News

The Cowboy Chronicles: The Workhorse

Tuesday, 22 June 2010 17:00

Freelance writer Chad Buchholz is spending time with some members of Canada's Alpine Ski Team as they prepare for the upcoming season and he's agreed to send us a few updates. Here's the latest instalment of "The Cowboy Chronicles."

"Without Serge, nothing would get done. He's a workhorse." - Manny Osborne-Paradis

Attempting to direct attention to one particular brand of 'passion' when discussing anyone involved with ACA is sort of like throwing rocks in a greenhouse and trying to break glass. From the athletes, to the coaches, to the trainers, to those working in the office, this is a group of individuals absolutely committed to the progression and positive development of their sport on the world's stage.

Sometimes, however, you come across someone who really makes you realize the level of dedication and effort that goes into ensuring the guys and girls on the CAST are given every possible opportunity to get down that hill faster than anybody else in world. Someone who really makes you walk away thinking, 'That's what this is really about."  Someone whose level of (yes) passion for what they are doing is such that maybe you as an individual are forced to look at yourself and wonder if, really, you're giving what you're doing enough energy and love.

Though he'd probably loath the fact I am pointing it out, Serge Dugas is one of those people.

And although he'll be quick to play down his own role in it, Serge is the creator and organizer of what, for the past three years, has become the most anticipated training week of the year for the Canadian Cowboys - the week-long hockey camp in Serge's hometown of Magog, Quebec. While head conditioning coach Matt Price has given the boys every chance possible to get out of the gym and train in a variety of situations, it is these five days in QC that seem to most capture the imagination of the team. At once serving to pit the guys against each other on rival teams while also building a sense of Team as they're required to work together to achieve that common goal - getting more goals then the other guys. And they get a pretty solid workout while they're at it. Really, the only problem with the camp is that the guys seem to like it too much.

Carrying out a standard Q & A interview with Serge isn't really an option. Sure, if you're lucky enough to catch him when he's not trucking around from one place to the next taking care of business for the team and actually get him to sit down for a conversation, he will talk. The thing is, when he talks, you have to just sit back and listen; Serge's stories are wide-ranging and flecked with bits of wisdom that a false intrusion might ruin. On the Wednesday afternoon of the hockey camp I was lucky enough to spend some time with Serge, getting a chance to hear some of his thoughts on the hockey camp, team building, and what a new season means to him, coming up on his 21st year with the team.

In response to the suggestion that the hockey camp is "his baby," and how the camp got started:

"This...this is the guys' baby. I do it, but it's not important for me - it's important for the guys. I do it for the guys. I love to play hockey but I can play it as much as I want without them. I organize the camp here in Magog because this is my home and I know everybody here and for me it's easy to get things together. It was my idea in the beginning because - I don't know if you remember - but four years ago they did this run and bike from Calgary to Whistler in nine days. After, speaking with the guys...that was tough for them, you know? Nine days running and biking, it's hard on the back. But the idea was there to have something for the guys to do not part of the regular training block. So I said, 'Let's have a hockey camp!'

"The idea was there, but to organize it with hockey coaches, in a hockey environment - not just a whole bunch of guys rent ice and go play and go home - we had to make a real camp. At first we had Plan A, to go to Ottawa and do it with the Senators because we have connections there, but I came back here ( to Magog) and made Plan B in case (Ottawa) didn't work. So I approached Renault, I approached Felix (Potvin) - they both coach the Midget AAA team here - and they agreed to help me. This guy here (Potvin), he retired after the lockout season and started to coach here. When I approached him with the idea for the hockey camp, he said 'Sure, I'll come help you.' So with him you've got the name and the expertise and he's good with the guys."

On the impact and influence the hockey camp has on the team and beyond:

"There's so much more (than just hockey). You meet local kids...you ask Manny. These kids in Italy, they made this small rink, just like this (motions with his hands), but it's a rink. We show up, open the van, it's the Canadian National Ski Team, and you see the faces of the little kids..."

(Here Manny interrupts...)

"These kids had just like sprayed down a field. Half of it was on an angle, half of it was crumbly, but it was all safe. We played there for a week with hundreds of kids."

(...then back to Serge...)

"And after the race Manny stopped by himself to play with the kids. Me, I drive by or I'm stuck in traffic and I look and Manny's playing with all these kids, and these kids are going crazy. Manny's a national team skier, he's known."

(...then Manny...)

"We trained there near the rink, then we went and did the race and they all came and watched the race, and then we came back and they were like 'Ho-lee'"

(...and finally, Serge...)

"There's a lot behind this, you know? You see these sort sorts of things and it matters."

On how the hockey camp has affected the dynamics of the team:

"The first camp when these guys were here, it was not like this at the beginning. This (the camp) is one small part of this strong bond between all these guys in this group. Years ago it was, 'Hi. How are you? (aside) Ah, not these speed guys again.' But you don't see that anymore. Matt (Price) has a lot to do with this but it started before. Many things made it happen, but the hockey camp - I sort of pushed to make it happen because I knew that we needed this. It started slow, but once the guys got behind it, it didn't take long. You get him (Manny) going, and Robbie (Dixon) and Erik (Guay), then they (ACA) put the money on the table. But then, the first year of the camp, I invited Own The Podium and they had someone come out for a week. At the end of the week he looked around and said, 'Serge, we give out money for teams, but this is the best investment I've witnessed. For what it brings, it costs nothing.'

"These guys now, they work together, they laugh, and they have fun as a group. Before, for 20 years, we look at the Austrians and go, 'Oh man, these guys.' Now, maybe, it's the opposite. Not that we create that or want that, but that's what's happening. The Austrians - you know, as an example - they look at these guys and say 'Crap.' They have a tight bond and they help each other. You see a young guy like Tyler (Nella) follow Erik in inspection in my section, and I tell him 'You watch him, ask questions. Don't disturb too much, but ask.' Some other countries don't do this. They say 'To hell with that. I'm not going to tell him anything.' For us it's the opposite, and this is a strength."

On looking forward to his 21st season with ACA:

"I'm always excited, yeah, but maybe more this year. I'm excited because we've got the younger ones coming up, and you need this and timing is good for this. We've got the guys coming back from injury, you know, Johnny (Kucera), I miss this guy. For sure he's not the one I talk to the most but I wish he was here because I know what he brings for the other guys. You'll see when he comes in the other guys will joke and be like 'Oh, who brought this guy?' but he's the World Champion. Frank (Bourque), because he's from back home in a way, and he comes and I'm excited. These guys are great. Erik wins the Crystal Globe, am I going to sip a few sips of beer and say 'I will stop now?' No, I'm excited to go back on snow because I see the work that still has to be done to continue. It's not like 'Ah, we won the Globe, we're done.' It's not finished. But I mean, I don't look for this. What's important for me is every day."