Dana Williams, Founder & President of Best of Both Golf & Ski shares similar sentiments, “I’m looking forward to giving PacWest members the opportunity to experience our pro athlete guided adventures.  Jay and I have both created businesses around high performance so I know his company’s members will  enjoy our unique trips and events.”

The trip to Whistler will begin on Thursday, March 22nd and run through Sunday, March 25th.  2010 Winter Olympian, World Cup ski racer and Whistler resident, Anastasia Skryabina, will be the featured pro athlete.  Her knowledge of the best places to ski on Whistler Blackcomb combined with lift line priority privileges will guarantee thousands of vertical feet of the best skiing in North America.  PacWest members will be met at the Vancouver airport and transferred to Whistler along the spectacular Sea to Sky Highway.  Each day will be filled with skiing runs with the best conditions currently in North America followed by evenings enjoying Whistler’s award-winning restaurants and upscale bars and lounges.  Whistler has received over 22 feet of snow this year.  This will guarantee PacWest’s members some of the best skiing they have had all year ….unlike their home mountain in Tahoe.

The US Open experience will take place on Friday, June 15 and Saturday, June 16.  It will begin Friday afternoon with a 90 minute golf clinic at the Presidio Golf Club with 1992 US Open competitor (and the Bay Area’s own), Josh Zander.  This will be followed by drinks and dinner inside the club house.  Here Josh he will share insightful and interesting memories of competing at the US Open.  On Saturday guests will be picked up at a designated location in Marin and be transferred to the Olympic Club.  Here they will spend the day watching the best golfers in the world compete for the US Open trophy, either while strolling the fairways or from their VIP seating vantage point.  Members will be transferred back to Marin at the end of the day.

For more information on PacWest and how to become a member,  please go to  http://www.pacwestathletics.com/.  PacWest members who would like to join this trip can contact Kelly Davis at kdavis[at]bestofboth.ca.

As most of you probably know, the town of Kitzbuhel is  home of the Hahnenkamm World Cup races.  Fans from all over the world join together to watch one of their favorite passions: ski racing.

During this year’s trip, it was unbelievable to see how how many  passionate, polite and incredibly intoxicated people from all over the world cheer loudly and with such loyalty for their countrymen!

The most memorable race for me  was the Downhill.  Fans lined up the mountain along the course with their flags waving high in the air.  Cowbells were ringing, horns were blowing, songs were being chanted and everyone was so excited to be there.  The positive energy was all around and everyone had smiles on their faces.  The excitement was contagious. Seeing a racer fly by at over 80 mph can turn anyone into an instant fan.  Take a look at what it is like to go down the Hannenkahn from a racers perspective: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1JegMvBN3U    How can you not be a fan after watching that video?

If you get a chance to take a break from the races then I’d suggest you go on a Norwegian Picnic. One might ask what is a Norwegian picnic?  One, you need to be with Norwegians and two, it has to be very cold.  I was lucky enough to jump in a horse draw sleigh with 3 Norwegians and some of my Canadian friends to go on a journey throughout the back roads of Kitzbuhel. It was a 5 hour ride with stops at various restaurants and coffee houses in between. The architecture was exquisite and the locals that we passed along the way could not of been any friendlier.

Kitzbuhel is a magical place and I can’t wait to go back next year and hope you will join me for another adventure!

By Doug Lewis, Universal Sports

Most downhill races are held on trails that are fun to ski. Long after the gates and nets have been taken down, the trails of World Cup’s most famous speed tracks like Birds of Prey, Bormio, Whistler and Garmisch are wide open, filled with exciting terrain and a blast to ski.

Not so at Kitzbuehel. The Hannenkahm course drops, criss-crosses, dives, traverses and cuts a unique path from the top of the Austrian alps all the way to the city center almost 3000 feet below. It’s a mish-mash of trails and farmer’s fields connected together once a year for the biggest day in Alpine racing. No one would ever say, “Hey let’s go free-ski the DH trail at Kitz.” It would not be fun.

It’s fitting then, that this patchwork of ugly terrain becomes the most legendary two minutes of skiing on the planet.

Let’s breakdown the keys to Kitzbuehel with the help of four-time Hannenkahm winner Franz Klammer.

Klammer: “The first thing that came to my mind – no way racers can ski this. I was sh*tting my pants. The speeds are like crazy. But, then I thought, this is THE race to win if you are a downhiller. So I made a decision to attack.”

As a junior racer I watched U.S. racer Cory Murdoch crash on the Zielschuss at Kitzbuehel and vowed I would never run that course. A couple of years later, as I became hooked on speed, I found myself drawn to the Hannenkahm and knew I had to run it. I arrived in 1984 as a 20 year-old rookie and could hardly breathe while inspecting. Luckily, teammate and mentor Phil Mahre took me step by step down the course and told me how to run everything. I remember standing in the start and mentally and physically committing to be aggressive. I pushed out and never looked back. In the finish I immediately wanted to do it again.

Maussefalle
Klammer: “My favorite part. There is no time to prepare for it, but you need the right direction. All of a sudden you are just flying through the air.”

Just five seconds into the course you fly off the Maussefalle which is basically a 60 meter Nordic jump stuck into the top of an Alpine downhill. We all know how dangerous this section is from Hans Grugger’s crash just 12 months ago. You first need the right direction so you don’t land in the woods, and then you need to make a press to try and minimize the airtime. Hit it right and it looks easy like Didier Cuche, who announced his retirement on Thursday, did last year. Hit it wrong and the outcome is disastrous.

Steilhang

Klammer: “This is the most difficult turn in all of downhill. You have to go always at full risk. I always found the line by feel. The risk is that if you hit it wrong, you carry no speed and your race is over.”

Just 12 seconds after the Maussefalle, you enter the Steilhang – which literally means “steep place.” It is like trying to carve across an ice-covered basketball while a UFC fighter is punching you alternatively in the gut and face. The top of the turn is the most critical – the higher and more left you climb, the better chance you have at a fast, and safe, outcome. You then put all your weight on your left ski and pray you can hold the line until you see the exit, which is the cat road out.

I’ve seen some horrific crashes as well as some incredibly fast executions of this turn, but the most exciting run by far was Bode Miller’s ride off the Slip Screen in 2008 to a second place finish.

Hausberg & Traverse

Klammer: “This part is absolute madness. You never feel any control, however I always loved this part. I have tried every line, but higher is definitely better across the traverse.”

Before you come to the Hausberg jump, you take a deep breath as that is the last time you will breathe until you cross the finish line. Landing early and in control off the Hausberg is important, as then you can prepare to pressure your right ski – a ski you hope to ride “smoothly” for the next 10 seconds across a vertical traverse filled with bumps, ruts and ice. The higher your line across the traverse the better, as each bump will drop you closer to the net, which magnetically pulls you down to it. No one ever feels in control across this section.

Zielschuss & Zielsprung

Klammer: “This is also crazy – like a free-fall. It is very hard to control your skis here and you must try to tuck all the way to the finish. In my time, this finish bump was never very big. But in the past it was made too large.”

The ground drops out from underneath you at 70 mph and you hyperspace to over 85 mph by the bottom of the schuss. The little bumps are magnified from the high speeds and it is tough to remain in control through here. When it finally flattens, there is a compression that feels like someone dropped an elephant on your shoulders. Finally, you must survive one final jump that has nearly killed two racers in the last five years. Hopefully the organizers will keep it natural and not build it up.

Whistler is really becoming one of my favourite spots of heliski. The main reason for this is that you can go ski the enormous terrain of Whistler Blackcomb when the weather is bad and your helicopter can’t fly. Don’t get me wrong, the multi-day heliskiing experiences offered by premiere operations like Mike Wiegeles** are fabulous. Everything about his operation is top notch. And I know many lodge-based helicopter ski operations, including Wiegeles, now offer cat skiing when their helicopters can’t fly. But the terrain is rarely comparable to Whistler Blackcomb. Plus the variety of things to do, places to shop and restaurants to dine in Whistler complete a vacation.

Here are a few videos I took throughout the day:

• Fun view from above.
• Anastasia making some controlled turns.
• Tim loving the deep snow.

**Wiegeles is not only a favourite of mine but many other current and former Canadaian Alpine Ski Team members because he hosts team members each spring.

The Wall Street Journal

 SPORTS      DECEMBER 7, 2011

 Is America the New Austria?

As U.S. Skiers Win Races and Ink Deals, the Sport’s Royal Power Frets; ‘All the Kids Love Bode’

By MATTHEW FUTTERMAN

 Something strange is happening up in the snow-crusted mountains of Europe and North America. A group of U.S. skiers is trying to execute a takeover of Austria’s national sport.

 After hauling in two gold, three silver and three bronze medals in Vancouver last year, the U.S. Alpine ski team has continued to make the Austrians, the sport’s still-reigning superpower, look about as dangerous as two cups of spätzle.

 American Ted Ligety won his second World Cup race of the season Tuesday, beating Austrian Marcel Hirscher in the giant slalom at Beaver Creek, Colo., by a hefty margin of 0.69 seconds. Wednesday, when three-time overall World Cup champion Lindsey Vonn races, she’ll be attempting to win her fourth straight Alpine event. [VonnIllo]

 In a photo illustration, three-time overall World Cup champion Lindsey Vonn is depicted in a traditional dirndl. Vonn attempts to win her fourth straight Alpine race Wednesday.

 The wins have moved the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association considerably closer to a goal that, when first set in 1997, seemed like a fairy tale: to produce the best Alpine team in the world. “I don’t know that I ever expected us to be this good,” said Luke Bodensteiner, vice president for athletics at the USSA, who has been with the organization for 14 years.

 “You train with them and compare times and if you’ve come out ahead you know you’re in good shape,” Mathias Berthold, coach of the Austrian men’s team said of the U.S. skiers. “They’re coming on strong.”

 Last weekend at an event in Lake Louise, Alberta, Vonn raced as though the rest of the field had waxed its skis with peanut butter. Vonn, who recently announced she will divorce her husband and longtime coach, Thomas Vonn, skied as though she had not a care in the world, winning her downhill races by an absurd 1.95 seconds Friday and 1.68 seconds Saturday-the equivalent of about 40-50 meters. Then she took the Super G race Sunday by 0.19 seconds.

 “The U.S. has always had Olympic champions but not skiers that have won consistently as they do now,” said Herbert Mandl, who coaches the Austrian women’s Alpine team. “They have made the big effort.”

 Alexandra Meissnitzer, a former Austrian World Cup champion said Austrians now envy the less-rigid U.S. approach. “We see them as super-cool because they look like they’re having so much fun,” Meissnitzer said. “With the Americans, it comes from the heart.”

 The U.S. has produced world class skiers before, but never has it produced so many skiers who consistently land on the podiums at World Cup events. There’s also a pipeline in place with a group of young skiers who are on the verge of breaking into the sport’s top tier in the coming years. “It becomes easier to reach a higher level when you already have a road map to get there,” said Ligety, who is the defending World Cup giant slalom champion.

 It should be noted that the Austrian and the Swiss teams have a depth that the U.S. hasn’t been able to match-but that, too, seems to be changing.

 You’ve likely heard of Vonn and Ligety, as well as three-time Olympic medalist Julia Mancuso and, of course, Bode Miller, the winner of 33 World Cup races. The U.S. team also now includes emerging talents like Nolan Kasper, 22, who became the first American since 1989 to win a title in the Europa Cup, ski racing’s second tier. Another American, 16-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin is already ranked higher than Vonn and Mancuso were at her age.

The evolution of the U.S. success-and the fading hegemony of Europe-is as much about culture as results. American skiers are becoming viewed, by many, as the marquee faces of the sport.

A promotional poster for the season’s opening event in Soelden, Austria, for instance, featured the mug of a single skier, Bode Miller. “All the kids love Bode-he’s a little different,” Berthold said of Miller, the sport’s risk-taking iconoclast.

In another surprise, the U.S team recently signed a sponsorship deal with the tourism bureau of the Otzal Valley in the heart of Austrian ski country. The multi-year deal, which according to USSA chief revenue and marketing officer Andrew Judelson includes a “significant cash component,” gives the team a winter home that includes housing, training facilities and easy access to top World Cup tour stops. Several top European consumer brands, most notably Audi, have signed as sponsors.

Investment in facilities is also helping move the sport’s center of gravity closer to the U.S.

Earlier this year, the top European skiers descended on Copper Mountain in Colorado, where the U.S. team recently opened a $4.3 million speed skiing training center. The facility offers the only slope of its caliber nearly guaranteed to have quality snow so early in the season.

Of course, the U.S. team has gotten plenty of help from the old empire. “They hired all our coaches,” Mandl said with a laugh. Indeed, Austrian Patrick Riml, is U.S. skiing’s Alpine director. Austrian Alex Hoedlmoser is the women’s head coach. Austrian Roland Pfeifer is the women’s technical expert.

Money has helped, too. The USSA raised $60 million during the past decade to build its training center in Park City, Utah. Thanks to a 70-member board of trustees that includes some of the country’s wealthiest citizens, the organization has an endowment that has grown by about $10 million the past five years to nearly $40 million. Since 1997 the USSA has added about 17 full-time conditioning coaches, physiologists, nutritionists and psychologists, developed a training plan it shares with hundreds of junior clubs and started concentrating its spending on the top performers.

Mancuso said she feels the U.S. skiers are already the best in the world technically. “I feel like having five of the top 10 skiers in the world is definitely possible for this team,” she said. “It’s all confidence at this level, and sometimes with the European skiers they just have another gear that some of our skiers may not have yet.”

The conditions couldn’t have been any better for the world’s best ski racers to put on ‘their show’.  And the thousands of fans that came out to celebrate ski racing were not disappointed. American hero and 2010 Winter Olympic medalist, Bode Miller, skied a mere flawless run to take the top step of the podium.

Other trip highlights included meeting Best of Both’s ski pros Robbie Dixon and Didier Cuche, attending the US Ski Team alumni social event and the public bib draw, our spacious and modern hotel room with views of the slopes and sumptuous food in the VIP tent.

…Tis the season for giving, being thankful and making sure your vacation plans are in place. We are thrilled to announce our 2012 Masters golf package raised $4,000 for the IWK Health Center at the Great Big Dig.

The next event to take place in which we have supported is the Whistler Mountain Ski Club annual fundraising dinner on December 3rd at the Four Seasons Resort Whistler & Residences. We can’t wait to hear how much our Whistler 3-day Golf Getaway with Bryn Parry will raise for future ski racing champions.

Perhaps a milestone birthday is just around the corner, your annual ‘guys’ or ‘girls trip’ needs to be planned or you’re ready to scratch an adventure off your ‘bucket list’. How about using one of our adventures below to solve your problem and make your holidays a little less stressful.

LAUBERHORN WORLD CUP RACES

Wengen, Switzerland: January 11-16, 2012

Immerse yourself in the quaint mountain village of Wengen, Switzerland to cheer on the best ski racers in the World. The energy and excitement surrounding one of ski racing’s most historic World Cup races is not to be missed.

More Lauberhorn trip details…

WHISTLER SKI TRIP

Visit North America’s #1 Ski Resort for your next winter ski trip!

Whistler has everything to create your next dream vacation. The resort has thousands of acres of skiable terrain, an abundance of activities and creative dining options to choose from. Most importantly though during the busy holiday season, lift line priority with your Best of Both pro skier that will ensure more time on the mountain versus waiting in line.

• January 12-16, 2012: Martin Luther King Weekend with Jeff Hume
• February 16-20, 2012: President’s Week with Andra Nedelcu

Trip extensions and other dates available upon request

More Whistler ski trip details…

THE MASTERS

April 2 – 9, 2012

Strolling the immaculate fairways of Augusta National as the world’s best golfers duel it out is an experience many dream about. Now with the help of Best of Both, this dream will become a reality. Three to seven-day itineraries available. More information on the Masters

NEW TRIPS FROM BEST OF BOTH

Northern Ireland Golf Trip: April 17-25, 2012

Play eight of Northern Ireland’s best courses, including Royal County Down and Royal Portrush, alongside Josh Zander, US Open competitor and one of the West Coast’s best golf instructors. Northern Ireland golf trip details

 Aspen Ski Trip: Dec 28-30, 2011, Feb 20-22, 2012

Raise the bar on your next Aspen ski trip by joining an acclaimed Best of Both pro skier. Aspen ski trip details 

16. Visit your local butcher and pay $30 to sit in the walk- in freezer fora  half an hour.  Afterwards, burn two $50 dollar bills to warm up.

15. Soak your gloves and store them in the freezer after every use.

14. Fasten a small, wide rubber band around the top half of your head before  you go to bed each night.

13. If you wear glasses, begin wearing them with glue smeared on the lenses.

12. Throw away a hundred dollar bill – now.

11. Find the nearest ice rink and walk across the ice 20 times in your ski  boots carrying two pairs of skis, accessory bag and poles. Pretend you are  looking for your car. Sporadically drop things.

10. Place a small but angular pebble in your shoes, line them with crushed  ice, and then tighten a C-clamp around your toes.

9. Buy a new pair of gloves and immediately throw one away.

8. Secure one of your ankles to a bedpost and ask a friend to run into you at  high speed.

7. Go to McDonald’s and insist on paying $18.50 for a hamburger. Be sure you  are in the longest line.

6. Clip a lift ticket to the zipper of your jacket and ride a motorcycle fast  enough to make the ticket lacerate your face.

5. Drive slowly for five hours – anywhere – as long as it’s in a snowstorm  and you’re following an 18-wheeler.

4. Fill a blender with ice, leave the lid off, hit the pulse button and let  the spray blast your face.  Leave the ice on your face until it melts.  Let it drip into your clothes.

3. Dress up in as many clothes as you can and then proceed to take them off  because you have to go to the bathroom.

2. Slam your thumb in a car door. Don’t go see a doctor.

1. Repeat all of the above every Saturday and Sunday until it’s time for the  real thing!

Our Pro Tips Newsletter is sent out quarterly and strives to give skiers and/or golfers an inside perspective of the best skiers and golfers in the business, Best of Both pro athletes.  This issue highlights the details of an interview with Bryn Parry, former PGA Tour competitor and the Canadian PGA’s #1 Player as of August 2011.

Do You Want to Become a Better Golfer? – by Bryn Parry

Below are two tips that have been very important to me over the last few months. During this period I have been fortunate enough to achieve one of my goals for the year; to win the  $150,000 Rogers Canada Cup.  When I’m not out on the course competing I spend the majority of my time on the range sharing my passion for golf to other players who want to get better (just like you).  I’m confident you can incorporate these tips into your game to help lower your score.  If they make sense to you and you want to learn more from me then I invite you to join me on one of the upcoming Best of Both trips that I will be hosting.

Sprint Like Usain Bolt

What? You’re probably thinking ‘how does this relate to my golf swing? I didn’t know Usain Bolt, the fastest sprinter in the world, likes to play golf too.’ No, no…he doesn’t golf (that I’m aware of) but he does do two things especially well that you can also incorporate into your swing to improve your game: balance and acceleration.

Usain uses the ground as leverage to maintain balance and generate acceleration when he’s sprinting down the track. It’s just as important for you to use the ground to maintain balance and help accelerate your club during your golf swing. Throughout your entire swing, especially at the top of your backswing, you want to maintain pressure to the ground with both feet. As your club comes into contact with the ball, you want to feel pressure through your feet and into the ground, as if you’re making your body heavier. This will generate the force required to maintain balance and hit the ball further.

It’s All About Distance

Putting is about distance control. And distance is directly correlated to speed. Therefore, you need to be able to hit your ball at the right speed so it ends up in the hole. Your ball has the best chance of going in the hole when it’s rolling at a speed where it will comes to a stop 6 – 11 inches past the hole. If it’s going faster then it has a higher chance of ‘lipping out’. If it’s going slower then it will go in or you will be left with a short putt, which you should be able to make 99% of the time.

Here’s an easy drill you can do to work on distance control. Take an iron and lay it on the green 18 inches behind the hole so the shaft is perpendicular to your line of putting. Practicing hitting putts from 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 feet with the goal of making the ball roll past the hole but stop before hitting the club shaft.

Thank You

Thank you to Bryn for sharing a few of his key tips that help him win tournaments.  We look forward to keeping track of his results in the upcoming months and cheering him on at the PGA Q-School this fall.

Do you have questions about this Pro Tips Newsletter or how to improve your golf game?  Write to info[at]bestofboth.ca and we will make sure Bryn gets your question and sends you a reply.

Until next time,

Dana Williams
President & Founder
Best of Both Golf & Ski

About Best of Both Golf & Ski

Best of Both Golf & Ski organizes and executes independent and escorted golf and ski tours and corporate retreats in select, sought-after destinations around North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom.  You can join one of our pre-set itineraries or have one designed to your exact needs.  Our escorted tours are lead or guided by a Best of Both pro golfers or skier.  These successful individuals share their passion for sport through  unforgettable stories, clinics to improve your technique and secrets only those with their experience and knowledge can share.  You will become a better skier or golfer and have memories to share for a lifetime.

Play the best golf courses with a pro golfer in a spectacular mountain setting. Visit venues of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Stroll the pedestrian-only village lined with shops and award-winning restaurants. Take your trip to the next level with a Best of Both pro golfer, who will offer insider tricks and tips to improve your performance and make sure you and your friends have a fun and rewarding trip.  Contact us today at info[at]bestofboth.ca for more details.