the company putting in the system also put in the system for the Calgary venue.
I'm a novice fan so didn't know this before. Both Calgary and Montreal are National training centers although I believe the Olympic short track team is currently training in Montreal. The coach I spoke to said that both long track and short track use Calgary for training.

Musical Mom

[A.O.Freak]

you must of had an awesome time Musical Mom..thnx for sharing your experience with us..cant wait for the pics ;D

[musicalmom]

CANADIAN NATIONAL SHORT TRACK TEAM SUMMER CAMP-VANCOUVER
Part I - The Event

Speed Skating Canada's Short Track National Team was in Vancouver for it's annual training Camp on July 23rd. The SCC invited the media to attend a training session at he 2010 Olympic Games Venue :
(Pacific Coliseum, 100 North Renfrew, Vancouver
Parking Lot 6- off Renfrew Street, north of the Coliseum)
I was fortunate enough to be able to attend.



It was an opportunity to meet the Short Track National Team including Olympic Medalists Charles Hamelin, Jean-Francois Monette, Francois-Louis Tremblay, Kalyna Roberge, Tania Vicent and Amanda Overland as they prepared for the season and 2010 Olympics. They were here from Montreal and Calgary to familiarize themselves with the venue and the ice before returning to Vancouver for the first Team Selection of the season ( September 16-18) and the second stop of the ISU World Cup Short Track
(Oct. 24-26)

Local junior development team skaters were invited to take the ice with their heroes for a relay race. I'm guessing they were in the 12 to 15 year old range but boy were they focused. I spoke to one of their mom's and she said this was their first time on the ice for 3 months and although excited, their uppermost thought was not to fall in front of their heroes. No one did, and it was fun to watch. They tracked like pros and flew ahead as they were pushed by the seniors..there were a few squeals in the process as they really took off when pushed by "the big guys"! A thrill for each of them. See picture below after they changed from their gear.



Musical Mom

[musicalmom]

CANADIAN NATIONAL SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING TEAM - VANCOUVER SUMMER CAMP- 2008

PART II - THE WOMEN'S TEAM

After the training session, and after the major press interviews, I had the chance to speak with some of the skaters and get some photos...

KALYNA ROBERGE (here are some photos) I spoke to her briefly & dhe graciously allowed me to take her picture. She competed last season at WCup # 1 , #2, #3, #4,#5,#6 and Worlds. She is an Olympic and World Champs medalist.




I also got a candid of Kalyna relaxing with her team after practice.



I was very fortunate to actually interview Amanda Overland. She is an Olympic & World Champ medalist and competed last season at WCup #1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6 and the Worlds.



She is a charming and very intelligent young woman with a twinkle in her eye . She was quite friendly and forthcoming when I explained that I wasn't really press but a fan. She smiled when I told her about our fan sites and how we all stayed up and watched Asian TV for the World Championships and the World Team Championships. I told her she had many fans at GA and at Apolo and Julianne.com.
When I asked her how she chose short track as her sport, she explained that she has 2 older siblings who were involved in long track and that she was 'Kind of born into skating". She really prefers short track because "it involves more than physical skill, it really requires mental focus and strategy" When I asked her who she considered her biggest competition, she said Kalyna & grinned. I then remembered that the team has to qualify first and then approach the world cups...a long way to the Olympic team! She said she was most excited about the 1000 and the 1500.
We talked about all the risk in short track, about how talent and skill are not the only factors but "fate, luck, & happenstance". She said that disappointment was just part of the package and worth it for the thrill of the sport. I asked her if she was by nature a risk taker and she said No.
"In real life I love being home, love to cook" She said about 1/2 her time is devoted to short track, 1/4 to school ( she is searching for a major but interested in public relations and communication) and the rest to sleeping and her private life. She said she trains in 1 1/2 hr sessions on ice which are incredibly intense. Then of course there is dry land training. She has trained in Calgary but is now training in Montreal with the whole team.
Amanda was very approachable and talked to fans, press, posed for endless pictures and smiled her brilliant smile thru out. I was very lucky to have this time with her .



Here are the women taking the ice ( I think it's the women's team)


Enjoy,
Musical Mom

[musicalmom]

CANADIAN NATIONAL SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING TEAM-SUMMER CAMP-VANCOUVER 2008

PART III - THE MEN'S TEAM



Ok, Ok, here are the pictures. Sorry there aren't more. Several people promised to send me theirs but haven't yet. There was one taken of me with Charles but the person forgot to use my camera. Am hoping someone else got it and will forward to me.

**note...someone just forwarded me a you tube clip from the morning..no me with Charles, but some video footage on ice. The camera man is also a fan.
ca.youtube.com/watch?v=s2ovcw3J-q8
enjoy *****


CHARLES HAMELIN : An Olympic & World Champ medalist. He competed last season in WCup #1, #2, #3, #4,#5, #6 and Worlds. His brother Francoise also is on the National team.



I really enjoyed meeting Charles. Amanda introduced us. He is absolutely
delightful to talk with...gracious, yes charming, and smiles all the time.
He was amazed when I told him about all his American fans and that there were whole threads devoted to him on the fan sites. He said he doesn't use the computer much and didn't know. I kidded him and said there was one question I wouldn't ask although there would be many who would wish I did, and that was "Are you available?" He grinned as Amanda jumped in with a chuckle, "He has a girlfriend"! He was really a good sport about my teasing, and seemed tickled to find out that he had American fans.
We talked about the upcoming season and I asked him who he felt was his major competition...The top 12 he said! When I asked which teams would give him the stiffest competition, he said the U.S. and Korea.

OLIVIER JEAN- A relay medalist, Olivier is back on the National team after a year away due to a serious cut to his leg and enthusiastic about the coming season.
IMG]http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f388/musicalmom08/00200011.jpg[/IMG]

Olivier stood out on the ice for several reasons...he is quite tall ( one of the parents said he looked like a long track skater), he has long dreads, and he wore a bright yellow & gray skin suit. He was amazing with the younger kids on the ice and took time to talk to them before the relay.
He explained to me that he had been off the ice for an entire year because he was rehabbing from a serious cut to his lower leg. ( even showed me the scar- wow!) He is excited to be back and on the "racing team" and says he's fully recovered and in great shape for this season. I wished him well and told him that he had some U.S. fans as well. Really he said, they remember me? Yes, I said , wished him well and told him he also had a new fan in me.



more photos to follow
Musical Mom

[musicalmom]

CANADIAN NATIONAL SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING TEAM AT SUMMER CAMP IN VANCOUVER

PART III - SOME MISCELLANEOUS PICTURES
(If you can identify any of the skaters, please let me know who they are..I took them fast and didn't have time to write anything down til after)

This is GUILLAUME BASTILLE, who competed last season in W.Cup # 5 & 6



This is STEVE ROBILLARD, world cup & world championship medalist. He' competed last season in WCup # 1 ,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6 and the World Championships.

The group picture immediately below Steve :
Francois-Louis Tremblay (on left side); Kalyna Roberge (up front); Steve Robillard (on right); girl on the bike with her back to us is Anne Maltais





i51.photobucket.com/albums/f388/musicalmom08/00200021.jpg[/IMG]








And a symbol of what's to come...a blank score board waiting for World C





and an empty parking lot overlooking the Vancouver North Shore mountains waiting for the fans to arrive !!



Musical Mom
(and special thanks to everyone for the advice on how to post photos. I think I could do it again now that I've figured it out)

[mtnme]

;D Thank You musical mom for all the wonderful photos and stories. (Especially for the 'Prince Charles' fix!)
Now you know why Lori was completely stopped in her tracks when he was around.

(OK, in all fairness and honesty, ALL the skaters stopped her in her tracks. If it was a skater, you have never seen anyones hands shake so badly when attempting to take someones - ANYONE'S, picture!!!) LOL

Musical Mom, you deserve mucho Karma for your reporting and pics!

As to the other skaters, I'm gonna go out on a limb (waaaaayyyy out) and suggest the cutie in the red t-shirt is Charles Hamelin's brother Francois. I'm really not sure though, (Lori? any help?) Arguably, the only ones worse than the US in promoting their skaters is possibly Canada. I've gone to the website and can't find a single bio or picture of their top skaters.

[musicalmom]

Thanks Mtnme for the kind words and the guess at the picture..I wondered if he was one of the Tremblays ? You are absolutely correct. The Canadians are even worse than the U.S. with their media coverage. I looked too and couldn't find any labeled pictures. The fact that they put short track skaters that didn't include a Canadian on the ferries is really outrageous to me and I'm an American living in Canada.
There was only 1 tv camera at this press event ( not a major channel..haven't seen any footage on any local channel) and only the two
news articles I posted citations for - one from the Vancouver Sun ( our major paper, the other is he Vancouver Province which I haven't yet seen any coverage) and one from the National Globe and Mail.
And giant thanks and karma coming to you from me for your very clear and helpful directions for posting photos...had some trouble with photobucket...had to re upload pictures with the bulk uploader because the others wouldn't post...came up as a blank white square...so started all over again...had to do the bulk uploader twice because it kept freezing...but I kept at it and NOW it seems simple. So glad I persisted to learn to do it myself although I was very appreciative of your offer to do it for me...I was almost there! Yes, the pics were better than I expected for a throw away camera...they had the media lights on in the arena and that helped.
Once again, thanks for your response to my posts.
Musical Mom ;D

[olympia]

Thank you musicalmom--your pictures and the account of your day were great--thank you for sharing---olympia

[bubblebuttsbabe]

Thanks Musical Mom! What an amazing experience this must have been.

Pictures wise...in your 1st post...2nd photo: Steve Robillard is posing with what I think you said was part of the Jr. Development Team.

Oh, fun fact...Amanda Overland is Derrick Campbell's sister-in-law if you didn't know. He married Cindy Overland (Campbell), her sister, who is a former Olympic LTer. Derrick used to be US' ST Director, now he coaches Team Canada. I'm rambling so I'll stop now...back to the pictures. ;D

Part III (Post 4)...1st photo (red shirt): Guillaume Bastille (I'm pretty sure...I'm going off his bio picture and they look very similar)

Part III (Post 4)...2nd photo: Steve Robillard (again)

Part III (Post 4)...3rd photo: guy on right...a coach...guy on left...one of the Monette bros. (I'm probably wrong...just taking a guess off of what I can see).

mtnme: two words...PRESS ROOM! LOL. If you click on that link on ssc's website...you get a media guide (st and lt). I checked out the media guide for ST. Pretty nice, but that didn't help me find the red shirt skater...I clicked on SHORT TRACK EVENT TEAMS and just checked them all out. Takes some time, but you match lots of faces with names. Especially the up incoming CA skaters. Way too many newbies for me to remember. ;D

[mtnme]

Thanks BBB. I never would have found the info if you hadn't directed me there. ( I just KNEW they had to have something posted on their skaters somewhere!)

And I think you're right about Bastille now that I see his picture on his bio. I figured it was a long shot guess on Hamelin's 'bro'.

But now that I know where the bio's and pics are, I'll be better able to recognize them when they're wandering around the Oval!

And thanks musical mom for the thanks, I hope I was of some help. And you're right. photobucket can get testy at times.

[number1fan]

mm.......you are the bomb!!!!!!!

fabulous recap and first time photos!!!

more karma to you m'dear!

[bubblebuttsbabe]

Jul 26, 2008 3:47:21 GMT -5 mtnme said:

Thanks BBB. I never would have found the info if you hadn't directed me there. ( I just KNEW they had to have something posted on their skaters somewhere!)

And I think you're right about Bastille now that I see his picture on his bio. I figured it was a long shot guess on Hamelin's 'bro'.

But now that I know where the bio's and pics are, I'll be better able to recognize them when they're wandering around the Oval!

And thanks musical mom for the thanks, I hope I was of some help. And you're right. photobucket can get testy at times.

You're welcome. I hope this means lots of pictures from WC1? Hmm, yes? LOL. ;D

[Lori]

MM, your really did get some great pics - with a disposable camera? Thanks for sharing them with us (and you got to learn some valuable computer skills in the process, eh?)

I see that most of the 'identity' questions have been cleared up, but here's the direct link to that Team Canada Short Track Media Guide:

www.speedskating.ca/press-room.cfm

Also, I've often found the Spectator's Guide section helpful for answering questions about the rules:

www.speedskating.ca/client/cmsUploads/speed_skating/File/Media/Media_guide_0708_79-88.pdf

Kalyna's just a beauty, isn't she? Here's a cool pic of her that was posted last year on OZ:



I'm glad that the Canadian skaters are as gracious and friendly as our own team - you obviously had a wonderful experience, and thanks again for 'taking us with you'! ;D

[lilyover76]

Musical mom - Wow... thanks for the great pics! They give us a 'Preview' of what's to come in October! We're really looking forward to being back up in your beautiful area!

Another Karma to you from me! ;D