The Whistler Mountain Ski Club has added some Squamish flavour and Olympic-level talent to its coaching staff.
Though born and raised in Juneau, Alaska, Hilary Lindh, a 13-year veteran of the U.S. ski team, makes her home now in Squamish. With such an impressive track record, the Whistler Mountain Ski Club jumped at the opportunity to have such a high-calibre athlete join this "A Team" squad of coaches.
"We can't measure the competitive advantage that Hilary gives us as a ski racing club, but I can tell you that each day she inspires one of the athletes or coaches to become a world champion. You can't teach, train or buy that kind of stuff," remarks program director Nigel Cooper.
During Lindh's career on the U.S. national ski team (1985-1997), the three-time Olympian accumulated some impressive hardware, including a silver medal in downhill in the 1992 Albertville Olympics, a gold medal in downhill in the 1997 World Championships and three World Cup downhill victories.
When asked which of her highlights where of the most significance, she clearly states that the '97 World Championship was her best.
Lindh has a lot of similarities to Rob Boyd in the way they both see things others don't, such as the podium.
This season Lindh brings true experience of a winner to the club, which in the past has been represented by Boyd. who has since been working with Alpine Ski Canada.
Boyd has been hired on this year with the Women's World Cup speed team, coaching the likes of Emily Brydon, Genevieve Simard, some of Canada's top prospects for the 2010 winter Olympics, held here in Whistler.
Lindh's main focus this season will be working with the first-year FIS team. This group of predominately 15-year-olds was lucky enough to travel down under this August to Australia for a summer camp with Hilary and Sead Causevic.
Sead, the head coach, continues to prove himself as one of the premier ski trainers in the country, will be working alongside Hilary this coming season. Training at Mt. Buller, their goal was mainly refining technique and getting a feel for new equipment before the busy race schedule this winter.Their athletes are currently preparing physically before they depart for Panorama. With weight training, plyometrics and cross training, these athletes are preparing themselves the best they can for their first race of the season.
In mid-December, the Mars Cup opener will be held in Panorama, which will attract the best skiers the West Coast has to offer.
"Since returning from Australia, we've had a really good block of conditioning training. Everyone that Sead and I have been working with has shown improvements in overall strength, balance and coordination," says Lindh.
As well, these athletes have an advantage on the competition coming into their first races in December. After their training in Australia they were able to attend four FIS starts at Mt. Hotham. These races gave the first-year FIS racers a jump over other 15-year-olds in the province, as it has allowed them an opportunity to see what elite racing at that level is like.
The Whistler athletes will be in Panorama this week for their last preseason camp before the busy race schedule this winter.
