2010 OTHDH


2010 othdh 1
  • 15 March 2010
On February 13th it was meant to be the final running of the Over The Hill Downhill at Silver Star in the Okanagan Valley, BC, Canada. The event has been held now for 30 years and during much of that time New Zealand masters have been involved.

30TH OVER THE HILL DOWNHILL

On February 13th it was meant to be the final running of the Over The Hill Downhill at Silver Star in the Okanagan Valley, BC, Canada.  The event has been held now for 30 years and during much of that time New Zealand masters have been involved.  Ray Bradley, then resident in Canada, who had been at it for some years, persuaded Graham Somervaille and then Wiff Hunt to become the One Ski In The Grave team.  I was co-opted in 2002.  Eventually we morphed into TeamNZ.  Due to increasing maturity, I retired this year and we took on Debbie Sigalet, a local from Vernon who has attended every OTHDH since inception.
 
The main event is a team’s race, 4 to a team, at least one to be female.  Ages are added together and compete in 5 year age groups – it seems that forever the Kiwi team has had the greatest combined age.  Having competed with vigor every year, we’ve been in the medals but never in the gold division.  Race two that day has been for the Canadian Masters Downhill Champs – again some successes, some even golden.
 
During the week before the downhill there has been a training camp when all hopefuls are able to practice on the very well groomed course under the watchful eye of 5 coaches.  This February there was much fresh snow to be dealt with so a lot of slipping went on.  The snow on the sides of the course was very deep and difficult to maneuver in on downhill skis – so bad that one venerable competitor, Kenichi Toda, unable to turn, skied over the edge into a stream/tree-well and wasn’t rescued for an hour and a half.  I was put to work guarding the Cross Country section where cross country skiers crossed the course – they weren’t all entirely happy about stopping for trainees – after all cross country skiing was invented before downhill racing.

 

This year TeamNZ skied with verve to come 3rd in the 225yrs and Well Over The Hill class with Phil Clemow, Graham Somervaille and Geff Hall finishing within 2 seconds of one another:  1:24.47, 1:25.65 & 1:26.99 and Debbie in a much better time than I ever did at 1.34.57.  Competition was fierce amongst the Kiwi boys in the championship race with Phil just beating Geoff for 3rd place in their age group.  Graham got a pole stuck at the start which he had to drop - with a little extra time on the course he was well down the list.
 
Such was the fervent wish of the 200 plus competitors and supporters at the prizegiving “banquet” that I am sure this OTHDH won’t be the last.  Their problem, as with other race organizers are having, is cost and getting sponsors.  Geoff thinks he can get Qantas to come to the party – after all, Silver Star is owned by Australians and Qantas could bring them there by the dozens for the event.  Hope springs eternal!

2010 othdh 2