Saturday, October 20, 2018
Just About Time
It's mid-October, the snow is falling in the Rockies and Maine, schedules are starting to come out so that can only mean one thing - winter is just around the corner. It's another season where UMF has a new snowboard coach so change is in the air again. I've been looking at race schedules, trying to pull them together in one place but the ones we need aren't all out yet. Someone needs to get her snowboard into the shop for a tune up before it's time to hit the slopes. The snow sports teams have been having meetings and started working out in the gym. The time is getting close!
Friday, March 30, 2018
NorAm/Hole Shot Race, Day 2 and USASA/NorAm Practice
So yesterday was kind of a bummer day. Whitney was faster in her first time trial than she had been on Wednesday but fell in her second one which pretty much took her out. She was super frustrated and disappointed. I spent the day in the lodge again, listening to 80s music and eavesdropping on whatever conversations I could.
It was another snowy day with the sun popping in and out. We drove over to Copper in quite the snowfall. Friends already here said it was supposed to be a dusting to maybe half an inch but it was quite a bit more than that. We got checked into our condo and it's the same one we had last year. Whitney was excited because she said the sofa bed was comfortable. Maybe I should have called dibs and let her have the privacy of the bedroom since the bed in there is too soft. Oh well.
One issue we've run into is the rental car. I'm hating having one right now. I need gas, badly, but the nozzle at the station is too big for the car and you have to use a funnel, which of course the car doesn't come with. When I called Hertz they said that the gas station should have one although I have my doubts. And it's not like there's a lot of options here for gas, only one station near Copper and I don't have enough gas to go driving around to find a different one. I may have to call them back and have them send gas since I definitely don't have enough to get to Denver. So stinking frustrating!
Today Whitney checked in at registration, met up with Chad and they went off to practice. It was another frustrating day; for some reason she wasn't able to put into action stuff she knew how to do. After a lunch break they went off again to work on timing and also I think do some fun riding. She came back hot and tired. We went to see if we could put gas in the car (which resulted in the call to Hertz to find out about the necessity of a funnel) then walked to Starbucks then to the other side of Copper for dinner.
I'm so thankful for the Massanutten team that although Whitney hasn't ridden with them in three years that they still invite us to stuff and keep us around. Of course it was pointed out tonight when they were taking the group picture that I was the one that started all this mess. True, yes, but I was just supporting my daughter. Anyway now that there's a bigger group coming out they do team meals and invite us to join them. Tonight was Brunswick stew, which was really good. It was good for Whitney to hang out with "her boys," laugh with them, relax, and chat with the other coaches that came up. One was on the team and also coached when she was still on it and the other one she competed against at USCSA Nationals. There was a quick team meeting after dinner that had to do with tomorrow's practice schedule then we were off.
It was another snowy day with the sun popping in and out. We drove over to Copper in quite the snowfall. Friends already here said it was supposed to be a dusting to maybe half an inch but it was quite a bit more than that. We got checked into our condo and it's the same one we had last year. Whitney was excited because she said the sofa bed was comfortable. Maybe I should have called dibs and let her have the privacy of the bedroom since the bed in there is too soft. Oh well.
One issue we've run into is the rental car. I'm hating having one right now. I need gas, badly, but the nozzle at the station is too big for the car and you have to use a funnel, which of course the car doesn't come with. When I called Hertz they said that the gas station should have one although I have my doubts. And it's not like there's a lot of options here for gas, only one station near Copper and I don't have enough gas to go driving around to find a different one. I may have to call them back and have them send gas since I definitely don't have enough to get to Denver. So stinking frustrating!
Today Whitney checked in at registration, met up with Chad and they went off to practice. It was another frustrating day; for some reason she wasn't able to put into action stuff she knew how to do. After a lunch break they went off again to work on timing and also I think do some fun riding. She came back hot and tired. We went to see if we could put gas in the car (which resulted in the call to Hertz to find out about the necessity of a funnel) then walked to Starbucks then to the other side of Copper for dinner.
I'm so thankful for the Massanutten team that although Whitney hasn't ridden with them in three years that they still invite us to stuff and keep us around. Of course it was pointed out tonight when they were taking the group picture that I was the one that started all this mess. True, yes, but I was just supporting my daughter. Anyway now that there's a bigger group coming out they do team meals and invite us to join them. Tonight was Brunswick stew, which was really good. It was good for Whitney to hang out with "her boys," laugh with them, relax, and chat with the other coaches that came up. One was on the team and also coached when she was still on it and the other one she competed against at USCSA Nationals. There was a quick team meeting after dinner that had to do with tomorrow's practice schedule then we were off.
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
NorAm/Hole Shot Race Day 1
Today is the first race. We found out at the team captain's meeting yesterday that there are 33 women snowboarders and they're cutting the field to 16. Whitney falls squarely in the middle so she has a good chance of making the cut. They said they are following World Cup rules which means two time trial runs and they'll take the best time for each rider, rank them and take the top 16.
It snowed off and all day, sometimes so hard that you couldn't see the course from the lodge at all. The sun was also intermittently out. And the wind was crazy for a while. Quite the interesting weather day. I think by the end of it we got 3-4" of snow. The good news was that the roads were fine for us, a bit snow covered, in places just wet and I'm glad we weren't headed elsewhere. I heard a couple of people saying that one of the passes was closed but I'm not sure if it was the one on Rt. 24 or one of the ones on I70. I don't think it was the one on 24 because there was a long line of traffic that we joined when we left the ski resort.
Whitney ended up 30th. Not her best showing but considering the lack of true coaching she's had this season she was ok with it. She rode well just needed to be a bit faster. At least the course shouldn't change between today and tomorrow. We hope.
After we got back to town she was starving (no surprise to this mom) so she changed and we went to Periodic Brewing, touted as the world's highest craft brewery. The beer was good, the food ok. After we went to check one more thing of Whitney's Colorado bucket list and walked up to the train station. They have scenic rides in the summer/fall so we missed out on that but there's an old brick station and a huge locomotive in the yard. We took a few pictures in the falling snow then wandered back to the apartment to pack and get her board waxed for tomorrow's race.
It snowed off and all day, sometimes so hard that you couldn't see the course from the lodge at all. The sun was also intermittently out. And the wind was crazy for a while. Quite the interesting weather day. I think by the end of it we got 3-4" of snow. The good news was that the roads were fine for us, a bit snow covered, in places just wet and I'm glad we weren't headed elsewhere. I heard a couple of people saying that one of the passes was closed but I'm not sure if it was the one on Rt. 24 or one of the ones on I70. I don't think it was the one on 24 because there was a long line of traffic that we joined when we left the ski resort.
Whitney ended up 30th. Not her best showing but considering the lack of true coaching she's had this season she was ok with it. She rode well just needed to be a bit faster. At least the course shouldn't change between today and tomorrow. We hope.
After we got back to town she was starving (no surprise to this mom) so she changed and we went to Periodic Brewing, touted as the world's highest craft brewery. The beer was good, the food ok. After we went to check one more thing of Whitney's Colorado bucket list and walked up to the train station. They have scenic rides in the summer/fall so we missed out on that but there's an old brick station and a huge locomotive in the yard. We took a few pictures in the falling snow then wandered back to the apartment to pack and get her board waxed for tomorrow's race.
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Practice Day 2
Today was a frustrating day at practice. Whitney had one run, just about got the start down when they said they were changing the start. By the end of practice they had decided to tweak the start again. I also heard something about changes to the finish but I'm not sure about if that was done. Again it was good to have a good coach with her. Chad really helped her figure out the best lines on the course and how to get over the difficult elements. Although all the changes were frustrating overall it was a good day.
We got about an inch of snow overnight, not nearly what they were calling for (which was fine with me). Over at Ski Cooper they got about the same so it didn't really do much to the course. It was just enough to cover the roads and look pretty. I was lamenting that rental cars in Colorado should come with an ice scraper or snow brush but this was a super dry, light, fluffy snow so it easily brushed off the car this morning. After I got Whitney dropped off I came back and decided to poke around Leadville a bit more. Our house is just a block off the main street so everything is in easy walking distance. I was waiting to cross a street and decided to pop into a shop that was on the corner. Turns out it was an artist's collective and they had some really cool stuff. If money and packing space were no problem I probably would have bought more. As it was I bought some Christmas presents and a sticker for Whitney. I saw a few other things I liked but space to get them home was a problem. I walked further down the street, most of the way, again then came back down the other side. We had seen a pillow in a window that we liked shaped like mountains but the store wasn't open today. I think Tuesdays are a generally decided upon day to be closed; quite a few stores are closed on Tuesday and Wednesday here.
After we got back from Ski Cooper Whitney changed and we went for a drive. We went back down 24 past Ski Cooper and all the way to I70. It was a super pretty drive, up and over mountains. There was snow falling in places, the sun was peeking out and lighting up tops of mountains. We came across and old abandoned mining town on the side of a mountain. There were a bunch of colorful houses in the open and a bunch more in the trees on the other side of the mine. The houses looked to have been built relatively recently (late 20th century) but they were definitely abandoned as none of them had windows including the main mine building. I was hoping to get some pictures of Mt. Massive and the range along 24 where it's wide open but the clouds and snow were low hanging today. This morning it was the clouds and it was gray anyway, this afternoon the sun was out but the clouds and snow were also around on the mountains. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for pictures.
We got about an inch of snow overnight, not nearly what they were calling for (which was fine with me). Over at Ski Cooper they got about the same so it didn't really do much to the course. It was just enough to cover the roads and look pretty. I was lamenting that rental cars in Colorado should come with an ice scraper or snow brush but this was a super dry, light, fluffy snow so it easily brushed off the car this morning. After I got Whitney dropped off I came back and decided to poke around Leadville a bit more. Our house is just a block off the main street so everything is in easy walking distance. I was waiting to cross a street and decided to pop into a shop that was on the corner. Turns out it was an artist's collective and they had some really cool stuff. If money and packing space were no problem I probably would have bought more. As it was I bought some Christmas presents and a sticker for Whitney. I saw a few other things I liked but space to get them home was a problem. I walked further down the street, most of the way, again then came back down the other side. We had seen a pillow in a window that we liked shaped like mountains but the store wasn't open today. I think Tuesdays are a generally decided upon day to be closed; quite a few stores are closed on Tuesday and Wednesday here.
After we got back from Ski Cooper Whitney changed and we went for a drive. We went back down 24 past Ski Cooper and all the way to I70. It was a super pretty drive, up and over mountains. There was snow falling in places, the sun was peeking out and lighting up tops of mountains. We came across and old abandoned mining town on the side of a mountain. There were a bunch of colorful houses in the open and a bunch more in the trees on the other side of the mine. The houses looked to have been built relatively recently (late 20th century) but they were definitely abandoned as none of them had windows including the main mine building. I was hoping to get some pictures of Mt. Massive and the range along 24 where it's wide open but the clouds and snow were low hanging today. This morning it was the clouds and it was gray anyway, this afternoon the sun was out but the clouds and snow were also around on the mountains. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for pictures.
Monday, March 26, 2018
NorAm Practice Day and Leadville
Today was a practice day at Ski Cooper for the NorAm races. They kind of last minute changed the practice schedule and instead of having separate ski and snowboard practices had one combined practice. Whitney's guess was that either the snow wasn't that good or that there weren't that many competitors and it sounds like both were correct. She said there were only 12 women snowboarders, probably more men but more skiers (which is actually kind of weird, there's usually more snowboarders than skiers). The snow isn't that deep at Ski Cooper either; she said they didn't use the longer stakes for the gates because they would have been going into the dirt and they call practice early because of the conditions. We're supposed to get snow tonight (perhaps up to 8") which will help and will also totally change how the course rides.
Whitney said that the practice went well. She was happy to have a good coach along to work with her. The only thing she's having trouble with is at the start. There's an element that she can't quite get over; she can't get a strong enough pull out of the start to get the energy she needs to get over it easily. She wasn't the only one struggling with that element. She's good with the rest of the course and is excited about it. The first race is Wednesday, we'll see how it goes.
After she got back she rested for a bit, had a snack, showered, then we wandered around Leadville. It's an interesting town and Whitney hit it on the nose when she said that it reminded her of towns we saw in Alaska, a mix of Wild West and mountain town. A good portion of the downtown is designated a National Historic Landmark District. There's an original saloon still standing and many other "newer" but still very old buildings. Many of the homes right off the downtown strip are small Victorians, some have interesting paint jobs. We walked all the way through town, it's not really that big. There's mix of shops and restaurants, a few touristy type shops but not over the top. We had to stop several times to take pictures. Some were of the mountains that surround Leadville, some were of the murals that are on some of the walls in town, some were of the quirky finds in the store front windows. We picked up a few souvenirs to take home, just need to figure out space for them.
We'll have to see what tomorrow brings. We're under a winter storm watch but it's not snowing yet. That will make things interesting on the course (our Air B-n-B host assures me that the roads will be fine). I'll drop Whitney off in the morning then I may wander around Leadville again. Or not. Depends on the weather in the morning.
Whitney said that the practice went well. She was happy to have a good coach along to work with her. The only thing she's having trouble with is at the start. There's an element that she can't quite get over; she can't get a strong enough pull out of the start to get the energy she needs to get over it easily. She wasn't the only one struggling with that element. She's good with the rest of the course and is excited about it. The first race is Wednesday, we'll see how it goes.
After she got back she rested for a bit, had a snack, showered, then we wandered around Leadville. It's an interesting town and Whitney hit it on the nose when she said that it reminded her of towns we saw in Alaska, a mix of Wild West and mountain town. A good portion of the downtown is designated a National Historic Landmark District. There's an original saloon still standing and many other "newer" but still very old buildings. Many of the homes right off the downtown strip are small Victorians, some have interesting paint jobs. We walked all the way through town, it's not really that big. There's mix of shops and restaurants, a few touristy type shops but not over the top. We had to stop several times to take pictures. Some were of the mountains that surround Leadville, some were of the murals that are on some of the walls in town, some were of the quirky finds in the store front windows. We picked up a few souvenirs to take home, just need to figure out space for them.
We'll have to see what tomorrow brings. We're under a winter storm watch but it's not snowing yet. That will make things interesting on the course (our Air B-n-B host assures me that the roads will be fine). I'll drop Whitney off in the morning then I may wander around Leadville again. Or not. Depends on the weather in the morning.
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Colorado Time!
After much dilly-dallying I got busy and packed yesterday afternoon. This morning was go time; we were off to the airport early (but not too early) and I'm glad we were. The lines at Southwest were short but the security lines were long. We still had a bit of time to wait but at an airport like Dulles it's always good to get there early. We had an uneventful trip to Atlanta and pulled up to a gate next to our next flight which was good since we had 10 minutes. No time for a Starbucks run or a food run. Not much time for a pit stop either. Then a mostly uneventful flight to Denver although the descent was rather choppy (started getting a headache and feeling a bit queasy). Then it was off to get the rental car and head into the mountains. Driving 70West from Denver is so pretty, especially when there's snow on the mountains.
We are headed to Leadville for the first part of our trip, which meant getting off at the Copper exit and waving from the car at our friends who are already there. After you pass Copper, there's nothing but mountains, snow, and sky for miles. There was honestly nothing. I'm glad the sun was still up when we got to Leadville. It's an old mining town, lots of Victorian homes and a typical mining town main street. There's not really much here. Looking around the area is surrounded by snowcapped mountains, I can't wait to see more tomorrow. I'll be interested to check out Ski Cooper tomorrow.
We are headed to Leadville for the first part of our trip, which meant getting off at the Copper exit and waving from the car at our friends who are already there. After you pass Copper, there's nothing but mountains, snow, and sky for miles. There was honestly nothing. I'm glad the sun was still up when we got to Leadville. It's an old mining town, lots of Victorian homes and a typical mining town main street. There's not really much here. Looking around the area is surrounded by snowcapped mountains, I can't wait to see more tomorrow. I'll be interested to check out Ski Cooper tomorrow.
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Almost Time for Colorado!!
I always have mixed feelings about our trip to Colorado. On the one hand, it's Colorado, it's beautiful. It's the culmination of all of Whitney's hard work for the season, the high point of the year. On the other, it means the end of winter and the snowboarding season. But when I get back from Colorado I'm ready for winter to be over, for spring to come, and the warm weather to move in (hammock weather is the best!). I do enjoy our trips to Colorado, I just wish Bob was able to come with us.
Whitney is flying home tomorrow night then we head west on Sunday. She's got a couple of NorAm/Hole Shot races the first part of the week at Ski Cooper then we head to Copper (yes, it's very confusing) for USASA Nationals. That will be fun. She'll get to see a bunch of her Massanutten friends and hand out with them, we'll see some Appalachian Series friends. USASA Nationals is always a fun time with the parade, vendors over the weekend, friends, racing. Now that she's racing open class you never know who will be up in the start corral with her. One year Alex Deibold was there racing and there's been other "big" names there.
The races at Ski Cooper will be interesting. I saw a Hole Shot post last night on Facebook saying that the course build was coming along but because of the snow conditions it would be more of a sprint race. Whitney has never done one of those but I don't think that's a big deal, she's usually pretty fast when she's riding with other racers. USASA posted a graphic of the design for their course and it looks good. The two ski resorts are only about 45 minutes apart so it's interesting that Ski Cooper is having snow issues. The races there were postponed from January when they didn't have enough snow; I'm just glad they're going off now.
Time to start thinking about packing, buying snacks for Whitney (and the boys). All the reservations are made, we've got coaching lined up, so I think she's good to go.
Whitney is flying home tomorrow night then we head west on Sunday. She's got a couple of NorAm/Hole Shot races the first part of the week at Ski Cooper then we head to Copper (yes, it's very confusing) for USASA Nationals. That will be fun. She'll get to see a bunch of her Massanutten friends and hand out with them, we'll see some Appalachian Series friends. USASA Nationals is always a fun time with the parade, vendors over the weekend, friends, racing. Now that she's racing open class you never know who will be up in the start corral with her. One year Alex Deibold was there racing and there's been other "big" names there.
The races at Ski Cooper will be interesting. I saw a Hole Shot post last night on Facebook saying that the course build was coming along but because of the snow conditions it would be more of a sprint race. Whitney has never done one of those but I don't think that's a big deal, she's usually pretty fast when she's riding with other racers. USASA posted a graphic of the design for their course and it looks good. The two ski resorts are only about 45 minutes apart so it's interesting that Ski Cooper is having snow issues. The races there were postponed from January when they didn't have enough snow; I'm just glad they're going off now.
Time to start thinking about packing, buying snacks for Whitney (and the boys). All the reservations are made, we've got coaching lined up, so I think she's good to go.
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
USCSA Wrap Up
As the snow is falling on the first day of spring I'm reminded of the fun we had in Lake Placid. The snow fell almost every day, big, fat snowflakes. So pretty since you could actually see the snowflake, not just a ball of white. I think some of the prettiest scenes though were Friday morning when Whitney and I went to watch the Nordic race. The trees were heavy with snow and the sun came out for about 20 minutes and it was really pretty.
Overall Whitney had good races at USCSA Nationals. It was a bit frustrating for her with a lack of practice time on gates in the weeks leading up to Nationals and also just very few practices. We won't get into the issues with the Westminster team. Hopefully next year there will be another UMF female snowboarder and Whitney can get to the top of the podium. Having a friend on the team always helps. She had high hopes for this year since there was another rider but she dropped out of school and therefore off the team.
I had a lot of fun in Lake Placid. It's a super cute town, lots of shops, the lake, the mountains, and snow. I got to meet Whitney's friends and hang out with them for a while (most evenings). Yes, I complained about having to clean the snow off my car every.single.time I went outside but it's ok, the snow was really pretty and I did enjoy it. I did not enjoy as much standing on the side of the mountain while the winds blew on GS day.
Whitney ended up coming home with me since last week was her spring break. Her initial plan was to ride back to school, repack, and drive home for break. Her coach talked her into coming with me (which I had tried to talk her into doing) and sent the books home that she needed that were at school. It was nice to have company on the long ride home. She flew back to Maine on Sunday but will be back on Friday. We're off to Colorado this coming Sunday for a couple of NorAm races then USASA Nationals. After that the race season will be done and she can ride for fun for a few more weeks until Sugarloaf closes for the spring.
Overall Whitney had good races at USCSA Nationals. It was a bit frustrating for her with a lack of practice time on gates in the weeks leading up to Nationals and also just very few practices. We won't get into the issues with the Westminster team. Hopefully next year there will be another UMF female snowboarder and Whitney can get to the top of the podium. Having a friend on the team always helps. She had high hopes for this year since there was another rider but she dropped out of school and therefore off the team.
I had a lot of fun in Lake Placid. It's a super cute town, lots of shops, the lake, the mountains, and snow. I got to meet Whitney's friends and hang out with them for a while (most evenings). Yes, I complained about having to clean the snow off my car every.single.time I went outside but it's ok, the snow was really pretty and I did enjoy it. I did not enjoy as much standing on the side of the mountain while the winds blew on GS day.
Whitney ended up coming home with me since last week was her spring break. Her initial plan was to ride back to school, repack, and drive home for break. Her coach talked her into coming with me (which I had tried to talk her into doing) and sent the books home that she needed that were at school. It was nice to have company on the long ride home. She flew back to Maine on Sunday but will be back on Friday. We're off to Colorado this coming Sunday for a couple of NorAm races then USASA Nationals. After that the race season will be done and she can ride for fun for a few more weeks until Sugarloaf closes for the spring.
Monday, March 12, 2018
USCSA Awards
At the end of every day they give out the awards for the day's events. The mc of the show is great, loves skiing, loves the kids, and really makes it a fun time. They usually start off with sponsor giveaways; this year they had lots of Love Your Melon beanies, Monster, and at least one set of skis and a snowboard. Boss Hogg, the mc, makes the giveaways fun. Generally he wouldn't give them out to the last few rows, just on principle. Sometimes he'd toss them into the crowd. A couple of the days he was trading food for a hat; one time it was a half eaten banana, another a can of Pringles, and the best was McDonald's French fries. He also was looking for specific things, like a $5 bill with four 8's on it, or a coin from a year sometime before he was born, a vertical driver's license, a day lift ticket from 2017; anything his crazy mind could come up with. Whitney got one of the beanies on Friday. We got there a bit early and Boss Hogg came over to talk to us. Whitney told him that her team abandoned her and was already on the way back to Maine and we got talking about Maine since he lived there for a long time. We figure she got it because of the Maine connection and being abandoned. No matter how she got it she got the one she really wanted and she's been wanting one for a while. She really likes their beanies, likes that they're a "give back" company (they donate 50% of their profits to pediatric cancer research), and has wanted to get one for a while. She's super happy to have one now.
On Saturday night they had the final awards and banquet. By this point all the rest of the UMF athletes were well on their way back to Maine so I went with Whitney. We got there early and sat at a table, hoping others would join us. Eventually some others sat down, turns out they were the Nordic coaches from the University of Wyoming. Whitney got chatting with one of the coaches and he invited her to their after party. She didn't go, not knowing anyone but the coaches, but should have; the Nordic guys from her team said they were a good group. We ended up moving to a table with a friend of Whitney's, a snowboarder from Villanova, the only one from her college. We had a nice time with her and her parents.
At the Saturday banquet they give out the big awards, individual all around and team awards, and it takes a while. Whitney got 7th place for women's alpine snowboard which combined the scores from boardercross, slalom, and giant slalom. Since she was the only UMF female snowboarder it would have been really hard for her to finish high in the team award besides she thinks you have to have at least two, maybe three athletes for the team award. All in all it was a good evening.
On Saturday night they had the final awards and banquet. By this point all the rest of the UMF athletes were well on their way back to Maine so I went with Whitney. We got there early and sat at a table, hoping others would join us. Eventually some others sat down, turns out they were the Nordic coaches from the University of Wyoming. Whitney got chatting with one of the coaches and he invited her to their after party. She didn't go, not knowing anyone but the coaches, but should have; the Nordic guys from her team said they were a good group. We ended up moving to a table with a friend of Whitney's, a snowboarder from Villanova, the only one from her college. We had a nice time with her and her parents.
At the Saturday banquet they give out the big awards, individual all around and team awards, and it takes a while. Whitney got 7th place for women's alpine snowboard which combined the scores from boardercross, slalom, and giant slalom. Since she was the only UMF female snowboarder it would have been really hard for her to finish high in the team award besides she thinks you have to have at least two, maybe three athletes for the team award. All in all it was a good evening.
Sunday, March 11, 2018
USCSA Nationals, Day 3
Day 3 in terms of Whitney's competitions was giant slalom. It was yet another snowy day but the snow was lighter and the winds were stronger. The GS course was on the slope that the alpine slalom was on; it was steep and long. There was some issues at the start - they printed the wrong start list for the women, the timing start gate was throwing some of the riders off and they weren't sure when to go, and as it's a college competition, there were a few riders that were hung over and at least one that was enjoying a cold one at the start. All that aside, they got things going and I was lucky to catch Whitney in her first run. Her coach told her she was going down 20-something but they had the slalom start list where she was listed third. They gave the girls the option of letting the guys run first while they got the right start list or they could run off the slalom list. They decided to go with the slalom list. The first rider didn't show so Whitney went down second (she had been listed as third), good thing I was paying attention. She has a distinctive riding style so I could tell it was her coming down. I was confused since we had no idea of the issues at the top.
She was pretty happy with her first run, at least until the top girls came down and were 3 seconds faster than her. It's hard, but not impossible to make up that kind of time. When all the riders finished their first run, they took a long break to reset the course and also take down the USCSA inflatable that goes across the finish line. It had been windy all morning and it picked up more so during the break so down came the inflatable. Whitney's second run was faster than her first, but not enough to make up the time and move up. She finished the day in 8th place.
She was a bit frustrated with the coaching she's gotten recently. There were few organized practices and they wouldn't set up the snowboard gates. The school has some but "no one" knows how to set them so they pretty much sit unused since they won't let Whitney set them for herself. It's hard to do well on a gate event if you can't practice on gates.
She was pretty happy with her first run, at least until the top girls came down and were 3 seconds faster than her. It's hard, but not impossible to make up that kind of time. When all the riders finished their first run, they took a long break to reset the course and also take down the USCSA inflatable that goes across the finish line. It had been windy all morning and it picked up more so during the break so down came the inflatable. Whitney's second run was faster than her first, but not enough to make up the time and move up. She finished the day in 8th place.
She was a bit frustrated with the coaching she's gotten recently. There were few organized practices and they wouldn't set up the snowboard gates. The school has some but "no one" knows how to set them so they pretty much sit unused since they won't let Whitney set them for herself. It's hard to do well on a gate event if you can't practice on gates.
Friday, March 9, 2018
USCSA Nationals, Break Day
Whitney had today off and we had a good time together. I picked her up this morning and we went to watch the Nordic team compete in the mass start 15k race. We took the school flag, found a good snow pile to put it in, and hung out until the start. We got to see all the racers take off which was kind of cool. They skied off into the trees where apparently there was a good sized hill, they did a loop and came back into the arena, did a loop in the woods and were off for another trek into the wood then they did it again. There were four guys from UMF and the top one came in 13th, which I thought was great (he seemed happy with his finish). I have no idea how they usually do but I thought they did well today.
We briefly saw the sun for a while when we were waiting for the start but then it disappeared and we were left in snow flurries again. It snowed harder off and on today. The weather here has been crazy. It started snowing Tuesday night and basically hasn't stopped. It's gotten lighter but it seems like every time I go outside to go somewhere I have to clean snow off my car. Last night it was 2", this morning it was more like 3", tonight it was surprisingly just a dusting. Hopefully it'll stop tomorrow and there will be good conditions for Whitney's race.
But back to today. After we left the Nordic race we came back to Lake Placid, got lunch, then wandered around in the snowy downtown.
We briefly saw the sun for a while when we were waiting for the start but then it disappeared and we were left in snow flurries again. It snowed harder off and on today. The weather here has been crazy. It started snowing Tuesday night and basically hasn't stopped. It's gotten lighter but it seems like every time I go outside to go somewhere I have to clean snow off my car. Last night it was 2", this morning it was more like 3", tonight it was surprisingly just a dusting. Hopefully it'll stop tomorrow and there will be good conditions for Whitney's race.
But back to today. After we left the Nordic race we came back to Lake Placid, got lunch, then wandered around in the snowy downtown.
USCSA Nationals, Day 2
Yesterday was the snowboard slalom races. This is the first time that they've run them at USCSA so it was kind of interesting. I think most of the girls were in the same position as Whitney - they had only run one or two races before coming here. At least Whitney had quite a bit of practice running gates during her practices with the alpine team.
It started snowing Tuesday night and hasn't stopped yet. It made for an interesting race day yesterday. Here they set the gates, do one run, take a break to reset the gates then do the second run, best combined time wins. The problem was that during the reset it started snowing harder and the course deteriorated pretty fast which slowed things down. Whitney was sitting in fourth after the first run but her slower time in the second run moved her down to sixth. Considering this was only the second time she's run slalom she was fine with that finish.
I got to hang out with the director of sports communications the last couple of days. The alpine coach came out with the two teams, then left on Wednesday morning with the injured free skier. The director of the ski and snowboard program came out with the communications guy Wednesday and helped at the boardercross and slalom events then they left to head back to Maine. At least now I know who to send pictures to so the snowboard team gets some love on the school's social media.
Whitney is off today so our plan is to go watch the Nordic men's mass start (which should be fun) then we're going to go wander around Lake Placid, do some shopping/window shopping, and get dinner out. Tomorrow she's got giant slalom, then it's home Sunday.
It started snowing Tuesday night and hasn't stopped yet. It made for an interesting race day yesterday. Here they set the gates, do one run, take a break to reset the gates then do the second run, best combined time wins. The problem was that during the reset it started snowing harder and the course deteriorated pretty fast which slowed things down. Whitney was sitting in fourth after the first run but her slower time in the second run moved her down to sixth. Considering this was only the second time she's run slalom she was fine with that finish.
I got to hang out with the director of sports communications the last couple of days. The alpine coach came out with the two teams, then left on Wednesday morning with the injured free skier. The director of the ski and snowboard program came out with the communications guy Wednesday and helped at the boardercross and slalom events then they left to head back to Maine. At least now I know who to send pictures to so the snowboard team gets some love on the school's social media.
Whitney is off today so our plan is to go watch the Nordic men's mass start (which should be fun) then we're going to go wander around Lake Placid, do some shopping/window shopping, and get dinner out. Tomorrow she's got giant slalom, then it's home Sunday.
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
USCSA Nationals 2018, Lake Placid, NY
USCSA Nationals are being held at Lake Placid, NY again this year. I drove up yesterday and will be here until Sunday. Whitney's race days are today, tomorrow, and Saturday. The drive up was fine, although as always it seems to take forever to go through NJ. UMF sent two snowboarders, a freeskier, and four nordies. Competitions started yesterday and the freeskier had a nasty crash on the cross course, was checked out at the hospital, and withdrew from the rest of his competitions.
Boardercross
Whitney's first race was boardercross. They started early this morning in the falling snow with the usual course inspections and practice. She did really well in time trials, which is usually her weak spot, and had the sixth fastest time. They set up the brackets and after lunch racing started. She was first in all her heats and made it to the big final. Same as last year it was her against three girls from Westminster. All I'll say was there seemed to be a bit of unsportsmanlike play from the whole Westminster team. She was pretty pissed when she finished in fourth but after a bit of cooling down she was still upset but on the bright side she beat a few girls she hadn't before. The top women's cross racers were all competing on the NorAm circuit so they're all really good riders, Whitney included. We went to the awards ceremony, which is always an interesting time then walked down to Starbucks. I had dinner with the snowboarders, the snowboard coach, the Nordic coach, the director of the Ski and Snowboard program, and the sports communication director. The rest of the Nordic team was off at a social gathering.
The snow that fell today is going to continue tonight and into tomorrow. Hopefully it won't be too much of an issue on course tomorrow when she's racing slalom. It should be a good day - it's her against the clock and she's looking to have fun since she's only raced slalom once this season.
Boardercross
Whitney's first race was boardercross. They started early this morning in the falling snow with the usual course inspections and practice. She did really well in time trials, which is usually her weak spot, and had the sixth fastest time. They set up the brackets and after lunch racing started. She was first in all her heats and made it to the big final. Same as last year it was her against three girls from Westminster. All I'll say was there seemed to be a bit of unsportsmanlike play from the whole Westminster team. She was pretty pissed when she finished in fourth but after a bit of cooling down she was still upset but on the bright side she beat a few girls she hadn't before. The top women's cross racers were all competing on the NorAm circuit so they're all really good riders, Whitney included. We went to the awards ceremony, which is always an interesting time then walked down to Starbucks. I had dinner with the snowboarders, the snowboard coach, the Nordic coach, the director of the Ski and Snowboard program, and the sports communication director. The rest of the Nordic team was off at a social gathering.
The snow that fell today is going to continue tonight and into tomorrow. Hopefully it won't be too much of an issue on course tomorrow when she's racing slalom. It should be a good day - it's her against the clock and she's looking to have fun since she's only raced slalom once this season.
Sunday, March 4, 2018
After Massanutten
After the Massanutten races Whitney flew back to Maine for a crazy, busy snowboard week. First up was the NorAm/Hole Shot races. She was hoping to do well in these but the schedule was all changed up and things didn't go her way. She missed the practice day then they ran the time trials for both races one day and the two races the next. Not having really any time on the course she didn't do well in the time trials and didn't make it to race day. She was bummed.
Friday that week was the practice day for the Maine Mountain races and she was there for that. The races ran over the weekend and she did well. She got first place both days, Saturday because the other racer missed the information that they were doing a best two out of three race. She missed the second race so Whitney ended up winning. Sunday Whitney was the only one in open class. They raced her with some of the guys and she did pretty well, held her own.
She's had the last two weeks off from racing which has been good. It's given her time to rest her body, visit the athletic trainer, reset her mind, and focus on school a bit. Today she was waxing boards, finishing up laundry, and packing. She leaves for Lake Placid with the rest of her UMF Snow Sports teammates who qualified for the USCSA Nationals early tomorrow morning. She's really been looking forward to this event. She generally does well and has a good time since it's a lot of fun, hanging out with a bunch of other college students who enjoy the snow as much as she does.
I am also busy packing and getting ready to head to Lake Placid. I'm very thankful for a great husband who works hard so that she can do what she loves and I can go support her. Unfortunately he's a CPA so he can't get away much this time of year. I'm leaving on Tuesday to go cheer her on. Her races days are Wednesday (bx), Thursday (slalom), and Saturday (GS). I'll head home on Sunday while she's on her way back to Maine.
When these Nationals are over it's the official end of the collegiate season but on it goes for Whitney. She and I are headed to Colorado at the end of the month for a NorAm/Hole Shot race at Ski Cooper on March 28/29 then USASA Nationals, which is also a Hole Shot race, on April 1. Then her season will officially be over and she can ride for fun for another month or so in Maine.
Friday that week was the practice day for the Maine Mountain races and she was there for that. The races ran over the weekend and she did well. She got first place both days, Saturday because the other racer missed the information that they were doing a best two out of three race. She missed the second race so Whitney ended up winning. Sunday Whitney was the only one in open class. They raced her with some of the guys and she did pretty well, held her own.
She's had the last two weeks off from racing which has been good. It's given her time to rest her body, visit the athletic trainer, reset her mind, and focus on school a bit. Today she was waxing boards, finishing up laundry, and packing. She leaves for Lake Placid with the rest of her UMF Snow Sports teammates who qualified for the USCSA Nationals early tomorrow morning. She's really been looking forward to this event. She generally does well and has a good time since it's a lot of fun, hanging out with a bunch of other college students who enjoy the snow as much as she does.
I am also busy packing and getting ready to head to Lake Placid. I'm very thankful for a great husband who works hard so that she can do what she loves and I can go support her. Unfortunately he's a CPA so he can't get away much this time of year. I'm leaving on Tuesday to go cheer her on. Her races days are Wednesday (bx), Thursday (slalom), and Saturday (GS). I'll head home on Sunday while she's on her way back to Maine.
When these Nationals are over it's the official end of the collegiate season but on it goes for Whitney. She and I are headed to Colorado at the end of the month for a NorAm/Hole Shot race at Ski Cooper on March 28/29 then USASA Nationals, which is also a Hole Shot race, on April 1. Then her season will officially be over and she can ride for fun for another month or so in Maine.
Monday, February 12, 2018
Massanutten BX
It was not the best weekend for racing - it rained all day Saturday, poured for a while, it poured overnight then eventually dried out Sunday morning and turned windy. All the rain made the course conditions...interesting. Saturday wasn't too bad but Sunday it was a sheet of ice. Overall Whitney said it was worth it to come home - it was good to race at Massanutten again, great to see her old coaches and friends on the team, and she had two good days racing.
Saturday SBX 1 & 2
I actually saw the sun peek over the hills at our house Saturday morning but it didn't last long. The rains moved in quickly but they got the races started. This was a combined Appalachian Series/Southeast Series race and things did not run as smoothly as they usually do. There seemed to be a lot of chaos at the start gate, which is unusual. There were a over 100 racers and with things not running well it made for a very long day. Standing around in the rain, which was pouring down a few times, didn't make it any better. I'd so much rather bundle up and stand in 10* weather than the pouring rain we had on Saturday.
Whitney's racing went well. She was grouped with a jams woman, a youth woman, and an adaptive man. She was by far the best rider in the group and won both races easily.
Sunday SBX 3 & 4
It rained pretty hard overnight and was also warm so the course was a mess Sunday morning. They weren't sure if they'd be able to hold the race but were going to do everything they could to get it rolling. The course (and all the other slopes) were pretty much a sheet of ice and they had a hard time getting the cats up onto the course to groom it. After waiting a bit they were able to groom the course and get things started not too late.
Because of the rain quite a few racers didn't come back for day two. With fewer racers and a change in how the races were run (instead of the usual two races per heat (unless there were more than four racers) they ran "one and done") the day went much faster. It also helped that by the time they started the rain had mostly moved out although the wind was blowing pretty good.
Whitney had talked to Ellen about grouping her differently if she could for Sunday's races so that she'd be pushed. She had no competition on Saturday unfortunately. With racers not coming back she was put with two Open Class men and a jams man, good competition for her. In both races she finished third and in the second race she was only about a board and a half behind the top two finishers. Nice job!
It was fun, as always watching her race at Massanutten. Her dad was a course judge and had a good place to watch about halfway down the course. I drove up and found a good place to watch both days near the top. She had her own cheering section both days. On Saturday two friends of hers that go to JMU came to watch (yay for friends who come cheer in the rain) and on Sunday her sister and a friend of hers came up and four other friends came down to watch. Another friend who lives on the mountain came for a bit on Saturday and again on Sunday to take pictures of her racing. He's a really good photographer and I can't wait to see his pictures.
We came home last night, gear is drying, and shortly it's time to pack then it's off the airport for the flight back to Maine and more racing this week. She's got the NorAm/Hole Shot races Wednesday and Thursday then USASA Maine Mountain races over the weekend.
Saturday SBX 1 & 2
I actually saw the sun peek over the hills at our house Saturday morning but it didn't last long. The rains moved in quickly but they got the races started. This was a combined Appalachian Series/Southeast Series race and things did not run as smoothly as they usually do. There seemed to be a lot of chaos at the start gate, which is unusual. There were a over 100 racers and with things not running well it made for a very long day. Standing around in the rain, which was pouring down a few times, didn't make it any better. I'd so much rather bundle up and stand in 10* weather than the pouring rain we had on Saturday.
Whitney's racing went well. She was grouped with a jams woman, a youth woman, and an adaptive man. She was by far the best rider in the group and won both races easily.
Sunday SBX 3 & 4
It rained pretty hard overnight and was also warm so the course was a mess Sunday morning. They weren't sure if they'd be able to hold the race but were going to do everything they could to get it rolling. The course (and all the other slopes) were pretty much a sheet of ice and they had a hard time getting the cats up onto the course to groom it. After waiting a bit they were able to groom the course and get things started not too late.
Because of the rain quite a few racers didn't come back for day two. With fewer racers and a change in how the races were run (instead of the usual two races per heat (unless there were more than four racers) they ran "one and done") the day went much faster. It also helped that by the time they started the rain had mostly moved out although the wind was blowing pretty good.
Whitney had talked to Ellen about grouping her differently if she could for Sunday's races so that she'd be pushed. She had no competition on Saturday unfortunately. With racers not coming back she was put with two Open Class men and a jams man, good competition for her. In both races she finished third and in the second race she was only about a board and a half behind the top two finishers. Nice job!
It was fun, as always watching her race at Massanutten. Her dad was a course judge and had a good place to watch about halfway down the course. I drove up and found a good place to watch both days near the top. She had her own cheering section both days. On Saturday two friends of hers that go to JMU came to watch (yay for friends who come cheer in the rain) and on Sunday her sister and a friend of hers came up and four other friends came down to watch. Another friend who lives on the mountain came for a bit on Saturday and again on Sunday to take pictures of her racing. He's a really good photographer and I can't wait to see his pictures.
We came home last night, gear is drying, and shortly it's time to pack then it's off the airport for the flight back to Maine and more racing this week. She's got the NorAm/Hole Shot races Wednesday and Thursday then USASA Maine Mountain races over the weekend.
Saturday, February 10, 2018
Massanutten Weekend
Whitney is home to race this weekend! I had to get up to Baltimore to pick her up (why does her flight have to come in during rush hour?? I almost have to leave before her flight leaves to pick her up.) then we drove down to Massanutten, with a stop at Chick-fil-a for dinner on the way.
She always loves racing on her home mountain, with her "boys" who are still on the team. And she enjoys seeing her old coaches, who are always happy to help her out. The one thing that will make this weekend interesting is rain. Hopefully they can get todays races off before the rain starts; tomorrow is much more doubtful. It's supposed to rain hard overnight and into tomorrow. Even if we're in a dry spot during race time the course may not be that great, we'll just have to see how it all plays out.
She's got four races this weekend, then she flies back to Maine on Monday and has NorAm races Wednesday/Thursday, then Maine Mountain races next weekend. A very busy stretch for her. After that she may do a Maine Mountain GS/SL race but I think she's done until USCSA Nationals at Lake Placid. Still deciding on the NorAm at Ski Cooper but she'll definitely be at the USASA Nationals/NorAm race at Copper.
This is also an Olympics year so there's that. The snowboard cross races are Wednesday and Thursday this week. Unfortunately the men's is shown live which means it's at 12:05am Wednesday morning and the women's is taped and will be on Wednesday (I think) night at 8:00. Can't wait to see them! Go Team USA!!
She always loves racing on her home mountain, with her "boys" who are still on the team. And she enjoys seeing her old coaches, who are always happy to help her out. The one thing that will make this weekend interesting is rain. Hopefully they can get todays races off before the rain starts; tomorrow is much more doubtful. It's supposed to rain hard overnight and into tomorrow. Even if we're in a dry spot during race time the course may not be that great, we'll just have to see how it all plays out.
She's got four races this weekend, then she flies back to Maine on Monday and has NorAm races Wednesday/Thursday, then Maine Mountain races next weekend. A very busy stretch for her. After that she may do a Maine Mountain GS/SL race but I think she's done until USCSA Nationals at Lake Placid. Still deciding on the NorAm at Ski Cooper but she'll definitely be at the USASA Nationals/NorAm race at Copper.
This is also an Olympics year so there's that. The snowboard cross races are Wednesday and Thursday this week. Unfortunately the men's is shown live which means it's at 12:05am Wednesday morning and the women's is taped and will be on Wednesday (I think) night at 8:00. Can't wait to see them! Go Team USA!!
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Mount Sunapee SL/GS
Sunday was another day to get up early and head to the slopes. At least we could sleep in a bit since she didn't have to check in quite so early and Mount Sunapee is a bit closer than Stratton. I have to say the NH Series people are super nice; she really enjoys racing there even if it's only this one race a year. Actually when she checked in the director asked if she was Whitney and said that he knows his usual racers and didn't recognize her so put her together with her name. When they were talking later in the start area he did remember he coming last year.
Her original plan when we were talking about her race schedule was to just race giant slalom. She was planning on just racing boardercross and giant slalom at USCSA Nationals. Since then USCSA has added slalom to their events list so to qualify she had to race in a slalom event. This one worked out nicely, although Maine Mountain has one coming up on a weekend she has free later this month so she may give it another go.
There were only 20 racers on Sunday which meant for a short day, even with two races to run. They run GS first then reset the gates for slalom. For both races each competitor gets two timed runs and best combined time wins in the age group. As usual (I hate that I have to keep saying that) Whitney had no competition so she won both races. It was a super fun day though. This was her fourth time racing GS and she did well; could have been a bit closer to the gates but it was fine. She was pleased with how she did. I think she was a bit nervous about slalom. She's had quite a bit of practice this season on ski gates but this was the first time she raced slalom at an event (and ski gates are different than snowboard gates). She was actually excited about it, along with the nerves; she figured she had nothing to lose - she was the only open class racer so she just had to get down the hill and not miss a gate. Her first run went well and she was really happy with how she did. Her second run went even better and she shaved about a second off of her time. The excitement on her face when she realized it was awesome! Needless to say she was super excited about how she did.
After awards we went back to my sister-in-law's house for snacks and the Super Bowl. Whitney was disappointed that her team didn't win. In the morning we both had to hit the road - she had to get back to school for meetings and I had a long drive home. We couldn't leave without making a stop at Burdick's Chocolatier for hot chocolate (for her), coffee, and croissants. They make great hot chocolate and it's not too far out of the way for us to make a quick stop.
Up next - boardercross races at Massanutten. She's flying home on Friday and can't wait to race on her home mountain.
Her original plan when we were talking about her race schedule was to just race giant slalom. She was planning on just racing boardercross and giant slalom at USCSA Nationals. Since then USCSA has added slalom to their events list so to qualify she had to race in a slalom event. This one worked out nicely, although Maine Mountain has one coming up on a weekend she has free later this month so she may give it another go.
There were only 20 racers on Sunday which meant for a short day, even with two races to run. They run GS first then reset the gates for slalom. For both races each competitor gets two timed runs and best combined time wins in the age group. As usual (I hate that I have to keep saying that) Whitney had no competition so she won both races. It was a super fun day though. This was her fourth time racing GS and she did well; could have been a bit closer to the gates but it was fine. She was pleased with how she did. I think she was a bit nervous about slalom. She's had quite a bit of practice this season on ski gates but this was the first time she raced slalom at an event (and ski gates are different than snowboard gates). She was actually excited about it, along with the nerves; she figured she had nothing to lose - she was the only open class racer so she just had to get down the hill and not miss a gate. Her first run went well and she was really happy with how she did. Her second run went even better and she shaved about a second off of her time. The excitement on her face when she realized it was awesome! Needless to say she was super excited about how she did.
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| At the finish after her second slalom run |
After awards we went back to my sister-in-law's house for snacks and the Super Bowl. Whitney was disappointed that her team didn't win. In the morning we both had to hit the road - she had to get back to school for meetings and I had a long drive home. We couldn't leave without making a stop at Burdick's Chocolatier for hot chocolate (for her), coffee, and croissants. They make great hot chocolate and it's not too far out of the way for us to make a quick stop.
Up next - boardercross races at Massanutten. She's flying home on Friday and can't wait to race on her home mountain.
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Stratton BX
Another day, another cold mountainside. It was 12* today when I was standing on the side of Stratton Mountain waiting for Whitney to race. I can't wait until next weekend when she's racing in Virginia since it should be warmer. After today she's decided that this is the last time she's racing at Stratton. The course isn't that great, the mountain isn't that hospitable to competitors, the organizers aren't that organized, and the competitors are left unsupervised and behave badly. Just not a good experience.
There were two open class women today and they raced with the one open class man. Whitney ended in third overall, second of the women. Since the course is narrow the best way to win is to get out of the gate first, hit the hole shot, and go. There are no places to pass so if you're first out of the gate you're golden. Whitney said that she could have finished second and beat the guy but it would have taken more effort than it was worth today. She fell at practice this week - snowboard gripping water leaking from a snow gun but a body in motion stays in motion so she face planted in the snow. She cleared concussion protocol but has a minor case of whiplash. Because of those things she didn't want to push it too hard in a race that doesn't really matter. Her neck is kind of sore today but otherwise she's feeling good.
Another race day tomorrow, slalom and GS at Mount Sunapee, then we both have long drives on Monday (although mine is a lot longer than hers). We will be together again next weekend in Virginia for more boardercross.
There were two open class women today and they raced with the one open class man. Whitney ended in third overall, second of the women. Since the course is narrow the best way to win is to get out of the gate first, hit the hole shot, and go. There are no places to pass so if you're first out of the gate you're golden. Whitney said that she could have finished second and beat the guy but it would have taken more effort than it was worth today. She fell at practice this week - snowboard gripping water leaking from a snow gun but a body in motion stays in motion so she face planted in the snow. She cleared concussion protocol but has a minor case of whiplash. Because of those things she didn't want to push it too hard in a race that doesn't really matter. Her neck is kind of sore today but otherwise she's feeling good.
Another race day tomorrow, slalom and GS at Mount Sunapee, then we both have long drives on Monday (although mine is a lot longer than hers). We will be together again next weekend in Virginia for more boardercross.
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Sugarloaf BX
Mother Nature cooperated today and it was a beautiful day for racing. Granted it was really cold but it's winter in Maine. We got to Sugarloaf, Whitney checked in and got busy with race day prep. They started with course inspection, a few practice runs, riders meeting, then started racing. I decided because it was so cold that I'd hang in the competition center for the first race and would hike up to see her in the second. It was a good plan especially since she only got one run per race and the only good place to watch was by the finish corral. You could see up the course some and there were other parents there so it was good.
Whitney said both races were good. She really enjoyed herself the second race. The first one included some shady riding, nothing illegal or anything she could protest, just stuff that left her and the other UMF rider really irritated. She said the second race was great, lots of fun. There were four open class riders today so good competition. She had ridden against the three others at some point as had one of the other riders, the other two had ridden against two of the other riders so they were all pretty familiar with each other and had all beaten each other at some point so they were pretty evenly matched. Whitney ended with a fourth and a second, a good day at the races.
There were two other UMF riders and a freeskier there today. One was racing with Whitney (she came in third and fourth), one was in jams men and the skier was also in jams men. I liked what I saw of the new coach, I think he'll do well and Whitney likes him.
I'm not sure what's up next. She had planned to take the next few weekends off especially with the possibility of a job but the UMF team is talking about going to the BX races at Holiday Valley in the Western NY series the last weekend of January. The other possibility of upcoming races is a BX race at Stratton, VT and a GS race at Mount Sunapee, NH the first weekend of February. The next weekend she'll be coming home for the BX at Massanutten. She can't wait to race there again and I can't wait to watch her. It's usually good viewing at Massanutten since you can see almost the whole course.
Whitney said both races were good. She really enjoyed herself the second race. The first one included some shady riding, nothing illegal or anything she could protest, just stuff that left her and the other UMF rider really irritated. She said the second race was great, lots of fun. There were four open class riders today so good competition. She had ridden against the three others at some point as had one of the other riders, the other two had ridden against two of the other riders so they were all pretty familiar with each other and had all beaten each other at some point so they were pretty evenly matched. Whitney ended with a fourth and a second, a good day at the races.
There were two other UMF riders and a freeskier there today. One was racing with Whitney (she came in third and fourth), one was in jams men and the skier was also in jams men. I liked what I saw of the new coach, I think he'll do well and Whitney likes him.
I'm not sure what's up next. She had planned to take the next few weekends off especially with the possibility of a job but the UMF team is talking about going to the BX races at Holiday Valley in the Western NY series the last weekend of January. The other possibility of upcoming races is a BX race at Stratton, VT and a GS race at Mount Sunapee, NH the first weekend of February. The next weekend she'll be coming home for the BX at Massanutten. She can't wait to race there again and I can't wait to watch her. It's usually good viewing at Massanutten since you can see almost the whole course.
Saturday, January 13, 2018
Mother Nature Needs to Cooperate
The weather this winter has been a bit on the crazy side. We had very cold weather in Virginia over Christmas, unusually cold weather but it didn't bring any snow with it. It was good for snowmaking at Massanutten. They built a new retaining pond for snowmaking (and watering the golf courses) and thought they'd save some water for when it was cold. Only problem was that the levels were low enough that the water froze. No snowmaking!
It had been very cold in Maine as well but then it warmed up. It was very warm when we got up here Thursday night. Yesterday was still warm and they said a cold front was going to come through and we'd go into the deep freeze again. I think the front must have moved slower than they thought it was because it was still above freezing when we left this morning. Yesterday was rainy and foggy, especially over the rivers. Today it started off raining, then we went through about five minutes of freezing rain before it turned to sleet. On the drive up to Sugarloaf this morning we started off with a temperature about 35* and rain but as we got closer to the Loaf it got colder and the sleet did turn to snow. I'm not sure how much we got since the wind was also blowing but maybe an inch or two. The temperatures also dropped to 19* by the time we left in the afternoon.
So the crazy rain then cold and snow have left the race schedule in tatters. We got a message on the way up that there would be no racing today. I overheard a Sugarloaf employee saying that they had been out since 3am cleaning the ice off the lift chairs and weren't nearly done and this was at 8:00. Today instead of having time trials and race 1 they did practice (a very shortened one to make up for yesterday) and then time trials. Tomorrow they'll do both races.
This morning besides waiting for lift chairs to get cleaned off they were waiting for the temperatures to drop a bit so the snow would firm up some. From all the rain yesterday the snow was very soft and probably a tad on the unsafe side. I got a look up the mountain as we were leaving and there were big sheets of ice. Days like yesterday do a lot of damage to the snow.
Here's to a good race day tomorrow.
It had been very cold in Maine as well but then it warmed up. It was very warm when we got up here Thursday night. Yesterday was still warm and they said a cold front was going to come through and we'd go into the deep freeze again. I think the front must have moved slower than they thought it was because it was still above freezing when we left this morning. Yesterday was rainy and foggy, especially over the rivers. Today it started off raining, then we went through about five minutes of freezing rain before it turned to sleet. On the drive up to Sugarloaf this morning we started off with a temperature about 35* and rain but as we got closer to the Loaf it got colder and the sleet did turn to snow. I'm not sure how much we got since the wind was also blowing but maybe an inch or two. The temperatures also dropped to 19* by the time we left in the afternoon.
So the crazy rain then cold and snow have left the race schedule in tatters. We got a message on the way up that there would be no racing today. I overheard a Sugarloaf employee saying that they had been out since 3am cleaning the ice off the lift chairs and weren't nearly done and this was at 8:00. Today instead of having time trials and race 1 they did practice (a very shortened one to make up for yesterday) and then time trials. Tomorrow they'll do both races.
This morning besides waiting for lift chairs to get cleaned off they were waiting for the temperatures to drop a bit so the snow would firm up some. From all the rain yesterday the snow was very soft and probably a tad on the unsafe side. I got a look up the mountain as we were leaving and there were big sheets of ice. Days like yesterday do a lot of damage to the snow.
Here's to a good race day tomorrow.
Friday, January 12, 2018
Really, Maine?
We're back in Maine; came up Thursday so Whitney could make it to the practice day on Friday and be ready to race BX on the weekend. After a very frustrating morning of phone calls and texts, trying to keep up with information, the Maine Mountain series directors and Sugarloaf decided it was best to cancel the practice.
It was very foggy this morning when we got up and that later turned to rain. The UMF coach was going to hold practice later in the morning and the BX practice was moved from this morning to the afternoon. Instead of doing any snowboarding today we emptied her car, put away all her clothes, books, etc. that she had brought home over break, took a drive, went to the movies, caught up on a few shows we missed, and went grocery shopping so she had snacks for the day tomorrow.
The fog turned to rain which turned into harder rain, then back to just fog, then to rain again. It's been a long day trying to pass the time. She heard from a friend that lives close to Sugarloaf that they closed the mountain early today because of the unrelenting rain and fog. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. A strong cold front is supposed to come through which is supposed to bring freezing rain, then sleet finally turning to snow tomorrow afternoon. If the fog doesn't lift much I may end up just hanging out in the lodge for the day instead of hiking to the bottom of the race course. We'll just have to wait and see.
It was very foggy this morning when we got up and that later turned to rain. The UMF coach was going to hold practice later in the morning and the BX practice was moved from this morning to the afternoon. Instead of doing any snowboarding today we emptied her car, put away all her clothes, books, etc. that she had brought home over break, took a drive, went to the movies, caught up on a few shows we missed, and went grocery shopping so she had snacks for the day tomorrow.
The fog turned to rain which turned into harder rain, then back to just fog, then to rain again. It's been a long day trying to pass the time. She heard from a friend that lives close to Sugarloaf that they closed the mountain early today because of the unrelenting rain and fog. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. A strong cold front is supposed to come through which is supposed to bring freezing rain, then sleet finally turning to snow tomorrow afternoon. If the fog doesn't lift much I may end up just hanging out in the lodge for the day instead of hiking to the bottom of the race course. We'll just have to wait and see.
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
First Race of the Season, Massanutten GS 1 & 2
We're at Massanutten for the first race of the season, giant slalom. Of course it's one of the coldest days of the winter and one of the coldest days we've had in a long, long time. The temperature when we got up was about 3* with a wind chill of about -7*. Really cold for Virginia. Really cold for a race day. Thankfully the lodge is nice and warm. Bob is helping as a race official today and tomorrow, something he likes to do when the races are down here.
Whitney is racing today and tomorrow and will likely have one other GS race this winter before she goes to USCSA Nationals. I think she's planned to do the GS in New Hampshire which I'll get up for. Next weekend she starts her BX races.
Sunday actually ended up being the colder of the mornings, it was -6* when we got up. Both days went well for her but she was so much faster on Sunday. Her combined time on Saturday was 1:14, on Sunday it was 1:00.02. She was so mad that she didn't break one minute! She had a really good time racing with her friends on the Massanutten team; I enjoyed catching up with some of the parents. It was an overall small group racing and most kids were the only ones in their age bracket, a few had two or three racing. Whitney of course was the only open class woman so she added a couple more blue ribbon medals to her collection. Racing the GS was a good way to start the season. She's got her first races under her belt, on to the BX races in Maine Saturday and Sunday.
Whitney is racing today and tomorrow and will likely have one other GS race this winter before she goes to USCSA Nationals. I think she's planned to do the GS in New Hampshire which I'll get up for. Next weekend she starts her BX races.
Sunday actually ended up being the colder of the mornings, it was -6* when we got up. Both days went well for her but she was so much faster on Sunday. Her combined time on Saturday was 1:14, on Sunday it was 1:00.02. She was so mad that she didn't break one minute! She had a really good time racing with her friends on the Massanutten team; I enjoyed catching up with some of the parents. It was an overall small group racing and most kids were the only ones in their age bracket, a few had two or three racing. Whitney of course was the only open class woman so she added a couple more blue ribbon medals to her collection. Racing the GS was a good way to start the season. She's got her first races under her belt, on to the BX races in Maine Saturday and Sunday.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
BRRR!! Baby, It's Cold Outside!
Wow, we've been in the deep freeze for quite a while now. It's so bad that we're excited that it's going to be above freezing tomorrow. Whitney is really glad to be home for break right now, with the wind chill it hasn't been much above zero recently in Maine. That makes for very, very cold days snowboarding.
Her first race is this weekend at Massanutten, giant slalom. It's going to be way colder than we had thought; some of the coaches there said it was going to be in the single digits this weekend. Brr. Especially since she's had problems keeping her feet warm. We may need to look into foot warmers for her boots. It would not be good if she got frostbite on her toes.
The downside of all this cold is that there isn't any snow around. We got an inch at Massanutten when we were down last week and some of that is still around since it's been that cold but we haven't had a good snowfall yet. This cold would be a bit more bearable if we had a nice covering of snow. There's an outside chance we may get some here on Wednesday night/Thursday morning but it looks like the best part of the storm will be further east. I did hear that there's talk of a blizzard from the storm up in Maine; just glad Whitney doesn't need to get back up there anytime soon.
Her first race is this weekend at Massanutten, giant slalom. It's going to be way colder than we had thought; some of the coaches there said it was going to be in the single digits this weekend. Brr. Especially since she's had problems keeping her feet warm. We may need to look into foot warmers for her boots. It would not be good if she got frostbite on her toes.
The downside of all this cold is that there isn't any snow around. We got an inch at Massanutten when we were down last week and some of that is still around since it's been that cold but we haven't had a good snowfall yet. This cold would be a bit more bearable if we had a nice covering of snow. There's an outside chance we may get some here on Wednesday night/Thursday morning but it looks like the best part of the storm will be further east. I did hear that there's talk of a blizzard from the storm up in Maine; just glad Whitney doesn't need to get back up there anytime soon.
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