Christmas last year was spent at the Calgary Oval as the Canadian Olympic speed skating trials started Boxing Day. Dutton hit the starting line against former World Sprint Champion Mike Ireland for the opening race. "This year I raced the two greatest sprinters Canada's ever had, Wotherspoon and Ireland," Dutton said with a grin.
The young sprinter missed the Olympic cut but caught a break when the Olympic team chose to skip the World Sprints and he was named as one of the alternates. Dutton described the experience as exciting "but I felt like I came in the back door". A disqualification in the 1000 at the races in Japan left him frustrated and disappointed in his final placing. "I promised myself I'd be back next year" Dutton said.
During the summer Dutton and his team mates spent many hours on road bikes in the Canadian Rockies. One trip resulted in a near tragedy when his team mate Matt MacLean of Winnipeg hit a mountain sheep while travelling at more than 80 km/h. Dutton, who was in the lead, dodged the animal when it ran out from behind a parked car in High Wood pass near Kananaskis. MacLean was not so lucky. Dutton stopped and turned to see his team mate down, his bike destroyed and the sheep struggling to escape. "I wondered if he was alive at first" Dutton said. Fortunately MacLean was bloody but not critical. Dutton called the coaches with his cell phone and MacLean was taken by ambulance to hospital. He suffered a broken clavicle, scapula and severe road rash but was able to start skating again in November.
The Speed Skating Canada final rankings for the previous season had Dutton fifth in the country in the 500. In August, he started the new racing season with some solid times. In the summer three of Canada's Vancouver Olympian's retired, Wotherspoon, Ireland and Parrot. Dutton found himself as the ranking number two sprinter in Canada. "It did not mean anything until I proved I earned it instead of getting there by other guys retiring" said Dutton. He stepped to the line at the Fall World Cup trials with something to prove to himself and when the clock stopped he stood second only to Olympian Jamie Gregg in the 500 and fourth in the 1000. Both were good enough to qualify him for the World Cup racing circuit in Europe and Asia.
The first races of the World Cup were in Holland the speed skating crazy capital of the world. Bands, fans, beer and live television greeted the skaters. "It was fun, speed skaters don't usually get much TV time at home unless it's the Olympics or a World Championship" said Dutton with a smile.
Dutton was scheduled to race the world's number one ranked male sprinter, Korean Lee Kyou-Hyuk, in the first 500 of the meet. "I was pumped to race the world number one and I warmed up hard" he said. Maybe a little too hard, as Dutton entered the corner during warm up he lost an edge and slammed into the wall. "I nearly took out the Japanese coach and I ripped my skin suit from ankle to knee so I had to borrow a team mates for the race" Dutton said. Another skater, Korean Moe Tae Bum the Vancouver games men's 500 Olympic Gold medalist also crashed into the wall. When the buzzer rang for the start of racing Tae Bum was scratched due to injury and Dutton was bandaged up enough to go to the line. But the race pairing were changed due to Tae Bum's injury.
Dutton skated another Korean, Moon Jun. In his first world cup race the young Canadian skated a respectable 35.75 good enough for 15th in the world that day. Later in the day, Dutton paired with a young Dutch skater Hein Otterspeer for the A Group 1000, "the roar as we went around the last turn was unbelievable" Dutton said. Otterspeer nipped him at the line and Dutton ended up 19th after race one. Not a bad first day for the rookie, two top twenty finishes.
Day two did not go quite as well, and when the weekend was over Dutton stood 18th in the 500 and 22nd in the 1000. The results put him into Group B for the next world cup stop. The next week the Canadian team raced in Germany, where Dutton had his first podium finish in Group B with a third. "They did not give out a medal for Group B in Berlin but the gummy bears were delicious and I move back to Group A" Dutton grinned. The podium finish moved him back into Group A for the 500 in China and gave him 19 more points in the World Cup standings. Dutton's results in China were good enough to keep him in the top group in the 500 but he dropped down to group B in the 1000.
The team finished the season in Obihiro Japan the site of Dutton's first International Championship as a senior, the 2010 World Sprints. This trip to Obihiro there was no disqualification. The highlight of this trip was an abscessed tooth. Dutton finished 18th in both 500s and scratched from the 1000. As he boarded the flight home he discovered he had left his iPhone at the Hotel. "Obihiro memories may need an upgrade" Dutton commented.
This Christmas for the first time in many years Canada's speed skaters were able to go home for holiday. For the last decade speed Skating Canada has chosen to hold the Canadian Single Distance Championships between Christmas and New Years. This year the Championships start January 6. "Mykola Makowsky (Regina born National Development Team skater) asked if we could have Christmas at home this year. We all owe him a turkey dinner" Dutton commented. It meant the skaters get a few days with friends and family and a chance to reflect on the year, the races, and the future. Racing starts at the Oval January 6th.
"The World Championships are in Holland this year and the road to Heerenveen oval passes through Calgary but it started in Humboldt" said Dutton, "Discovery Ford licensed a van right off their lot so we could drive to Minneapolis, the Humboldt Journal gave us great coverage, the town of Humboldt supported the club and staff at the Elgar Peterson Arena gave us a hand painting the ice. Racing Addison Thiel and Nathan Bernhard gave me someone to chase. Happy New Year Humboldt!"
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