Gatineau Park
History of the Ottawa Ski Club
by Herbert Marshall
Appendix A - Outstanding Performances in National and International Competitions — 1950 to 1965
1950
Art Tommy was first in the Taschereau Downhill at Mont Tremblant. Ron Cowardine won the senior Central Canada Slalom Championship at Collingwood. The highlight of the ski season was the FIS World Championships at Lake Placid and Aspen, Colorado. The strong contingent of Ottawa skiers — John Clifford, Andy Tommy, Alex. McDougall, Claude Richer, Amby Quinn, and Raymond Desrocher — demonstrated that the Ottawa Ski Club produced many of the top contenders on the continent.
1951
Claude Richer won the Canadian Cross-Country Championship in February and was chosen as a member of the Olympic Team. Andy and Art Tommy placed first and second in the Taschereau Downhill at Mont Tremblant. Anne Heggtveit won the junior Downhill in “C" competition. In the United States National Junior Downhill and Slalom at Stowe, Vermont, Anne Heggtveit, the youngest competitor, was fifth in the Slalom and sixth in the Downhill.
1952
At the Canadian Junior Team Championships at St. Sauveur the OSC Team, consisting of Shaun Fripp, Peter Sneyd, Dick Porter, Dave Mcintyre and Lawrence Jones, under the direction of Amby Quinn, won the championship. At an inter-club competition in slalom racing, a team (named by a radio announcer as the ‘tired old business men's team') showed the way to the 11 other competing teams from the Laurentian Zone. The tired old businessmen were Guy Laframboise, Alex. McDougall, Rick Marshall, and Russ Smart.
Anne Heggtveit won both the Ontario Junior Ladies’ championship and the Taschereau Junior Ladies' race.
Andy Tommy won the Quebec Championship Downhill and Slalom while brother Art won the Quebec Kandahar, bringing to Ottawa for the first time that famous trophy. Art Tommy placed second in the U.S. Eastern National and sixth in the United States National at Stowe, Vermont.
At the Quebec Taschereau Roy Ridgeway won the Sidney Dawes Taschereau, Mervin O'Neill won the junior prize and the coveted Taschereau Cup. Anne Heggtveit won the Ladies" Junior Class “B" and Mary Lyons the Junior Class “C".
1953
The OSC team won the Junior Canadian Championship at Fort William and was second in the Senior Intercollegiate Meet with Queen’s University and a number of United States colleges competing. It also won first place in the Quebec Division races at Three Rivers.
Anne Heggtveit won easily the Canadian Junior Ladies' Championship in Slalom and Downhill and the Quebec Division title at the Taschereau. She represented Canada on the Kate Smith Team which defeated the U.S. Team at Lake Placid. At the age of 15 Anne was selected for the FIS team to represent Canada in Sweden.
Art Tommy was outstanding as an out-of-town competitor. He won the Laurentian Zone Slalom and Alpine Combined and came second in the newly-organized Giant Slalom at Mont Tremblant.
In the Canadian Championships at Mont Tremblant, John Fripp, though virtually retired, made the best time of the day in a field that included many stars of international reputation in the Open Class.
Three skiers of the OSC were named for the Canadian Team to represent Canada in the FIS World Championships to be held in Sweden. These were Anne Heggtveit, Art Tommy and Claude Richer.
1954
The OSC won the Canadian Championship for Juniors.
Anne Heggtveit was the first Canadian and the youngest competitor ever to win the Holmenkollen Giant Slalom, emblematic of the Norwegian Championship. She then went on to place very well in the FIS World Championships and in the Roberts of Kandahar.
Art Tommy, the other representative on the FIS Team (Claude Richer was unable to go), had an excellent record in the men’s division, at the Holmenkollen and at the Roberts of Kandahar. He placed 11th in the Combined standing in the FIS, the best record ever achieved by a Canadian to that date in world championships for men. It was surpassed in the Combined by only one skier from the American continent.
Bob Gratton won the Junior Canadian Slalom Championship at Fort William and Bill McIntyre the Dominion Junior Championship Downhill. Peter Sneyd won the Taschereau Trophy, Andy Tommy the Kandahar Downhill, and the OSC Junior Team won the Quebec Division Junior Team Championship. John Fripp won by a margin of four seconds the Open Class in the Quebec Kandahar.
1955
In the Giant Slalom Meet organized by the University of Montreal, held in January at St. Sauveur, Anne Heggtveit won the Ladies “A" Class.
In the eligibility trials for the 1956 Olympics, Anne Heggtveit was second in the Province of Quebec Women's Downhill and Slalom Championships at Val David.
At Mont Tremblant Glen Fraser was first in the Senior Class “B" and Trevor Klotz first in the Junior Class “B".
Andy Tommy won the Ryan cup for Giant Slalom at Mont Tremblant, with a margin of three seconds. He defeated Canada's top professionals and amateurs, also Franz Babl, former Austrian Slalom champion.
In the compulsory ecligibility trials for the 1956 Olympics selection through the medium of the Quebec Division Championships, held at Mount Orford and Hillerest, Quebec, Andy and Art Tommy placed second and third in both Downhill and Slalom. Art was second in both events and Andy was first in the Slalom and third in the Downhill.
In the Canadian Downhill and Slalom Championships at Mont Tremblant, Andy Tommy, Art Tommy and John Clifford were 6, 8 and 9 in a field of 104 competitors. They were beaten only by one other Canadian, the others being from the United States. Art Tommy, by winning the Slalom defeated U.S. experts with Olympic hopes such as Ralph Miller, Bill Beck, and Tony Corcoran. Dave Midgeley was tenth.
Art Tommy won the Quebec Kandahar with nearly five seconds to spare.
Carmen Johnson won the Senior Women's Class and Judy McCartney won the Junior Women's.
Claude Richer won the Quebec Division Cross-Country at Port Alfred which was an Olympic trial meet. He was second at the Canadian Championships at Port Arthur and so won top reserve spot for the Canadian Olympic Team for 1956.
In jumping contests at St. Sauveur, Paul Berniquez won “B"" Class and Rhéal Séguin was second in “A" Class. At the two-day Olympic Trials held at the Lockeberg Jump, Jacques Charland of Three Rivers won decisively, Rhéal Séguin came second,
1956
Three members of the OSC contended in the 1956 Olympic Games. These were Anne Heggtveit, Art and Andy Tommy. Unfortunately, Andy suffered a double fracture of the right leg and Art a severely sprained ankle. Anne was top Canadian in the Combined standing and placed next two the world-famous skier, Andrea Mead Lawrence.
Peter Guy missed winning the Taschereau event by two-fifths of a second. At the Canadian Championships held at Collingwood, Glen Fraser and Shaun Fripp captured the Downhill and Slalom John Clifford the Combined.
In the Quebec Division Championships held at Camp Fortune John Clifford won the amateur Downhill and Glen Fraser the Combined. The OSC Alpine skiers triumphed in the annual team race held this year at Camp Fortune, though usually at Mount Gabriel. OSC teams placed first in the men’s amateur class, men's open, women's senior and junior. Anne Heggtveit was the individual standout of the meet, her time being beaten only by two male competitors in the entire field. Dave Midgeley posted the best time of the meet.
In jumping Paul Berniquez captured Class “B" at the Red Bird's meet at St Sauveur. He also won the Class “B" Canadian Championship at Morin Heights. Rhéal Séguin won the Midland Ski Club Invitation Meet jump and was second to the winner of the Open Event.
The OSC Junior Team won the four-way competition of the Quebec Division. It captured the first five places in the Downhill and was 1, 2, and 5 in the Slalom. Ed Mclntyre won the cross-country race. It was commented at the time, “Our Club is the strongest one in Canada in all amateur classes in the Downhill and Slalom.”
1957
Competing for the Canadian Junior Championship the Quebec Division Team, four of whose members were from the OSC, were the winners, The OSC Senior Team won the Interclub meet at Gray Rocks Inn, Rhéal Séguin came second in the Canadian Jumping Championships at Midland, Ontario.
To represent Canada in the World Championships (FIS) the following were selected: coach, John Fripp; assistant coach, Rhéal Séguin; Anne Heggtveit, Shaun Fripp, Fred Tommy and Trevor Klotz.
1958
Anne Hegetveit was sixth in the World Ski Championships. She was third in the Holmenkollen event in Norway and her position in other European events firmly established her as among the first five women skiers in the world.
Arnold Midgley, an OSC member studying in England, was the winner of the Duke of Kent events in Switzerland and placed second against formidable opposition in the Commonwealth Games.
Art Tommy was second in the Quebec Kandahar, nosed out by a French ace who flew from Europe for the race.
At Rossland, B.C., Tony Blair won the Canadian Alpine Junior championship. Fred Tommy won the Quebec Division combined event in the Alpine championships. J. Charbonneau won the cross-country senior race.
1959
Anne Heggtveit won the unofficial World Championship, the Arlberg Kandahar, at Garmish, Germany.
Ten OSC members were named to the 60-member National Ski Team. The report on Competitive skiing for the year 1959 stated: “Ten Ottawa Ski Club members have been named to the 60-member Canadian National team. Anne Heggtveit and Gerry Gravelle have already been selected for the 14 man Olympic squad along with Franz Baier as jumping coach and manager. The following National Team members, D’Arcy Marsh, Fred Tommy, Arnold Midgley, Shaun Fripp and Don MacLeod (cross-country) have indicated that they wish to participate in the training period and trials at Rossland and Kimberly, B.C., during the month of December. All of the above-mentioned Olympic aspirants, I believe, have been training seriously all summer and fall, using the CASA's prescribed conditioning program which consists of the RCAF 5BX plan. This CASA summer conditioning plan is the beginning of a compulsory program for all future international skiers."
At Mont Tremblant, Marjorie Hanna won the Girl’s event in the Quebec Taschereau, Fred Tommy won the Boy's event with Tony Blair second.
Anne Heggtveit won the combined women’s Arlberg Kandahar in Quebec.
At Collingwood, in the Canadian Junior 4-way championships, Peter Guy was second in the Alpine Combined. In the Boy's 4-way team standing the Quebec Division, which included Ottawa skiers, Peter Guy, Fred Tommy, J. Hanna, J. Irvin and I. McLaren took second place.
Art Tommy was first in the Adams Memorial Slalom race at Mount Orford.
Anne Heggtveit was Ladies' Kandahar winner at Mont Tremblant, scoring a first in both slalom and downhill. D'Arcy Marsh won the Combined Men's Kandahar, Fred Tommy was second, and Ant Tommy fourth. Art Tommy came first in the Kandahar Downhill. Fred Tommy was first in the Kandahar Slalom.
On Mount Orford Anne Heggtveit took first place in both the Ladies’ Downhill and Slalom to win the Ladies' Alpine Championship. In the Men's Division D’Arcy Marsh placed first in the slalom and Art Tommy was third in the downhill.
Anne Heggtveit was second in the women’s slalom in the Vermont ski championships at Stowe.
In the Quebec Division Junior Championships Marjorie Hanna won the Ladies’ Alpine Combined, Peter Guy the Men’s Alpine Combined, and I. McLaren the Nordic Combined. In the 4-way Men's Combined J. Irvin was the winner and R. Swan fourth.
Franz Baier placed second in the Canadian Ski Jumping Senior Championships. An international jumping meet at Sault Ste. Marie found Franz Baier again taking second place.
In the Quebec Division competitions the Senior Ski Jump was won by Gerry Gravelle, with Franz Baier second. Ian McLaren won the Junior Jump. The Junior Cross-Country face was won by J. Rowan-Legg.
1960
The superb performance of Anne Heggtveit in winning Gold Medals in the Olympic Slalom and a World Championship meet at Squaw Valley, far outshone any other of the year’s achievements by Ottawa skiers. It was an achievement of such magnitude as to deserve special attention in Chapter 9.
In the Canadian Alpine Championships Vicki Rutledge was second in the Ladies' Giant Slalom and third in the Slalom. In the Men 's Slalom Arnold Midgley was first and Fred Tommy won the Giant Slalom. Arnold Midgley was first in the Combined.
Fred Tommy placed second in the Olympic trials. Andy Tommy was elected as team manager for the Olympic team and Franz Baieras jumping coach.
1961
In the Taschereau Combined Bob Swan was second for “A" Men, Paul Quinn second for “B" Men and M. Irvin second for “C" Men. Pam Irvin was second for “B" Ladies and Heather Quipp was first for “C" Ladies.
In the Canadian Alpine Championships Vicki Rutledge won the Combined. D'Arcy Marsh won the combined Quebec Kandahar. In the U.S. National Championships Vicki Rutledge was second in the Ladies’ Combined. Ian McLaren won the Quebec Junior Championship for Cross-Country and the 4-way Combined. Bob Swan was first in the Slalom race.
1962
Seven OSC members were named as eligible for the Canadian National Team by the CASA, to take part in the National Training Camp and to compete internationally for Canada. These were: Anne Parsons, Vicki Rutledge and Bob Swan for the Alpine events; Gerry Gravelle and Rhéal Séguin for jumping; Dave Rees and Don MacLeod for cross-country.
Bob Swan placed second in the Giant Slalom for the Ryan Cup. This event was open only to “A" class seniors, selected “B's" and “A" rated juniors. At the Laurentian meet Dave Rees won the Junior Cross-Country and Ted McLaren the Juvenile. Pam Irvin was first in the Slalom, Downhill and Combined in the Girl's Taschereau event. J. Johnson was first in the Boy's Combined. At Port Arthur David Rees captured the Canadian title for Cross-Country and Bob Swan the Slalom.
1963
Gerry Gravelle won the Canadian Jumping Championship at the Midland, Ontario Meet and Rhéal Séguin was second. Both were members of the National Team and named to compete in the Olympic Games at Innsbruck. Pat Morris (14 years of age) and Pierre Paré were also members of the National Team.
In the Quebec Division Jump Gerry Gravelle and Rhéal Séguin placed first and second. Pat Morris won the Quebec Division Junior Jump Championship at Morin Heights. Pierre Paré also won a junior division competition. In the Taschereau events Mike DesBrisay won the Men's Junior “A" Combined title with a second in the Downhill event and a fourth in the Slalom. Currie Chapman was first in the Slalom. Anne Heggtveit brought the Ryan Cup back to Ottawa. Don MacLeod won the U.S. National Cross-Country Championship at Franconia, New Hampshire.
1964
The Canadian Junior Championships were held under the sponsorship of the Ottawa Ski Club in February. Competing in the Quebec Division team were OSC members Mike Irvin, Kim Rowley, Currie Chapman, and Heather Quipp. Others were entered in the events as individuals. The Quebec Division team was composed of the best skiers from the Gatineau, Laurentian and Eastern Township Zones within the Quebec Division. They won the privilege of representing their Division through their ability shown in previous elimination contests which were the Quebec Taschereau and Division Championships at Mont Echo.
Currie Chapman placed second in the Giant Slalom and first in the Combined for the Junior Taschereau award. He also won the Quebec Alpine title and was third in the Ryan lnvitational Giant Slalom Competition.
Heather Quipp won the Taschereau Ladies' Giant Slalom, the Slalom and the Combined. Anne Rowley won the Cross-Country race by a margin of two minutes over her nearest competitor.
Ottawa senior jumpers were handicapped in the O'Keefe Tournament of Champions because of injuries. Former Olympie jumper Gerry Gravelle had seriously injured his leg just before the tournament and could not compete. Rhéal Séguin, holder of the record of 211 feet on the Lockeberg Hill, had suffered serious shoulder injury at Revelstoke the previous week but managed to place fourth. Jacques Charland of Three Rivers took the trophy for the second year. Eric Peterson came second in the senior" 8" event.
The highlight of the Junior Jump was the performance of Kim Fripp, 11 years of age, who foreran the meet. Paul Paré took first place with Pat Morris placing second.
In the out-of-town competitions the OSC jumpers gave a good account of themselves. At the International meet held at Sault Ste. Marie, Gerry Gravelle came first against the best ranking Canadian and United States jumpers, some of whom were just back from the Olympie and European tours.
OSC members selected for the National Team for 1965 were: Seniors, Gerry Gravelle, Rhéal Séguin; juniors, Pierre Paré, Patrick Morris. Selected as National Team coaches were: Ray Desrochers and Fred Morris.
1965
ln the Viking Ski Club Invitation Relay Cross-Country Competition the OSC team, consisting of Don MacLeod, David Rees, and Frank Cooke, came first. Susan Graves was third in the competition for the Ryan Cup. Don MacLeod won the 30-kilometre Province of Quebec Cross-Country race. Gerry Gravelle won the North American Championship jump.
1966
Don MacLeod was selected to represent Canada in the World Championships in Norway. Bill Honeywell, Don Brough and Susan Graves were named for the 17-member Alpine team for the Canadian Junior Championships. Pat Morris (16 years) was the youngest member ever chosen for jumping. Russ Smart was appointed coach and manager of the National Team.
The Quebec Division team won the Canadian Junior Championship, David Fripp being second in the group standing.
1967
In alpine events, Betsy Clifford, at the age of 13, won the Canadian Senior slalom championship, Pam McCormick captured the Canadian Junior alpine championships, while Bob Swan, Currie Chapman and Anne Rowley were named to the National Team. Pat Morris became Canadian Senior jumping champion at the age of 17 while Malcolm Hunter and Lynn Omholt-Jensen carried off top honours in the Quebec Division junior cross-country events. Malcolm also came a close second in the Canadian Junior championship.
1968
Betsy Clifford, Bob Swan and Dave Rees were selected as members of Canada’s Olympic team. Three Canadian junior championships were captured by Ottawa Ski Club skiers: Susan Graves in alpine, Lynn Omholt-Jensen in cross-country, and David Fripp in jumping. Susan Graves repeated her 1966 victory in the Taschereau event while Malcolm Hunter topped the field in the U.S. National junior cross-country championships. After returning from the Olympics, Betsy Clifford swept both races in the Quebec Kandahar to win the celebrated event and Pat Morris was named Ottawa's outstanding athlete at the annual A.C.T. dinner.
1969
Betsy Clifford continued to show great improvement, fifth in the downhill race at Grindelwald against the World's best skiers. In cross-country, Malcolm Hunter took top honours in both the junior and senior Canadian championships while Lynn Omholt-Jensen carried off the Quebec Division senior event. Both skiers were named to the National team. Susan Graves won the Canadian senior giant slalom race and also retained the Taschereau Cup, winning the event for the third time in four years. Kim Fripp was named to the National B jumping team.
1970
Betsy Clifford upset the World's top skiers in the giant slalom held in Val Gardena, Italy and brought more glory to the Ottawa Ski Club, being the youngest skier ever to win a World's championship. Three other club skiers were also selected to represent Canada at the championships, Susan Graves in alpine, Malcolm Hunter in cross-country and Pat Morris in jumping. In addition to her major victory, Betsy also captured two seconds and two thirds in slalom races in World Cup competition and was named Ottawa's outstanding athlete at the annual A.C.T. dinner. Not only did Malcolm Hunter and Pat Morris capture Canadian senior championships but four of the club’s junior skiers, Helene Gregoire, Nina Sparks, Art Bird and Pat Lynch carried off top honours in the Canadian junior giant slalom and slalom events.
1971
The trio of Betsy Clifford, Malcolm Hunter and Pat Morris continued their winning ways. Betsy captured two of the major slalom events in Europe, Malcolm won both the North American and Canadian cross-country championships while Pat Morris retained his Canadian jumping crown. Two of the Club's up and coming juniors, Kim Fripp and Richard Graves, took first and second places respectively in the Canadian junior jumping championships. In the balloting for Canada's woman athlete of the year, Betsy finished a runner-up to Beverley Boys.
1972
The Club continued to produce several of the country’s top skiers in all phases of the sport with four present members and one former member being selected to Canada's Olympic team; Betsy Clifford in alpine, Malcolm Hunter, Jarl Omholt-Jensen and Helen Sander in cross-country and Peter Wilson in jumping. Unfortunately, Betsy was injured while training in Europe and was unable to participate in the Olympics. At home Richard Graves took top honours in the Canadian junior jumping championships and Rick Hunter was named to the Can Am squad.