Duct Tape Saves the Day!

Last weekend I had a USCSA race in Winter Park on the same hill as my tech qualifiers will be held on. I have never had a very good race there before so I was ready to put an end to that.

I woke up on Saturday ready for the two run GS race. When I opened the curtains of my hotel room I saw 6-9 in of new snow. When we got up there the course was covered in snow, and it was cold. My first run of GS was really snowy and powdery. The visibility was terrible I couldn’t differ the horizon from the sky. All I could see were gates no snow or terrain. Out of the gate I could tell it wasn’t going to be a good run. As the pitch got steeper I got later. Then on the 10th gate I hit either a rut or a pile of powder, witch launcher me out of my skis and through the panel. So that day was over.

But the next day was slalom. I had been skiing slalom really well in training, so I was pumped. I was starting at 18 which is a good start from the field of 112 people. Once again it snowed a lot. So the start was delayed and I was able to get extra inspections.

My first run was off to a bad start, a course worker was in the course at the third gate. That threw me off my line. Then at the bottom I pole planted on top of my outside ski and in turn I was forced way low and I scrubbed all my speed right before the finish line. I was in 7th over all and 4th for j3s. I was still not too far out and I had a chance if I could pull off a good run. At the start of the second run I realized that the straps of my shin guard had broken off. So the guy ahead of me was in the start and I was trying to find duct tape. Right as he left I found some tape, so I was a bit flustered and distracted but I was ready.

Unfortunately I straddled one of the last gates. So I was out both races. An unsuccessful weekend at Winter Park.

Back at Aspen I had one day of school when Tuesday was a snow day! It was the first snow day in 3 years. So I got together with 4 of my friends so we could hit the slopes for an incredible powder day. It was a great day. The snow was really deep and it just kept dumping on us. By far the best powder day of the year. Every run we took we found some untracked snow. The highlight of the day was near the end when one of my friends and I started to do back flips, it was really fun.

Then today on Thursday the women’s NorAm cup came to Aspen Colorado for the second time this year. This time it is speed. And I was lucky enough to fore run the super combined. In the Super-G part we got to go over Aztec an incredibly steep pitch on the downhill course. The women weren’t allowed to even run over it till a few years ago. The pitch goes from about 5 degrees to 40 degrees in 20 feet. It is very intense. I was fore runner A so I got to go down first. It was the scariest run of my life, and the most fun so far. It was super steep and fast.

It was a great opportunity and was super fun (beats school). I was glad to be across the finish line, safe and not broken. In the after noon was the slalom portion of the day I was exited after having a good Super-G. After inspection could tell the course was my type, long and difficult. So I was ready to rock it. When I came down I could tell I put a good run down, one little bobble but it was nothing big. I hiked up to the timing hut to get my time and laid down a 47.77, I thought it was pretty good. I watched all the best people go (some of them are on the US and Canadian C teams.) To my surprise the fastest time was a 48.38, 6 tenths behind me, and the next after that was a 49.38. so I won a slalom run of a NorAm.

.)) Andrew Hancock