Home!

What a perfect homecoming!  I went up to Cannon today to find the snow in perfect condition!  It was like January skiing all over again!  The spring skiing is going to be EPIC!

2011 Nationals!!

Its been a wild ride here in the 'Boat!  The first race, the sprint classic could not have gone better!  No penalties and fast skiing led to a victory for yours truly on the opening race, after laying down the fastest second run!  The Dual Pro Slalom, in which I was the defending champion, led to a third place finish.  The elimination style knockout rounds were just a bit too much skiing for me.  The classic was my worst race of the series, a 4th place finish was less than ideal, but still okay.  I skied fast, but little mistakes on the pitch of see me led to one penalty and the second fastest time, annnnnd 4th place.  Today was the final race of the series, and the season, and although it did not end up as I had hoped, it was still a good day!  I laid down the fastest first run, no penalties, but I pulled a little slide on the snow one ski in the air one ski carving action, which is definitely not fast, and also earned me a nice little penalty, and a sub-par second run, as in not smooth, but clean, led to a second place finish by a measly .12 seconds, with a penalty.  So it could have been a win instead of a second place, but if I took away the penalty it would have been a dnf....so I am happy with the results, but not satisfied.  But if  you are ever satisfied with the results how are you ever going to get better!  2012 here we come!!

So Long Norway!

Well today was a bust...taking a squat in the wrap in the first run left me starting 39th....and a conservative second run left me 33rd...But On the bright side I am leaving Norway having made 5/6 jump lines here in Rjukan, a 10th in the GS, and some really really brilliant skiing.  So tomorrow we start the trek back to steamboat for Nationals...then...I...finally...get...to....go...hooommee! :)

ohhh ski racing...

All it took today was one little mistake yesterday and I am six or seven seconds out and in 22nd place.  The classic gs hill is so so sooo flat that one little slide out on the one and only steep section at the top of the course and thats all she wrote.  I missed the jump line, skated okay...but without the full speed coming of the top pitch I never really stood a chance.  So not my day but thats ski racing.  The field being as tight as it has been on a not so difficult course, you can't make mistakes.  Today we have a day off so I will just work on my skis and relax, maybe do a few free runs this afternoon, and watch the demo race scheduled for this afternoon, the Dual Sprint!  Shane is the lone US starter so I get to play coach for the day!  Saturday is the final race, the sprint classic, that can once again be seen live on Eurosport 2, or on the free link online shown bellow!!

Allmoosstt there!

Had a great race today, coming in 10th in the world championships GS!!  My best result this season in the biggest races this year!  It felt really good to lay down two good fast runs.  3 penalties total, but none on either jump so at least I know I can huck my meat now!  The times were all super tight, and my skiing was fast enough to be top 5....I just need to drop a few penalties tomorrow and things should be pretty sweet!  Tomorrows classic should be a long one so I'm prepping the lungs already!  Tomorrows race can again be viewed live on eurosport2, or one a variety of other places online.

www.fromsportcom.com, and its FREE!!

Rjukan!

Well, world junior champs was kind of a let down...4th in the GS.  I was kind of bummed because the speed was there in all the races, I was just getting a few too many penalties.  But I can take the good skiing away and bring it here to world championships.  We did some training on the sprint hill this morning, and free skiing and jump training on the gs/classic hill this afternoon.  Not much snow on the classic hill, but they have been trucking snow in so hopefully they can till it this evening and it will set up nicely for tomorrows GS.  The hill is super flat and rolly, so making smooth arcing turns is going to be key to win this one!

OH so close!

Laid down a couple of great runs at Hafjell today, but it was not quite good enough.  I ended up 13th after being 8th after the first run.  I missed the jump line in the second run, and that ended up being the difference between 6th, and 13th.  As well as the junior gs world championship.  I ended up 4th in that.  Kind of a bummer but at least I know I am skiing fast over here.  Tomorrow is my best discipline the SPRINT!!

Hafjell!

Well it's go time in her in Hafjell.  We had some time to train today on the race slope, including some jump training.  I feel pretty good, and ready to rock and roll tomorrow.  My skis finally feel like part of my again so I am going to go get em tomorrow morning!  GS!!

CRRAAZZY

The last couple days have been wild up here at Kvitfjell!  The alpine world cup is holding two downhills and a super g here starting on friday so all this week the "white circus"  has been pulling into town.  Needless to say we got booted from our hotel room and we are now staying in a cabin in the middle of the woods with no heat, no electricity, no running water, no beds, its quite the adventure.  Not to mention the fireplace fills the room with smoke unless all the windows and doors are open, so we are heating the place with a little woodstove...But on the bright side since the alpine world cup is here, the food has been spectacular.  We have been eating like kings.  its pretty cool to be staying in the same hotel as all the same skiing superstars that I have been watching on TV and at races.  Its nice to see them as real people without all the media and crazy fans and such, they will actually talk to you!  Tomorrow morning we are going to Hafjell for our official training day, and then friday we start racing!  Time to get after it!

Here is a little shot of...oh world cup downhill points leader Didier Cuche's DH race skis, prepped and ready to go!

New skis!!

First day of gate training on the new planks!  I feel pretty good about them!  Although they are almost identical to the old skis, they do feel quite different.  It going to take a few days to really start to feel great on them, good thing I have a week!  Hopefully they will be ready to rock for Hafjell!  Above is a photo of the risers before and after!

Jumping!!

Sigrid Rhykus invited us to do some jump training with her today in her hometown of Vinstra, a few kilometers north of Kvitfjell, on a 40m ski jump.  For me that was definetly the bigest jump that I have ever gone off of, in terms of ski jumps!  Its pretty crazy.  For people on heavy, skinny telemark skis, we were going around 30 meters, which is pretty big for a telemark jump!  It was good to do some real jump training.  I worked on fully extending and really pushing off, as well as getting my timing perfect so that I am not pre-jumping and getting maximum air time off the jump.  Felt good!  This afternoon I got to finally take a few runs on my NEW SKIS!!  They are pretty much identical in shape, radius, and stiffness, the only difference being that they are much lighter, and a little softer due to the new plate I used.  It is actually made for the NTN binding so it doesn't require the mounting plate underneath, and it hollowed out underneath to save weight, pretty awesome!  I feel really good on them, so we shall see how I ski on 'em tomorrow in training on the national slope!