ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Pat Morris, Skiing
When Ottawa Ski Club jumping coach Pat Morris says something to a fledgling ski flyer about a flaw in his technique or the like, the latter had best pay attention. Pat Morris, the coach, can call on Pat Morris, the judge, to reinforce his viewpoint. Pat Morris, the judge is one of only five from this area who are registered FIS officials meaning they are qualified to judge Olympic and World Cup competitions.
Long hours in the judges stand, much of it under close scrutiny, and exams go into the making of an FIS registered official. “They don’t give those away for nothing,” said Fred Morris in appreciation of his son’s accomplishments.
Pat Morris was on the ski slopes since the time he was two and jumping from the age of six, until he retired about 10 years ago. He developed his interest in judging during local competitions when the skiers, themselves, filled all the roles.
As a ski flyer, one of his best seasons was the 1967 campaign in which he won the Canadian championships and the Gatineau Zone among others but not convincingly enough to be selected for the 1968 Olympics at Grenoble. He was given an alternate berth as consolation.
“I wish I wasn’t here…” said Morris in reference to the decision in his athlete of the year acceptance. Skiers Sue Graves and Malcolm Hunter were among the dozen rivals for the title, that year.
He got even for the Olympic set-back in World Cup jumping with a 10th place finish in “just say Czechoslovakia” in 1970. That was his best ever performance.
Morris, the judge, has a busy time ahead. He’ll be in Lake Placid for the world juniors and in Thunder Bay for the Best Ever ’88 competition in executive capacities. He’ll turn colour TV commentator for the Canadian championships also at Thunder Bay.
SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR (BOB MAKI TROPHY)
Ev Tremblay, hockey, football
The Maki Trophy trustees trimmed their most deserved list by one with the 1967 selection of Ev Tremblay, one of the organizers of the Cradle Hockey League, a gigantic minor hockey program that took over the Auditorium in the ‘50s and ‘60’s before they ran out of buildings.
The program grew from friendly games between St. Pat’s and St. Joseph’s Orphanages on the old Tech rink and quickly grew like Topsy. It ran from sunrise to sunset and even had its own version of the Abbie Hoffman tale.
The Sports Canada director, many will recall, made hockey headlines as a playgrounds hockey goalie before moving to track and field and participating in the women’s 880 yards at the Commonwealth Games at Perth, Australia. They were the first women’s field to run more than 220 yards since the 1928 Olympics. Canada’s famed Fanny Rosenfeld was fifth in that race.
The Cradle League goalie was Dee-Dee Hamilton, sister of Bruce, Gord and Gary.
Tremblay also tried his hand at the Central Junior Hockey League but without spectacular success and the same thing applied about his junior football executive work with the Interprovincial Junior League.
Football — Greg Thompson
Golf— Don Davidson
Gymnastics — Sue Buchanan
Hockey — Gary Doyle
Speed Skating — Gerry Cassan
Skiing — Betsy Clifford
Swimming — Judy Vermette
Ski Jumping — Pat Morris
Track and Field — Joan Fisher
Weightlifting — Aldo Roy
Fisher Park High School teacher Aldo Roy, perhaps better known as a TV weightlifting analyst, had the odd story of Winnipeg’s Pan-American Games… Involved were he and his brother, Ralph, and the oddity is that both lifted in the same middleweight category, Aldo to fifth place and his brother, 11th… The pair were to have taken the Canadian weightlifting team to Tokyo had the boycott not come up. And Roy is convinced the boycott cost Dr. Marc Cardinal, a superheavyweight lifter, one of the medals… Cardinal, a Canterbury graduate, was sixth ranked going into the 1980 but the rankings did not include a superheavyweight tuneup in Tokyo in December where Cardinal finished second to defending gold medallist Sultan Rakhmanov… He figures Canada’s next Olympic medal winner will be Kevin Roy, fourth in the 100 kg division… He could be prejudiced… Kevin in his nephew… Betsy Clifford qualified for her first dinner as a 13 year old ski comer.
Footballer of the year in 1965 was Vince Thompson and in 1967 Greg Thompson, and there similarities stop. Vince played for Matt Anthony at the University of Ottawa and Greg helped the Sooners to their first Canadian junior football final.