GMC Calls Super Atheletes to Whistler, Canada

Britt Janyk, Emily Brydon and
Kelly Vander Beek will be in Sestriere,
Italy, this weekend, challenging the Super-G.

This means that they won't be able to make it to Whistler for the Canadian Championships.

So, what happens? GMC, the official corporate sponsor, puts in a call to Ken Read, CEO for Alpine Canada, and says something like, "Hey Dude, get some heavyweights over to Whistler for the weekend."

So, Ken Read contacts Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Erik Guay, John Kucera and other Canadian super male skiers who will actually be in Whistler, B.C. this weekend for the Canadian Championships.

Apparently, Osborne-Paradis said he was cool about the change in plans, but he didn't dig the late date.
Erik Guay had planned on going home to Quebec or staying in Europe to ski his ass off. He was cool about being in Whistler.

Last year Guay, at 25 years of age positioned himself as the leader of the World Cup circuit.

"It's been a frustrating year," said Guay. "My little back injury definitely set me back. Before that, summer training had gone real well. There's been ups and downs, but no podiums.
"Once I'm able to ski the way I want to -- and it's coming -- the podiums will come, too."
John Kucera, from Calgary, is a giant slalom and a downhill racer: super_G and super-combined. "I've been so close and it's started to (anger me) a little bit, but I still have to stay relaxed and focused. You get to that point where you want it so bad, you do all the wrong things."

Meanwhile, here in Whistler, we're just getting warmed up for the Winter Games in 2010.

Quotes thanks to © The Edmonton Journal 2008