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The Canadian Champion, Friday, March 16, 2007 - A17 SPORTS Ski racing program hits new Heights Glen Eden-based club highlights season with South DivisionJ League Ter 1 title By Herb Garbutt CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF But Hayes said the club still battles the common misconception that it is a pnivate club. Milton Heights' goal is actually to make ot many sports groups would be ski racing acce thrilled to hear they were going wt registratic downhill fast. However, the $200 for tbe se Milton Heights Racing Club is always look- "We don't w ing for ways to accelerate its descent. We want to k The club, based out of Glen Eden Ski and mur," said Ha Snowboard Centre, offers a wide range of The club i programs for skiers of all ages. The programs Trillium grant - from house Icague to the Alpine Ontario ng equipment leagues - allow all its members to enjoy bit- it expericnced ting the hills even though theres a wide Heigbts used a spectrum of what skiers are looking to get grant to train c out of the sport. raise tbeir qu "I'm not going to lie," said nons. 16-year-old Meghan Greaves, "I enjoy winning." The E.C. Drury 10th grad- er certainly wasn't disappointed this season, as her second-place finish helped Milton Heights win Alpine Ontarios South DivisionJ League Tier I championship for the first time in 18 years. The victory by the team, which includes two Burlington skiers and four from Oakville, is a source of great pride for the club. It's a real Davmd versus Goliatu story," said club president Tom Hayes. "HereTs a Current club thats open to, the public on this l Httle skiers are also bump on the escarpment taking on the pri- passing on thei vate clubs and ail their equipment and pri- knowledge vate lessons." help the next For many years, the club was largely generation. unknown even to regular visitors to Glen Eden. Brenna Smith, who now skies on the Hershey League team, took lessons for four years at Glen Eden before discovering Milton Heights. "Had I known about it, I probably would have been in on it a lot sooner," the 17-year-old said. The new clubhouse, com- pleted last year, bas helped overcome that by increasing the clubs profile and visibility on the hill. sible to as many as possible, ns for bouse league under ason. ant this to be an elitist sport. eep entry costs to a mini- yes. ntends to apply for a to upgrade snow-mak- to prevent delays like this season. Milton previous Trillium oaches and ualifica- r to Nine of the 12 members of th J League team have gone throug Ontario apprenticeship progra teach racing skills to younger sk New club members do hav skills test before embarking on r "It's not a learn-to-ski pro learn-to-race program," said h co-ordinator Chris Butler. Glen Eden offers beginner skiing, something the club h doing because it's a significa stream for Hayes import club par with Milti also its pt nights week to impact on the public hill. best inte hill to be Without it, nowhere to go," want to make it th rience for everyo outside the club." The club draws of its members fr Georgetown, Burli Oakville, althougl ers come fro Scarboro Cath e champion Twelve-year-old Shannon Schembri h the Alpine makes the trp from Toronto to Milton two m to help or three times a week. She used to ski at iers. Centennial Park in Etobicoke, but came to e to pass a Glen Eden on a race day and inquired about acing. the program. gram, its a "Its one of the greatcst clubs Ive been ouse league to," she said. "They sbowed great support. Whether 1 ski good or bad, thcy're always lessons for there for me. They're more than a coac. as avoided They're like a friend." nt revenue Hayes said because the members come Glen Eden. from different communities, it introduces said its skiers to a new set of friends. ant for the He added that skiing also helps an mdi- to work in viduals development and points to the first t n e r s h i p nae on the clubs boys camponship tro- Glen Eden. phy - Canadian astronaut Cbns Hadfield, n Heights who won the title in the clubs first year, schedules 1977. ograms for "h teaches life lessons," be said. "Hard early in the work and training gets results." lessen the The club continues to expand beyond members of skiing. About seven years ago, it successful- using the ly brancbed out into snowboarding and bas since spawned graduates Marianne Leeson of Burlington and Claire Merry of Oakville, rho each secured medals at the Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse earlier this Now it has added freestyle sking, a pro- ram that is being guided by Michael Bourdages. The 18-year-old Lester B. 1Ws in our Pearson student won the Ontario Freestyle rest for the champonship in Februaty and is glad to see profitable. bis sport gaining popularity we bave "A lot of the racers have twin tip te said. "We (freestyle skis) and on breaks you see tem e best expe- swhtching skis," ge said. ne, in and The new discipline may just elp tbe club reac even greater eights. the majority om Milton, ngton and h some rac- m as far as ugh and St. arines. Muton's Latie Laur, 14, competes in giant slalom racing recently at Glen Eden GRAHAM PAINE / CANADIAN CHAMPION I I - ~ ' SINCE 1976 •AUToMan e nnan ·FREE INSIPECTION • FOREIGN & DOMU1MC CARS .WRIEN GUARANTEE CLTCHES &DFFERENTIAILS •FREES E ORKN Thans Mtn MMOURR Harry & The Boys ti MMMRMw AVAILAE LOCALLY CW4ED & OPERATED BYi MARRY MAoJCVICH 85 Steeles Avenue East Units 3, 4 & 5 Milton 905- 878-8156f