Patience and consistency.

After 5 races in a row here on Beaver Creek’s “Birds of Prey” course I was able to make three pretty good results.

The equipment truck from Lake Lousie arrived nearly two days late so that we were only able to have one training run. At World Cup Downhill there needs to be more than one training run held, for the last run to be qualifying for start positions.

Because this coming weekend’s race in Val d’Isere was cancelled due to lack of snow, they decided to hold a make up race on Friday instead of a second training run.

While I was delighted to hear that I didn’t have to spend a week in France, I was frustrated that I didn’t get a chance to qualify for a better start position and had to start at the back in all races. This proved to be a crucial factor in these races.

First DH race I didn’t finish, flying too far and off one of the last jumps and out of the course.
Second and real DH race I finished 28th. I was pleased with this result because only 4 other people that started outside the top 30 made it into the points by finishing in the top 30. I also made the biggest jump forward from start number 56.

Sunday we raced World Cup Super-G and I snuck into the points again with another 28th placing.

Monday and Tuesday we raced two more Super-G’s. These were a North American Cup series which is a second tier event akin to Europa Cup. A large number of the World Cup racers competed because we are now not racing World Cup again until the 19th, and these races are a good chance to lower world rankings.

I gave it a little too much gas on Monday and fell but made up for it today with a 4th place.

These Nor-am’s proved that start number’s can make a huge difference. Case in point a mate of mine Jake Fiala from the US Ski Team started number 1 in the WC Super-G and finished 13th. Because Jake didn’t have Nor-am points he started 25th and finished a second behind the winner, David Anderson.

David the day before on exactly the same course started the WC SG 58th and finished 37th over 2.5 seconds behind Jake. The top 3 placing’s in the Nor-am started in the top 5.

Bode Miller started the Nor-am number 30 and ended up 7 tenths behind David a guy he would normally smoke by over 3 seconds. There were other examples but I will not bore you with the details.

I had very high expectations coming into this year but I now realise that even though I am skiing well it is going to take a little more time than I had anticipated.

It is tough from the back but not impossible, I have to just keep attacking forward into the points in as many races as possible. Last year I started 9 WC races and finished in the points twice, this year I am already 3 for 5.

I have to accumulate enough WC points this year to become ranked in the top 30 so that next year I will have a decent start position to give the podium a good nudge.
All the best,

AJ Bear