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Banff/Sunshine 08 Course Diary...
January 1st 2008
The Peak Leaders 2008 session at Sunshine Village is about to get underway and we are excited to get started!
Sunshine Village Ski and Snowboard Resort and the Bow Valley region offer some of the worlds best outdoor adventures and natural beauty.
In choosing Peak Leaders you have joined a high quality organization that you can count on to ensure your winter experience will be the very best. The Sunshine Village Ski and Snowboard School offers internationally certified instructors who are carefully chosen to train you as skiers and snowboarders but also as instructors. You can expect the very best.
Congratulations to all the Peak Leaders participants and get ready for the time of your lives!
Stewart Laver
Director
Sunshine Village
Ski and Snowboard School
January 9th 2008
Well, everyone made it out to Banff in one piece and it's off to a fantastic start - what a great bunch of people from all walks of life.
Yesterday's mountain familiarisation blew away the cobwebs and got the legs working once again with the team darting all over the mountain with the Sunshine Snow Hosts. Today was the first day of lessons and everyone met their instructors for the next 12 weeks and strutted their stuff on the slopes.
With the initial risk assessment, personal development and leadership lectures done and dusted, everyone is set for the experience of a lifetime...let the games begin!
Week one
The flight over was trouble free from the minute we met the Peak Leaders representatives at Heathrow to when we met Ed at Calgary. All was good and from that moment I think we could all tell that there was a good atmosphere within the group. We boarded our bus to transfer us to the resort and everyone was brimming with excitement and I could tell we all just wanted to arrive in the mountains.
Our first day was full of information about the next twelve weeks and helped us get our head round what we had stepped in to. On the Tuesday we hit the slopes for the first time and all I can say is amazing. It has been a while since I have skied snow this nice, by all accounts everyone had a great first day and could not wait to meet our instructors.
The next four days with our instructors was great, we have some of the best instructors in Sunshine and we are all learning so much every minute we are with them. This is only the first week, I and the rest of the group can see and feel a dramatic difference from the first day on the snow. I cannot wait for Monday to arrive and learn some more from our instructors.
Even though it is our first week the group is bonding very well and the mood is positive and it will be a fantastic.
Joe McEvoy
Team Pic
Happy Boarders
Week Two
Another week here in Banff has passed already, and time seems to be flying by, meaning that we are yet again closer to the level 1 assessment which is now starting to linger as the Peakleader's team are continuing to develop their technical skiing and riding abilities as well as their teaching techniques. It has become increasingly clear as we progress towards the level 1 CASI assessment that we will all be very well prepared thanks to the expertise and knowledge of our instructors. We are constantly pushed by them to attain standards which even two weeks ago seemed insurmountable and the overall effect seems to have been a huge improvement on everybody's technique.
Off the slopes it is needless to say that we have all been partying as hard as we have been skiing and snowboarding (although some more so than others). Therefore it seems that all on the course are fitting in well with the local culture of work hard play hard attitude to life. The result of several intoxicating nights out has been a strong team spirit amongst the group as well as the birth of many nicknames for the Peakleader's team, many of which are unsuitable to divulge in this update.
I have no reservations that next week will see further progress both on and off the mountain as everyone now settles to the task of attaining the level 1 instructor qualification.
Duncan Rutherford
Craig
Juan Snowboard Instructor
Snowballs
Weekly Review
Tree skiing
Bluebird Day
January 24th 2008
The first few weeks out in Banff have been a massive learning curve for all of us, especially for the skiers who are still attempting to snow plough. The intensive training from our instructors is definately paying off as we are losing our bad habits and learning to ski/board efficiently on all kinds of terrain. There have been no major injuries however there have been a few spectacular wipe-outs mainly due to jumps, trees or just poor technique! However the past few weeks have not just been about the skiing... we have adopted a freshers week approach to our nights so far in Banff and have certainly left our mark not only in terms of drinking but our much-envied dance moves made an impression as well. All in all its been an amazing few weeks both on and off the slopes...now the count-down starts for our Level One exams at the beginning of February!
Francesca Bradshaw
January 30th 2008
The week got of to a good start with snow over the weekend, and it hasn’t really stopped since. The temperature, however, kept falling and so to some relief the mountain was closed on Monday, as it was too cold for the gondola to start. This meant that we had a free day, so some chose to go shopping, some to just chill out, and the others to sculpt an ice sofa!
We were back up on the mountain the following day with everyone continuing to work hard toward their Level 1, which is coming up fast, polishing up their teaching and riding/skiing skills in time for next weeks exam.
This week also saw the introduction of the 'Pink Bandana', awarded to a member of the group for either doing something incredibly stupid, or very clever. This week it was awarded to Cal for managing to ski in to a skidoo that he was racing, after a few too many après beers!
Charlotte Matthews
James & Ed
The Ice sofa!
February 9th 2008
Well, to say I am proud is an understatement! Team PL Banff ' 08 pulled it out the bag and did amazing things over Level 1 week, with all skiers passing and 6.5 out of 7 boarders, with one passing half due to injury - one make-up day to tick a couple more boxes and it looks like 100% success shortly. Trappers Bar, on the mountain, was taken by storm and the crew celebrated in style before heading down the mountain for food in The Elk and Oarsman and more dancing festivities downtown at Hoodoo Lounge. Our horror-rave theme was spectacular, check out the photos ... well done Peak Leaders INSTRUCTORS!
Ed Cornfield
Ed & happy skiers!
Team Success!
Happy snowboarders!
Innes, Mike & Fran
Craig
Ross, Debbie & Charlotte
February 12th 2008
This weekend was full of celebrations and good times all round. The phrase, "work hard and party harder" springs to mind and creates a good representation of the drinks that were to follow the passing of level one by all involved. Friday was spent by some on the hill but by the rest in bed nursing somewhat sore heads. This day off meant we were all able to catch up with some much needed washing and general personal admin. Saturday was a free ski day which, after the week of intense tuition, was great fun!
Our high spirits and celebrations carried on into Sunday evening with the fortune of enjoying the professional DJ playing at a local club.
Sunday allowed us to prepare for the coming week of first aid and avalanche training. In conclusion, I can happily say that we are all still all having the times of our lives, and our plans to continue enjoying ourselves are mutual throughout the group!
Cal Phillips
Mike
Deb & Ed
Innes Mike & Charlotte
February 18th 2008
Good evening from banff, all is well here with 75 cm of snow in the last week. This week has included a first aid course, avalanche course and backcountry course, all of which were awesome. The backcountry course involved walking in snowshoes up big mountains and snowboarding down them in untouched areas of The Rockies. The trip was over 2 days and by the end I was exhausted. The guy leading us was a canadian called Grant and the guy was a machine, never breaking sweat - the kinda guy who dose press ups whilst waiting for everyone else to catch up. Back into training for Level 2 now....
Duncan Rutherford
Sean
Cal
Ross
February 25th 2008
After last weeks indoor lessons it was great to have a weekend which was used by most to ski, ski and ski some more. A lot of the leaders hit up the terrain park resulting in a good few falls whilst some of the people just enjoyed their skiing. On monday we started to train harder than ever in preperation for our level two instructor course which has given everyone something to focus on again after our celebrations for level one finally came to an end.
Everyone is still having the times of our lives and with just over a month to go , "things can only get better".......i think there's a song along those lines.
Michael Brown
March 4th 2008
In the past week the gears of level 2 preperation have finally begun to churn. We headed to Lake louise for a change of scenery, and although the conditions were a little 'solid' to day the least, the terrain was challenging with long runs and lots of bumps training. Ross managed to make a pretty spectacular fall, cartwheeling off down the mountain and breaking one of his fingers but was back in action shortly afterwards. Returning back to Sunshine was bliss with an awesome day of powder skiing and a real appreciation of quite how good the snow is at Sunshine - great Bunch of days all round with lots of improvement from everyone - lots of steeps and lots of powder! The week was topped off with Perry passing her Level One making it a 100% pass and celebrations all round, so the majority of us headed to Auroras nightclub for some well deserved innebriated relaxation and guest DJ. Hangovers all round!
James Fuller
March 9th 2008
This week the training for level 2 intensified, we focused far more on personal development and training our eye to look for where improvement could be possibly made and the results were startling with dramatic improvements in everyone’s skiing and riding.
Also during this week there was an excursion to Calgary where most of the group went to watch the Calgary Flames ice hockey team take on the Nashville Predators, this was a highlight of the course for many.
Finally, congratulations must go to those who partook in the ILM course, as the pass rate was 100%, and to Alec Clarkson who pulled a triple back flip 720 rodeo!!!....in his dreams....
Alec Clarkson
The Banff Bunch!
March 23rd 2008
The past week saw the climax of the trip: the level II assessment!!! From the first day we could all tell that this was not to be relaxed mellow atmosphere of level I! This was to be a week of hard work, concentration and determination (with a few jokes along the way!). The three day training before the assessment was extremely intense and my riding improved immensely!! Rich (our examiner) was an ace bloke, but I knew he wasn't just going to hand over our level II without some serious effort and focus on my part. Next, exam day!! I have to say nerves were high but as the day progressed I relaxed a little and realized I knew what I was talking about when I was teaching!!
Anyhoo, after a long hard day on the hill we all grabbed a well-deserved pint at the bar and waited for our results... the majority of the snowboarders and all of the skiers passed, and I know we all tried our hardest and took alot from the course, so congratulations to all (skiers as well I suppose!) and all the best for the future!!!!! ;)
Rodger Mitchell
(level II snowboard instructor!)
Final Week....booo!
The final week was one of mixed emotion and drama all round. Congratulations must go out to all who passed their skiing or boarding Level 2 exams. All the hard work over the last 11 weeks has certainly paid off. Celebrations, however came to a sudden halt when Nick took it upon himself to literally ‘fly’ into a tree at great speed leaving tree debris and Nick debris scattered all over the show. Thankfully he ‘only’ broke his arm….it could have been far worse. Hope it mends quickly Mr Scurfield.
On Easter Monday of the last week, some of the Peak Leaders went off to Kicking Horse, (if you get the chance, go, it is incredible). Arriving early in the day enabled a full day of skiing fresh ‘pow’ and amazing terrain. On leaving it should be noted that Mike was asked for his mobile number by a 14 year old boy….. what happened next is anybodies guess.
On the Tuesday we were delighted to find out that there had been a big dump of snow at Sunshine Village, which meant one thing…..ski the dive. Delirium Dive had been closed most of the time we had been out in Canada and so to get to ski it eventually was great. With everyone down the sketchy entrance safely, (some safer than others, Cal), we found the awesome powder that we had been waiting 11 weeks for, and boy was it worth it.
Ross, on conquering the challenge of skiing the Dive decided to celebrate by damaging part of his back on a compression after successfully landing a cliff drop. However it must be said that Ross is made of rubber, and so managed to get up and ski down to the infirmary where he was then sent to hospital. Thankfully he is ok. Hard as nails old Rosscoe.
The rest of the week was jammed full with as much skiing/ riding as we could manage but the looming prospect of the departure from Banff was in the back of everyone’s minds. The last evening was celebrated by all in style with Mr Ed Cornfield buying us copious amounts of alcohol at dinner, (with our own money) and followed by a great night out in Banff afterwards.
So that’s it, I’m just left with a few thank you’s to say. First to the staff at Irwins Mountain Inn, they made our stay very comfortable, second to the Staff at Sunshine Ski School, especially our instructors. For the skiers; Misayo, Kenji, Brent, Kyle, Matheu and Sophie. For the boarders; Juan and Ian. The next thank you must go to Ed Cornfield for being an incredible course leader who just wanted our time in Canada to be as memorable as possible for each and everyone of us and who was always there when we needed. Ed you are a legend….never grow up. Last but not least to all my fellow Peak Leaders. Without you it wouldn’t have been the same experience, cheers guys. Keep in touch.
They say time flies when you’re having fun, and it most certainly does. 12 weeks has flown past and I’m sure I speak for everyone of the ‘Banff bunch’ when I say it was one of the best experiences of our lives.
Innes Buchanan
(CSIA Level 2 Instructor)
So the end is here......
Well, another season has come to an end, and what an awesome time it's been. The Banff PL Crew 2008 have come, conquered and, I hope, had the time of their lives. The mountains won't be the same for a while, and Banff nightlife will take some time to recover. The final few weeks were spent enjoying the powder at Sunshine, ripping the steeps at Kicking Horse, drinking the bar dry in Mels, tackling Delirium Dive, dropping the cliffs we've been looking at all season, and generally maximising the action in the mountains from dawn 'til dusk.
With impressive Level 2 results, and personal development in a big way all round, those who want it are set-up for a success in the future - in fact, over half the course have jobs instructing in Europe this Spring already. Fantastic friends have been made, experiences shared, drinks drunk, dances danced and slopes shredded.
Ed & happy skiers! 
