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