Date: November 21, 2024
Location: Whistler, BC
On Saturday, October 26 my team and I arrived in Whistler after an 11hr drive from Calgary. Joining my sled this year is veteran breakman Kenny M’Pindou (Edmonton, AB), and rookies Brandon Loewen (Ottawa, ON), D’Andre Clarke-Bastien (Scarborough, ON), and Tobi Ade (Calgary, AB).
After 2 weeks of sliding on the fastest track in the world we were prepared for the upcoming Canadian Championship races! The night before a race we polish the metal blades known as “runners” to a mirror finish with sand paper ranging from 240 to 2000 grit. The smallest scratches in a runner make a major difference in a sport that can come down to the hundredths. To polish 4 runners it takes the team about 2hrs.
The first day was 2man and women’s monobob race day! Kenny was my brakeman for the day and we pushed a season’s best start time of 4.95s. After the two heats we finished in 2nd place!
That evening the team polished the 4man runners for the race the following day. The 4man push, load, and seating position tends to be a little trickier to time perfectly and execute efficiently, so in the evenings we will often do “dry loads” which is the only way to practice other than on the ice during a run. We jog in running shoes beside the sled and the hop in and get low. The efficiency of this can drastically affect the push time and starting velocity of the sled. The riding position is also very important for the aerodynamics of the run.
Another successful day on the hill! A third place finish in the 4man race with Kenny, Tobi, and D’Andre!
We said goodbye to some older tech and were fortunate enough to be upgraded to some newer sleds in both the 2M and 4M disciplines. Our former 4man sled was built in 2004 and although we loved our antique we were pretty happy for some newer sleds!
Today (Nov. 21) we finished our third day of training in the North American Cup Whistler race week. We qualified both the 2M and 4M sleds for the upcoming races. In order to qualify for the races you have to successfully complete 2 training runs in one discipline and 1 training run in the second. It sounds simple enough, but it does add an element of stress for newer drivers like myself. A small victory leading into the races this weekend!
The 2M races are tomorrow and the day after (Nov. 22-23), followed by a single training day and then the 4M races (Nov. 25-26). It should be an exciting race week! We are on our home track and for three of the guys it will be their first international race!
On Nov. 27 we hit the road for the NAC Park City race week! (Just outside of Salt Lake City, Utah) It is roughly a 16hr drive!
A final thank you to all who check in, send their encouragement, and support me on this journey! A special thanks to the Canadian companies who have backed me financially or with product for the season, and a few individuals from back home! As always I am looking for introductions to companies who would be willing to have a chat. See here for details.
Jay Dearborn 
Hi JaySo happy to see your progress ! Wh
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