Sweet Success From 1961 through 1967, the annual Bee Hive giant slalom competition attracted the world’s top professional racers to Canada. BY CAROLINE FORCIER HOLLOWAY n March 7, 2014, the derl Molterer. For the next six years, and is now a TV ski-racing com- Georgian Peaks ski top pro racers from Europe and mentator) and Brian Stemmle (who area in Ontario North America convened in Canada competed in four Olympics, from hosted its annual to race on the Bee Hive circuit. 1988 through 1998). Super GP Classic, a The event was named after The driving force behind the Oteam giant slalom race on the inter- Bee Hive Golden Corn Syrup, an first Bee Hive was Ian Rogers, a mediate Minute Mile trail. Located energy food manufactured by the St. Toronto lawyer who founded Geor- near the town of Collingwood and Lawrence Starch Company of Port gian Peaks in 1960. A key partner overlooking Lake Huron’s Georgian Credit, Ontario, the event sponsor. was the late Dan Gibson, a portrait Bay, this private alpine club offers 24 A Montreal Gazette article published photographer, budding filmmaker trails with a vertical rise of 820 feet, in February 1962, following the sec- and avid skier, who was keen on the highest in the province. ond annual Bee Hive, reported that promoting skiing in Collingwood Though the GP Classic is an “to those who watched this spectac- and at Georgian Peaks. Sponsorship amateur event, open only to club ular and successful event, it was evi- was easily secured through Gibson’s members, it recalls a little-known dent that professional ski racing had skiing friend Lorne Gray, of the St. but interesting chapter in racing his- arrived to stay.” It also established Lawrence Starch Company. Through tory. On February 26, 1961, Georgian Georgian Peaks as a training ground its signature Bee Hive corn syrup, Peaks hosted the inaugural Bee for Olympic-caliber Canadian alpine the company was already sponsor- Hive giant slalom. It was the first racers, including Judy Crawford ing national and local sports events, professional GS race in Canada and (who placed fourth in women’s including the National Hockey a smashing success, attracting elite slalom at the 1972 Winter Games in League. (At the time, corn syrup racers like Stein Eriksen, Othmar Sapporo), Todd Brooker (who raced was a regular staple on breakfast Schneider, Ernie McCulloch and An- on the World Cup from 1981 to 1987 tables, to pour on pancakes or add 16 | March-April 2014 SKIING HISTORY < Left to right: A promotional poster for the first Bee Hive professional GS race in 1961; more than 9,000 spectators lined the course to watch the inaugural race; skiers ride the double chair at Georgian Peaks in Ontario on the day of the event; Austrian racer Toni Spiess chugs a can of Bee Hive Golden Syrup, provided by the event’s sponsor. PHOTO CREDIT: All frame enlargements courtesy Library and Archives Canada, Dan Gibson Fonds, Bee Hive Films No. 1, 4 and 7. to your coffee.) The company’s role Ernie McCulloch of Mont Trem- in the annual GS event included blant, Québec. covering the competitors’ expenses, A newspaper headline of the day putting up the prize money, and reads: “The real heroes of the race, advertising and promoting the race. however, didn’t wear skis.” This is And every year, a comely “Miss Bee a nod to the race organizers and Hive” was on hand to award med- volunteers, who ensured that the als and give each competitor a free race would happen despite poor can of corn syrup, which the racers conditions that almost caused its drank (as seen in the films). Gibson cancellation. For a week before the documented the races and distrib- race, unusually mild temperatures, uted his films for free, to promote mixed with rain and a lack of snow, the event and the sport of alpine made for almost non-existent skiing racing—and skiing—across Canada at Georgian Peaks. Officials refused (see “To Learn More”). to give in, spending upwards of $3,000 hauling snow by the truck- THE FIRST BEE HIVE: load in the days before the race. On STEIN ERIKSEN WINS THE PRIZE the night before the event, chemical The 1961 inaugural Bee Hive attract- snow cement was used to harden ed some of the biggest names in ski the snow around the slalom gates, racing. Stein Eriksen, the Norwe- and snow was funnelled onto the gian superstar who had won a gold course through coal chutes. Skiers, medal in GS and silver in slalom at local workers, high school students the 1952 Winter Games, took first and residents of Collingwood, place. Anderl Molterer of Austria, Thornbury and Clarksburg pitched also known as the “Blitz from Kitz,” in to help pack and shovel snow. took second. Fellow Austrian rac- The racers were discouraged by ers Christian Pravda and Othmar the condition of the trail, but on Schneider came in third and fourth, race day, the overnight rain had respectively. According to Red Mc- turned into freezing sleet and the Conville, the former president of the course was lightning fast. By noon, Canadian Ski Association who raced the sun had melted some of the ice in the 1964 Bee Hive, Toni Sailer, and turned the surrounding dirt the world champion racer from into mud, making it difficult for ski- Austria, was present for the first Bee ers and spectators to maneuver. Hive, but didn’t compete due to his First-person recollections recount Top to bottom: Stein Eriksen won the first new career as an actor. In Gibson’s the challenges faced by the first Bee Bee Hive in 1961. After racing the GS course film, he is seen congratulating the Hive race organizers. In particu- wearing bib 5, he was met at the finish by Bee Hive winners. In total, 23 com- lar, Helen Gibson of Toronto, Dan Miss Bee Hive and world champion racer petitors raced in the inaugural Bee Gibson’s widow, recalls: “The day Toni Sailer (left), who foreran the course but Hive, including Canadian champion before the race there was a disas- didn’t compete. www.skiinghistory.org March-April 2014 | 17 trous thaw to bare grass. Snow was Collingwood, on February 10, 1963. trucked in, and many helpers shov- Twenty-five pros raced on a course eled it onto the mountain to make a set by Red McConville, the Devil’s single track down the course, which Glen co-founder. The champion froze overnight so the race could that year was Ernst Hinterseer of be held. (What) a miracle!” She was Austria, who had won slalom gold one of more than 9,000 enthusiastic and GS bronze at the 1960 Olym- spectators who lined the course to pics. Hinterseer returned to Devil’s watch the event. Glen in 1964 to win the fourth Bee Many others recall vivid memo- Hive. This race included three of ries of the first Bee Hive: the the world’s leading skiers: Egon “February Thaw” and the difficult Zimmermann, François Bonlieu and course conditions, the excitement of Pepi Stiegler, who won GS bronze the race, billeting the racers, and the and slalom gold that year at the fine reception at the end of the day Innsbruck Olympics. Other veteran at a private home in Collingwood, professionals competing at Devil’s where a select few had the rare op- Glen included Anderl Molterer, portunity to meet and mingle with Adrien Duvillard, Pepi Gramsham- the world’s skiing greats, including mer, Christian Pravda and Heli Eriksen, the star of the day. Schaller. The following year, the Bee SIX MORE YEARS ON THE CIRCUIT Hive headed west for the fifth an- The Second Annual Professional In- nual race held on March 13, 1965 at vitation Bee Hive Giant Slalom was Mount Whitehorn in Lake Louise, held at Mont Gabriel, in Québec`s Alberta. Twenty skiers competed for Laurentian Mountains, on February the trophy including five talented 25, 1962. With the sponsor offering Canadians (Jean Carpentier, Bob a larger total cash purse of $5,000, Gilmour, Jim McConkey, Al Men- the event attracted even more pros. zies and Lorne O’Connor). They By changing the location, organiz- competed against other world-class ers hoped to promote professional racers, including Mike Wiegele, Toni ski racing across Canada and allow Spiess, Christian Pravda, Pepi Gram- greater exposure for the sponsor. shammer, Marvin Moriarty and that The race was held on O’Connell’s year’s Bee Hive champion, Adrien Slip (Scott’s Slip), a 4,000-foot-long Duvillard from France. trail that was reconstructed to make The Sixth Bee Hive was set in it steeper and tougher, and the Eastern Canada, at Lac- Beauport, resort used the event to promote Québec, on February 13, 1966, with its state-of-the-art grooming and Ernst Hinterseer capturing first place snowmaking ability. Heli Schaller of for the third time. He completed the Austria was the 1962 champion. two-run race with a total time of The Third Bee Hive challenge 2:34.366, and Gramshammer placed was held at Devil’s Glen, near second with a time of 2:34.735. The TO LEARN MORE Many of the Bee Hive promotional materials, such as posters, flyers, adver- tisements, programs, and newspaper and magazine articles, are stored in the Canadian Ski Museum collection; most of the materials can be viewed online at www.skimuseum.ca. Another resource is the St. Lawrence Starch Company collection at the Archives of Ontario in Toronto (www.archives. Top to bottom: The first Bee Hive GS gov.on.ca).