How to handle losing Drug testing in freestyle What is Global Rescue?

Transcription

MARCH 12, 2012 Volume 44
Issue 10 skiracing.com
How to handle losing
Drug testing in freestyle
What is Global Rescue?
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Departments
17. V for Victoria
German Viktoria Rebensburg doubles down on giant
slalom wins to take the lead. BY ERIC WILLIAMS
4 Start House: March madness for racers.
5 Out of the Gate: Historic wins for Sarah
Hendrickson and Kikkan Randall; World Juniors.
6 Marketplace: Check out SR sponsors.
19. North American Dreams
Canada’s Erin Mielzynski and U.S. skier Resi Stiegler
step up to their first podiums. BY ERIC WILLIAMS
22. Norway’s Day
Kjetil Jansrud comes close — and then manages to win
it at home. BY HANK McKEE
12 Waxroom: Warner Nickerson’s new career;
Lindsey Vonn’s new look; creeper cam.
14 Gallery: Images abound from snowsports.
43 Aerial View: What drug testing’s really like.
26. Bulgarian Bounce Back
After the wind blew away the downhill, Lindsey Vonn
pulled off a killer save in Bansko. BY ERIC WILLIAMS
45 Nordic: Meet FIS chair Eileen Carey.
29. Sloppy Seconds
47 NCAA: Three-track athlete Pat Parnell.
Veterans power through Crans Montana’s mashed
potato snow. BY HANK McKEE
33. Don’t Stop
Keep training all summer with these ski racing camps.
37. The Fall Line
49 Masters: A recap of Eastern Champs.
53 Juniors: The Dan Nagy Memorial races.
56 Results: Racing around the country.
An introduction to Global Rescue. BY CLAIRE ABBE
39. A League of Their Own
Town racing brings together racers from 4 to 85 for a
NASTAR chance. BY SUSAN THEIS
62 Backshop: The overlay guide.
65 Buyers Guide: Eyes of the World Cup.
68 Club Corner: The art of losing gracefully.
70 Finish Line: Bridging generation gaps.
CONTENTS
COVER PHOTOS: GEPA
The Slides of March
STARTHOUSE
Alpine ski racing’s March Madness is upon us and unlike the NCAA basketball big
dance, alpine’s madness involves young athletes from 11 to 19. For many, qualifying
for the various Junior Olympics or championships is their huge goal, representing the
culmination of a ton of work and effort.
Unfortunately, for many more there will be no end-of-season finales, no cool jackets, and no chance to challenge for the prized trophies. Yes, that is ski racing, but
for those who just missed going to their finals, disappointment abounds for parents
and athletes — which is why we asked former Ski Racing writer Edie Thys Morgan,
to share a piece with
our readers.
Edie, who was with
the alpine team in the
late 1980s and early
1990s, worked with
us for several years,
developing a column
that she dubbed “Racer eX.” She covered
many facets of alpine
ski sport — its light
Resi Stiegler
sides as well as its
dark moments. Now a mother of two boys racing out of the Dartmouth Skiway in
Hanover, N.H., Edie is experiencing her children’s highs and lows much the same
as hundreds of parent across the country. Her column can be found on page 69
and is a must-read for all USSA parents and athletes, particularly at this time of the
season. As Edie points out, ski racing is a long and often winding road.
Nobody knows how hard racing is better than Resi Stiegler. The affable, hugely
energetic Wyomingite scored her first World Cup podium this week after suffering through and overcoming a horrific series of season-ending injuries. Talk about
perseverance! This young lady has it in spades. Stiegler’s story is one you have to
admire. Always a talent, she refused to bow to her setbacks, learned how to overcome her post-trauma fears and anxieties. The result was an unexpected podium
— unexpected to everyone but her. Eric Williams writes about her stunning Ofterschwang performance that took her to second place in the brilliant March sunshine
beginning on page 19.
USSA
Sarah Hendrickson soared to the first women’s jumping title in history last week.
By winning in Japan, Hendrickson —who makes her home in Park City where she
can capitalize on both the Utah Olympic Park and the Center of Excellence — totally dominated the circuit’s maiden year with eight wins. Securing the premier crystal
globe is a bit of history no one else will earn in the sport. Congratulations to Sarah
and the rest of her team for bringing home the initial nation’s cup title as well.
The U.S. scored another historic moment when Ryan Cochran-Siegle captured
the World Junior championship downhill title 30 years after his mother, Barbara
Ann Cochran, won gold at the Olympic Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan. Another
member of the legendary skiing Cochran clan, Ryan was coincidentally wearing
bib No. 1, the same number his mother wore when she captured the gold medal in
slalom three decades ago. Ski Racing’s Hank McKee updates you on the Junior
World Championship story thus far. Hint: think Norge and Die Schweiz.
For the first time in memory, Ski Racing is highlighting a U.S. Team sponsor: our
newest partner, Global Rescue. We do this because Global Rescue provides a
unique service to which parents and every club should give thoughtful consideration. Operated by a group of ex-Navy SEALs and other skilled Armed Forces
veterans, the company provides experienced medical and evacuation services.
Importantly, Global Rescue is also linked to the Johns Hopkins Medicine, one of the
nation’s most broad-based and international medical facilities. Certainly, if needed,
Global Rescue can pull you off the Eiger’s north wall, but it also can provide worldwide medical consultation in conjunction with Johns Hopkins, recommending local
doctors and facilities. If your child or your family is traveling to ski camps in the
Southern Hemisphere or the West this summer, this service more than deserves
a thorough look. Furthermore, if your vacation plans include rafting the Colorado,
tickling lion’s bellies in the Serengeti or trekking in Bhutan, Global Rescue provides
needed insurance at a reasonable price.
Winter sports are racing toward their frenetic finals. Kikkan Randall has earned
an historic first-ever by capturing the women’s nordic sprint title. Hannah Kearney
has already locked up the moguls’ globe. And Ms. Crystal, Lindsey Vonn, should
be packing four globes with the possibility of adding one more. In alpine skiing the
U.S. is sending a record 12 World Cup athletes to the 2012 Finals in Schladming.
As always, Ski Racing editors will be keeping you abreast of all the excitement on
its webpage and through its apps, updating as the action occurs. Keep in touch and
use your sunscreen. It is going to be one heck of a spring! — G.B. Jr.
EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
SARAH TUFF
SENIOR EDITOR
HANK MCKEE
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
ERIC WILLIAMS
CONTRIBUTORS
EMILY COOK
CJ FEEHAN
BILL MCCOLLOM
DAVE PESZEK
TIM REYNOLDS
SUSAN THEIS
SALES/MARKETING
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING &
STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIPS
CLAIRE ABBE
MARKETPLACE AND
CIRCULATION MANAGER
NANCY MERRILL
ART
ART DIRECTOR
RAND PAUL
PHOTOGRAPHERS
JONATHAN SELKOWITZ
SKI RACING
INTERNATIONAL, LLC
CHAIRMAN/CEO
GARY BLACK JR.
CONTROLLER
ADELE SAVARIA
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Ski Racing.com MARCH 12, 2012 | 4
OUT OF THE GATE
Landing in the Record Books
Sarah Hendrickson jumps to historic first women’s World Cup title
as USA team claims nation’s cup By Eric Williams
Sarah Hendrickson
ZOOM
American Sarah Hendrickson, 17,
has had an epic season. In April, the
Park City, Utah, native learned that after a decade-long battle with the IOC,
women’s ski jumping would be added
to the 2014 Olympic program. In December she launched into the inaugural women’s World Cup season and
soon became the sport’s first World
Cup event winner.
Hendrickson went on to win eight
more competitions (by press time)
while setting several hill records and
taking three second-place finishes
on her way to becoming the first-ever
women’s World Cup overall ski jumping champion, clinching the crystal
globe with first and second-place finishes in Zao, Japan, on March 3.
“I wanted to follow the path of Lindsey
Van, who won the first World Championship gold,” said Hendrickson of her
teammate’s influence. “I’m proud to
have achieved the first individual World
Cup victory and the first overall World
Cup title. I know that this is a historical
moment but I will need months or even
years to realize what it really means.”
Hendrickson follows in the footsteps
of fellow World Cup debut title winners
Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy and Canadian Nancy Greene, who became
first time alpine champions in 1967.
“This season is just a dream for me,”
said Hendrickson. “I never ever expected to be that strong in the first FIS
ladies’ ski jumping World Cup winter.
I felt a lot of pressure, but that’s why I
love ski jumping.”
In late February, Hendrickson added
to her impressive résumé with a silver
medal at the Junior World Championships in Erzurum, Turkey.
Hendrickson and her Women’s Ski
Jumping USA teammates also mathematically clinched the first ever nation’s
cup title of the discipline on March 3
with a 574-point lead on Germany.
American women have jumped to 14
World Cup podiums this season.
SkiRacing.com MARCH 12, 2012 | 5
OUT OF THE GATE
SR MARKETPLACE
To place a Ski Racing display
ad or line classified ad, contact
Nancy Merrill at 801-633-0832 or
[email protected].
Kikkan Randall Wins First-Ever World Cup
Sprint Title By Hank McKee
She may not have won the race, but Kikkan Randall won the
World Cup sprint title on March 7 in Drammen, Norway, when
her 11th-place finish after a semifinal crash gave her a standKikkan Randall
ings lead of 135 point with just one sprint remaining. It is the
first sprint title ever for an American and the first U.S. World
Cup title in 30 years.
Randall won two events this season at Duesseldorf, Germany,
GEPA
on Dec. 3; and at Davos, Switzerland, on Dec. 11 to take the
early lead in the standings. A second place scored at Milan in
mid-January and a third at Szklarska Poreba, Poland on Feb.
17 helped fuel the final push.
“The sprint overall World Cup was my goal and focus all season,” said Randall. “It’s been a long season, a lot of racing and
it’s been an exciting competition to the end. But I am happy to
finally secure it now. We have had an incredible team this year
— coaches, staff and athletes during the entire season — and
it’s definitively a team effort to win the globe.”
“Kikkan looked incredible today,” said coach Chris Grover. “She
appeared to be on her way to the final when she got tangled
up and broke her binding. The fact that she has won the sprint
globe has not quite sunk in yet.”
Norway’s Maiken Casperen Falla and Poland’s Justyna Kowalczyk had been in hot pursuit but Randall’s lead proved too
much to overcome.
Swede Teodor Peterson secured the men’s sprint trophy.
The men’s overall title was also determined in Drammen with
five races remaining. Before the race started, Swiss Dario Cologna won the World Cup when runner-up Petter Northug of
Norway declined to start. Canadian Devon Kershaw is third in
the standings.
The Drammen sprints were won by Marit Bjoergen and Eirik
Brandsdal, both of Norway. Canadian Len Valjas was second in
the men’s race scoring his first career World Cup podium finish.
Paal Golberg was third. Behind Bjoergen were Astrid Jacobsen
in second and Kowalcyk in third. Kowalczyk is 118 points behind Bjoergen for the women’s overall title with Therese Johaug
third, out of reach of the title. Randall sits fourth.
OUT OF THE GATE
The crowds spilled into the streets
after a spectacular opening
ceremony for the 2012 FIS Alpine
Junior World Ski Championships in
Roccaraso, Italy.
Norway and Switzerland
Battle for World Junior
Dominance By Hank McKee
The Norwegians and Swiss are really enjoying the FIS Junior World Championships at Roccaraso, Italy. After nine races Norway was leading the Hodler Cup 70
to 56 over the Swiss with third-ranked France having 41 point but just one bronze
medal. (Look for full results in the next issue of Ski Racing.)
It hasn’t been all bad for the U.S, either. While an anticipated medal from
Mikaela Shiffrin was lost to a hooked tip in rapidly deteriorating conditions, a
gold medal in downhill was earned by Ryan Cochran-Siegle, establishing yet
another chapter in the Cochran ski racing legacy. Though Olympic gold-medalwinning mother Barbara (Sapporo 72) was in attendance there wasn’t much
time for celebration. Ryan was headed to bed early. He had another race the
next day.
Women’s Slalom, March 1
The championships opened, after a spectacular opening ceremony, with the women’s slalom, a race in which Shiffrin could have been expected to excel. A sun-baked
course that hadn’t the chance to set up over night turned thick and soft — which is
nice in a bath towel but has no place on a racecourse. Coaches were exasperated
trying to suggest what to do. “We were basically telling them to ignore the gates and
ski what’s there,” said the U.S. women’s team leader, Trevor Wagner.
Wagner said the organizers did all they could do to present a fair course,
including starting the event at 8 a.m., before temperatures could climb too
COURTESY ROCCAROSO 2012
Mikaela Shiffrin ran
into some problems in
rugged conditions at
World Juniors.
OUT OF THE GATE
high. It apparently wasn’t early enough.
“They had everybody slipping and kept throwing
chemicals, but little holes turned into three-foot holes
in no time,” said Wagner. “It was a real difficult day
for everybody.”
The numbers bear that out. Gold-medal winner
Stephanie Brunner was, according to her FIS points,
the 13th-ranked woman in the race; silver medalist
Paulina Grassl the 29th. But rankings don’t mean
much in the physical world.
Grassl may have had the best strategy. “I did a safe
but fairly fast first round followed by a great second
run,” she said. “I dared to go all in the whole way
even if I didn’t know if it would work. I would never
had expected this, but I had faith in myself.”
Brunner also said she hadn’t expected to win and
vowed to “do my best to fight for more medals.”
“Brunner deserved to be on the podium,” said
Wagner. “She skied a good first run and didn’t make a
lot of mistakes. But the rest was basically attrition.”
The results flipped around pretty good from the first
run to the second. Grassl, as the prime example, had
been 10th after the first run.
On the first run, the course dissolved at the top,
steeper part of the trail. Though rutted, the middle
of the course held up well enough for an attack.
According to Wagner, Shiffrin “didn’t shift gears” and
finished the run fourth.
The second run was markedly different. The top held
up pretty well and the middle fell apart. At the bottom
a flush about six gates from the finish led into some
decidedly tight turns. “It was,” said Wagner, “a lot of
chaos.”
He said Shiffrin was on target to overtake the leaders,
and made it safely through the worst of the ruts, then
hooked a tip where there were no ruts.
The U.S. had one finisher, Foreste Peterson, who
clocked in 25th from the 67th start. Anna Marno did
not start. Jacqueline Wiles, Lauren Samuels and
Abby Ghent all went out in the first run.
Canada had Tianda Carroll in 22nd and Randa
Teschner 29th with Stephanie Marcil and Natalie
Knowles both being disqualified in the second run.
Wagner said there was not much the organizing
committee could have done to correct the situation.
High winds the week before had dried out the snow,
preventing significant compacting. When that storm
passed, he said, “it got hot, and the slope faces East
with no big mountain to block the sun.”
Men’s Downhill, March 2
In 1972, when Barbara Cochran won the Olympic slalom, she wore bib No. 1. When her son got “1” in the bib
draw at Junior Worlds in 2012, it seemed a good omen.
Ryan Cochran-Siegle knew what he wanted to do:
correct a small problem at the first jump, stay well
ahead of the course, and execute better at the bottom.
Plus, that No. 1 bib gave him an advantage on a
warm day. “The track was as hard as it was going
to get,” he said. “We’ve been skiing these types of
conditions before and I had some confidence with
variables with weather. It wasn’t hard at all, but you
could push against it.”
A pair of Swiss who also had the advantage of early
start numbers notched the silver and bronze medals.
Ralph Weber took the silver from the sixth start, and
Nils Mani the bronze from the third start. There were
some later-starting racers who managed to excel,
including German Manuel Schmid, who finished fifth
from the 25th start, and Norwegian Adrian Smiseth
Sejersted, moving from 36th to eighth.
American Bryce Bennett had a quality run to finish
Stephanie Brunner collected the slalom gold with Pauline Grassl at left
getting silver and Petra Vlhova at right the bronze.
Ryan Cochran-Siegle powered through soft snow to add the downhill
gold medal to the Cochran legacy.
OUT OF THE GATE
Cochran-Siegle with Mom, Barbara.
Cochran-Siegle shared the downhill podium with a pair of Swiss,
Ralph Weber and Nils Mani.
BRAD GHENT; USSA
10th. The U.S. had not had two men in the top 10 of a
world junior downhill in five years.
Cochran-Siegle agreed he is having a pretty good
season, what with World Cup points from Beaver Creek
and Crans-Montana, a couple Europa Cup top-10s and
the lead in both NorAm speed disciplines.
“I finished last season on a pretty good note and kind of
carried it through,” he said. “After Beaver Creek I knew
I was skiing well, and just kept it going. I’ve definitely
had some bad days here and there, but knowing you’re
skiing well, you just try to get better from the mistakes. I
like to freeski a lot, and I think that helps, just being on
snow a ton.”
As for dealing with pressure, well, that’s what Mom
teaches. “Mom works with kids dealing with pressure, so
she has always helped me out with that,” said CochranSiegle. “Just make sure you’re having fun. And this is
the best place you can be to have fun.”
He said he was proud to be part of the family tradition.
“It’s nice to add this title onto the Cochran collection,”
he said.
Beyond Cochran-Siegle and the 10th from Bennett,
the American group saw Scott Snow take 30th, Tanner
Farrow 33rd and Kieffer Christianson 37th. Robert Cone
declined to start.
Women’s Giant Slalom, March 3
In a move to placate television, the women’s GS was split
over two days, which had the added benefit of getting into
somewhat colder weather. Just not quite cold enough.
Sitting in third place overnight, Shiffrin struggled
mightily in the second run and dropped well down the
finish order to 20th. Norwegian Ragnhild Mowinckel got
a 0.26-second win over the defending champion, Sara
Hector of Sweden. Frenchwoman Adeline Baud won the
bronze by a hundredth over Norway’s Kristine Gjelsten
Haugen.
The conditions had improved, and organizers had
saturated the steepest section of the course with
chemicals to keep it firm. But on the first steep section,
out of the start, they did not blanket the snow so thickly.
It started to break up after 20 or 30 racers developed a
groove up top.
Seventh overnight, Mowinckel was beside herself to
have won. “I did not know what to do with myself at
the end,” she said. “This is the most amazing thing I
have ever experienced. It was so exciting. Still I do not
understand that I have won. Imagine that I have become
junior world champion. Being on top of the podium is
seriously cool.”
The extra time to ponder was not a friend to Hector.
“I really wanted to win but for some reason I really felt
nervous before my run,” the defending champ said.
Shiffrin was skiing well, according to the coach, before
her error.
“It was on the sixth or seventh gate,” said Wagner.
“She just leaned in. She had been skiing well, using the
groove, and she kind of banged in and never recovered.
It was just heading into the transition into the top flat and
she had no speed. Once you do that, make a mistake
just before a really-flat flat, it’s over.”
To her credit, Shiffrin stuck with it and finished, placing
20th. The only U.S. finisher was Lauren Samuels in
47th. Jacqueline Wiles was DQ’d with Foreste Peterson,
Anna Marno and Abby Ghent all failing to finish. “They
were having really good runs,” said Wagner. “They were
going for it. From where they were they had to give it
everything.”
Canada had Mikaela Tommy 31st, Stephanie Marcil
50th and Randa Teschner 55th.
Men’s Super G, March 3
The speed track was more firm than it had been for the
downhill, but there was still some soft snow around the
edges, and Cochran-Siegle found it off the first jump and
had no chance to finish. The Swiss podium finishers from
OUT OF THE GATE
the downhill moved up a place with Ralph Weber taking
the gold and Nils Mani the silver. Austrian Johannes Strolz
earned bronze.
There was a move afoot to disqualify Mani, but video
provided by Norwegian coach Erik Per Vognild showed
there was no justification to do so. Give the coach some
kind of ethics award — the DQ would have moved his
racer, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, to the bronze medal
position.
Weber said he was able to learn from the mistakes
of others by paying attention at the start. “Normally
I’m better in downhill than super G,” he said, “but after
inspection I had a good feeling and thought reaching
the podium might be possible.”
Mani said he had not expected to make the podium.
“Just like yesterday, I didn’t expect to be on the
podium,” he said, “but obviously hoped I would make
it. The conditions were better today and I was simply
skiing better than yesterday.” He also said he was very
pleased for his gold-medal-winning teammate. “It’s
great to be part of such a strong team,” said Mani.
Strolz, too, said he “hadn’t dare” think about winning a
medal. “It was really tough today as it was super fast. I
tried to find the perfect synergy between attacking and
tactics.”
The American men, despite losing their lead horse,
put three into the top-31 with Bryce Bennett in 22nd,
Scott Snow 25th and Tanner Farrow 31st. Matt Strand
finished 40th and Kieffer Christianson was DQ’d.
Canada had Morgan MeGarry in 28th and Trevor Philp
43rd.
Team Event, March 5
The Slovenian team took the first 11 of 12 match-ups to
reel in the Team Event title in a walk.
Ula Hafner, Zan Kranjec, Ana Bucik and Misel Zerak
were awarded gold medals. They swept France in
the first heat to easily move through to the semi-final.
There, the Austrian squad encountered a bit of bad
luck with one late start and a crash and succumbed 40 to the Slovenes.
That brought the team up against the Italians but the
home-standing group quickly found themselves down
3-0. The crowd got to enjoy a home win in the last
match-up, but it was too little, too late.
Italy got second and the Swiss team third.
A total of eight teams participated. The U.S. was not
one of them. Canada lost to Austria in the first heat.
Women’s Super G, March 6
“Monday night we discussed objectives,” said Norway’s
Annie Winquist. “From start number 45 I thought that
top 20 would be an OK place. ... I did not set out to
win.”
But win she did, roaring in from the back of the pack to
overtake Swiss leader Joana Haehlen. Mowinckel got
her second medal of the meet, finishing third out of the
34th start position.
The race surface had finally frozen up, gotten hard and
turned bulletproof. Three racers from outside the top
30 powered their ways into the top five, and they made
the difference for Abby Ghent, who sat in the bronze
medal position much of the day but will be recorded as
the sixth fastest.
Winquist’s run was a masterstroke. Coach Eivind
Engen East said they had plenty of time at the top to
discuss problems other competitors were having. “The
tactic was that she had to come from behind into the
overhang because so many had trouble there,” he said.
“She skied crazy good. It was indescribable to watch.
Unbelievable.”
Behind Ghent in sixth, other U.S. finishers were Anna
Marno in 23rd, Lauren Samuels 25th, Jacqueline Wiles
32nd and Foreste Peterson 35th. Kathrine Ryan did
Ragnhild Mowinckel came from behind to oust the defending
GS champion.
The Slovenians were unstoppable in the team event at the World Junior
Championships in Roccaroso, Italy.
OUT OF THE GATE
not finish. Canada had just one finisher, Tianda
Carroll in 37th. Stephanie Marcil was DQ’d while
Mikaela Tommy and Sarah Freeman were DNF’s.
Men’s GS, March 7
The weather deteriorated for the men’s GS. A fog
blew in on a warm wind and it all made Norway’s
Henrik Kristoffersen feel right at home.
“Being Norwegian, I am used to these kind of
conditions,” said Kristoffersen. “I have trained a lot
in strong wind, s***ty snow and low visibility, but I
don’t care about that when I race. All I think about
is racing.”
The conditions didn’t seem to faze him, but they
crushed everybody else. The snow was more like
slush and pushed into piles of crud quickly.
German Thomas Dressen was the last man to
make the flip 30, finishing 30th in the first run, 2.78
seconds back. With nothing to lose and a smooth
second course, devoid of any traffic, to lose it on, he
ripped a fabulous second run. And nobody bettered
his two run time until Kristoffersen, the first-run
leader, rode the ruts down in his second run 29
skiers later.
“Before the best racers came down I had no
expectations to be on the podium,” said Dressen,
“but this is part of the game. I almost can’t believe
it.” Few could.
Kristoffersen said the second run was slush, “but I
just knocked on. I was just skiing.”
“It was a very solid victory,” said Norwegian sports
director Claus J Shaker. “He wins a lot in harsh
conditions and shows tremendous strength. He
impresses me very much.”
The new champion said it was great to win the junior
world championship gold against the guys here. “I
have three years left as a junior and I manage to win
already,” said Kristoffersen. “But I say what Kjetil
Andre Aamodt said: ‘the next victory is the best.’”
It was the third gold medal of the championships
for Norway, prompting Shaker to add: “This is in
excess. Not only do we have three gold, but also
several fourth places and many top-10 placements.
Today, I am a proud sports director.”
The bronze medal went to Slovene Zan Kranjec.
He had been fourth after the first run. “Being on the
podium in my first junior world championship feels
great,” he said. “Monday I was on the podium with
my team, but winning an individual medal means a
lot to me. The second run was hard, but I just went
for it, and it worked.”
Alaskan Kieffer Christianson had a heroic first
run, starting 39th and fighting his way to 25th. He
registered the fourth fastest second run and made
the top 10 in ninth. Canadian Trevor Philp placed
seventh, moving up from 16th in the first run.
Other US results included Ryan Cochran-Siegle in
28th, Robert Cone 40th and Bryce Bennett 43rd.
Tanner Farrow and Matt Strand did not finish. Philp
was the only Canadian finisher with Morgan Megarry
and William St Germain on the DNF list and Ford
Swette not starting.
Henrik Kristoffersen said he was used to bad snow and wind.
Ragnhild Mowinckel (left) and teammate Annie Winquist show off
their super G medals.
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LOOK OUT BELOW!
After Saturday’s race at
the annual Dan Nagy Memorial, the coaches gather at the
top of the Midwest’s steepest
pitch, Damnation, for the real
competition: the gate toss. This
year’s event was taken to new
levels with duct tape, Coors
Light (seen in photo), and
various aerodynamic theories.
Billy Patza from Mt. LaCrosse
even had a gate filled with lead
before the weekend, thinking it
would carry more speed. Alas,
the win went to Scott “Scully”
Skavenger from Team Gilboa.
Marked for Success
Lindsey Vonn was looking good on the day she
scored a second-place finish in a World Cup GS
in Ofterschwang. Her brand-new signature Oakley
goggles perfectly complemented her custom rainbow suit. You almost didn’t notice that in the first
run, her number was drawn on with marker. The
Waxroom caught it. Good to see that the World Cup
isn’t too good for one of the oldest git-er-done junior
racing tricks in the book.
SUSAN THEIS; GEPA
Brought to you by
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Separated at Birth?
Turns out that the Central Nation racing
attire sported by Robby Kelley — who, the
Waxroom learned, was invited to the Dan
Nagy Memorial by Michael Ankeny as part
of a Buck Hill-Cochran’s rivalry — racing
attire matches the Didier-Cuche-inKitzbuehel look. It did not serve Kelley well,
as he couldn’t beat Ankeny on Feb. 25.
Creeper Cam
The Waxroom came across this beauty on YouTube. Apparently
the U.S. women have an Italian admirer with a video camera and
sweet taste in music. Hey, it was warm and sunny between runs in
Ofterschwang — girls gotta get their vitamin D sometime.
No, the Sun Never Sets on an Awesome Announcer
When Warner Nickerson served as race announcer at the Dan Nagy Memorial in LaCrosse, Wisc.,
on Feb. 25 and 26, he was armed and ready to entertain. Here, a sampling of the Waxroom’s favorites:
“Here comes Chris Frank, the oldest racer here! Would someone
please get a wheelchair to the finish?”
“Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have it…oh yes we do — a
NEEEEEWWWWW WIIIIINNNNER!” (Said after almost every racer.)
“We actually just tried to call Nolan Kasper and give him a course
report but he didn’t pick up so, bummer, dude.”
“Here’s Kieffer Christianson — he’s a local boy from…Alaska!”
“Kind of looks like Ted Ligety when he was on Völkl — that’s when
he was good at slalom.”
“That was miraculous, some of the best skiing we’ve ever seen in
the whole world!” (Said after the run during which Michael Ankeny
hiked three times.)
BECKY ANKENY
GALLERY
Andrew Weibrecht finished 23rd in the Kvitfjell super G, matching his ranking in
the discipline. With Bode Miller out for the rest of the season, Weibrecht will be
the only American man racing super G at World Cup Finals.
GEPA
Scream it like ya mean it. With 51 World Cup wins, two Olympic medals and five world
championship medals, Lindsey Vonn is known for flashing a broad smile and pumping her
fist a time or two at the bottom of a winning run. But the three-time overall World Cup
champion flat-out lost it after putting down a blistering second run (1.42 seconds faster
than anybody else) to jump from sixth to second and collect just her third career World Cup
GS podium in Ofterschwang March 3.
To the victor go the spoils. World junior slalom champion Austrian Stephanie Brunner
poses with Italian racing legend Alberto Tomba just after her winning performance in
Roccaraso, Italy.
Austrian Andrea Fischbacher slides down the Marc Girardelli course in Bansko, Bulgaria.
GEPA; ZOOM
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WORLD CUP
OFTERSCHWANG
V for Viktoria
GERMAN VIKTORIA REBENSBURG
DOUBLES DOWN ON GIANT SLALOM WINS
AT HOME IN OFTERSCHWANG TO RETAKE
THE DISCIPLINE LEAD BY ERIC WILLIAMS
Overcoming several mistakes in
her second run allowed Viktoria
Rebensburg to stifle Lindsey Vonn’s
chance at a second career GS win.
GEPA
Viktoria Rebensburg came home to Ofterschwang, Germany, in the Bavarian Mountains to
a warm welcome — literally. Temperatures hit the
high 50s every day during the sunny, three-day
tech series from March 2 to 4. A crew of 450 course
workers spread tons of salt on the course, pulling
off six competitive runs in the face of tough, slushy
conditions.
Rebensburg, the reigning Olympic GS champion
and World Cup titleholder, pulled into town having
relinquished her lead in the GS ranking to France’s
Tessa Worley, who stood 20 points ahead after taking back-to-back wins in the last two GS races in
Kranjska Gora and Soldeu. Rebensburg had raced
in Ofterschwang twice before but never finished
higher than sixth.
The first GS race, which replaced a contest canceled by snowfall at Courchevel in December and
was again postponed by wind in Soldeu in January,
was finally held in T-shirt weather as racers, coaches and fans enjoyed the rare opportunity to catch
some rays during the World Cup tour.
The home girl caught a break in the first run when
Worley slipped to seventh place as Rebensburg took
a 0.11-second advantage into the second run. She
gave up only a few hundredths of a second to win
by 0.06 seconds and reclaim the lead in the overall
GS standings with a 44-point advantage while Slovenian Tina Maze, a six-time second-place finisher
this season, took runner-up placing yet again.
“The crowd was really cool,” said Rebensburg, who
collected her fifth career win and first in her native
Germany. “I didn’t really have such a good feeling in
the second run because it was pretty tough. I’m so,
so happy. It’s a wonderful day.”
Riding high from the previous day’s win, Rebensburg took Saturday’s first run by 0.85 seconds.
Standing sixth after the first run, Lindsey Vonn
WORLD CUP
staged a second-run attack (1.42 seconds faster
than any other second run) that left the 51-time
World Cup winner in joyful hysterics in the finish
area. Eurosport TV announcers called the run
“some of, if not the best skiing” they had ever
seen. Vonn held the lead until Rebensburg slid
her ski tips out of the start house with a 1.68-second cushion handed to her by Vonn in the first
run. She gave back a little at a time down the
entire course and then dropped a huge chunk of
her speed with two mistakes on the final pitch.
Rebensburg’s first-run stockpile held out, and
she beat Vonn by 0.26 seconds.
“I was almost 1.70 behind Vicki after the first
run,” said Vonn, who finished second for just her
third career GS podium. “I went for the most direct line possible and risked a lot and was able
to make up a lot of time. I was thinking I could
maybe get the win when Vicki had trouble on
the bottom, but she was just too strong today.”
SOCHI, RUSSIA
The win gave Rebensburg a 135-point lead
over Vonn in the GS rankings with two GS races remaining on this season’s schedule. Vonn
has never finished a season ranked higher than
eighth in the GS standings.
“This is crazy — I couldn’t expect it,” said Rebensburg about collecting her fifth and sixth career wins at home. “Two awesome days. It was
pretty close in the second run. I had two mistakes in the last part. It doesn’t matter; I won the
race. It is crazy.”
Rebensburg
had never
finished better
than sixth in
Ofterschwang
but topped
both GS
podiums this
time around.
Rebensburg came
home to to win a pair
of World Cup GS races
and take over in the
discipline rankings.
ZOOM
WORLD CUP
OFTERSCHWANG
North American Dreams
CANADA’S ERIN MIELZYNSKI AND U.S. SKIER RESI STIEGLER STEP UP TO
THEIR FIRST WORLD CUP PODIUMS WHILE MARLIES SCHILD SEALS THE
SEASON TITLE IN THE OFTERSCHWANG SLALOM BY ERIC WILLIAMS
That’s why we run the races.
At Ofterschwang on March 5, women’s World
Cup slalom racing went from same old, same old
to shocking.
OK, you can’t call Austrian Marlies Schild’s sixout-of-seven slalom winning streak old or boring, but let’s just say her winning this season has
been up there with death and taxes on a list of
sure things.
At the penultimate slalom of the regular season,
nobody had bets on a pair of North American
racers who had never been on a World Cup podium. In her previous 20 World Cup starts, Canadian Erin Mielzynski had never finished better
than 13th. American Resi Stiegler hadn’t posted
a top-10 result in more than four years since she
was assailed by a seemingly neverending chain
of injures starting in 2007.
Even after the first run, a Vegas bookie would
have gladly taken your money on either Mielzynski or Stiegler hitting the podium. Schild gave the
field a spark of hope in the first run when she
finished 0.77 seconds back in seventh place as
Slovenian Tina Maze took the lead. With a 0.35Resi Steigler screams with joy upon
notching her first World Cup podium after
four years of injuries.
GEPA
second lead, Maze looked like she was finally
ready to land her first win of the season after six
second-place results. German Lena Duerr stood
second; American Mikaela Shiffrin and Swede
Frida Hansdotter were tied for third, a little more
than a half second behind Maze. Mielzynski
stood fifth while Stiegler ranked ninth in bib No.
35 and giddily screamed in the finish area.
In run No. 2, Stiegler, who a day before had
scored her first World Cup GS points in four
years, finished with a 0.16-second advantage
on the previous racers. She watched as her time
held up through World Cup royalty: Tanja Poutiainen, Schild and Maria Hoefl-Riesch. With a
Erin Mielzynski became the first Candian
woman to win a World Cup slalom in 41 years.
WORLD CUP
0.22-second cushion on Stiegler, Mielzynski put
down the run of her life to win by five-hundredths
of second, taking her first win, her first podium
and first top-10 finish all at once.
The North American duo watched with disbelief as the first run’s top four faltered and fell,
leaving Mielzynski and Stiegler crying, laughing and screaming when the dust settled. Schild
took the third podium step on the day and quietly clinched her fourth career slalom title with
an untouchable 299-point lead and only two slaloms left to race.
“This has been my dream for as long as I can
remember,” said Mielzynski, who became the
first Canadian woman to win a World Cup slalom since Betsy Clifford in 1971. “This is more
than incredible. It was crazy coming fifth in the
first run — that hasn’t happened before. And
then this? I can’t describe it!”
Mielzynski, a 21-year-old former competitive
water skier, brought the recently injury-plagued
SOCHI, RUSSIA
Canadian women’s team its first win in four
years and its first podium in three years. Fellow
Canadian Marie-Michele Gagnon joined the celebration, tying her career high in fifth place.
“Coming down with the green light on the second run, it took a few seconds for it to sink in,”
said Mielzynski. “I stood in the finish box and
that was just incredible. It was crazy to see my
name at the top of the standings.”
For Stiegler, the podium result represented her
arrival after a very long road of injuries, surgeries and rehab over the last four years.
“Luckily I have a crazy mind that has never
ceased to believe in myself and there were moments that I wanted to give up,” said Stiegler,
the daughter of 1964 Olympic gold medalist
Pepi Stiegler. “I’ve believed in myself for so long
and that is it; that’s all it ever was, the fact that
I knew that I could do this. It came at the right
time, I would say.”
Stiegler’s promising career was derailed just as
Lindsey Vonn, Olympic Champion and Two-time World Cup Overall Winner
Get the gear the pros wear at shop.usskiteam.com
WORLD CUP
she was becoming a World Cup top-10 regular (she
racked up 11 top-10s including five top-five finishes
from 2006-2007). In December 2007, she broke her
left forearm and right shinbone, tore ligaments in her
right knee and bruised her face and hip during a GS
race. She fought her way back for an appearance at
the 2009 World Championships and then broke her
foot a week later when she fell off of a stair. Stiegler
had two starts at the beginning of the 2010 season
before she suffered her worst setback when she
broke her left tibia and femur while training in Colorado.
“I guess I always thought when I came back from
my injuries that once I got on skis that it would be
easy, because that is what I have done my whole life
and I loved skiing,” said Stiegler. “I figured out that it
wasn’t that easy. Last year I was scared to ski. This
year I knew I could ski really fast. I didn’t just want to
get top-20s; I wanted to be in the top five and I knew
that I was skiing well enough to do that, but to put
it down on that day is a whole other mental game.
I am always going to give it my all and if it ends up
with a day like today, then that’s the best you can
hope for and I’m really, really happy.”
Stiegler said she had early season doubts about
weather she should continue ski racing. The 26year-old Jackson Hole, Wyo., native said a midseason break at home followed by a string of three
NorAm wins in Colorado gave her the confidence
she needed to press on. Back in Europe in February, Stiegler rejoined the U.S. women’s the team
where further progress was made.
“We’ve had a good couple weeks of training and I
really focused hard on some new techniques and
new feelings on my skis,” said Stiegler. “I came
into this race focusing on that new feeling and not
worrying about the outcome because I didn’t think
ZOOM; GEPA
OFTERSCHWANG
that I would possibly do so well. I have visualized
this since I was a child. I almost feel like, whether I
got first or second or third today, the podium was a
huge accomplishment for me. I never in my wildest
dreams thought it was going to happen this year. It’s
just a dream come true for me.”
Stielger’s teammates hoisted her to their shoulders
in the sunny Ofterschwang finish area and shared in
her celebration, having seen the hard work she has
put in over the years.
“She’s always had such a great attitude and never
gave up,” wrote Lindsey Vonn in her Denver Post
blog. “She had a lot of good first runs this season
but she finally put it together for two good runs. She
really put it on the line and it was really cool to see.
It’s great when someone who works as hard as she
does gets what they deserve.”
“I must say it was pretty inspiring to see Resi on that
podium today,” posted Julia Mancuso to her Facebook page. “She’s been through a lot to return from
injuries and get back the confidence to follow her
ski goddess dreams. And Erin winning the race was
another example that you have to just keep fighting,
charge hard, believe in yourself and anything can
happen! Congrats girls.”
Mielzynski and Steigler were overcome with
emotion in the Ofterschwang leaders’ box.
Stiegler finally put two runs together to earn her first World Cup
podium in her 104th start.
Mielzynski got her first win, first podium and first top-10 all in one day.
WORLD CUP
KVITFJELL
NORWAY’S
DAY
KJETIL JANSRUD COMES CLOSE
— AND THEN WINS IT AT HIS HOME
HILL BY HANK MCKEE
Kvitfjell has been a regular road trip on the Cup tour
for the last 19 years and with one glaring exception (see
Matthias Lanzinger) has been among the better-organized
and safer tracks on the circuit. It is ironic, therefore, that
this year, the first training run was delayed by an organizing snafu when the jury radios refused to operate.
Kjetil Jansrud had been waiting for Kvitfjell for a long time.
Another delay was of no concern.
Jansrud hails from Vinstra, about 40 minutes upriver from
Kvitfjell. It’s his home hill. Never mind that he owned only
one downhill top-10 in his life. Never mind that he had one
super G podium to his name. He was skiing better now, as
well as he ever had, this was his home mountain, those
were his people in his valley at the bottom of the race hill
and he aimed to make a statement, no matter what time the
start was.
GEPA
Kjetil Jansrud had nothing
to lose by Sunday.
WORLD CUP
KVITFJELL
Jansrud won both of the training runs — and by a lot. He
had guys worried. With two super G races (the first from
fogged-out Garmisch) surrounding a downhill, there
was plenty at stake. The super G title was very much
in doubt and there was room in the downhill standings
for some shifting at the top of the ladder among Didier
Cuche, Klaus Kroell and Beat Feuz, the last of whom
was also concerned about a knee still sore from Sochi
and a need to pile on enough points to give him room to
hold off technical charges for the overall crown.
It was not a good weekend for Didier Cuche.
Despite bone splinters in
his knee, Beat Feuz gained
210 points for the weekend.
GEPA
Super G, March 2
The Kvitfjell course tests the subtleties of speed technique. Finding the fastest line is not an exact science,
and a cold wind had swept over the fjords overnight
and blown moisture out of the snow. It was bright and
sunny, and the snow had set up beautifully. It ran faster
than training and threw off whatever timing had been
found earlier in the week. Plus, of course, they had
been training downhill and the first race on the schedule was a super G.
In the opening race, Jansrud, with years on the hill in
his knowledge bank, knew exactly where and how to
take advantage of the course, putting down a run that
appeared unbeatable.
Klaus Kroell, however, is pretty comfortable at Kvitfjell,
too. He milked the run, and, with a burst somehow produced down the last 100 meters of the track, edged
Jansrud by three-hundredths of a second. Four skiers
later, Feuz accomplished the exact same feat, creating a tie for first place and leaving Jansrud in third, 40
points poorer by three-hundredths of a second. In an
interesting — if useless — quirk, it was the fifth World
Cup win and second Cup super G men for both men,
and both of them had, in previous seasons, scored their
first downhill victories at Kvitfjell.
Kroell, a subject of considerable media attention
throughout this season in ski-mad Austria, downplayed
his spectacular run. “I was four-hundredths from being
fourth,” he said. And really, he pointed out, he was more
concerned about doing well in the downhill.
Feuz, with bone splinters floating around in his knee,
was astounded with his own performance but similarly
glad to be away from the intense scrutiny. The snow
was, he said, “much better” than back home in CransMontana. “Here I felt much more comfortable when I
pushed hard on my skis in the turns,” said Feuz. “I know
and like this course a lot. It’s really nice to be here. The
landscape is beautiful and it’s very quiet, too.”
Jansrud was pleased with his racing. He had never
been so close to a World Cup victory and he knew he
could do better. “There were a couple of small things in
the middle part I could have done better,” he said. “I’m
happy, but not so happy about three-hundredths.”
Downhill, March 3
The downhill held dominion on day two. Kroell, and
most everyone else, had been watching Jansrud after
his huge margin in the first training run. In the downhill
Jansrud wore bib 1 and proved to be well worth watching. He found speed the entire length of the course
that he said he knew like the back of his hand. He
Robbie Dixon returned from
injury to score at Kvitfjell.
WORLD CUP
was fastest to the Lynx Path, through Winther’s Cut and
across the Sletten Plain. He was quickest into and out of
Russi’s Jump and the Elk Traverse, and nailed the S-Turn.
It would turn out, after everyone had run, that Jansrud recorded the fastest time to all five of the interval timers.
“I was very impressed by his performance,” said Kroell.
“He skied perfectly and seemed out of reach for us.”
The closest anyone came through the next 13 skiers was
Adrien Theaux, and though he was temporarily in second
place, he was 1.15 seconds behind.
Then Svindal, who knows a few of the Olympiabakken’s
nuances himself, tested the line as hard as he could. Were
it not for a mistake just above the finish, he might have
overtaken his younger teammate. Instead, he gave the
Norwegian crowd that had chugged in from Lillehammer by
rail two skiers in the first two positions.
Kroell was already on course when the roar of approval
echoed up the hill. If he heard it or not is of little concern,
for he was concentrated on the task at hand, which was
squeezing as much speed out of the course as he could.
To the first clock Kroell was 0.16 behind Jansrud and at the
second timer 0.32. But he was the fastest of all between the
second and third timer and slowly began to cut into the deficit. Everyone in the finish area was watching the interval
times drop. Kroell was running out of real estate.
Andreas Romar had a breakthrough
performance for Finland.
KVITFJELL
At the finish he had managed a 0.02 margin. Jansrud
would be denied the win again. And Norway would be denied the end of a win drought on home snow that stretched
back to 1997.
Feuz, starting two skiers later ran to fourth, giving him a
healthy batch (50 on the day) of overall points and moving
him within three points of Didier Cuche for second in the
downhill standings. Kroell, though, was the new DH leader
with a 48-point lead over Cuche, who finished 10th, one
placing behind Canada’s newest Cowboy, Ben Thomsen.
“Fortunately for me, I nailed the bottom part perfectly,”
said Kroell. “It is amazing to win by such a small margin. I
executed my plan perfectly.”
It was his seventh podium at Kvitfjell over five seasons, a
fact he says gives him confidence every time he races it.
“I am looking forward to coming back here in the coming
seasons,” said Kroell.
Though stung for the second time in two days by a total
of five-hundredths of a second, the good-natured Jansrud
remained in an upbeat mood. “In Norwegian,” he told Austrian reporters, “Kroell means troublemaker.”
The Americans are missing Bode Miller. Erik Fisher had a
smoking run going — was a podium possibility even — but
caught an edge and slid off the course, leaving Travis Ganong as the only scorer, in 30th place.
Thomsen led the North American placings in ninth — his
third top-10 since Feb. 4 — after an amazing recovery kept
him upright. Erik Guay finished 12th, and Robbie Dixon finished 19th in a very creditable return from injury and Jan
Hudec was 28th, his 16th best of 16 results this season.
Klaus Kroell could scarely
believe his downhill win.
Kroell nailed the
bottom to take the
downhill.
Super G, March 4
A few flakes of snow and the accompanying gray skies
flattened the light for the Sunday super G, making the
many bumps and chop from a week’s worth of racing all
the more difficult to see.
Jansrud had received many congratulations for his twoGEPA
SkiRacing.com FEBRUARY 27, 2012 | 24
WORLD CUP
Erik Fisher was in a podium position before crashing.
In the third race Jansrud finally got the drought-ending win.
GEPA
KVITFJELL
day performance, but he was not satisfied. He had been so
close both days to getting his first World Cup win he could
taste it.
“Prior to falling asleep I told myself that I had already done
great things in both races and that I had nothing to lose on
Sunday in charging as hard as possible,” he said. “I took
the straightest possible line and cut the turns as much as
possible. I was ready to ski out — I badly wanted to win the
race.”
From the second to the third interval timer Jansrud picked
up a half-second on the 11 men who had raced before him.
Like the day before, he continued to pick up time with the
sound of the Norwegian crowd climbing in decibels as each
clocking came up on the big board. They were roaring by
the time he finished a stunning 1.42 seconds in the lead.
For the third time in three days he got himself situated in
the leaders’ box, cameras trained to pick up his emotions,
and prepared to watch the rest of the best come after his
lead. He looked pretty content.
Four skiers would beat his time to the first interval — Svindal, Max Franz, Joachim Puchner and Georg Streitberger
— and none of them could match him at any other clocking
on course. He flew, clung tenaciously to his line and fought
to take a tuck anywhere he could. Again, it was Svindal who
came closest, but the margin was measured in tenths, not
hundredths. And this time Kroell could not beat him. Kroell
had won the second section on course, but he opened up
from his tuck in the third and lost contact. He wound up
fourth, three-quarters of a second behind.
Feuz, despite his knee, challenged hard, picking up speed
and time and recording the fastest time of the day (114.43
kilometers per hour or 71.11 miles per hour) on the speed
gun near the end to finish third, with no discernible errors.
Cuche, in bib 22, faded back early and would finish in sixth.
As Cuche’s time and place came up on the board, the two
Norwegians in the leaders’ box began to believe the victory
Max Franz scored a
career-best fifth.
drought might finally be over, smiled and shook hands.
Two later starters gave reason for pause. Streitberger
might have challenged but small errors occurred at just
the wrong places on course and cost him severely as he
dropped well back to 13th. Franz was having his best run
of the season when he got squashed in a compression and
could do no more than fifth. Finn Andreas Romar posted
seventh, the best placing for a Finn in super G since Janne
Leskinen got fourth at Garmisch in 1996.
There would be no last-minute drama this time. Norway
would have her win.
“I could not dream of a better place to celebrate my maiden World Cup victory,” said Jansrud, “on home soil in front
of some of my fans and with another Norwegian beside
me. This is really exciting.”
Andrew Weibrecht, the first skier out of the start on the
day, made his way to 23rd, the only U.S. score. Canada
was led by Guay in ninth. Jan Hudec saved a near-crash
and finished 19th and Jeffrey Frisch was 28th. Seen shouting expletives in the finish area Robbie Dixon was a vocal
DNF — with the emphasis on the “F.”
WORLD CUP
BANSKO
Bulgarian BOUNCE BACK
After the wind blew away the
downhill, Lindsey Vonn pulled
off a killer save in Bansko for her
fourth super G win of the season
BY ERIC WILLIAMS
The wild animal-inspired race suit Lindsey Vonn picked out for World Cup speed races in
Bansko, Bulgaria was spot-on.
Dressed in a colorful mix of tiger stripes and cheetah spots, Vonn at first looked more like prey than
the predator on the Marc Girardelli course after a mid-run bobble that threw her 0.61 seconds behind
at the following split timer. But just when everyone thought Vonn had been pounced, she ferociously
attacked the bottom half of the course, risking far more than she planned on and stalking away with
a slim 0.05-second winning margin, having bagged her fourth super G of the season.
ZOOM
Lindsey Vonn took the
Bansko super G by just five
hundredths of a second.
WORLD CUP
“I had to really push the line
and take a lot of risk from there
down,” said Vonn. “It was a little
bit more direct than I had inspected. I would have liked to
have not risked quite as much,
but it worked out.”
The win, which took Vonn
within seven points of sealing
the season super G title (which
would be her third this season
as she has already secured the
downhill and super combined
globes), also meant another
entry in the history books. Vonn
eclipsed retired Austrian great
Renate Goetschl as the most
winning women’s super G racer
in World Cup history with 18 victories in the discipline. Vonn’s super G point total climbed to 413 points. Only Austrian Anna
Fenninger, now 94 points behind, could possibly stop Vonn from winning the super G globe.
After winds had claimed the previous day’s downhill (the seventh women’s race to be either
canceled or rescheduled by adverse weather this season) Italian Daniela Merighetti got the
field of competitor’s attention with a gutsy run in the No. 2 bib.
Seven starters later, this season’s breakout speed racer, Liechtenstein’s Tina Weirather,
bumped Merighetti out of her second win of the season by just two-hundredths of a second.
The podium remained unchanged as the next eight racers struggled on the technical course
the World Cup tour hadn’t visited since 2009 until Vonn’s harrowing run.
“I tried to give myself a lot of direction for that gate because I was on a pretty bumpy sidehill
and I just hit one of the bumps funny, and I went shooting downhill in the opposite direction
that I wanted,” said Vonn of her near fall. “I was way off line and had to chuck it sideways, but
thankfully the pitch was pretty steep and I was able to accelerate out of that mistake.”
No other woman was within a quarter of a second of the top three, all of whom are rolling with
huge success on this season’s speed tour. Vonn has just about sealed the overall title and continues to climb past the half-century mark with her 51st World Cup victory. Weirather, the 2007
World Juniors downhill champion, has taken her racing to a new level this season with the first
five World Cup podiums of her career. Merighetti, a 12-year World Cup veteran, won her first
GEPA
BANSKO
Lindsey Vonn skis over the last
jump in the Bansko super G
before taking her fourth super
G win of the season.
Tina Weirather is having the best season of her
career and pulled in her fifth podium of the year.
WORLD CUP
BANSKO
Cup race last month in the Cortina downhill after a nine-year skid without a
podium finish.
“I was in the leader box and Lindsey came down and was six-tenths behind
me in the last intermediate,” Weirather told Fisalpine.com. “I was really hoping I could beat her today but again she was faster. Again, it’s tight and I hope
that someday I can beat her. It has also to do with luck today. I could be sad
about second place but I could also be fourth with three-hundredths slower,
so I’m happy.”
Slovenian Tina Maze was 0.26 seconds behind the podium in fourth place.
American Julia Mancuso, winner of the last super G in Garmisch, lost some
speed in the middle of the course but hung on to finish eighth and secure a
third-place ranking heading into World Cup finals in Schladming, Austria.
Fellow Americans Leanne Smith and Laurenne Ross finished 18th and 24th,
respectively. Smith will join teammates Vonn and Mancuso in the finals super
G race ranked 19th (only the top 25 ranked women in each discipline are eligible). Ross just missed the cut standing in 28th.
The U.S. women’s speed team left Bulgaria for a two-week break back
home. The canceled downhill pinched off the standings, sending six American women to the Finals. Vonn leads the way in first, followed by Mancuso in
sixth, Stacey Cook in eighth, Ross in 22nd Alice McKennis in 24th and Smith
in 25th.
“Even without [Saturday’s] race, we got everybody in the World Cup Finals;
that is pretty cool,” said U.S. head coach Alex Hoedlmoser. “Having the whole
team there, six of them, that is pretty sweet and a huge testament to the hard
work of the athletes and our coaches.”
The U.S. women’s speed team, the top ranked squad in
the world, holds a mid-course conference on the Marc
Girardelli downhill track in Bansko.
Strong winds canceled the
Bansko downhill.
ZOOM; GEPA
WORLD CUP
CRANS MONTANA
SLOPPY
SECONDS
The Swiss came out in
force for Didier Cuche.
VETERANS POWER THROUGH CRANS
MONTANA’S MASHED POTATO SNOW
BY HANK MCKEE
It has been a warm sloppy season on the World Cup tour, but no stop
has been sloppier than Crans Montana, Switzerland, where the men
squeezed in two super G’s and a GS from Feb. 24 to 26. Temperatures
climbed near 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and a bright, hot sun baked the
Piste Nationale. At least two coaches described the surface as “mashed
potatoes.”
At this point in the 2012 season, skiers and tech reps have grown accustomed to preparing for warm, soft snow, but navigating a course that
deteriorates visibly with each passing competitor does not make things
easy for late runners. With a quarter of the super G season perched right
there on the hot snow, there was plenty at stake. With no super G races
having been contested since a wind-shortened sprint at Val Gardena on
Dec. 16, it was difficult knowing what to expect.
Even finding the line in those kinds of conditions takes both physical and
mental vision. Understanding how to exploit those lines — and executing
that understanding — takes some experience. It may not be coincidence
GEPA
Cuche had not won in
Switzerland since 2002.
WORLD CUP
CRANS MONTANA
Jan Hudec slapped
some fives after
scoring a podium
finish.
Benjamin Raich is
back in winning
form.
Massimiliano Blardone
climbed the fence
to celebrate a hardfought GS win.
GEPA
the Crans Montana races all went to veteran skiers.
The most veteran of them all, Didier Cuche, bid farewell to his legions of Swiss fans by capturing the first
SG on Friday. The oldest man on the Austrian squad,
Benni Raich, won the second SG, his first career-speed
event victory. Italian GS winner Massimiliano Blardone
(at 32) is no spring chicken, either.
Conventional wisdom didn’t seem to fit at Crans Montana. Early skiers were supposed to have a huge advantage in the super G events, but that’s where the
vision, understanding and execution came into play. In
the first race, Cuche wore bib 20 and Raich, in third,
wore bib 21. The second SG was more of the same:
Raich wore 16 to the top step of the podium, Adrien
Theaux wore 20 to rung two and Cuche wore 19 to the
lower step.
Super G 1
On Day One, Canadian Jan Hudec had established
the early lead as the sixth starter. He said even at
that point the course was falling apart. “It was bumpy
when I went down,” he said, “but it really deteriorated
for the other guys.”
Right out of the start gate Hudec was screaming fast,
picking up three-tenths on the field in the first 40 seconds. He said he got “a little conservative at the bottom,” and felt he had left a window of opportunity for
others to catch him. But it was not a situation in which
to take too much risk. Just outside “the line” were those
mashed potatoes the coaches were talking about. So
much as touch them, and the anchor line draws tight.
It was more than conceivable Hudec’s time would hold
up.
Klaus Kroell came closest to Hudec through the first
two-thirds of the course but an error, a detour off line,
dragged his anchor and he faded to tenth.
“No one was really close to me at the top,” said Hudec,
“but if anyone can sneak in there, it would be Cuche.”
And it was. Just ninth at the first interval, Cuche said
he knew his skis were “rockets,” but the run just wasn’t
going well. It felt awkward somehow, as a bumpy, soft
course can. And then, “somehow it just started feeling
right,” Cuche said. To the final interval timer he was no
better than third, but the bottom section, where Hudec
said he had left a window of opportunity, Cuche seized
the day. “I think I was able to find the fastest and cleanest line in the lower section,” he said in classic understatement.
The result was his fourth win of his farewell season
and, importantly, his first win in his native Switzerland
since 2002.
It was not a day to come from the back of the pack.
Of the 25 starters between 45 and 70, 11 failed to finish. The scariest of the crashes was a helmet-popping
wreck from Silvano Viletta and he escaped relatively
unscathed — a mild concussion and a sore wrist —
but there were no bibs above 30 earning double-digit
points.
The Canadians — “believing in what they are doing
and believing in themselves,” as coach Johno McBride
put it — had Hudec notch the team’s fifth straight race
with a podium. Erik Guay was 13th and Jeffrey Frisch
earned his first points since 2009.
The U.S. had an amazing nine starters — and that’s
without Bode Miller, who, at that point, was still hopeful
of being able to continue his 15th season. U.S. coach
Sasha Rearick said his skiers either went “too round or
too straight,” leaving the top U.S. placing a 24th from
Andrew Weibrecht. Ted Ligety got 28th and Thomas
Biesemeyer collected his first World Cup points in
30th.
The race also was the premier speed race appearance for World Cup overall standings leader Marcel
Hirscher. With a tight, three-way race for the most
WORLD CUP
prestigious trophy in ski racing, Austrian coaches put him
in. He finished well off the pace in 34th. He did not race the
second day.
The third place from Benni Raich was a forecast.
“Today I finally have a result that I am happy with,” Raich
had said, “and this third place just makes me look forward
to the next races.”
Super G 2
Perhaps Raich was the only one looking forward to skiing
through that slop again, or maybe it was the proximity of
his birthday — he would turn 34 on Feb. 28 — but whatever the incentive, he started fast and got faster in the
second super G, taking the lead at the first interval timer
and never relinquishing it.
“This is huge,” he said with a big grin. “I am overjoyed.”
Though Raich had been second five times in the discipline
over the length of his career — and won a bronze medal
in the 2005 World Championships — he had never won a
World Cup super G before.
“I was really close all these years,” said Raich. “I was often
really good in the super G, so I can’t really say why it suddenly all came together for me today. It’s maybe that yesterday I saw I was in touch with the best guys out there and
that’s important to know; it gave me a lot of self-confidence
and now I have a podium and a victory in a discipline where
I was not that good this year.”
Runner-up Adrien Theaux had never won a super G either, but he is apparently a fast learner. He placed 15th in
the first race and then skied flawlessly in the second. Being on a podium between Raich and Cuche was, he said,
“perfect.”
Cuche said he thought he had skied the upper portions
of the course better than in his winning run of the previous day. “But then I made a mistake,” he said. “I went too
straight and had to push hard into the soft snow to get back
to the line; I killed my speed to the finish line.”
GEPA
CRANS MONTANA
Hudec just missed extending the Canadian podium streak
in fifth behind Klaus Kroell.
“I really felt like I had a chance,” Hudec said. “After losing
time on the bottom yesterday I really wanted to make sure I
was fighting the whole way down. I did that, but I ended up
making a few mistakes.”
At bib 28 the light went flat, making it even more treacherous for skiers trying to find the line and avoid the softest
snow. Rearick said both Ted Ligety and Ryan CochranSiegle had done “a great job dealing with that,” winding up
22nd and 26th, respectively, from starts 32 and 40. Andrew
Weibrecht was the lead American again in 20th.
With two more super G races set the following weekend at
Kvitfjell and one more at the Schladming World Cup Finals,
there was no Cup title more undetermined than super G.
Aksel Lund Svindal finished ninth both days. Since he won
the opener at Lake Louise in November and was second to
Viletta a week later at Beaver Creek, he still led the standings. Cuche was seven points behind him and Hudec sat
third, 71 behind Cuche and 78 from the title. Val Gardena
winner Beat Feuz had a miserable outing at Crans Montana and was fourth, two points behind Hudec.
Giant Slalom
In contrast to super G, where no one has been mathematically eliminated, the GS title hunt was looking at its seventh
event of the season. The standings may have looked different, but the snow did not. Not many coaches will be demonstrating classic technique with video from this GS. There
was some flailing going on and some troubled form.
By luck of the draw, the top dog of the season, the astonishing Marcel Hirscher, drew the first bib. Glad to be out of
his super G gear and into something familiar, he took to
the long and rolling Piste Nationale with insistence, putting
down a run that no mortal was going to beat.
These heroes of winter, however, are not normal humans.
Blardone had not registered two wins in a season in six
Marcel
Hirscher
used his head
in the CransMontana GS.
Ted Ligety is
watching his
GS crown slip
away.
Tim Jitloff
could make
the cut to ski
at Finals.
WORLD CUP
Cuche flew to a win in
Crans-Montana.
GEPA
CRANS MONTANA
years and it had been 2005 that he last won later in
a season than December. There is something different driving him this season: impending fatherhood.
Confident since winning Alta Badia on home turf, he
attacked. In bib No. 4 he finished two-hundredths
behind, a virtual tie, all things considered.
The top 10 first-run placings were flooded with single-digit bibs. Raich got sixth from the 11th start, Didier Cuche eighth from the 16th start and Alexis Pinturault, despite skiing without a glove or pole most of
the run, posted ninth from the 10th start. Likewise,
at the bottom of the top 30, just two skiers with numbers above 30 made the cut for the second run, Slovene Janez Jazbec and German Stefan Luitz.
All this illustrates the importance of the start numbers, and the flip 30 assured the winner was going to have to wade through some ruts to get the
job done. The similarity to the SG races was that a
single mistake, even a small one, meant the anchor
was dropped. It became a matter of who made the
fewest mistakes in a situation wrought with possible
traps.
Beyond Hirscher and Blardone, it was going to take
some major second-run work. Aksel Svindal, in third,
was 0.57 out. Cyprien Richard, in fourth, was 0.94
out with five through 12 all encapsulated between
one and 1.5 seconds off Hirscher. Several of the big
guns of the GS tour were further out in time, but no
racer was far enough back to have a shot at a relatively unscathed course.
Jean-Baptiste Grange won the second run, which is
astounding in itself as he scored 12 GS points total
last season and 36 the year before that. He finished
fourth on the day, a career-best GS showing for the
former slalom champ.
Third place went to Hannes Reichelt. He was not in
the top 10 of any split all day. But he started in the
middle of the pack and skied within himself, making
no major time-sucking mistakes.
We know that Blardone won. He was 0.16 ahead
of Hirscher and climbed the top of the padded finish area fencing to celebrate with fans and family,
making, as they say, a show. And Hirscher was easily second, the first-run lead enough to withstand
the pace of Reichelt and charge of Grange. He was
happy with that. “I didn’t lose 20 points,” he said.
“I gained 80.” He now rested atop the overall and
GS standings with a chance — a better-than-even
chance — to win himself some World Cup hardware
for his mantel.
Hirscher’s second run was fantastic. Blardone made
fewer mistakes, charged harder, and smoothly made
a critical transition through a blind gate that caused
many to falter. But the second-run split times reveal
the reality of the race. Hirscher was 28th-fastest to
the first split, 26th to the second and 20th to the third.
Blardone was 20th, 18th and 18th in the same splits
and got the win.
Ligety finished ninth on the day, a disaster for his
hopes of retaining the GS crown. Tommy Ford posted 19th and Tim Jitloff 22nd, both results that were
better in execution than the numbers show.
The top 25 in the discipline get invited to Finals. After this race, with one more before Schladming, Jitloff was 24th, Ford 28th and both with a shot.
Ligety was second in the GS standings, 132 points
behind Hirscher, who had finished every GS on the
season winning three, placing second twice, fifth
once and sixth in the opener. Ligety would need a
couple of wins and a miracle. Blardone was 187
back and Reichelt, in fourth, has been mathematically eliminated.
SUMMERCAMPS2012
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SUMMERCAMPS2012
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Ligety Weibrecht Ski Camp
SUMMERCAMPS2012
Erich Sailer Ski Racing Camp
Overview: Intense training for serious racers of
all abilities and ages. We provide a world-class
experience with excellent on and off-snow training and an unparalleled coaching staff. Racers
will have action-packed days with challenging
and fulfilling training sessions. Lots of feedback,
video and memorable experiences. Our camp
alumni include Olympic gold medalists Lindsey
Vonn and Julia Mancuso; and many other Olympians and national team members.
Location: Mount Hood, Ore.
Activities: Slalom and giant slalom training,
video analysis, ski-specific dryland training, fun.
Coaches: U.S. Ski Hall of Famer Erich Sailer;
Olympians Sarah Schleper, Resi Stiegler and
Uros Pavlovcic; and other current and former national team members (Seppi Stiegler, Matt Strand,
Petter Brenna, Martina Sailer), and others.
Dates: June 10-17 (Session 1); June 17-24
(Session 2).
Cost: $1,375 per session. Includes six days of
lift tickets and coaching; dryland activities; video
analysis; transportation to and from the hotel to
the hill; and five and a half days of meals. Hotel
and airport transportation extra.
Contact: [email protected]; 952-4314477; skicamps.com
Overview: We are here to help you with your
skiing and provide the experience of a lifetime:
a summer ski camp with Ted Ligety and Andrew
Weibrecht. There’s also a new freestyle camp
with shredder Patrick Deneen. Ted Ligety: 2006
Olympic combined gold medalist, three-time overall World Cup giant slalom champion, three podiums in 2012, 2011 World Championships gold
medalist in giant slalom and 2009 bronze medalist. Andrew “War Horse” Weibrecht: 2010 Olym-
pic super G bronze medalist; three top-25 in 2012
season with a 10th in super g at Beaver Creek;
attends Dartmouth College. Nolan Kasper: Three
top-10 finishes in 2012; 15th in slalom at 2011
World Championships; second at Kranjska Gora
World Cup slalom. Cody Marshall: Three top25 World Cup finishes, nine top-15 Europa Cup
finishes with a second in 2009. Peter Anderson:
U.S. Ski Team women’s technical coach. Scott
Veenis: University of Utah 2006 NCAA All-American; giant slalom champion. Miguel Azcarate: International coach, custom boot fitter. A.J. Avrin:
University of Denver Ski Team, fifth in giant slalom and 11th in slalom at the 2010 NCAA Championships, All-American skier. Melissa Caflisch:
Three time all-American USSA collegiate skier
at Plymouth State and former NorAm competitor;
third in national championship collegiate slalom,
10th in giant slalom. Melissa coaches at St. Anselm College, where her team is ranked fifth in
the USCSA. Patrick Deneen: First at the 2012
dual moguls World Cup in Naeba, Japan; 2011
national champion; 2010 Olympic Winter Games,
19th in moguls. Assisting Patrick will be World
Cup-experienced coach Rich Morgan and Level
2 USSCA freestyle coach Stan Pawlik.
Location: Mt. Hood
Activities: Giant slalom and slalom training with
video analysis. Soccer, hiking, swimming; optional whitewater rafting, mountain biking, adventure
park.
Dates: Ted Ligety, June 23-29. Andrew Weibrecht, June 29-July 5. Freestyle with Patrick Deneen, June 23-July 5
Cost: All-inclusive with ground transportation
from Portland Airport, Timberline shuttle, buffetstyle meals, six nights lodging at the Huckleberry
Inn, five days of lift passes, world-class coaching,
video analysis and activities. Ted Ligety: $1595,
$400 deposit by May 1, $1696 after May 1. An-
SUMMERCAMPS2012
drew Weibrecht: $1475, $400 deposit by May 1,
$1575 after May 1. Freestyle with Patrick Deneen:
$1475, $400 deposit by May 1, $1575 after May
1. Save $200 and register for two weeks by May
1. Pricing available without meals and lodging.
Contact: For more information email [email protected]; skicampsinc.com; phone: (716)
378-7509; Miguel, (360) 280-8975.
Mount Hood Summer Ski Camps
Overview: Mt. Hood’s most continuous and longest running summer ski camp. A 33-year tradition of ski racing excellence. World-class facilities,
coaching and training facilities. Mt. Hood Summer
Ski Camps, Inc., is Oregon’s only ski racing camp
licensed and bonded as a State of Oregon “Youth
Organizational Camp,” permitted under the United States Forest Service, and insured, bonded,
and registered as a guide and outfitter under the
State of Oregon Marine Board. We have been
running the premier afternoon-activities program
in the Mt. Hood area longer than any other camp
and have developed and maintained quality programs for athletes. We have a private campus
five miles from Government Camp, which promotes the safety of your athlete while allowing
the personal freedom on campus to be kids.
Location: Government Camp, Ore.
Activities: After-skiing activities include whitewater rafting, rock climbing, mountain biking, windsurfing, swimming, soccer, tennis, trampoline,
skate boarding, challenge course, field sports,
paintball, etc.
Dates: May 27 to September 1. Also dates in fall,
winter and spring.
Cost: Sessions start at $1025, the lowest in the
industry.
Contact: Camp office at (503) 337-2230 or
email [email protected]; 93732 E Highway 26
Government Camp OR 97028
NASC 2012
Overview: National Alpine Ski Camp (NASC) is
ski camp with a twist. Train GS and slalom in the
mornings and do super-fun summer sports in the
afternoons. Campers get to choose from three
different after-ski activities each day. Our handselected coaches are highly trained in ski racing and coaching and have the passion to coach
young athletes in a safe and fun learning environment. Safety, fun and learning: the NASC philosophy. A six-to-one athlete to coach ratio is used
to ensure effective learning for each athlete. Our
amazing coaches will custom tailor a program for
each individual athlete based on their motivation,
level of understanding and movement patterns.
NASC campers are supervised 24/7.
Location: Mt Hood and Welches, Ore. NASC
has upgraded its campus for this summer. The
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on the banks of the Salmon River in very beautiful
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and serve all the healthy, home cooked meals for
the NASC campers and staff. Locally grown fresh
produce will be served with all the meals.
Activities: Giant slalom and slalom alpine summer ski racing; 27-hole golf course, tennis, swimming, multiple rivers, croquet, windsurfing, mountain biking, rock climbing, mini-golf, whitewater
rafting, hiking, field sports, volleyball, rollerblading, ski tuning, race tactics and more. Doublesession campers also go to the Oregon Coast.
Dates: 10-day sessions: Session 1, June 11-20;
Session 2, June 22-July 1; Session 3, July 3-12;
Session 4, July 14-23. 7-day session: July 25-31.
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Fall camp session: Nov. 17-24 at Copper Mountain, Colo.
Cost: All-inclusive: $2195; day programs: starting at $1695
Contact: Brad Alire, director, 800-453-6272;
email [email protected]; cell (303) 875-1405;
skicamp.com
Timberline Summer Snow Camp
Overview: Timberline is Mt. Hood in the summer. Get the home-team advantage by signing
up for a Timberline Summer Snow Camp presented by Atomic. We’re the only camp with
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coaching professionals. Where do the top racers
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got it. Timberline’s Palmer Snowfield offers the
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by the Palmer high-speed quad, you are guaranteed to maximize your training time. After the
lifts close, you have the diversity of the Pacific
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all campers in the afternoon. We have three different race camps to choose from. Family Race
Camp (ages 6 and up) offers a sun- and funfilled week of skiing and activities with the kids.
With the beautiful backdrop of Oregon’s pristine
wilderness, this is perhaps the best family vacation you will ever take. Family Camp is ideal for
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Our emphasis during Performance Camps is on
gate training for giant slalom and slalom. This
camp is ideal for both the beginner racer and
the very experienced competitor. Masters Camp
(ages 18 and up) will allow you to improve your
skiing, meet other active adults, and enjoy some
of Oregon’s most exciting activities. It’s a great
session for those adults looking for a longer season, seriously fun gate training, and a great summer vacation.
Location: Timberline Lodge and Ski Area, Mt.
Hood, Ore.
Activities: Rafting, kiteboarding, mountain biking, field sports, and golf (Masters Camp).
Dates and Cost: Family Race Camp, June
23-June 30, $1,900 per person; Performance
Camp, July 1-7, July 8-14, July 22-28, $1,700
per person (combine two sessions and receive a
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Contact: Steve Muise, director, Timberline Summer Snow Camps; (503) 272-3341; [email protected]; timberlinesnowcamps.com
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GLOBAL RESCUE
THE LIFE LINE
COURTESY GLOBAL RESCUE
How ski racers get themselves out of
serious trouble By Claire Abbe
Aksel Svindal, Scott Macartney and Lindsey
Vonn have something in common other than being some of the fastest ski racers in the world. They
have all been evacuated from a race due to injury.
Fortunately for World Cup level athletes like Svindal, Macartney and Vonn, they are provided with
the best resources and services available.
Now, thanks to an organization called Global
Rescue, any racer can be part of the same program
that covers each member of the U.S. Ski Team.
The medical evacuation service provider makes
sure racers can get the best care possible from
in-house paramedics — and be transported home
safe and sound from anywhere on the globe. Global
Rescue provides emergency support at any time at
any location and has the ability to manage almost
any imaginable unsafe and difficult situation.
If a racer gets injured in a remote location and
requires hospital treatment, Global Rescue will
arrange for a rescue and will evacuate the member
to a home hospital of their choice, providing services
of up to $500,000. With critical care paramedics
answering the phone, Global Rescue is also
able to provide real-time medical advice to their
members. Any medical incident is reviewed by their
in-house physicians, as well as by specialists from
Johns Hopkins Medicine, one of the leading U.S.
hospitals and a longtime partner of Global Rescue.
If a member needs hospital treatment overseas,
Global Rescue will often deploy one of their
paramedics to the patient’s bedside to monitor the
member’s condition and provide a friendly face.
Wait — doesn’t insurance cover this?
Most insurance policies leave large holes in your
coverage and often will not be able to react to a
serious medical incident. Global Rescue’s ability to
GLOBAL RESCUE
orchestrate a field rescue no matter where
a person is injured — and their considerable
in-house expertise —makes them unique.
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Team camps and projects to be covered by
Global Rescue in order to attend.
Even if they’re not headed out of the
country or to a U.S. Ski Team camp, racers
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medical assistance.
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COURTESY GLOBAL RESCUE
Learn more at globalrescue.com
Global Rescue is the Official Provider of aeromedical
services to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team
THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WINTER PARK 2012
A League of Their Own
FROM THE SLOPES OF ASPEN TO THE
HEART OF AMERICA, TOWN RACING
LEAGUES BRING TOGETHER RACERS
FROM 4 TO 85 YEARS OLD By Susan Theis
Ever heard of the Mother Buckers? How about the Samurai Squad?
Or perhaps you know Team YBC — as in, “you’ve been chicked.”
These are just some of the teams that are part of Minnesota’s Ski
Challenge. With 1,900 athletes and 15 races a week at three different
ski areas — Buck Hill, Hyland Ski and Snowboard Area, and Wild
Mountain — the program is one of the largest ski leagues associated
with NASTAR in the country. While the average Ski Challenge racer is
41, the youngest is 4 and the oldest is 85 years old.
The Ski Challenge was created in 1985 to give adults a competitive
outlet, similar to a softball or bowling league. However, what sets the
league apart from its counterparts in other sports is the opportunity to
qualify to compete against professionals and world-class athletes in their
sport. That happens at the NASTAR National Championships, which will
be held this year at the end of the month at Winter Park.
Each Ski Challenge league includes 10 to 16 teams with up to 10 racers
each. A championship race at Minnesota’s Giants Ridge, where teams
get the opportunity to compete against other teams of similar ability,
closes the season. Individual scores are sent into NASTAR for each
participant to gain a national ranking.
“It gives people a chance to get out and work on their skiing in the
Midwest,” explains Ski Challenge owner Barb Everson. “I’ve had many
people tell me if they didn’t participate in the Ski Challenge they probably
wouldn’t ski. And it gets them to commit, they have to go because their
team is counting on them.”
SKI CHALLENGE; RANDAL ZOELLER
The Ski Challenge’s oldest racer,
Mike Stone: still got it at 85!
Kristin Grebe, Barb Everson, Kelsey Cater, Alice Madden,
Judy Woellner, and Kerri Gueher gather at Buck Hill.
Abbey Everson takes on the course in the Ski Challenge.
Teammates from ADHski spend a Friday night at Buck Hill.
The youngest of the Eversons, Luke, races at Buck Hill.
Ski Challenge owner Dave Everson rips up the course.
There is Minnesota, and then there is the Aspen town race series (the longest running
league in the U.S.) that welcomes up to 80 Aspenites per year in a six-race series. It’s broken
into two divisions: recreational and advanced, which sees such top locals as David Stapleton
and Jake Zamansky. “You’re bringing such a cross-section of our community together to hang
out, rub elbows, and enjoy the camaraderie,” said Scott Nichols, the race manager at Aspen
Highlands, who has been competing in the league for 30 years. “It’s just a great way to meet
new friends and improve your skiing skills.” The league also hosts post-race parties, prize
giveaways, and free race clinics. Each year some of the participants from the Aspen Town
Race Series form a resort team for Aspen Highlands and compete in the NASTAR National
Championships. Back in Minnesota, the Midwest Ski League looks for racers who are fast
and consistent to be local pacesetters each year. Mark Dunsworth, a pacesetter for Welch
Village, has been participating in the Midwest Ski League for 10 years. He began racing in
the league as a freshman in college and, at 28, has become a well respected competitor in
the league. “There are about five of us [pacesetters],” says Dunsworth, “we’re all really close
friends and we’re all really competitive. Some of the pacesetters are in my age category and
we have fun keeping up with each other and trying to beat each other.” Jim Peine, Adam
Peine, Brianna Berg, Scott Bjornson, and Cory Shields are teammates of Dunsworth on
NASTAR 2012 Nationals
Pro-Am Attendees
Men
Steve Nyman
Jimmy Cochran
TJ Lanning
Ted Ligety
Tim Jitloff
Erik Fisher
Tommy Biesemeyer
Will Brandenburg
Colby Granstrom
AJ Kitt
Doug Lewis
Broad Spectrum, which originally received its name because the team
was made up entirely of women. (Although racers come and go, the
team names often stay the same.) This year, Broad Spectrum plans to
compete in the NASTAR Pro-Am on March 27 at Winter Park, and got
a taste of what it’s like to race against the pros, including AJ Kitt, earlier
this season at the pacesetter time trials in Duluth, Minn.
“He’s really approachable and doesn’t make you feel like less of a
skier that he is,” says Dunsworth of Kitt. “It didn’t feel like we were
racing against a legend; it felt like we were skiing with a friend. NASTAR
bridges that gap between us and the pros — it’s much more appealing
than other community sports leagues.”
Kitt, who is a traveling pacesetter for NASTAR, races in Minnesota
four or five times a year. “The enthusiasm for racing in the Midwest
accounts for the size of the programs,” he says. “It’s an atmosphere of
fun with a strong competitive underlying spirit. It’s really fun for me, too;
sometimes I get beat by a young hot shot — it makes me want to go out
there and take another whack at it!”
Women
Mikaela Shiffrin
Hailey Duke
Resi Stiegler
Anna Marno
Abby Ghent
Stacey Cook
Laurenne Ross
Alice McKennis
Leanne Smith
Julia Ford
Brooke Wales
Foreste Peterson
Chelsea Marshall
Heidi Voelker
Sarah Schleper
Barb Everson carves down Buck Hill.
RANDAL ZOELLER; SKI CHALLENGE
Tristan and Hugh Gilapatic of the Polar Penguins.
SKI THE WEB
The most comprehensive ski racing coverage
on the web. Check out the latest news,
results, forums and much, much more.
SkiRacing.com
Keeping it Clean
The complicated world of doping control in sport By Emily Cook
It’s 6:30 a.m., and a pounding on my front door jolts me awake
from a deep post-training slumber. I should be alarmed by such
an early-morning intrusion, but these wake-up calls have become
routine. It couldn’t possibly be anyone but our local doping control
officer from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), coming to pay
a friendly visit for a surprise, out-of-competition drug test.
All athletes included in USADA’s international testing pool are subject to surprise testing, and additionally are required to submit whereabouts forms four times a year. These forms require the address of
our residence, training facilities, work or any other regular activity
throughout the day, and a daily 60-minute time slot between 6 a.m.
and 11 p.m. where we can be located for testing.
Yes, that means every athlete at an elite level must tell USADA their
location at all times, 365 days a year. Hence, the 6:30 a.m. wake-up
call. From 6 a.m. to 7 a.m., I can almost always be found in either
my home or my hotel room. If not, I had better remember to update
USADA via e-mail, text message or their mobile app system with a
new location.
Testing positive for a banned substance is not the only way an athlete can get into trouble. Any combination of three whereabouts filing
errors or missed tests in an 18-month interval can result in a two-year
suspension. In the past 10 years, eight international athletes have
been suspended due to a combination of filing errors and missed
tests.
Once located and notified of testing selection, an athlete is required
to remain in sight of their doping control officer (DCO) at all times.
This can become complicated. During an in-competition-test, a DCO
The author enjoys a cup of coffee at Silver Bean Café,
during a surprise USADA doping control visit.
COURTESY EMILY COOK
can often be found trailing behind a winning athlete as he or she
completes media obligations, hugs friends and family and stands
on the podium. During an out-of-competition test, DCOs can be
found anywhere. I have been tested in my home; at various competition venues and training camps; twice in a bathroom in between
classes at the University of Utah (incredibly embarrassing); once at
a bachelorette party; and once at the grand opening of Shannon
Bahrke’s Silver Bean Coffee Shop. We know our local DCOs by
name, as we have shared many intimate moments together, and
most try their best to be as patient and understanding as possible.
Sample collection can include both urine and blood, though thankfully I have only had to provide the former, and the process can be
quite unnerving at first. As USADA’s website explains: “In order for
the DCO or chaperone to have a clear view of the sample being
provided, the athlete will be asked to pull their shirt up to mid torso
and pants down to mid-thigh.” After providing a sample, we process
by pouring it into two separate glass bottles and securing it in an
anonymous collection box, identified by number, to be sent to the
lab. If an athlete is unable to produce the full 90 millileters of urine,
a partial sample is secured, and the athlete and DCO must monitor the urine until they are able to produce the full 90 ml. This was
the case for me at both the bachelorette party and the Silver Bean
grand opening, both of which I spent an hour toting a partial sample
and chugging water and coffee beside a very patient DCO.
Alpine and freestyle skiing are not known for doping violations,
and I am proud to be in a sport that is known to be clean. In 2011
more than 300 athletes were tested and of 30 sanctions, none were
from skiing or snowboarding. Aside from the usual suspects which
include anabolic agents, hormones or growth factors, and diuretics or other masking agents, my teammates and I need to be very
aware of everything that goes into our bodies in order to avoid an
DON COOK
unintentional failed test. Athletes have been known to test positive
for substances that may not be seen as performance enhancing,
such as nutritional supplements, cold medicine or energy drinks.
Skeleton athlete Zach Lund was banned from athletic competition
for one year the night before the Opening Ceremony of the Torino
2006 Olympic Winter Games after testing positive for Finasteride, a
substance in his hair growth stimulant. LaShawn Merritt, an Olympic gold medalist in track and field, tested positive for the steroid
derivatives DHEA and pregnenolone from a male-enhancement
product called ExtenZe and is just this year returning to sport after
a 21-month suspension.
I have been tested more than 50 times in the last 10 years by
USADA and other entities including the World Anti-Doping Agency
(WADA), and I am thankful that I can trust the nutritional supplements supplied to the U.S. Ski Team by USANA. As a team we
are consistently monitoring USADA’s website for news of changes,
such as the addition to the banned substance list of pseudoephedrine, found in many over-the-counter cold medicines, for in-season
testing. Paying attention to whereabouts, nutritional supplements
and to the changing rules in anti-doping protocol keeps us safe
from sanctions and safe on the hill for training and competition.
Though some athletes find USADA’s policies overly intrusive, I
find the inconvenience of testing and filing a small sacrifice when
considering the prevalence and dangers associated with doping
today. A core goal of USADA is to preserve the integrity of competition and to protect the athletes’ right to participate in a fair and safe
environment, and for that I am thankful. To know that I compete in
clean and fair competition, which helps to maintain the spirit and
essence of sport, is inspiring and makes me proud to represent my
country — and OK with one of those early morning wake-ups every
once in a while.
Carey On
FIS CROSS COUNTRY CHAIR EILEEN
CAREY WEARS MORE THAN ONE WINTER
HAT By Tim Reynolds
Eileen Carey is a busy woman. When I caught up with
her in late February she was, like most event organizers this winter, recovering from a weekend of scrambling
to pull off a race in scant snow. Carey had collaborated
with the Holderness School since last summer to organize an adaptive nordic race in tandem with the perennial
Cheri Walsh Eastern Cup. With no snow in southern New
Hampshire, the races, along with the club’s core volunteers, were moved north to Craftsbury.
“With a different course at a different venue, but with the
same volunteers, it makes for a pretty hectic weekend,”
she said, seemingly unfazed by a poor New England
winter. “All things considered, it was a pretty successful
event.”
And all things considered, Carey has a pretty hectic winter. When the U.S. Department of Defense allocated funds
to the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) and charged
them with building adaptive sports programs for veterans
across the country, the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) saw an opportunity to add a crucial element
to their already expansive ski programs. NENSA received
a grant from the USOC to launch the program two years
ago.
And Carey seemed a perfect fit to head it up.
A Dartmouth ski team alum and Maine native, Carey spent
a couple of years at the Colorado Rocky Mountain School
teaching and coaching before returning to her home state
to coach for the Maine Winter Sports Center, the nonprofit
“We need to work to have more voices
from women,” says Eileen Carey (left).
dedicated to re-establishing skiing as a lifestyle in Maine. There, she transitioned from
coach to vice-president of the organization,
with an impressive array of experience to her
credit, foremost among these a position with
FIS as the chair of the women’s cross country
sub-committee.
At FIS cross country meetings, all members
of the women’s sub-committee have a right to
sit and have a voice in any other committee
meeting. “The main goal, for me, is just to get
more women participating in those sessions,”
said Carey. “We need to work to have more
voices from women on those committees.
That means getting more women to have a
greater voice in FIS cross country decisions.”
But for Carey, her work at FIS and her other responsibilities officiating at national level
races are all relevant to building effective and
inclusive adaptive programs. While program
goals are ultimately aimed at getting veterans
on snow and regularly involved with the adaptive program as recreational therapy, Carey is
trying to do this in the broader context of the
New England ski community.
“It’s really important for adaptive sports to
have connections within our larger ski community,” she explained. “My previous roles
have been helpful for me to understand how
to integrate adaptive races into existing ski
events.”
And races are just one piece of the NENSA’s
adaptive offerings. New Gloucester, Maine,
and Weston, Mass., are two pilot programs
that offer weekly adaptive clinics and lessons
for anyone interested. While athlete development and veteran participation are both important, her vision for adaptive cross country
in New England is much broader.
“My goal for the program is for anyone, anywhere in the region to have access to equipment and knowledgeable instructors, coaches, programming and events, close to where
they live,” she said. “Regardless of where
someone lives in New England, they can participate in cross country skiing.”
This year, Carey has worked closely with the
Department of Veteran Affairs at medical centers, expos and welcome-home celebrations
throughout the region to build program participation among wounded veterans returning
from combat overseas. She has also traveled
with the U.S. Paralympic Team on the International Paralympic Committee World Cup
at cross country races in Norway and as a
technical delegate in Minneapolis, Minn. And
she’s excited to bring back what she’s learned
to the final adaptive races of the season in the
U.S. at the SuperTour Finals in Vermont.
“Seeing adaptive events at the highest level
is a great exposure,” she said. My hope is to
bring back the things I learn from those experiences to improve our events in New England.”
Carey and Christina Kouros
ANDREA KOUROS
Patrick Parnell, U.S. adaptive
slalom national champion
ONE-TRACK
MIND
Three-track athlete Pat Parnell of Colby-Sawyer
has eyes set on Sochi 2014 BY C.J. FEEHAN
The 2012
Colby-Sawyer
College Ski
Team (Parnell
in back row,
fifth from left)
COLBY-SAWYER ATHLETICS
The most accomplished member of the Colby-Sawyer College Alpine Ski Team
will compete in his first World Cup race this spring, but he has never set foot in the
starting gate of an NCAA competition. That’s because Patrick Parnell, a freshman on
the Chargers roster, is the U.S. adaptive slalom national champion and a member
of the U.S. Paralympic Team. As a three-track athlete, Parnell carves all his turns on
one ski with the support of an outrigger in each arm.
Parnell has a number of explanations he conjures up when people ask why he has
only one leg, from shark attacks in the ocean to being run over by a tank. The truth
of the matter is that he was born with a condition called proximal femoral focal deficiency (or PFFD) that prevented the full development of his left femur, and he uses
a prosthetic for walking. But because he does not have an anatomically supportive
hip socket, it makes more sense in ski racing to forgo the use of a prosthetic device
and to ski on just one leg. Although he has considered newer prosthetic technologies, Parnell says, “I think I’ve got a pretty good thing going with the one ski.”
At the age of 12, Parnell signed up for an adaptive race camp and was hooked on
the competition by the afternoon of the first day. He has since competed in both disabled and able-bodied events including slalom, giant slalom and speed races. He
has run downhill twice at U.S. Nationals and competed in super combined events
as well.
Before selecting Colby-Sawyer for college, Parnell met with head alpine coach
Garrett Lashar to discuss his athletic options there. “During Pat’s first college visit
last year, he told me his goal was to make the 2014 Sochi Paralympics,” recalls
Lashar. “After speaking with a former coach of his and watching him ski, I knew
his goal was obtainable. We offered him a full-time preseason plan, mid-week onSkiRacing.com MARCH 12, 2012 | 47
snow training, and a chance to be a part of a college ski team while
pursuing his individual goals. Pat’s example has been great for the
team.”
Parnell says he believes that training with the able-bodied team
has given him an advantage in adaptive events. “The courses we
train are a lot more challenging, more turny, and have more terrain
in them. When I go to disabled races, the courses are a lot easier
than I’m used to.”
Like any alpine athlete who attempts to ski on one ski, Parnell is
still working on refining the carved turn over his outside edge. That
technical move is his primary focus in giant slalom right now. “For
me it’s more psychological and building trust, having faith to turn to
the side that just isn’t natural,” says Parnell. “I don’t always feel like
it’s going to hold. Most of the times when I crash, it’s on that side.”
He faces the same challenges as all top-level collegiate skiers,
namely that classes interfere with his ability to follow the ideal race
calendar. “The one downside to being a college student when you’re
skiing at this level is I can’t take weeks off, so I have to carefully pick
my races,” says Parnell, who was a member of the national B Team
before enrolling in classes, but was then demoted to the development roster as a result of his inability to attend major competitions.
But he suspects that will change after his performances at the World
Cups and Canadian Nationals this month, during which he plans to
ski his way back onto the B Team.
Parnell credits his recent success to training with head coach Lashar
and the Colby-Sawyer team. But he has not forgotten his roots, and
he is especially appreciative of the long-time coaching and support
he has received from Jason Lalla, a disabled skier himself. Parnell
selected Colby-Sawyer in part because he could continue to train
with Lalla on weekends at Mount Sunapee in New Hampshire.
“What I like most about training with the team is that they motivate
me to push myself harder and to ski faster because I want to be right
there in the mix with those guys,” says Parnell of the Colby-Sawyer
team. “They’re all really supportive of what I’m doing. Going into this
World Cup, I know they’re behind me. They’re rooting for me.”
Committing to his weak side
Running super G in New Zealand
MASTERS
POWER
Shift
Held on a new weekend, the Eastern Masters Championships
see positive changes and a stern test BY BILL MCCOLLOM
Maybe it was the intrigue of a new venue, or the forecast of
sunny and mild temperatures, or perhaps Killington’s reputation
for producing snow out of thin air, but the 2012 Vermont Orthopaedic Center/iSPORT Eastern Masters Championships were a
truly regional event. Whatever the reasons, more than 130 total
racers from Canada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and all over
New England descended on Killington and Pico from Feb. 10 to
12 to race against the best in the East, and sample Killington’s
new super G and GS venue, Needle’s Eye, and Pico’s familiar
B-Slope for slalom.
The 2012 rendition of the Eastern Masters Championships saw
a few significant changes: for one, a move to the uncharted territory of Killington’s Needle’s Eye for the two super G races and
the GS. There was also the change of dates to mid-February.
The event traditionally had always been held the first weekend
in March, but year in and year out, the races were bedeviled
by extreme weather. There are no guarantees when planning
for Mother Nature, but the odds for something other than rain
seemed better in February. This time around organizers hit the
jackpot. As for the drama that unfolded on Needle’s Eye, even
the sternest critics gave it a thumbs-up.
The 2012 Eastern Regional Team. Front (left to right):
Barb Settell, Sally White; middle: Dave Harris, Doug Wisse,
Jim Thoman, Al Sevigny, Lou Moore, Adam Weiss, Sharon
Vinsick, Duffy Dodge, Barb Brumbaugh, Lisa Marien,
Jackie Levy, Jessie McAleer; top: Guillaume DePaoli, Rick
Walters, Greg Sarkis, Mark George, Pepi Neubauer
LLOYD SEVACK
MASTERS
Super G winner Ben
Green powers down the
GS course.
Jim Thoman races to
third place overall in GS.
SHARPSHOOTER IMAGING/DE J CEJKA, PHOTOGRAPHER
Organizers were much relieved to see the
enthusiastic showing, particularly in light of a
snow-starved winter that has seen participation
lagging. There was no question about making
the trip for Bill Tomcich and Don Johnson, who
traveled from Colorado to race in the two super
Gs, which were a part of the National Molecule
F Speed Series. “This has been on our schedule
all winter,” said Tomcich. “Don and I figured we
could get to these super G races, leave the next
day, and still have time to start training for the
next Speed Series race in Idaho.”
Also, for those not planning on going to Park
City for the Nationals, the Easterns was “the big
one” for the season. “Heck, it’s only eight hours,”
said Lou Moore, winner of the overall combined
tally in his Class 4, who came with four other
racers from Ohio.
Super G
Peering over the steep drop at the top of the
Needle’s Eye to see the set for the super G, racers could be heard muttering: “It’s way too tight.”
“No way, that’s a bullet.” “At least the snow looks
good.” “Are you kidding? It’s a sheet of ice under there.” Such is the nature of masters racing,
particularly on an unfamiliar venue. But suffice it
to say, the continuous pitch of the trail, the multitude of bumps and rolls and the icy surface led
to plenty of speed for the fast skiers, and maximum challenge for all. As one racer quipped, “It
might have been a short hill at 45 seconds, but it
was a thrill-a-second.”
“The super G didn’t look particularly challenging, but with the snow being so hard and bumpy,
it was deceiving,” said Jim Thoman, an attorney
from Buffalo, New York and winner of the Class
2 combined tally. “I had a hard time holding an
edge, but it was great fun and great weather.”
With most racers able to find time for a tuck
only on the final two gates, strength and timing,
as opposed to gliding, were the keys to speed.
Class 2 Ben Green had both going for him to
score a double win in the two men’s super G
races. In the first race, which was designated
to count for the Eastern Championship, Class 3
Rick Cesati took the runner-up spot, with Class
6 New York ski racing warhorse Greg Sarkis in
third. In the second super G, which was scored
for the Molecule F Series, local Class 5 racer
and king of the Killington Ski Bum Series Bob
Sardelli posted second, leaving Cesati and Sarkis in third and fourth overall.
Class 13 racers George Caner and Duffy Dodge
had quite a battle going on in the two races.
Dodge fell in the first race to hand the victory
to Caner, but came back to race in the second
super G only to fall in nearly the same spot. This
time he picked himself up and continued — only
to have Caner nip him at the wire by 0.11 seconds. “I’m just trying to stand up and get down
the course,” said the 87-year-old Caner, “which
is quite a project, you know.”
Jessie McAleer was also a double winner in the
women’s races, although she added an asterisk.
“I skied well, and I’m fine physically, but I’m still
not up to speed mentally,” said Class 4 McAleer,
who is coming back after a lower leg injury suffered earlier this season. Lisa Marien, racing out
of Class 2, put down two good runs to finish second in both races, leaving the ageless Class 7
Sally White in third in the first race, and Class I
Jackie Levy with the bronze in the second race.
Giant Slalom
Another uncharacteristically warm and sunny
day greeted racers for the GS, but the warmth
did little to soften the glistening track. The condiSkiRacing.com FEBRUARY 7, 2011 | 50
MASTERS
tions were perfect, however, for Class 1 Adam
Weiss, who won the first masters race of his
career. He’s been closing the gap this year, but
finally sealed the deal after first-run leader Ben
Green ejected out of his bindings in the second
run. Weiss, who manages an indoor baseball facility in White Plains, N.Y., could only shrug his
shoulders as to why he has become a contender
in nearly every race this season.
“I really wasn’t thinking about winning,” said
Weiss with a big grin that lasted well into the
awards party later that afternoon. “I’ve been feeling good on my skis this year, which has given
me more confidence, I guess.”
Perhaps more remarkable was the secondplace overall finish from New York Class 9 racer
Pepi Neubauer. Confirming that age is just a
state of mind, Neubauer won the second run to
finish less than one second behind Weiss. Completing the geographically diverse podium was
Jim Thoman in third overall.
The closest race of the day occurred in Class 7
when Rick Walters nipped perennial New York
ace Bob Andree by 0.01 seconds. That scant difference broke a tie in the combined standings
after the slalom and landed Walters a spot on
the Eastern Masters Regional Team. As to the
secret of his success that day, Walters could only
modestly offer:“I don’t know what happened. I
guess I had a pretty good run.”
Katie George has been decimating the women’s field in the New England Masters Series
races this season, and delivered once again
in the GS. Her time put her in seventh place
among the men and gave her a winning margin
of nearly three seconds over Lisa Marien and
Jesse McAleer. Any of the men seeking excuses
SHARPSHOOTER IMAGING/DE J CEJKA, PHOTOGRAPHER; LLOYD SEVACK
knew better than to claim course deterioration,
given that the icy surface didn’t have a dent on it
after the final racer.
George, from Barre, Vt., who has just taken on
a new job with the State, joined the other “shoulder-shruggers” when trying to explain her meteoric rise this season. “I’ve been skiing a bit more
this winter and I’m comfortable with my equipment, but really, there’s been nothing different,”
said George.
Slalom
As the saying goes, “If you don’t like the weather
in New England, just wait a minute.” The bottom
dropped out of the thermometer for the final day
of slalom at nearby Pico Peak. With temperatures hovering at zero and a stiff breeze blowing
up the hill, the courses were shortened, but no
one was complaining.
“It actually worked out well having the slalom at
Pico,” said the A/B Group winner, Jim Thoman.
“It was cold, but nice and sunny; we had our own
lift, the snow was good, and we were the only
ones on the hill.”
Separate courses greeting the A/B and C/D
groups on snow that was firm, but grippy. Slalom
being slalom, some carnage ensued among the
men. Potential winners Ben Green and Rick Cesati got tangled up on a particularly nasty hairpin
near the bottom of the course, but Jim Thoman
put down two clean runs to take the win, as well
as the combined for the series in his Class 2. “I
knew there’d be trouble at the bottom, so didn’t
want to run it super-straight,” said Thoman. Terrence Fogarty, a Class 5 racer from Lake Placid
who’s always a contender in slalom, took second, just in front of Adam Weiss, who also locked
Class 7 Sally White races
to fifth place in the GS.
Class 13 Duffy Dodge enjoys
the attention of super G
winner Jessie McAleer.
MASTERS
up the combined with a sweep of Class 1.
Katie George was pressed by Jessie McAleer, but prevailed to bring home the gold, leaving
Class 1 Abie McLaughlin from Ohio in third.
Wrapping up yet another Class 9 title with a win in the D Group was Pepi Neubauer. He safely
cruised to the title over runner-up Bob Andree and third-place finisher Eric Cutting from the Class
8 ranks.
Awards
With everyone eager to get out of the cold, collect their hardware and hit the road, the awards
ceremonies were short and sweet. The three-event combined winners for each class proudly
donned their new Eastern Regional Team jackets, while race winners added to their medal count.
As racers packed their bags, the positive buzz made it clear that everyone was already planning
for the return trip. Sometimes change is good.
Missing: Award
The Jack Tobin Award for service
to the masters community was awarded to George Merrill last season. As
is the custom, Merrill got to gloat over
the trophy for a year before passing
it along to the next winner — this
year, Pepi Neubauer. Merrill, however, enjoyed the trophy for only about
10 seconds this time around. The
trophy had been “misplaced” at the
engravers for nearly a year, and was
retrieved just in time for this year’s
presentation. As is his nature, Merrill
was a good sport about the mixup,
but if the trophy goes missing again,
everyone will know where to look.
GS winners Adam Weiss and
Katie George display their
medals.
The passing of the Tobin Award from George Merrill
(right) to Pepi Neubauer.
LLOYD SEVACK
Grand Central Nation
MIDWESTERNERS RETURN HOME FOR THE
DAN NAGY MEMORIAL By Susan Theis
Matt Strand took the
Nagy Cup overall title.
The real-deal
Damnation at
LaCrosse.
MARK NAVIN; BECKY ANKENY
When Dan Nagy was alive, he probably never imagined that one
day, racers from all over the U.S. would gather in LaCrosse, Wisc.,
just for him. But that’s just what they did on Feb. 25 and 26 for the Dan
Nagy Memorial races.
Friends and family of the late ski racer Dan Nagy have been gathering at LaCrosse every year since his death in 2006 to celebrate his life
with the memorial event. “Dan’s zest for living has been an inspiration
to many of us,” said close friend and former teammate Mark Navin.
“He loved every moment of every day. He lived his life that way.” Nagy
was not only an accomplished USSA and FIS racer but also raced for
four years on the alpine ski team at St. Olaf College.
In the past, the Dan Nagy Memorial has had a Central Division focus, attended by racers at or below NorAm level ability. But this year’s
roster read more like a World Cup or Europa Cup start list with many
of the best known racers from the current U.S. Ski Team, including
Will Brandenburg, Michael Ankeny, Robby Kelley, Nolan Kasper, Matt
Strand, and Kieffer Christianson. Also in attendance were top FIS racers from across the world: Maisie Ide, Sara Kikut, Anna Kikut, Anne
Strong, Taylor Rapely, Chris Frank and Charles Christianson.
But it wasn’t just this all-star cast of racers that created the lively and
infectious atmosphere; the crowd was ramped up by the quirky and
entertaining remarks of another World Cup racer —Warner Nickerson
— who set the tone for the weekend as the race’s announcer. (See
this issue’s Waxroom for more from Nickerson.)
Spectators stood by as world-class athletes revisited their roots on
(or were introduced to) the Midwest’s steepest slope, Damnation.
“This is way more competitive than I ever thought it was going to be,”
said Nickerson about the 516-foot vertical drop that towers over the
lodge and finish area at LaCrosse. “I definitely came here expecting a
smaller, easier hill but this is a real-deal pitch,” said Nolan Kasper, curSkiRacing.com MARCH 12, 2012 | 53
Many of the top American racers gathered at the Dan Nagy Memorial races in LaCrosse.
rently ranked as the
16th-best
slalom
skier in the world. Although he had nothing to gain, Kasper
hiked twice on Feb.
26 in order to get his
second run. Starting 74th on that run,
Kasper gave younger racers back in the
pack the opportunity
to rub elbows with
Michael Ankeny and
one of their heroes.
Maisie Ide take a rest.
Nickerson provided
unparalleled enthusiasm for every racer who
came down the pitch, whether it was Kasper or a
first-year J2. “It takes a long time to become a really good racer,” said Nickerson. “Those racers at
BECKY ANKENY; SUSAN THEIS
the back, those are the guys really working hard.
That’s why I enjoy watching them.” Buck Hill legends Ankeny, Strand and Ide were on top of the
podium throughout the weekend. A nine-point
result on Feb. 25 was a career-best for Ankeny.
Kasper took second on the first day, 0.57 sec-
Michael Ankeny falls…
…and falls again
Trophies pay tribute
to the late Dan Nagy.
Nolan Kasper
onds off of Ankeny. Rounding out the podium in the
men’s race was Will Brandenburg, who came back
from sixth place in the first run to have the fastest time
overall in the afternoon slalom. Matt Strand came in
fourth.
In the women’s race, New Zealand’s Taylor Rapely finished second to Ide with the Kikut sisters from
Green Valley Mountain School taking third and fourth.
Also on the slopes were the Lund brothers, Jake and
Max. Jake, a U.S. ski team alum, finished in a dead
heat with Conor McDonald for eighth place on Feb.
26. Max, who skis for St. Olaf College, came in right
behind him in tenth. Strand took the men’s slalom win
on Feb. 26 as well as the Nagy Cup overall title. Ankeny, who was in first place after the first run, struggled
on the second run, falling and hiking a total of three
times. The crowd cheered wildly for the athlete as he
relentlessly hiked the steep pitch again and again in
order to complete the race. The Christianson brothers
Charles Christianson
SUSAN THEIS
came in second and third on the podium. Although he
tried valiantly, Kieffer was unable to beat older brother
Charles either of the days. Chris Frank came in fourth
place, just in front of U.S. skier Robby Kelley, who
took fifth. Sara Kikut snagged the top spot of podium
on Feb. 26, preventing Central Nation from making a
total sweep of the podium. Ide came in second, 0.16
seconds off. Strong rounded out the podium in third.
Officials also announced the first winner of the Nagy
Alpine Growth Scholarship, which was established in
Dan’s honor, to Laura Post, a Minnesota native who
races for Buck Hill. “Laura blew us away in her interview,” said Navin. The high school senior plans to race
USCSA in college. The nonprofit fund is supported by
contributions from the skiing community.
Interested donors may contact Mark Navin at
[email protected] or Kirstin Mallow at
[email protected].
Kieffer Christianson
Results
PNSA J3 Qualifier
Mt. Hood Ski Bowl, Ore.
Men’s Super G
Feb. 18
1 Winters, Luke 1997
2 Winters, Cody 1997
3 Ganim, Chase 1997
4 Moe-Lange, Peter 1998
5 Gunesch, Nathan 1998
6 Estrella, Michael 1997
6 Stoltenow, Gunnar 1997
8 Maxwell, Trevor 1997
9 Duchow, Matthew 1998
10 Hall, Braydon 1997 PNSA
11 Paton, Cole 1997 PNSA
12 LeCuyer, Tristan 1998 PNSA
13 Wear-Grimm, Brandon 1997 PNSA
14 Keillor, Austin 1997 PNSA
15 Baldwin, Henry 1998 PNSA
0:58.09
0:58.88
0:59.02
0:59.47
0:59.56
0:59.90
0:59.90
0:60.52
0:60.61
1:01.08
1:01.16
1:01.41
1:01.53
1:01.60
1:01.65
Ladies’ Super G
Feb. 18
1 Harrison, Jordan 1997 PNSA
2 Cupp, Delilah 1997 PNSA
3 Burton, Shannen 1997 PNSA
4 Rogers, Phoebe 1997 PNSA
5 Pepin, Ella 1998 PNSA
6 Burandt, Elyse 1997 PNSA
7 Truax, Elle 1997 PNSA
7 Galasso, Oriana 1998 PNSA
9 Toland, Talia 1998 PNSA
10 Zeldes, Madeline 1998 PNSA
11 Knudsen, Siri 1997 PNSA
12 Struthers, Gracie 1997 PNSA
13 Isaza, Laura 1997 PNSA
14 Henry, Amelia 1998 PNSA
15 Vinecki, Winter 1998 PNSA
15 Mat, Breanne 1997 PNSA
15 Frey, Allison 1997 PNSA
0:59.53
0:59.84
0:60.65
0:60.78
0:60.92
1:01.24
1:01.25
1:01.25
1:01.52
1:02.04
1:02.26
1:02.38
1:02.44
1:02.78
1:02.95
1:02.95
1:02.95
Ladies’ Super G
Feb. 18
1 West, Hannah 1998
2 Lodmell, Ashley 1998
1:02.50
1:03.40
3 Truax, Elle 1997
4 Burandt, Elyse 1997
5 Oseland, Alexandria 1998
6 Harrison, Jordan 1997
7 Burton, Shannen 1997
8 Struthers, Gracie 1997
9 Toland, Talia 1998
10 Rogers, Phoebe 1997
11Tansley, Antoinette 1997
12 Isaza, Laura 1997
13 Price, Mackenzie 1998
14 Henry, Amelia 1998
15 Zeldes, Madeline 1998
1:03.69
1:03.86
1:04.15
1:04.27
1:04.45
1:05.00
1:05.01
1:05.25
1:05.42
1:05.80
1:06.21
1:06.57
1:06.85
Men’s Super G
Feb. 19
2 Ganim, Chase 1997
3 Kurahara, Montana 1997
8 Ellis, Tyler 1998
11 Nelson, Preston 1997
12 Baldwin, Henry 1998
13 Mikkelson, Zachary 1998
14 Wear-Grimm, Brandon 1997
15 Keillor, Austin 1997
0:59.73
1:01.41
1:01.56
1:01.76
1:01.95
1:01.97
1:02.10
1:02.12
1:02.14
1:02.15
1:02.69
1:02.83
1:03.06
1:03.70
1:03.78
Men’s Super G
Feb. 19
3 Ganim, Chase 1997
5 Grebisz, Isaac 1997
7 Kurahara, Montana 1997
8 Hall, Braydon 1997
1:01.31
1:01.45
1:02.12
1:02.89
1:02.97
1:03.21
1:03.24
1:04.09
1:04.11
1:04.16
11 Macedo, Michel 1998
14 LeCuyer, Tristan 1998
15 Stoltenow, Gunnar 1997
1:04.18
1:04.30
1:04.30
1:04.51
1:04.65
Ladies’ Super G
Feb. 19
1 West, Hannah 1998
3 Cupp, Delilah 1997
6 Oseland, Alexandria 1998
8 Tansley, Antoinette 1997
9 Burton, Shannen 1997
11 Pepin, Ella 1998
14 Hampson, Sarah 1997
15 Galasso, Oriana 1998
1:03.11
1:03.29
1:04.11
1:04.16
1:04.46
1:04.80
1:05.25
1:05.65
1:05.98
1:06.36
1:06.39
1:06.55
1:06.79
1:06.83
1:06.84
Men’s Giant Slalom
Feb. 20
4 Ganim, Chase 1997
6 Ellis, Tyler 1998
10 Wear-Grimm, Brandon 1997
11 LeCuyer, Tristan 1998
12 Collins, Kenny 1997
15 Kern, Hunter 1997
2:21.11
2:23.20
2:23.37
2:23.45
2:23.60
2:25.14
2:25.54
2:26.32
2:27.00
2:27.52
2:27.65
2:28.62
2:28.68
2:28.71
2:28.80
Conor McDonald
SUSAN THEIS
Results
Ladies’ Giant Slalom
Feb. 20
1 Cupp, Delilah 1997
4 West, Hannah 1998
7 Bracy, Carina 1998
8 Pepin, Ella 1998
10 Truax, Elle 1997
12 Suppiger, Caroline 1997
13 Rogers, Phoebe 1997
15 Isaza, Laura 1997
2:25.29
2:25.86
2:25.98
2:27.54
2:28.40
2:28.46
2:29.10
2:29.54
2:29.96
2:30.03
2:30.83
2:31.64
2:31.76
2:31.94
2:32.72
FIS Race J1/2
Squaw Valley, Calif.
Feb. 24
1 TOMAMICHEL Clement 1991
2 HALL Max 1995
3 RICOU Lucas 1990
4 PLYHR Marcus 1988
5 WILSON Kenny 1994
6 HARRIS Martin 1988
7 BARWOOD Adam 1992
8 NORTON Hughston 1995
9 ARVIDSSON Erik 1996
10 NEESON Finlay 1993
11 SPROCK Ty 1995
12 FRANCIS Brian 1995
13 DAVIS Devin 1994
14 COOPER Scott 1993
15 MOTT Troy 1989
1:28.04
1:28.75
1:28.77
1:29.31
1:30.10
1:30.42
1:30.62
1:31.15
1:31.69
1:31.91
1:32.38
1:32.60
1:32.88
1:33.49
1:34.05
Feb. 24
1 KLAESSON Caroline 1991
2 KENNEDY Allene 1994
3 DRILLER Tenaya 1994
4 DANIELS Melissa 1993
1:32.32
1:35.15
1:35.17
1:35.26
5 JOHNSON Madeline 1995
6 LAMOUREUX Emilie 1992
7 BJORKMAN Julia 1995
8 CARAVELLI Nicolette 1993
9 JOHNSON Hannah 1996
10 WHISTLER Paige 1993
11 HUME Audrey 1994
12 LONZA Amie 1993
13 PALIC Tea 1991
14 RYDER Sierra 1996
15 LUNDE Stine Smedheim 1988
1:35.31
1:35.36
1:35.47
1:37.09
1:37.44
1:37.48
1:37.57
1:37.77
1:37.85
1:39.04
1:39.54
Feb. 25
1 TOMAMICHEL Clement 1991
2 WILSON Kenny 1994
3 BARWOOD Adam 1992
4 RICOU Lucas 1990
5 PLYHR Marcus 1988
6 THEODORSEN Espen 1988
7 JAZBEC Jaka 1992
8 ERIKSSON Ricko 1989
9 NORTON Hughston 1995
10 NEESON Finlay 1993
11 DRILLER Garret 1996
12 BROOKS Dylan 1992
13 COOPER Scott 1993
14 FRANCIS Brian 1995
15 DAVIS Devin 1994
1:37.06
1:39.91
1:39.93
1:39.95
1:40.05
1:40.46
1:40.58
1:40.94
1:41.00
1:41.88
1:42.29
1:43.84
1:43.93
1:44.72
1:45.01
Feb. 25
3 HUME Audrey 1994
4 KELLEY Naomi 1994
7 ABBOTT Diana 1996
9 LONZA Amie 1993
10 PALIC Tea 1991
1:46.47
1:47.37
1:47.93
1:48.32
1:48.37
1:49.29
1:49.33
1:49.51
1:50.21
1:50.40
1:50.92
1:51.10
13 CASHELL Julia 1996
14 STANDTEINER Tenaya 1996
15 HUTTON Grace 1993 USA
1:51.11
1:51.61
1:53.77
Men’s Slalom
Feb. 26
1 HARRIS Martin 1988
2 HALL Max 1995
3 BROOKS Dylan 1992
4 SPROCK Ty 1995
5 MURTHA Dylan 1994
6 ERIKSSON Ricko 1989
7 FULLER Jordan 1995
8 PLANT Riley 1995
9 IZARD-PRICE Harry 1995
10 CARLSON Kirk 1994
11 HANNON Fraser 1996
12 FITZPATRICK Chris 1995
13 EVANS Conner 1994
14 DERYK Jack 1995
15 CARTER David 1993
1:20.85
1:23.02
1:24.06
1:24.10
1:25.86
1:27.58
1:27.61
1:28.86
1:30.10
1:30.48
1:31.01
1:31.03
1:31.66
1:31.78
1:33.50
Ladies’ Slalom
Feb. 26
1 FERK Matea 1987
2 HALL Madeleine 1994
3 PALIC Tea 1991
5 KLAESSON Caroline 1991
7 KELLEY Naomi 1994
10 LONZA Amie 1993
11 ABBOTT Diana 1996
12 LUNDE Stine Smedheim 1988
13 RYAN Elizabeth 1995
14 HUME Audrey 1994
15 SPAENGS Hedvig 1988
1:26.79
1:28.30
1:29.50
1:30.92
1:31.04
1:31.07
1:31.86
1:32.35
1:32.60
1:32.74
1:33.13
1:34.42
1:34.79
1:35.39
1:35.65
Men’s Slalom
Feb. 27
1 RICOU Lucas 1990 FRA
2 MLEZIVA Matyas 1987 CZE
1:23.43
1:24.36
3 SPROCK Ty 1995 USA
4 NEESON Finlay 1993 NZL
5 JAZBEC Jaka 1992 SLO
6 PLYHR Marcus 1988 SWE
7 BARWOOD Adam 1992 NZL
8 BROOKS Dylan 1992 USA
9 WILSON Kenny 1994 USA
10 DRILLER Garret 1996 USA
11 MURTHA Dylan 1994 USA
12 CARLSON Kirk 1994 USA
13 ROBLES Thomas 1994 USA
14 PINDRAL Filip 1991 USA
15 DAVIS Devin 1994 USA
1:24.70
1:25.33
1:25.49
1:25.86
1:26.61
1:27.79
1:28.04
1:29.76
1:29.95
1:30.91
1:31.27
1:31.78
1:32.02
Ladies’ Slalom
Feb. 27
1 FERK Matea 1987
2 HALL Madeleine 1994
4 DRILLER Tenaya 1994
6 SPAENGS Hedvig 1988
7 KELLEY Naomi 1994
8 HUME Audrey 1994
10 RYAN Elizabeth 1995
11 STANDTEINER Tenaya 1996
13 POKORNY Bozhie 1996
14 O GRADY Sinclaire 1995
15 GAMSON Emma 1996
1:24.21
1:25.87
1:28.72
1:28.83
1:31.05
1:31.81
1:31.87
1:32.26
1:33.17
1:34.78
1:36.66
1:36.72
1:39.35
1:40.35
1:40.44
Brendan Armstrong Memorial
J1/2/3 Super G Qualifier
McCall, Idaho
Ladies’ Super G
Feb. 24
1 Wright, Isabella, USA/97
2 Busby, Samantha, USA/97
3 Zavala, Linnea, USA/93
4 Minniear, Cheech, USA/95
5 Polukoff, Natalya, USA/95
6 Jakob, Rachel, USA/95
7 Leavens, Molly, USA/97
1:04.57
1:04.80
1:05.65
1:05.91
1:06.20
1:06.26
1:06.32
Results
(continued) McCall, Idaho
Ladies’ Super G
Feb. 24
8 Bougri, Zina , /94
9 Cutler, Haley, USA/97
10 Benzon, Kaya, USA/97
11 Wilson, Cassidy, USA/95
12 Baer, Liz, USA/98
13 Hunsaker, Hannah, USA/95
14 Smith, Remy, USA/95
15 Dingman, Megan, USA/97
1:06.67
1:07.26
1:07.27
1:07.33
1:07.49
1:07.54
1:07.60
1:07.75
Ladies’ Super G
Feb. 25
1 Zavala, Linnea, USA/93
2 Busby, Samantha, USA/97
3 Wright, Isabella, USA/97
4 Leavens, Molly, USA/97
5 Minniear, Cheech, USA/95
6 Bougri, Zina, 94
7 Hunsaker, Hannah, USA/95
8 Babcock, Michaela, USA/93
9 Hendrickson, Hannah, USA/94
10 Totten, Mary, USA/95
11 Baer, Liz, USA/98
12 Wilson, Cassidy, USA/95
13 Smith, Remy, USA/95
14 Jakob, Rachel, USA/95
15 Enders, Destrey, USA/94
1:06.23
1:06.96
1:07.43
1:07.66
1:07.97
1:08.56
1:08.61
1:08.84
1:09.06
1:09.19
1:09.35
1:09.42
1:09.56
1:09.68
1:09.76
Ladies’ Super G
Feb. 26
1 Wright, Isabella, JHSC/97
2 Leavens, Molly, PC/97
3 Busby, Samantha, SV/97
4 Bougri, Zina, BB/94
5 Babcock, Michaela, SB/93
6 Jakob, Rachel, PC/95
7 Enders, Destrey, SB/94
8 Fox, Sierra, SV/93
9 Hunsaker, Hannah, PC/95
10 Baer, Liz, RM/98
11 Cutler, Haley, SV/97
12 Smith, Remy, PC/95
13 Smith, Sophie, PC/98
1:02.48
1:02.80
1:02.89
1:03.30
1:03.33
1:03.51
1:03.92
1:03.92
1:03.96
1:04.44
1:04.67
1:04.72
1:04.96
14 Hendrickson, Hannah, PC/94
15 Wilson, Cassidy, PC/95
1:05.23
1:05.
Trudi Boliner Memorial
J1/2/3 Super G Qualifer
Bogus Basin, Idaho
Men’s Super G
Feb. 24
1 Wright, Bronson, JH/93
2 Klotz, Richard, BB/93
3 Johnson, Finn, JH/94
4 Greene, Riley, PC/95
5 Farrow, Connor, SV/94
6 Feldman, Joseph, SB/94
7 Harder, William, SV/96
8 Taylor, Darwin, PC/95
9 Adams, Kieran, J-1 PC/94
10 Graves, Jake, RM/94
11 Leh, Nevin, SB/93
12 Voegele, Devon, SB/95
13 Caulkins, Cole, SV/95
14 McInnis, Tristan, RM/95
15 Merrill, Zachary, RM/94
1:12.77
1:13.75
1:15.20
1:15.25
1:15.28
1:15.31
1:15.41
1:15.65
1:16.09
1:16.38
1:16.45
1:16.65
1:16.75
1:16.87
1:17.00
Men’s Super G
Feb. 26
1 Wright, Bronson, USA/93
2 Klotz, Richard, USA/93
3 Greene, Riley, USA/95
4 Keith, Jacob, USA/93
5 Astle, Chris, USA/96
6 Lowth, Charles, USA/94
7 Adams, Kieran, USA/94
8 Elliot, Nigel, USA/95
9 Harder, William, USA/96
10 Josey, Tanner, USA/96
11 Waycott, Colin, USA/94
12 Thomason, Joey, USA/95
13 Summerfield, Garrett, USA/95
14 Leh, Nevin, USA/93
15 Graham, Hayes, USA/94
1:19.02
1:19.78
1:20.45
1:20.62
1:20.68
1:20.84
1:20.99
1:21.09
1:21.28
1:21.63
1:21.70
1:21.75
1:21.78
1:21.91
1:22.01
Men’s Super G
Feb. 26
1 Wright, Bronson, JH/93
1:18.96
2 Taylor, Darwin, PC/95
3 Greene, Riley, PC/95
4 Keith, Jacob, SB/93
5 Adams, Kieran, PC/94
6 Harder, William, SV/96
7 Graham, Hayes, PC/94
8 Klotz, Richard, BB/93
9 Josey, Tanner, SV/96
10 Elliot, Nigel, PC/95
11 Johnson, Finn, JH/94
12 Lowth, Charles, PC/94
13 Leh, Nevin, SB/93
14 Summerfield, Garrett, MSRT/95
14 Farrow, Connor, SV/94
1:19.19
1:19.44
1:19.75
1:19.82
1:20.07
1:20.12
1:20.29
1:21.06
1:21.31
1:21.33
1:21.43
1:21.64
1:21.68
1:21.68
Dan Nagy Memorial
FIS Slalom J1/J2
LaCrosse, Wisc.
Ladies’ Slalom
Feb. 25
1 IDE Maisie 1993
2 RAPLEY Taylor 1991
3 KIKUT Sara 1993
4 KIKUT Anna 1993
5 STRONG Anne 1993
6 MCVICKER Victoria 1992
7 WONG Julia 1988
8 DAVIDSON Katie 1994
9 GENCHEFF Gabby 1995
10 REINHART Jessica 1996
11 DANELSKI Megan 1995
12 SHEELY Miranda 1994
13 ULVESTAD Katie 1992
14 ROGERS Sydney 1995
15 GENCHEFF Alex 1994
1:28.04
1:28.50
1:28.99
1:30.19
1:30.26
1:31.73
1:31.79
1:32.10
1:32.93
1:34.40
1:34.55
1:34.87
1:35.20
1:35.74
1:36.14
Men’s Slalom
Feb. 25
1 ANKENY Michael 1991
2 KASPER Nolan 1989
3 BRANDENBURG Will 1987
4 STRAND Matthew 1993
5 CHRISTIANSON Charles 1984
6 CHRISTIANSON Kieffer 1992
7 FRANK Chris 1983 USA
1:18.90
1:19.47
1:20.08
1:20.24
1:21.41
1:21.59
1:21.66
Cheech Minniear
Tyler Theis
HEATHER BLACK; SUSAN THEIS
Results
(continued) Dan Nagy Memorial, Feb. 25
8 SHIFFRIN Taylor 1992 USA
1:22.10
9 ROGERS Dylan 1992 USA
1:22.93
10 SMITH Cameron 1992 USA
1:23.03
11 THEIS Tyler 1994 USA
1:23.58
12 BRYANT Dylan 1987 USA
1:23.87
13 MCDONALD Conor 1993 USA
1:24.10
14 MCNEILL Jack 1994 USA
1:24.17
15 LUND Max 1990 USA
1:24.87
Ladies’ Slalom
Feb. 26
1 KIKUT Sara 1993 USA
2 IDE Maisie 1993 USA
3 STRONG Anne 1993 USA
4 RAPLEY Taylor 1991 NZL
5 GENCHEFF Gabby 1995 USA
6 DAVIDSON Katie 1994 USA
7 MCVICKER Victoria 1992 USA
8 ANDERSON Nicole 1994 USA
9 KOPRUCKI Elizabeth 1995 USA
10 GENCHEFF Alex 1994 USA
11 OLEJNIK Erin 1996 USA
12 REINHART Jessica 1996 USA
13 WOLF Hannah 1990 USA
14 WONG Julia 1988 USA
15 ROGERS Sydney 1995 USA
1:28.39
1:28.55
1:29.31
1:30.04
1:30.22
1:30.48
1:30.52
1:30.93
1:31.27
1:32.88
1:32.99
1:33.47
1:33.70
1:33.75
1:33.87
Men’s Slalom
Feb. 26
1 STRAND Matthew 1993 USA
2 CHRISTIANSON Charles 1984 USA
3 CHRISTIANSON Kieffer 1992 USA
4 FRANK Chris USA
5 KELLEY Robby USA
6 STANG Nick USA
7 ROLFS George USA
8 MCDONALD Conor USA
8 LUND Jacob 1987 USA
10 LUND Max 1990 USA
11 ROGERS Dylan 1992 USA
12 SMITH Cameron 1992 USA
13 THEIS Tyler 1994 USA
14 HARRIS Reilly 1990 USA
15 O BRIEN Cannon 1992 USA
1:22.43
1:23.39
1:23.97
1:24.63
1:24.91
1:25.71
1:25.94
1:26.03
1:26.03
1:26.06
1:26.20
1:26.21
1:26.51
1:26.91
1:27.06
HEATHER BLACK
FIS Race J1/2
Killington, Vt.
Men’s Slalom
Feb. 26
1 MARSHALL Tucker 1990
2 GINNIS Alexander 1994
3 MORSE Ben 1992
4 BONEWALD Geoffrey 1991
5 BEADON Christopher 1989
6 FISHER MCCARNEY Dylan 1992
7 RYAN Jim 1991
8 FARRELL Brad 1992
9 SPEAR Parker 1990
10 BERTRAND Mathieu 1991
11 MOONEY Ryan 1996
12 STEFANIC Drew 1993
13 JACOBS Jake 1993
14 ENGELKEN Taber 1992
15 MCLAUGHLIN Prescott 1992
1:29.83
1:30.55
1:31.52
1:32.74
1:32.90
1:33.21
1:33.22
1:33.55
1:33.68
1:34.15
1:35.01
1:35.39
1:35.54
1:35.55
1:35.73
Ladies’ Slalom
Feb. 26
1 WOODWARD Aylin 1992
1 CHENOWETH Kelsey 1995
3 COWIE Eliza 1994
4 FORD Lily 1994
5 KANNEGIESER Isabel 1994
6 LEOPOLD Madeline 1993
7 SAHN Emma 1995
8 STOLAR Sammi 1996
9 ZIEBELL Brittney 1992
10 DINAPOLI Kelly Anne 1995
11 DALEY Ryann 1995
12 ENGLE Devon 1991
13 HOUSER Katie 1990
14 MERRIAM Lucy 1994
15 KIKUT Ava 1995
1:36.24
1:36.24
1:37.87
1:38.28
1:38.33
1:38.68
1:38.77
1:39.10
1:39.44
1:39.75
1:40.14
1:40.20
1:40.41
1:40.73
1:40.98
FIS Race J1/2
Burke, Vt.
Men’s Super G
Feb. 28
1 FRANK Chris 1983
2 BERLACK Ronald 1994
3 MCLAUGHLIN Brian 1993
1:10.06
1:10.31
1:10.54
4 KRAUSE Nicholas 1993
5 SMITH Cameron 1992
6 OVERING Robert 1993
7 BOARDMAN Michael 1994
8 SMITH Brennan 1991
9 ROBERTSON Carter 1994
10 AUTY Jack 1995
11 VIETZE Sandy 1993
12 MORSE Sam 1996
13 MAJOR Victor 1992
14 OGLE Jay 1991
1:10.57
1:10.87
1:11.02
1:11.18
1:11.23
1:11.30
1:11.38
1:11.39
1:11.44
1:11.50
1:11.63
1:11.69
Ladies’ Super G
Feb. 28
1 IRWIN Katharine 1994
2 FORD Julia 1990
3 GRENIER Valerie 1996
4 SHAW Kara 1991
5 LAPANJA Lila 1994
6 MOORE Kelly 1994
7 REILLY Amanda 1994
8 GOULD Stephanie 1994
9 VALLERAND Laurence 1992
10 BROWNELL-PATTY Danielle 1996
11 LATHROP Brittany 1995
12 GIBSON Libby 1994
13 HUSSON Emily 1994
14 DAVID Sandrine 1994
15 GRIFFIN Kalen 1993
1:14.36
1:14.62
1:15.27
1:15.54
1:15.61
1:15.87
1:16.06
1:16.08
1:16.15
1:16.28
1:16.34
1:16.63
1:16.85
1:16.91
1:17.04
Men’s Super G
Feb. 29
1 FRANK Chris 1983
2 BERLACK Ronald 1994
6 BOARDMAN Michael 1994
6 ROBERTSON Carter 1994
9 SMITH Brennan 1991
10 NOLAN Matthew 1992
11 KAMPHUIS Colin 1993
12 MCKENNA Christopher 1993
1:08.39
1:08.53
1:08.82
1:08.95
1:09.02
1:09.22
1:09.22
1:09.22
1:09.61
1:09.72
1:09.75
1:09.76
Hailey Cutler
Josie Alison
Results
(continued) Men’s Super G, Burke
Feb. 29
13 DUFFY Danny 1994
1:09.80
1:09.80
15 AUTY Jack 1995
1:09.81
SSCV
Ladies’ Super G
Feb. 29
1 FORD Julia 1990
4 SHAW Kara 1991
5 MOORE Kelly 1994
6 ROLFS Elizabeth 1995
7 LAPANJA Lila 1994
8 HASKELL Mardene 1994
9 NORBYE Tuva 1996
10 REILLY Amanda 1994
10 HUSSON Emily 1994
12 MOLTZAN Paula 1994
14 GRIFFIN Kalen 1993
15 VALLERAND Laurence 1992
1:10.62
1:11.58
1:11.70
1:11.96
1:12.22
1:12.46
1:12.83
1:12.86
1:13.20
1:13.33
1:13.33
1:13.41
1:13.54
1:13.65
1:13.66
March 1
1 FRANK Chris 1983
2 OGLE Jay 1991
6 SMITH Warren Cummings 1992
7 BLACK Hunter 1990
9 MULHERN Liam 1991
10 FARRELL Brad 1992
11 VIETZE Sandy 1993
12 DUFFY Danny 1994
13 BEADON Christopher 1989
15 MACKIE Logan Rip 1994
2:14.44
2:14.64
2:14.69
2:15.31
2:15.38
2:15.57
2:15.64
2:15.83
2:15.94
2:16.01
2:16.02
2:16.03
2:16.11
2:16.39
2:16.69
March 2
1 KELLEY Tim 1986
2:17.48
2 CHRISTIANSON Charles 1984
3 MARSHALL Tucker 1990 1:05.60
4 KELLEY Robby 1990
5 FRANK Chris 1983
6 DONALDSON David 1986
7 HIGGINS Sean 1990
9 SMITH Warren Cummings 1992
13 MCNEALUS Andrew 1990
FIS Race J1/2
Stowe, Vt.
March 1
2 LAPANJA Lila 1994
3 KISTLER Lizzie 1992
4 LAMOUREUX Katerine 1993
5 MOE-LANGE Yina 1993
6 IDE Maisie 1993
7 KIKUT Sara 1993
8 MOORE Kelly 1994
13 VISCONTI Allison 1992
14 FITZPATRICK Katie 1992
15 BARRY Caroline 1991
March 2
1 LAPANJA Lila 1994
2 FUCIGNA Abigail 1991
5 FUCIGNA Erin 1989
6 KISTLER Lizzie 1992
8 MCDONALD Amanda 1990
2:17.93
2:18.17
2:18.69
2:18.75
2:18.81
2:19.25
2:19.61
2:19.96
2:20.00
2:20.14
2:20.18
2:20.20
2:20.23
2:20.23
1:56.90
1:57.28
1:58.09
1:58.36
1:58.66
1:58.72
1:58.86
1:59.09
1:59.24
1:59.33
1:59.36
1:59.37
1:59.43
1:59.55
1:59.56
2:09.40
2:09.57
2:10.03
2:10.15
2:10.18
2:10.41
2:10.45
2:10.73
10 SHAW Kara 1991
11 NORBYE Tuva 1996
12 GIBSON Libby 1994
14 VISCONTI Allison 1992
2:11.09
2:11.11
2:11.24
2:11.26
2:11.30
2:11.49
2:11.93
J3 Qualifier
Snowbird, Utah
Men’s Slalom
March 3
1 Griffith, Ian, PCST
2 Snyder, Will, SVEF
3 Glasgow, Matthew, RM
4 Hanaman, Peter, PCST
5 Fugate, Harrison, PCST
6 Cooper, Taylor, SVEF
7 Osselaer, Ian, PCST
8 Mathers, Luke, SB
9 Fitzgerald, Jay, SVEF
10 Miller, Andrew, PCST
11 Graham, Theodore, RM
12 Gould, Trenor, SVEF
13 Peek, Jonas, PCST
14 Brazerol, Dominik, PCST
15 Banks, Thomas, SB
1:33.39
1:35.10
1:36.24
1:36.61
1:36.83
1:37.01
1:37.30
1:38.37
1:38.95
1:39.97
1:40.17
1:41.33
1:41.74
1:41.83
1:42.14
Ladies’ Slalom
March 3
1 Leavens, Molly, PCST
2 Busby, Samantha, SVEF
3 Cutler, Haley, SVEF
4 Dingman, Megan, PCST
5 Torres, Isabel, RM
6 Benzon, Kaya, SB
7 Debaun, Sadie, PCST
8 LaMere, Devan, JHSC
9 Mazzoni, Ava, MSRT
10 Thomas, Claire, PCST
11 Smith, Sophie, PCST
12 Allison, Josie, SVEF
13 Baer, Liz, RM
14 Milgard, Madison, SVEF
15 Wentzell, Olivia, SVEF
1:38.57
1:43.16
1:45.34
1:45.74
1:46.67
1:47.10
1:47.53
1:47.71
1:47.72
1:49.73
1:50.15
1:51.95
1:51.98
1:52.04
1:53.00
Men’s Slalom
March 4
1 Birkner, Alexander, BMST
2 Cooper, Taylor, SVEF
3 Domonoske, David, PCST
4 Larsen, Gray, RM
5 Fugate, Harrison, PCST
6 Fitzgerald, Jay, SVEF
7 Mathers, Luke, SB
8 Hanaman, Peter, PCST
9 Savaria, Austin, SVEF
10 Peek, Jonas, PCST
11 Fuller, Duncan, SVEF
12 Say, Emmett, SVEF
13 Curtis, Griffin, SVEF
14 Banks, Thomas, SB
15 Glasgow, Matthew, RM
1:32.97
1:35.85
1:36.27
1:37.24
1:37.79
1:37.85
1:37.98
1:40.23
1:40.49
1:43.96
1:44.59
1:45.35
1:45.71
1:46.30
1:46.60
Ladies’ Slalom
March 4
1 Wright, Isabella, JHSC
2 Leavens, Molly, PCST
3 Cutler, Haley, SVEF
4 Debaun, Sadie, PCST
5 Torres, Isabel, RM
6 Dingman, Megan, PCST
7 Benzon, Kaya, SB
8 LaMere, Devan, JHSC
9 Smith, Sophie, PCST
10 Anderson, Laura, OVST
11 Wentzell, Olivia, SVEF
12 Uzieblo, Aleksandra, PCST
13 Milgard, Madison, SVEF
14 Romano, Taylor, PCST
15 Abate, Heather, PCST
1:31.94
1:33.13
1:39.41
1:39.61
1:39.72
1:39.82
1:41.17
1:41.63
1:41.93
1:42.56
1:43.84
1:44.28
1:44.70
1:44.79
1:44.82
FIS Race J1/2
Eldora, Colo.
March 3
1 SPENST Taggart 1988
2 MCDONALD Fletcher 1989
3 HORNER Sean 1991
4 TRUESDELL William 1989
5 MCCORMICK Sean 1993
1:58.59
1:59.35
2:00.19
2:00.92
2:01.18
Results
(continued) Eldora, Colo.; Men’s GS, March 3
6 MOYER Bobby 1994
2:01.37
7 HAYES Colin 1994
2:01.56
8 STENICKA Nicholas 1991
2:01.62
9 SHIFFRIN Taylor 1992
2:02.37
10 BJARNASON Jakob Helgi 1995
2:02.56
11 UNICUME Cody 1991
2:02.76
12 MICHIELI Zachary 1992
2:02.84
13 MCDONALD Conor 1993
2:02.88
14 NIEDERHAUSER Christoph 1993
2:02.92
15 O BRIEN Cannon 1992
2:03.57
March 3
1 ALLEN Jennifer 1989
2 PEARL Natalie 1993
3 BYRNE Greta 1993
4 BURROWS Khyla 1990
5 CANFIELD Leah 1992
6 ANDERSON Nicole 1994
7 GRAUER Taylor 1993
8 SOCKETT Kaitlynn 1996
9 GUILMINEAU Celine 1994
11 OCHS Annie 1994 USA
12 CHEVALIER Joelle 1991
12 COLGAN Ciar 1993
14 WHALER Emily 1993
15 HASLAU Jessica 1992
March 4
4 HORNER Sean 1991
5 HAYES Colin 1994
6 BJARNASON Jakob Helgi 1995
8 ROHLOFF Ziggy 1993
10 THEIS Tyler 1994
12 UNICUME Cody 1991
13 NIEDERHAUSER Christoph 1993
14 KRONE Kevin 1993
2:05.06
2:06.53
2:06.59
2:07.22
2:07.71
2:07.81
2:07.99
2:08.45
2:08.61
2:09.34
2:09.63
2:10.00
2:10.00
2:10.08
2:10.20
1:57.83
1:59.61
1:59.87
2:00.02
2:00.19
2:00.49
2:00.56
2:00.57
2:00.96
2:01.03
2:01.38
2:01.56
2:01.84
2:02.56
15 FURRER Cameron 1992
2:02.60
March 4
1 BURROWS Khyla 1990
2 BYRNE Greta 1993
3 MCVICKER Victoria 1992
4 ALLEN Jennifer 1989
5 WHALER Emily 1993
6 COLGAN Ciar 1993
7 CHEVALIER Joelle 1991
8 HASLAU Jessica 1992
12 TALBOT Katie 1996
13 SHEELY Miranda 1994
14 GAYLORD Laura 1994
15 VAN DER LINDEN Alexandra 1994
2:04.24
2:04.60
2:05.12
2:05.33
2:07.93
2:08.00
2:08.26
2:09.77
2:09.77
2:09.98
2:09.98
2:10.39
2:10.58
2:10.80
2:11.88
Men’s Slalom
March 5
5 O BRIEN Cannon 1992
8 UNICUME Cody 1991
9 HAYES Colin 1994
10 KRONE Kevin 1993
11 CARVER Trevor 1994
12 JOHNS Greycody 1994
13 ARMSTRONG Max 1993
14 BLOMMER William 1994
15 GRUBER Patrick 1996
1:46.10
1:47.59
1:48.24
1:49.38
1:49.48
1:50.51
1:51.41
1:53.63
1:53.68
1:54.31
1:55.82
1:57.83
1:58. 36
1:59.70
1:59.86
Ladies’ Slalom
March 5
1 BYRNE Greta 1993
2 OCHS Annie 1994
3 GUILMINEAU Celine
4 HEMSLEY Daniella 1991
6 HICKOX Monica 1992
1:56.73
1:59.97
2:02.22
2:05.56
2:07.95
2:08.32
7 WHALER Emily 1993
8 LARSEN Dayna 1994
9 MAJOR Naomi 1994
10 HORNER Megan 1995
11 ROHLOFF Hava 1996
12 GAYLORD Laura 1994
13 VAN DER LINDEN Alexandra 1994
14 BALFANZ Kelly 1996
2:08.90
2:10.16
2:11.94
2:12.31
2:12.51
2:12.53
2:13.25
2:13.64
2:14.47
Europa Cup
Paganella/Andalo, Italy
Feb. 24
1 AGERER Lisa Magdalena 1991 ITA
2 SCHILD Bernadette 1990 AUT
3 BAUD Adeline 1992 FRA
4 GIANESINI Giulia 1984 ITA
5 BREM Eva-Maria 1988 AUT
6 HANSDOTTER Frida 1985 SWE
7 SHIFFRIN Mikaela 1995 USA
8 STABER Veronika 1987 GER
9 SMEDH Veronica 1988 SWE
10 ROBNIK Mateja 1987 SLO
11 HOFER Anna 1988 ITA
12 EKLUND Nathalie 1992 SWE
13 FANCHINI Sabrina 1988 ITA
14 FEIERABEND Denise 1989 SUI
15 AZZOLA Michela 1991 ITA
2:23.90
2:24.25
2:25.09
2:25.27
2:25.45
2:25.55
2:25.73
2:25.86
2:25.91
2:25.98
2:26.20
2:26.22
2:26.26
2:26.27
2:26.33
Feb. 25
2 SCHILD Bernadette 1990 AUT
3 BREM Eva-Maria 1988 AUT
4 HOESL Simona 1992 GER
5 DREV Ana 1985 SLO
7 WIRTH Barbara 1989 GER
8 STABER Veronika 1987 GER
9 HOFER Anna 1988 ITA
11 HANSDOTTER Frida 1985 SWE
12 AZZOLA Michela 1991 ITA
13 HECTOR Sara 1992 SWE
14 ROBNIK Mateja 1987 SLO
2:26.61
2:26.98
2:27.18
2:27.31
2:27.41
2:27.95
2:27.97
2:28.20
2:28.23
2:28.23
2:28.41
2:28.50
2:28.65
2:28.71
15 ZUZULOVA Veronika 1984 SVK
2:28.95
Europa Cup
Abetone, Italy
Feb. 27
3 CIPRIANI Enrica 1988 ITA
4 FANCHINI Nadia 1986 ITA
5 MIRADOLI Romane 1994 FRA
6 BERTRAND Marion 1984 FRA
9 WOPFNER Stefanie 1989 AUT
10 WIRTH Barbara 1989 GER
11 DREV Ana 1985 SLO
13 ZELLER Lisa-Maria 1992 AUT
14 CHRAPEK Karolina 1990 POL
15 BUEHLER Rebecca 1992 LIE
2:37.21
2:37.61
2:37.85
2:37.97
2:38.09
2:38.30
2:38.31
2:38.37
2:38.55
2:38.58
2:38.69
2:38.78
2:38.83
2:38.84
2:38.86
Feb. 28
2 FANCHINI Nadia 1986 ITA
4 MOWINCKEL Ragnhild 1992 NOR
5 HECTOR Sara 1992 SWE
6 PIOT Jennifer 1992 FRA
7 WOPFNER Stefanie 1989 AUT
8 HAUGEN Kristine Gjelsten 1992 NOR
8 EKLUND Nathalie 1992 SWE
10 BERTRAND Marion 1984 FRA
12 MASSIOS Marie 1992 FRA
13 DREV Ana 1985 SLO
15 CIPRIANI Enrica 1988 ITA
2:32.28
2:32.58
2:32.95
2:33.11
2:33.20
2:33.55
2:33.57
2:33.58
2:33.58
2:33.62
2:33.64
2:33.77
2:33.78
2:33.79
2:33.80
For information on how to
submit results and photos,
email [email protected].
BACKSHOP
The Overlay Guide
LIGHTNING-FAST OFFERINGS TO SPEED YOU TO THE FINISH LINE
BY DAVE PESZEK
It’s nearing the end of the competition season, and everyone is fighting hard to reach the last few finish
lines as fast as possible. There should be no doubt that it’s your conditioning, training, technique, tactics,
and line that combine to play the greatest role in success — but having a race wax overlay can give you a
final burst of speed to take advantage of your efforts this season.
I connected with several top wax brands and asked them to share info on overlays, and how to apply them.
Knowing that most folks might not purchase the entire line, I was also very interested to ask each brand
what three overlays would be their must-haves. It’s important to note that the methodology of application
varies widely among brands and products, and watching the application videos is a great way to learn
proper application techniques for each product. Let’s take a look at what’s out there.
Briko-Maplus
Maplus has been a quiet leader in liquid waxing technology for some time now, and two seasons ago
they added in the Briko wax product to the lineup, allowing them to redefine and re-engineer their product
line-up. Distribution in the U.S. is through Montana Sport (the Swiss machine company). In their overlay
lineup, they offer a powder, liquid, and solid in each temp range, plus a unique “super” wide range product
in each.
“My top three overlays” says John Dyste, the U.S. Ski Team sales manager, “would be the FP4 SuperMed
powder for its huge range (minus 16 to minus 2 Celsius) and ironed-in durability, the FP4 Solid for it’s ease
of application in sprint situations, and the FP4 Hot Spray for really warm wet snow.”
Briko-Maplus also offers a roller system of three separate rollers for application, brushing and polishing of
overlays. While more expensive than a traditional cork or felt, it could become a favorite system for technicians or coaches applying a lot of overlays.
$204 for 30 grams of powder; $153 for 50 millileters of liquid; $153 for a 20-gram block
Learn more about the Briko-Maplus line-up: http://tinyurl.com/7sul68u
Learn more about the application of Briko-Maplus overlays: http://tinyurl.com/7ycualh
Learn more about the unique roller overlay application system: http://tinyurl.com/72ns3ob
BACKSHOP
Dominator
Holmenkol
Dominator offers a range of products that focus on
ease of use, especially for start applications, and
wide effective ranges. Additionally, Dominator offers two series of overlays, which they call budget
and premium. This can allow users who are newer
to using overlays to get started without breaking
the bank.
Tom Reinerth of Dominator says he wouldn’t leave
home without the Butter, Q6 and Race Rocket overlays. “Butter is for air temps above the melt and
snow temps above –3 C,” says Reinerth. “Q6 is for
snow temps 0 –12 C and Race Rocket for temps –5
C and colder. All three are extremely easy to apply
at the start (which is our recommendation) and application costs for these are at a fraction of the cost
of powder (and will not blow away in the breeze),
and will provide a similar and often superior result.
Clever users are now blending Q6 with Rocket or
Butter for even more enhanced performance.”
Holmenkol offers three temperature ranges of highly proven overlays, divided into warm, mid, and cold; and offered in
powder, block and liquid forms.
Application, according to Rick Husk with Holmenkol, is simple: “Cork or felt it in, then brush. Powders can be ironed, as
well.” Additionally, many users report great success and durability by ironing in the powder, brushing it up, applying the
spray over top, and felting/brushing again to polish.
$244 for the powders; $180 for the liquid; $156 for the block
Video to view:
Speed powder application: http://youtu.be/NVqsxOtpP2k
Speed block application: http://youtu.be/NTrAoZ8caMY
Speed finish application: http://youtu.be/mEXKleIdjlI
Check out Holmenkol’s online wax advisor here: http://tinyurl.com/6vcbem2
Learn more about Dominator overlays:
http://tinyurl.com/7vkzstt
BACKSHOP
Swix
According to Steve Poulin of Swix, the three best performers on the
World Cup are: FC7WS Cold Turbo (a solid block that contains the BD
lube) for cold transformed, old, and man-made snow 0 to –20 C; the
FC8A Rocket Spray, for mid temps 4 to –4 (and often sprayed on top of
any Cera powder, then roto-corked in for best results); and the FC10L
liquid for warm, fine snow and very wet, warm, corn snow, with temps of 2 to 20 C. Note that Swix references air temps, while other brands reference snow temps. Additionally, there is great excitement
about their latest product, in final testing stages on the World Cup, and set to be released in limited
quantities next fall: the new fluoro compound called High Velocity Cera. This product is a universal
overlay for your overlay — it goes on top of Cera Powder, further increasing the speed factor.
$99.99 for FC008 AE Rocket Spray; $129.99 for FC010L Liquid; $119.99 for FC07WS
Swix has just released a brand new Alpine/Snowboard Tech Manual, complete with excellent info about application and making fast skis. Check it out here:
http://tinyurl.com/72j7k65
Swix Racing has also prepared a concise document about how to achieve the best results and application methods that can be seen here: http://tinyurl.com/86zsert
Toko
Toko offers a simple and effective overlay lineup, with overlays divided into blue (cold), red (middle), and yellow (warm)
and available as powder, block, and HelX liquid. “If I had to
pick only three, I would take the JetStream in blue and red,
and the HelX in Yellow,” says Ian Harvey, TOKO U.S. brand
manager. “The Jetstream powder is best for ironing, but the Jetstream block can be handcorked, roto-corked, or ironed — which makes it very versatile. When conditions are greasy,
applying the appropriate HelX over the JetStream of the day is really great.”
$155 for 30 g powder; $120 for HelX; $130 for JetStream block
Toko has a very solid collection of videos, featuring Willi Wiltz demonstrating
correct application of all their products, which can be found at:
www.tokovideos.com
Videos to view:
RotoCorking JetStream: http://youtu.be/pbsA0hhm3VU
HelX Application: http://youtu.be/zCG_cRVmNWI
Ironing JetStream Powder: http://youtu.be/PwAKlgaCKJM
Don’t miss the superb SwixSchool.com web site, which has the WaxWizard and also great
videos of the various application methods for each overlay. http://tinyurl.com/6shwdjf
Eyes of the World Cup
SUNGLASSES TO HELP SKI RACERS SHINE THIS SPRING By Claire Abbe and Susan Theis
Optic Nerve Neurotoxin 2
These shades feature vents in the upper outside
corners of the hydrophobic and anti-reflective lenses to
let body heat escape and prevent fogging. A Neurotoxin
purchase includes three interchangeable lenses for
bright sun, cloudy or night conditions so you’re always
prepared, no matter what the weather. The frame comes
in four different colors.
$79; nerveusa.com
Optic Nerve Rohtan
A sleek look and simple design make the ideal sunglasses for all-day-long
wear. The Rohtan has a subtle athletic look that will take you from the slopes
of your favorite mountain to your afternoon après-ski gathering.
$59; nerveusa.com
Optic Nerve Bender
Yellow Premium
Forget the fumble — the Bender features Optic
Nerve’s new patented fin interchangeable lens
system to make changing simple. The company’s
premium performance sport package for this frame
comes with three sets of lenses. It’s just the right
pair for those dry dusty days you encounter while
tearing up the trails of Moab, Utah.
$79; nerveusa.com
POC Eye Was
What goes with your retro outfit for closing day? Check
out this throwback. POC makes their frames with high
quality layered acetate that’s processed by hand. The
lenses are also made from unbreakable and optically
superior POC NXT polymer, a worthy investment.
$140; pocsports.com
POC Eye Did
Cruise around the steeps of Jackson Hole or be seen
during an après session in Aspen in these shades.
The Eye Dids are a versatile model that won’t let you
down and are made with POC’s unbreakable lenses.
$140; pocsports.com
Uvex Aspec
The Aspec is an easygoing, all-around sleek frame with
great sun and wind protection. The frame wraps around
your eyes comfortably and is perfect for ripping around
the mountain on a warm bluebird day. It’s made with a
high quality polycarbonate lens and comes in five different
colors to suit both men and women.
$79.99; uvexsports.com
Uvex Brazil
Whether you’re inspecting second run in the sunshine or hanging in the
finish area working on your tan, these glasses have you covered. The
mirror coating protects from damaging infrared light and you have the
choice between two frame colors and a polarized or non-polarized lens.
$59.99; or $99.99 for polarized; uvexsports.com
Shred Belu$hki
This is Ted Ligety’s go-to frame on race day. Whether he’s handling
a post-race interview or climbing on top of the podium, the Shred
founder wears these loud and proud. This vintage style comes in
neon pink and transparent blue.
$89; shredoptics.com
Shred Sig Green
The Sigs are a part of Shred’s throwback line
that strives to keep you looking fly on and off
the ski hill. Shred sunglasses are handcrafted
in Italy and made of the highest quality with
scratch-resistant lenses and 100 percent UVA/
UVB/UVC radiation protection.
$99; shredoptics.com
The Secret to Success
IT’S A LONG ROAD FOR A BOX OF CHOCOLATES
By Edie Thys Morgan
All of these racers are
smiling, but only two
made the JO cut.
HEATHER BLACK
It’s that time of year. March Madness.
And of course I’m talking about skiing,
not basketball. This is when it all happens — regional champs, state champs,
Junior Olympics, etc. Lofty goals and supercharged energy converge as the biggest events in a young ski racer’s life play
out in one scrambling month. Hotel pools,
team dinners, game rooms and way too
many vending machines fuel the fire.
Throughout the month there will be big winning moments and crushing losses. There
will be the elation of putting two clean runs
together and the devastation of screwing
up right at that spot the coaches pointed
out. This annual angst we have chosen for
ourselves is normal. And yet, every year it
seems like the end of the world is near when
things don’t go according to plan, when that
one chance at making the states, the uberstars or the intergalactics slips away like so
many skittles off a frozen mitten.
All of this means it’s the ideal occasion for
the “long road” speech. As in, it’s a long
road we’re traveling, people. As parents
cheering from the sidelines we can’t help
but want our kids to succeed at everything
they do, on every outing. We understand
that real progress is often a barely perceptible crawl, and that what we really want for
our kids is long-term success in life, not in
a silly sporting event. But still, we secretly hope for success every time. Wouldn’t it
be easier to just have the good days and put off the agony of defeat indefinitely, or
at least until adulthood?
I can say from experience that the fantasy of child stardom is not all its cracked up
to be. The pros are, of course, an early sniff of glory and an instant endorphin hit of
success. Up into my early teens I won every ski race I entered. I fell and got up, and
won. My boots got stolen from the car so I borrowed a friend’s mother’s boots, and
won. A big kid in ski boots stepped on my bare toes and broke them the day before
a race, and the next day I won. You get the picture. Yay, me.
But then one day, I didn’t win. And I kept not winning, like it was my new job, until it
felt my world had crumbled. I had three close friends who resided solidly in my rearview mirror during my young days of untrammeled fabulousness. All three of them
scooted past me and made their ways on to the U.S. Ski Team while I ground my
gears. They were teaching me the lesson I had taught them long ago — that sooner
or later you’ll get your butt kicked, so you’d better know how to deal with it. I did not
appreciate the lesson.
For the next few years (not weeks or months), I wanted to quit more days than not.
I was discovering the cons of child stardom — chiefly, the unrealistic view it creates
of what it takes to succeed. It takes perseverance, self-confidence and a bit of blind
faith. Fortunately, in my case, the urge to sniff glue, roll in a ball and make it all go
away was overcome by the urge to dust myself off and get back up, as if to say:
“Thank you sir. May I have another?” Sticking to that decision has made all the difference, not only in ski racing but also in every challenge since. When I see these
kids make that same commitment day after day I am truly inspired.
All this leads to my compulsion to give the “long road” speech, which is closely
linked to the “box of chocolates” principle. Well into their teens, kids are growing and
changing and learning so quickly that you really have no idea of the potential that
lies inside of them. In the words of Mr. Gump’s momma, you never know what you’ll
get. As proof look no further than Ted Ligety, who barely made his ski club team at
this age, and even as a 17-year-old struggled to keep pace with his peers. Skiing
and all sports are riddled with examples of unremarkable young kids who turned into
great champions through perseverance and hard work. Likewise the path to the top
is littered with one-time sensations who got off track and lacked the will, the desire,
or perhaps just the plain old good luck it takes to get to the top of their sport.
Not that true success has anything to do with “making it” in a sport or not. There
is no “it,” no achievement that confers success on you. It really is all about finding
what matters to you and going after it with all you’ve got. How often do we get to do
that?
The long-term view is a very tough perspective for a young person to have. One kid
going through an exceptionally frustrating bout of character-building summed it to
his parents as follows: “I know that this is making me a better person. But right now
it sort of sucks.”
He’s right. And there’s no way around it. Dwelling on disappointment is neither
healthy nor productive, but disappointment in itself isn’t such a bad thing. It means
you have some skin in the game. Coaches and parents may seem to be discrediting
the right to be disappointed, and diluting the value of a competitive spirit with default
comments like “just have fun,” and “keep smiling.” I still cringe a bit when I interpret
those words as admonishments. But as a quasi grown-up, I get the broader intent,
the reminder to keep your eye on the bigger prize — on enjoying the process. Enjoy
the things you get from having the dream, making the effort and going out each day
with a goal to get just a little better.
We recently had the last of our qualifying races for the state championships, followed immediately by the naming of the state championship team. Kids who miss
the cut-off can battle for a spot at the champs by going to the state finals, but this is
the big announcement. They start with the first qualifying individual and go down the
list to the last, making it an agonizing ceremony for anyone who is “on the bubble.”
unsure of whether he or she made the team. I can assure you from experience that
whether you are waiting to be picked last for a softball team on the playground, or
listening to a coach read off the names of who made the Olympic team, it’s all the
same anxiety.
This time, as always, there were a few athletes on the bubble who did not make it.
These are kids who have put in as much time, worked just as hard, and wanted it
just as badly as any of their teammates. But for whatever reason, it hasn’t all come
together for them, yet. When the last name was read I wanted to cry. OK, maybe I
did cry. But I tried not to show it, because one of the bubble kids came straight up to
me. He looked me in the eye and announced, “I really think I can qualify through the
finals!” That was his first reaction — not tears, or moping or a tantrum, but a positive
plan.
That moment in itself reminded me of why we put ourselves and our children through
this. The bravest skier I know used this quote to get through life-threatening illness
and injury, as well as a ski race or two: “Success is not the act of never falling. It is
the act of repeatedly getting up.” If a 12-year-old kid has learned to greet adversity
with renewed effort, he’s pretty much learned the secret to success in anything.
As I said, it’s a long road. Some take the highway, and some take the scenic route,
but in the end we’re headed for the same place.
Originally posted on March 2 on racerex.com. For more from two-time Olympian
Edie Thys Morgan, check out her new book, Shut Up and Ski: Wipeouts, Shootouts
and Blowouts on the Trail to the Olympic Dream, available at
amazon.com/Shut-Up-Ski-Shootouts-ebook/dp/B0076ZVG6O
Finish Line
Alien Invasion
BRIDGING THE GENERATION GAP ON THE RACECOURSE BY BILL MCCOLLOM
In a cross-generational exchange, those of us racing on the
New England masters circuit invited a group of collegians to join us
for a weekend of racing at Crotched Mountain and Cannon Mountain
the end of February. About 30 college racers gladly accepted the
invitation and promptly had all their preconceptions about the aging
process blown to smithereens. That reaction was mutual, especially
for those of us at the older end of the masters spectrum.
The youngsters just couldn’t wrap their brains around the fact that
racers who are older than their grandparents, such as Class 13’s
Duffy Dodge and George Caner, are still, at 85-plus, cross-blocking,
or that Mark George, closing in on 60, can still beat most of them. As
for some of the elders of masters racing, mingling with the collegians
was a vivid reminder of how far we’ve drifted from those good old
days of youth. It was a reality check, all right. Aging athletes can
happily dwell in fantasyland, but reality smacks us upside the head
when racing side-by-side with those a fraction of our age.
It didn’t take long for the gaping generation gap to become apparent.
It was a sunny day at Cannon Mountain, but given temperatures in
ILLUSTRATION BY RAND PAUL
the teens, no one expected to see the college racers stripping down
to bare chests and bikinis at the start. My classmates and I, on the
other hand, were huddled in quilted capes and thick parkas with our
boot heaters on full blast and neck gaiters pulled over our noses.
We stared in amazement at the younger generation as if they were
aliens from another planet.
As I looked for a place to sit in the clubhouse in between runs, I
couldn’t help but eavesdrop on various conversations. It seemed
as if the chatter among most of the older masters racers revolved
around who was going in for joint replacement surgery and all the
latest PSA readings. This is a neverending conversation, of course,
since no one can remember whom they last talked to, and there
are always new ailments cropping up along with the old ones that
never seem to go away. The alien invaders, on the other hand, were
clustered in tight groups with their heads close together peering
at someone’s digital device or discussing overdue homework
assignments and “hot” members of the opposite sex.
Both of our courses that day were fairly tight and turny, at least by
our standards. By collegiate reckoning, they were probably open
and straight. The limber young racers simply stuck their feet out to
the side to clear a gate, while the older crowd was forced to heave
their entire body around the gate while still leaving a little clearance
just for good measure. I vaguely remember enjoying the cranky
sets, but now it seems that I’ve firmly embraced the “no turn is a
good turn” philosophy.
Yes, the reality is that at every phase, the young alien life-forms
have an advantage from when they hit the starting wand to the
finish. I used to be quite proud of my “cheetah pouncing on prey”
move out of the start. On this occasion, I savagely unleashed my
move at the count of “four,” but I happened to notice that I actually
hit the wand just a bit after the starter had passed “go.” The kids,
on the other hand, accelerated as if they were propelled by coiled
springs. By the second gate, they were already two seconds ahead
of me.
As I stared in disbelief at my second-run time on the scoreboard,
hopeful that it was clerical error, I wondered why there weren’t
any young whippersnappers clustered about, gloating over their
times. As I went inside, my question was answered. They were all
watching the race on digital online timing with times and rankings
neatly on display in the warmth of the clubhouse. Yes, I did feel like
a fossilized wooly mammoth.
As I surveyed the crowd after the race, I couldn’t help but wonder
why colleges are accepting so many 14-year-olds these days. It’s
a fact of life that as we get older, our perception of age becomes
warped, but 14-year-olds? Really? In our minds, our 40-year-old
children are stuck at 20, and we cling to an image of ourselves as
perpetually 20 years younger than we are. These days, just a glance
at a mirror can induce a “WHO”S THAT?” reaction. And by the way,
if we should happen to check the age of that “older” woman whom
we so admire for showing up to race every weekend, we’ll find that
she’s in a younger age class than us.
But I did enjoy the scene. With so many young and attractive
female racers at the event, masters guys could be seen strutting
around the clubhouse looking as if they were about to pass out
from holding in their bulging stomachs. And contrary to self-image,
that is about the only body part that does fill out the speed suits.
The only other protrusions are the pads sewn into the suits and, in
my case, knee braces. The suits of the young racers, on the other
hand, may be stretched tight in all the right places, but that’s no
deterrent for the older masters racers, who remain convinced that
they’re still in the hunt.
The presence of the collegians might have served as a rude
reminder that we’re not as young as we used to be, but I’m not so
sure that’s a bad thing. It’s their turn, after all. The college racers
need to realize that ski racing doesn’t have to end after college,
and that they are the future of masters ski racing. So, bring it on!
Besides, for some of us older masters racers, sucking in our gut is
about the only exercise we get.

How to handle losing Drug testing in freestyle What is Global Rescue?

Transcription

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