Monthly Archives: February 2017

Last week, Coach Jeff and his family (Gina, Hayes, Hudson, and Marin) traveled to Ottawa & Quebec.  They visited with Jeff’s sister and family and took in the Eastern Canadian Championships at Nakkertok.  (Big-time ski races located at Canada’s largest ski club.)

Well!  It proved to be a very interesting trip as we unexpectedly encountered Coach Ihor’s past – not just once, but twice!

When Jeff stopped at a ski store to borrow some items just prior to race weekend, he met a man named Pavol… who just happened to know Coach Ihor very well!

Pavol and Ihor coached in the same era… Coach Ihor in Manitoba; Coach Pavol in NWT.

Then, during race weekend, Jeff talked in depth with Ontario’s Team Hardwood… and funny thing again, during introductions it was discovered that there was yet another person prominently linked to Coach Ihor’s past…

… Jack Sasseville! 

If any of you have read APJ’s website page on “Coaches”, then you will know of Ihor’s bio which tells of his racing days with the Manitoba Ski Team under the leadership of Jack Sasseville and Ted Bigelow.   I’m sure Coach Ihor has many more stories to tell.

WOW!  If anything, our family’s trip out East reminded and impressed upon us just how knowledgeable Coach Ihor is about skiing – in racing and everything else, too. 

Ihor was, and still is, a prominent figure in the ski community and we are very fortunate to have him as our very own Head Coach of APJ.   Thank you, Coach Ihor, for all the work you do with APJ!

Coach Ihor with his son, James.

Hi Everybody:

We will be skiing at the usual location Sunday, Feb. 5, 1:30 from the Duck Pond area.

A bit of a hiccup in that we are down a couple of coaches due to race travel and a really good story of a heroic crash injury!

So, we will need a few lively parents to help with making sure the skis get on and sweeping the trail a bit at the end of the session.

Coach Jeff and Ihor’s group should be set for classic skis.  I have wax.

Could we get a couple of extra things brought out if they are readily available:

• small blade shovel for moving snow (building small bumps on the hilly bits)
• a toboggan/sled that can be pulled
• cups for hot chocolate so we don’t have to toss out styrofoam

Thanks,

Coach Ihor

Hi!

We’ll  be skiing Thursday at Windsor Park, ski racks at 6:30. Working on classic technique, and put an extra layer of underwear on as it will be cooler than what we’ve been skiing in lately.

Thanks,

Coach IHOR