Special Summer 2010 Edition

Saskatchewan Speed Skating was well represented at Speed Skating Canada's Annual General Meeting in Gatineau, Quebec, July 1-4.  The association sent two board members (Rick Slusar and Trevor Sutter) and two staff members (Executive Director Shawn MacLennan and High Performantce Coach Bryan McSorley)  to the annual general meeting. 

Saskatchewan Speed Skating delegates brought back a mountain of information that will soon be shared with your club representatives and, in turn, with you.  But we also brought back some video that will give you a first-hand look at some of the discussions that took place at the AGM, as well as a presentation on the many changes to competitions that will be implemented in the 2010-2011 speed skating season.

For an overview of some of these changes, please view Nancy Goplin's two-part presentation to the AGM. Nancy is chair of Speed Skating Canada's competitions committee. Click here to view Part One .  Click here to view Part Two .

We also encourage you to view a video of some of the discussions and presentations that took place throughout the AGM.

But it wasn't all work. Many delegates took in the Canada Day festivities on Parliament Hill, as well as the Speed Skating Canada Gala and Awards Dinner that honoured our athletes from the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.  This five-minute video captures many of the sights and sounds from both events.  In the video, you will notice many Olympic athletes signing some posters, one of which was brought back to Saskatchewan to be raffled off at the Regina's Fall Classic Short Track Meet. You will want to get in on this draw!

Former Olympian and Saskatchewan Speed Skater Kim Weger is now a member of Speed Skating Canada's   board of directors. Weger was on Speed Skating Canada’s long track National Team for eight years before retiring in the spring of 2009. She was one of Canada’s top sprinters, consistently finishing in the top three at the Canadian Championships. She competed in the 500m at the Torino Olympic Winter Games, and skated at numerous World Cup and World Championship events. She will bring her experience and a strong understanding of skaters and High Performance to Speed Skating Canada’s Board of Directors.

Prior to Speed Skating Canada's AGM, Saskatchewan Speed Skating held its annual general meeting on June 12 in Regina. The turnout was solid and there was a lot of good discussion and information sharing.  We thank Malcolm Conley and Rick Sluser, who stepped down from their positions on the board as V-P of Officials and V-P of Coaching, respectively, and we welcome Ed Horst as the new V-P of Finance. We are still looking to fill positions, so if you are interested please drop a note to sassa@sasktel.net

Fourteen skaters and four coaches participated in the Elkwater Endurance Camp, just across the border from Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, on July 5-10.  Led by High Performance Coach Bryan McSorley, this camp offered mainly cylcing and a daily dryland training, but also a variety of competitive and fun activities.  The weather cooperated and participants logged about 250 klms (10 hours) on their bikes across the park's hilly terraine during the week. Special thanks to Larry Fast, Sandra Nase and Aaron Phoenix, who provided tremendous help at the camp throughout the week.   

Click here to view more photos from the Elkwater Endurance Camp.

Fast is Fun Short Track Camp is the next big event on the summer calendar.  The camp will be hosted by the Regina Speed Skating Club, with the support of    Saskatchewan Speed Skating, on August 17-22. This promises to be a great camp for the entire family, as there is plenty to see and do in the Queen City. Also,  depending on the level of interest, we may be holding a free officials clinic in conjunction with the camp. Please indicate your interest on the registration form or drop us a note at sassa@sasktel.net . To view the camp information bulletin, please go to Fast is Fun 2010 . The poster and registration form can be found in our Calendar of Event

We leave you with this inspirational message from Clara Hughes , as she bid farewell to the sport at Speed Skating Canada's AGM.