The Golden Skimountaineering Team
Billie Velisek
- Big C in a day…. no probs
One of the best “off the couch” endurance athletes I know, Billie’s secret is her background heavily based in yoga and clean living. New to the national team last season look to see her excelling on the longer courses like the Sunshine 5000(2nd place 07) and the Spearhead Challenge (3rd 07). With a long season racing in Europe behind her and her eyes set on bigger backcountry goals, expect to see Billie upping her game this winter.
Reiner Thoni
huh huh huh
Half man, half Reiner…. ever seen the movie 300? Reiner is to Canadian Skimo what the Spartans are to war.
Hailing from sleepy Valemont BC, Reiner has ski-touring in his veins. He’s been chasing his Dad, Rudy around the mountains on skis and by foot since he was a pup and grew up thinking that running the Jasper Boundry trail (180km in 3 days) was a normal thing for a kid to do.
Reiner proved in 02, during his first skimo race that he was going to be a force to be reckoned with, finishing on the podium with no race specific gear no previous race experience. Since then Reiner has finished on the podium in every skimo race he’s entered, becoming the overall Canuck champ in 08, 09 and 10.
Ian Gale
Ian Gale is a man of action and has made huge contributions to the Canadian Ski-mountaineering Scene.
Fueled with espressos and his passion for ski mountaineering he had the vision to create a technical European style race right in his back yard of Golden, BC. The result was the Dogtooth Dash becoming the highlight of the 2009 racing season and an instant must-do race on the Canadian circuit.
After being recently named to the Canadian national team in 2010, Ian showed that the drive and passion for long days in the mountains can translate to speedy skimo racing. He has proven his commitment by becoming the 3rd Overall Canadian in 2010. Look to see Ian on the podium again this winter.
