Burcin's Blog: Western Jr. Championships

Number 1 J2

Hey Guys, March is always a crazy month and so far it hasn’t disappointed. I have had 7 races in March so far with many more to come.

The highlight of my March so far was the Western Junior Championship series in Schweitzer, Idaho. This series was 2 Super G’s, 2 GS’s, and 2 slaloms. This series was during the same time as J2 nationals in Mammoth, California, which was the one downfall. I qualified for J2 nationals, however my coaches and I decided I would be better off going to the Idaho series for a couple reasons. The main one was that I could get 4 tech races at Schweitzer instead of 2 at Mammoth. It was a tough decision because J2 nationals is a really fun event but I think we made the right choice because I had a great series in Idaho.

The first races were the Super G’s, which isn’t my best event but I had 2 solid races. The first one I scored a 92 and the second one I scored an 84. It was really nice to get two Super G scores in 2 days! The next races were GS and I had two solid races again. The first day I ended up 21st, 4th for j2s, scoring a 61. The second day I ended up 12th, 4th again for j2s, scoring a 53. The 53 is my lowest score so far in my FIS career, which was pretty cool. To end the series there were 2 slaloms. My good race streak ended in the first slalom in which I DNFed first run. However I made up for it the second day coming in 17th, 2nd for j2s, scoring a 58. With all those good results, I ended up winning the overall j2 for the series, which was a good bonus.

Overall, it was a really fun series with some great races! However, coming back to the east coast was not as fun. It is warming up fast and the snow isn’t faring well. I had an Eastern Cup GS race at Stowe, Vermont today but it was canceled due to extremely soft snow and fog. It was a real bummer but there is another GS tomorrow and hopefully they can get it off! After these Eastern Cup GS races, I have 2 Eastern Cup slaloms at Waterville, New Hampshire on Sunday and Monday. It is suppose to get up to around 70 on these days so the races could get pretty interesting!

To end my season, I will be heading off to Panorama, British Columbia for a FIS series similar to the one in Idaho, 2 Super G’s, 2 GS’s, and 2 slaloms. It should be some great opportunities to end my season on a high note. As of right now, I have 57 slalom points, 57 GS points, and 88 Super G points, but I am looking to lower those some more before seasons end.

Good luck to all the SRD racers and have a great end to the season! Lets hope the snow lasts!

.)) Kyle Burcin

Whiteface NJR Series

Just came back from the NJR series at Whiteface. We were suppose to have 2 SG, a GS and SL, but due to a foot of accumulating snow the SG's were cancelled. And ironically the two days after that were well over 50 degrees.

The SL was a bit interesting, my bib was 30 and conditions weren't great. I made a pretty big mistake on the flats and pretty much wrecked my run, but I ended up in 29th. I took advantage of the early start for the second run and came in 12th, only a second out from the leader. I was really happy that I skied like myself that second run.

I have one day of rest and then sending it up two race two GS and SL races up at Sunday River and then two SG's at Attitash.

.)) Kazui Kusumi

Off to the Junior Nationals for Molly Leavens!

I have been racing for the past two weekends. Two weekends ago, I was in McCall, Idaho for the J3 Super G qualifier. It was also a qualifier for J1 and J2 Western Regions so older girls were competing as well.

The week before the race, I fell during slalom training and hurt my thumb. I got a brace for it, but I was not able to tuck when I had it on so I had to ski with only one pole. For races, it is required to start with two poles but you can finish with only one. So I ended up standing in the start with two poles but when I pushed off, I simply dropped my left one then skied the rest of the course with only my right.

We had spent so much time on jump training that I was sad to see the already small first jump cut down and no second jump. It had been snowing and was snowing for most of the weekend at McCall so the surface was very soft. In my training run, I got caught in the soft stuff and went tumbling through the next gate. Luckily, I walked out injury free. On my first race, I was having a really good run but right before the finish I slid out and had to loop back up the hill to make the gate. Even with the mistake, I managed a third place for J3s.

On my second race, I placed third again for J3s and fourth overall. On the third and final race, I wore a smaller (but less protective) brace for my thumb so I could hold two poles for the entire course. In this race, I was only three-tenths out of the lead for both J3s and overall. Last weekend we had our last J3 qualifier at Snowbird. It was two days of slalom. It dumped the few days before the race but Snowbird pushed off almost all the new snow and found a solid base underneath. On Saturday, I was bib number 1! I have been in the seed for all my races as a J3 but I have never run first, so I was very excited. I had a very strong first run that put me three and a half seconds in the lead. On my second run, I used this lead to my advantage and skied conservatively. I slid out on the second pitch but was still able to win the run by over a second. Both runs put together, I was almost five seconds in front of second place!

My teammate (who also skis on Head) won as well, so it was awesome that the Head rep was there to witness the double win. On Sunday, my first run would be best characterized by incredible recoveries. It was not very clean and I was lucky I crossed the finish line. It put me three tenths behind the lead. On my second run, I slid out again (this time on the first pitch). I was so frustrated with this mess-up that for the rest of the way down, I subconsciously tried to cut off the line so I went straight at the gate then jammed after. When looking at the video from the bottom section, I could barely recognize myself. Since the racer that was sitting in third after first run fell, I still managed a second. Yesterday was my first day back on snow after the race and misfortune struck. I was running to the gym next to my friend when he suddenly cut to the side to avoid someone. I tried to avoid him but instead twisted my ankle and ended up taking us both down. I have been icing it but it is still not weight bearing.

This is my second year in a row I have hurt myself a week before JOs so I hope I can heal up quickly!

 .)) Molly Leavens

Le News from LeBlanc: Crested Butte Prater Cup

Team LeBlanc at Crested Butte

Hello everyone, I just had one of the most important races of the season. Last weekend I went to Crested Butte Colorado for the Prater Cup (J4 Junior Championship Qualifier).

The Super-G was very slow and flat. We first came out of the gate directly on to a pretty steep pitch. After the first pitch, we had to carry our speed and go uphill. After the uphill section, it became flat for about three gates. Then it dropped over another face for about three gates. It continued on to more flats. Next, the course came on to a catwalk for five gates. I thought I was going one mile per hour. After the catwalk, a big sweeping delay came up around a bank. The course then dropped off on to an intermediate pitch for about ten gates to the finish. The GS was basically the same but with out the first pitch and the uphill section onto the flats. The slalom went down the last intermediate pitch.

Overall in this race, I didn't finish very well, mostly because of how small I am with all the flats. In the Super-G I got 13th. In the GS first run I got 16th. In the GS second run I got 9th. In the slalom first run I got 8th. And in the second run slalom I was having one of the best runs of my life until I got to the eighth gate from the bottom and a gate came quick and through me off guard sending me out of the course.

The race ended up taking my two best finishes, 8th and 9th. They then took those places and seeded me. I was in the 3rd seed. That means that at Junior Championships I will get to run between 16th and 24th. I guess it is a pretty good start. I also think I will do better at Junior Championships than I did at the qualifier because Steamboat Springs (the location of the Junior Championships), is a steeper and more challenging hill than Crested Butte.

Stay tuned. I will get back to you after the Junior Championships.

 .)) Gus LeBlanc

Snow King and Jackson Hole!

Corbet's Couloir at Jackson Hole

Talk about a season, wow. Here we are at the end of February, beginning of March and the season is basically almost done!

February was my time of the month to chill out a little, go to some local races and rest up before the championship season. However, I think I did more powder skiing than resting/racing combined! I attended a USSA GS race at Mission at the beginning of February, followed by a FIS Northwest Cup race at Mt Hood. Winning both of those races, i felt very confident for the J2 National Qualifier at Snow King, WY where i met up with fellow SRD teammate Breezy Johnson! Snow King was fun and a really well pulled off race, as usual. The day before the race i even got to spend a day at Jackson Hole Ski Resort where my teammate, Linnea Baysinger and I skied Corbet's Couloir with our coach! (Thats me in the entrance to Corbet's in the picture, about to drop in)!

I skied very well at Snow King -finishing 1st for my age group 2/4 days, and unfortunately not finishing the other two days. Snow King really put me in a good mood, and a confident, yet humble mind set for J2 Nationals. All in all, Jackson Hole was my favorite race this year because i also got to meet up with lot of good friends of mine including Hannah Young.

Alongside all this local(ish) racing, i have been attending a much school as possible, and powder skiing a lot. Our mountain, Alpental, is ranked 2nd in the nations (i believe) for having a snow base of 206 inches, right behind Mt. Baker in Bellingham, WA with 244 inches! My brother and i have been skiing the backcountry of Alpental as much as we can, and i am not complaining!

In the upcoming weeks i'll be on my way to Mammoth Mt, CA for J2 Nationals, and afterward going to the Tech races for NorAm Finals up in Quebec, Canada -where i can use my french again! As always, think snow!!

.)) Anna Mounsey

Just Breezin': Off to Mammoth!

Well here we are. Back around to the beginning of the end. It’s all out now to the finish line—literally.

March starts the cluster of races leading to the end of the season. J2 Nationals, Western Region Champs, U.S. Nationals, Junior Championships, Spring Series, Nor-Am finals, World Juniors. We all start to look towards the end of the season in nervous anticipation of “those races.” We have done the work but will it be enough? Do we have what it takes when the cards are down and the stakes are high? Those butterflies that start to show up about now begin to eat at you so often you might find yourself holding your stomach in Biology. Yes, I know the feeling. Ski racers have short seasons, miniscule compared to other sports, which means that these races are even more important. We don’t have biannual state finals; We get only one shot.

So I am off to J2 Nats next week and I feel those butterflies. Most are good but I can feel them slowly building. With a close-knit group of kids and 1 week devoted to racing it should be fun. That never stopped those butterflies though, and I anticipate almost everyone on the West team will have them. Competition will be good and everyone’s been getting ready all season. It’s time for Nationals. See you in Mammoth…

 .)) Breezy Johnson

Racing, Forerunning, and Jumping!

Since my last blog, my skiing can be summed up in three words: racing, jumping and forerunning. Two weekends ago, I had my GS qualifier at Park City. Then I spent the week doing super G flight training and then I had a weekend of forerunning.

Going into the GS race, I did not have any GS qualification points for JOs and as it is a seeded race, I needed to finish both days. The sun was shining and, below a few inches of soft snow from a previous snowfall, there was a firm layer perfect for racing. On Saturday, with the finish line my only goal, I had a very conservative yet clean first run. On second run however, I hit an ice patch on the pitch and slid out. I tried to make a turn up hill and still make the gate, but instead got caught in the soft snow that had been slipped off the main track and ended up falling down even farther. Determined to finish, I made the mistake of hiking the steepest part of the hill. I later found out that by the time I had finally horseshoed the gate, the next racer was only two gates behind me. The turn was blind so neither of us had any way of knowing. Luckily, I skied the bottom section very well so by the time we finished, I was quite a few gates in front. I had lost the chance to place in the top seed, and if I did not finish Sunday, I would be starting in the 90s. With not an ounce of aggression, on Sunday I put together two solid runs that left me in third.

We spent the week after the GS race super G free skiing and jumping. The jumps in McCall are small and although a race is never won at a jump, it can certainly be lost there. Feeling comfortable in the air is necessary to being mentally prepared for race day. If you are skiing the entire course worrying about the jumps, chances are you are not skiing very well. I have never been an incredible jumper but I have never been too fearful of flight either. However, this year, something clicked in my fight training. In just a few jumps, I went from soaring through the air like a starfish to a confident jumper with incredible technique and timing. I have been taking a sports psychology class with my ski team. I have been trying various mental approaches to skiing and seeing how they turn out. One that has proven to work well is saying a mantra out loud while I ski or I am in the start gate. These can vary from ‘hips forward’ to ‘quick transitions’. Saying these words helps block out all other thoughts. If I just concentrate on one thing, muscle memory and my natural ability to ski take care of the rest. The game changer in my jumping skills was saying ‘stay tight’. If all I think about is staying compact in the air, everything else comes naturally. Having the confidence to get big air is definitely a skill that will come in handy.

I finished the week by forerunning for the South Series held at Park City. It felt so good to take a break from training and just have fun. There is no better way to spend a Saturday than to run a tight, 30-second slalom with 25mm gates and no nerves or other race day stress.

 .)) Molly Leavens

Burcin's Blog: Suicide Six!

Hey Guys, It’s that time of year where the schedule is packed with races. Since the last time I blogged a little less than two weeks ago, I have had 2 slalom races, 2 GS races, 2 downhill training runs, and 2 downhill races. It has been busy but it is my favorite time of the year because I get to do what I love, to race! Anyway here are some of the highlights from those races.

First, I raced a USSA slalom race at Suicide Six, Vermont as a little fun race before I went to speed week in Sugarloaf, Maine the next week. I had two solid runs and came in second overall, first for J-2’s. Then, I went to speed week in Sugarloaf for 5 days of speed.

The first day was a sort of warm up camp with 4 different speed “stations”. The first two stations were jumps, the third station was a wave track, and the final station was a glide course. It was a great way to get back on downhill skis since we rarely get on downhill skis in the east. The rest of the week, we got 2 training runs and 2 race runs. I was pretty consistent throughout the runs, coming in the mid-20’s almost all of the runs. I was pretty happy with that since I am more of a tech skier, however I love to run speed.

After speed week, I raced the fisk cup, the oldest FIS race in the US. It is slalom at Suicide Six, Vermont, which always has a stacked field. I didn’t have a great day but it was a really fun race and I got to see some really fast skiing. Most recently, I had two FIS GS races at Whiteface, New York. The first day, I had a little trouble my first run but made some of it back on my second run and finished in 14th. The second day, I tried to ski really aggressive and unfortunately couldn’t hang on and DNFed. Next, I am off to Stratton, Vermont for a 3-day series with 1 GS and 2 slalom races. I have had a few good days of training and I am really looking forward to going fast in these races!

Good luck to everyone the rest of the season!

 .)) Kyle Burcin

Just Kidding: First NorAm's!

HEY SRD! Wow my season started out to a bad start but it just keeps getting better and better and better! lately I was just in Winter Park for speed week. It was a really great experience and it boosted my confidence in speed some more! On the first day of the Downhill race I had a pretty good result with 2nd for j2's (and I don't remember overall), and on the second day I got 4th place overall and 1st for j2's!!! :) Later that week we had Super G, the first day of the Super G race got canceled because we had too much snow but we got in some sick powder skiing! The following day we raced both Super G's, in the first Super G race I finished 2nd for j2's, and in the second Super G race I finished 3rd for j2's.

Last week I went to my very first NorAm race! This was a news flash. Although the race was really fun! I started last and second to last every race although it really wasn't to bad because they kept the course in considerably really good shape! The first gs I did not finish but the second one I think I finished some where in the bottom 10 but top 5 for j2's.. and I only raced one day of sl but I scored NorAm points!!! WHOOO!
 
I have now qualified 3/7 of the automatics for j2 nationals! So I'm looking forward to going down to Mammoth, California in a few weeks!

.)) Serina Kidd

Passing Lane: First Downhill!

Wow it has been crazy! Where to begin… In January I left for Schweitzer Idaho, for the J2 national speed qualifiers. The trip was lots of fun and we had good weather. I was not thrilled with my results, but had to remind myself, it was my first DH race ever, and I had only been on my skis one time before racing.

After Schweitzer, I met my Chilean ski team friends for a quick week of training in Vail. It was great speaking Spanish again, and finally training for a short block. I was super happy with the way my training was progressing and felt I improved a ton while there. After Vail I headed to the Utah Tech series.

The girls raced GS at Park City the first two days and then went to Snowbird for Slalom. There were so many great racers, and it was fun watching all the college skiers rip up the hill.

Finally I returned home after 3 weeks. It was nice to see my family again, and my teachers were happy I was at school for a few days. Last weekend we had the annual Alyeska Cup races. I was only able to race 2 of the 4 races, a GS and one SL race. In the GS race, first run I got wide and came to almost a complete stop, but was forth on the run with 3 of the UAA college racers ahead of me. Second run I maintained my place, and my time was closer to theirs.

This week we have the college races at my home mountain and I am looking forward to skiing fast!

.)) Jordan Lane

SNOW- Fia Report: Snowbasin Races

Hello everyone! Hope all of you have had some great skiing lately just like I have! Last weekend I had a G.S. race at Snowbasin and I did pretty well in it! On the first day of the race, I won by more than two seconds!

The second day, I was having a great first run until I came onto the pitch and I didn't have my pressure on the downhill foot and my ski rattled off, but on the second run I had the crash of my life! It was pretty insane, my outside ski came off which sent me flying into the gate(which I took out), then my ski flew super high, and I rolled out of it pretty hard!

That's what happens in ski racing and it's life, although I learned a lot out of this race. I'm really looking forward to the next race at Park City and I'm hoping to do really well in it! Arc IT!

.)) Sofia Yubero

LeBlanc's Le Blog: Back on the Podium!

Hello Everyone, I have been through some great races these past few weeks. Overall I came out with some great results. Two weekends ago, I had my first Super-G race ever! I ended up pretty well. As a first year J4, I got 5th, 4th and my last race I was coming out of the start and caught an edge and fell. Then I got back up and finished the race ending up 10th overall. The race that I got 4th I started 103rd, and missed the podium by only four hundredths! Anyway that was a really exciting week!

This weekend I had a pretty intense SL race in Winter Park. We had four runs. My first run I felt fast but just a little conservative. I ended up 5th in that race. My second race I skied kind of the same way, but wasn't very conservative. I ended up 6th in that one.

The next day on the first run I laid one down. I ripped it and let everything out. That run I got my first podium of the year, 3rd! I was so excited. After that run I was so pumped up so I let it all out again! I ran 15th to last on my this run. I rocked it. When I came into the delay, I got a little late, then hit a rut, then started to hip check. Right as I was about to go down, I pressured my ski and shot right back up. I didn't loose much time. I kept charging the rest of the run. I ended up getting 5th.

I was happy about my whole weekend and was proud to be promoting SRD!

.)) Gus LeBlanc