SPORTS FLASHBACK 1993: Springfield graduates chase dream on slopes

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This article was published 07/04/2024 (403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The slopes of Manitoba pale in comparison to the mountain runs farther west, but that hasn’t stopped Bob Lawrie and Rod Buike from chasing their dream of becoming part of Canada’s national alpine ski team.

The two skiers are friends and attended Springfield Collegiate in Oakbank, graduating in the same class, two years ago.

Both are members of the Manitoba Alpine Ski Team. Lawrie, in his second year with the team, is regarded as the top alpine skier in the province. Lawrie captured a Manitoba Alpine Ski Series race in Minnedosa earlier this month, his third win of the season.

Teammate Buike, in his first year with the provincial team, placed third at the Minnedosa race.

Lawrie has only been skiing for five years and racing for four. Buike has skied for eight years and has also been racing for four years. Both are members of the Springhill Ski Club. And both learned their skiing at Springhill, near Birds Hill.

Springhill is not much of a challenge as an alpine ski hill, but it is a good training hill for the two aspiring alpine skiers. The provincial team does much of their training at Springhill.

It’s the competition and team spirit that keeps Lawrie enthusiastic about his sport. The six-member provincial team travels extensively throughout the winter. The team is currently training in Fernie, British Columbia. Travels this season have also taken the skiers to Alberta, Idaho, Montana, Michigan and Minnedosa. The team is entered in races every weekend of the ski season.

Lawrie says that slalom is his best event, but both skiers also ski the giant slalom and super giant slalom.

Being a member of the provincial team is an expensive proposition for the two young skiers and their families. Both feel fortunate that their parents have been able to support them financially.

Buike and Lawrie work at Grand Beach in the summer to help pay for the expensive ski season. The ski team provides the transportation (a team van), accommodations on the road and the lift tickets. They are responsible for their own equipment, food and other expenses.

Lawrie has also picked up a manufacturers’ sponsorship from Nordica and Rossignol to help with his equipment. He estimates the cost for the season is about $9,000.

At the national races out west, which includes competitors from other provinces, the United States and Japan, both skiers have acquitted themselves very well. Lawrie has been averaging around a 40th place finish out of 120 racers, while Buike is in the middle of the pack, around 60th.

The lack of mountains in Manitoba is not that big a detriment, says Lawrie, even though the province doesn’t produce too many downhillers.

“A good technical slalom skier does not need mountains to train on.”

Because of Lawrie’s late start to skiing, it may be difficult to make one of the national teams, but if he continues to improve in the next couple of years, it may be a possibility, as Manitobans have made it onto national teams in the past.

Buike and Lawrie cite the travel as one of the most enjoyable aspects of their experiences on the provincial team.

Although a lot of work is involved to reach the level these two skiers have attained, they say it is a nice way to spend the winter.