Don’t you hate it when wine tasting tours get in the way of blogging time? Once again the locals go above and beyond, and host Sharron Ross is on her way to pick us up for a day of vineyard tours. But more on that in Day 5. We finally had a chance last night to catch up with the brains behind this entire adventure, Tree Clinton. Many of you may remember her as number 12 for the Whistler Choppers in the Whistler Women’s Elite League (ok maybe not all that elite:). Most people know her here as the rolling stone that passes through town, meets a million people on her way by as she heads back to ‘shred pow’ in Japan, ‘huck nar’ in Whistler, or ride waves in Kuta Lombok, Indonesia.
Sometime in the last 6 months, while managing those trips and an Aussie Ski Tour outfit called Liquid Adventures, she managed to convince the likes of Ross Burns and Charlie Reid that a couple of brothers from Canada should come to Queenstown to coach a group of adult rec league players, offer mentorship to local coaches, and help 40 local youth players. Oh, and then throw in a few practices with the local senior men’s team, the Southern Stampede. We had to wait until Tuesday night to hear the story of how all this happened, as she was busy setting up offices and training staff in Melbourne Australia, with calls transfered via Skype to and from Japan, or something like that. She said a lot in the 2 hours over pizza and a couple of pints, I was too bust taking notes to really absorb it all.
Day 4 ice sessions included the 2 local youth groups, the pee wees and the midgets, as well as a pro style practice with the Southern Stampede. All in all, another great day. The Stampede made me truly miss being a player, as they skated with great energy and passion. It made me think of the old BNL days in England where we played with the Solihull Blaze. I imagine the league may be a similar level. As the Stampede welcome a few of the younger boys aged 14-16 to skate with them, I realized quickly how countries like New Zealand are able to develop some strong young talent like Callum and Harrison, who skate with the team on a regular basis here. Their desire to compete and keep up accelerates their development, and their futures are bright in the Ice Blacks National Team system. It was another great day, a learning experience for Boe and I, and we find ourselves continually bewildered that we are even here.
