Breezy at the Pokal Loka!

Slovenia, the perfect race day, NOT!

I have been to Europe twice in my life both for races in the Alps, one last year for Topolino, in Italy, the other, just last week for the Pokal Loka, in Slovenia. During my stay last year in Italy we were enveloped with the beautiful mountains of the Southern Alps and crystal clear blue skies and two wins from my friend Mikaela Shiffrin to top it off. This year we first jumped into the heart of the Alps in Austria and then traveled to the western edge of the Alps in Slovenia where were fooled with perfect weather the first day, only to be swamped by fog for the races.

We began our week-long trip in Kössen, Austria where sunny skies and hard snow made for fabulous training. For the time trials we traveled about an hour to the resort of Hintereit, where the Austrians were having a shootout for Topolino, and the Japanese/Russian national teams were training.

We then traveled to Kranj Slovenia where we would stay for the races. As we rode up to Stari Vrh, and above the fog, into crystal clear skies you could feel the freedom and happiness of the place. But, to our disappointment Stari Vrh would never show this side again as the fog rose the next day—right onto our race course.

Because all 190 J4s had to run the course ahead of me, the course at my start number of 6 was the bumpiest one I have ever run. The worst part was, because of the fog, these bumps were impossible to see. After some time I had to accept that I was never going to see these bumps, I just had to know they were going to keep happening until the finish. I crossed the finish line, amazed, with the 6th fastest time.

Luckily the J4s only run a one run GS and so we no longer had to deal with the bumps of the first run. Unfortunately somehow, on the cleaner course I crashed second run, coming out of both of my bindings, landing on my face and flying at unsuspecting skiers outside of the race arena. I actually remember going under the rope, at the side of the course.

The Slalom went by with even less success with the fog even thicker and timing problems. Through these problems my head got turned around and I finished with a disappointing 24th in the first run, only to DNF in the second run as well.

The thing I learned from all of this is never set your mind on how things are going to be, never want the setting of something big to be one way too much. Life has a way of flipping you off. You have to think about whether weather or other problems are big enough to inhibit you from your goal. Good luck to all.

.)) Breezy Johnson