Steamboat Spring World Cup

  • February 17, 2012

USTSATelemark World Cup Concludes in Steamboat Springs

Monday, February 20 – Saturday was a sunny day and there was no new snow for the course crew to deal with for the final day of World Cup Telemark racing in Steamboat Springs.  An event which began with endless fireworks and the festivities of Steamboat’s Winter Carnival, included 2 classic races, 2 sprint classics and the third World Cup Parallel Sprint race,  was a great success and featured intense competition.

The US team had a very successful race series with Madi McKinstry finishing in 3rd place in both classic races.  Zoe Taylor thrilled the home town crowd when she raced to victory in the head to head Parallel Sprint race on Friday night, under the lights of Howelsen Hill.  48 year old Charlie Dresen was the top US male racer.  He captured two 9th place finishes, a 10th and a 13th.    Cory Snyder had a personal best 8th place in the first Classic event of the week.  Jeffrey Gay’s best race was the 2nd classic race with an 11th place finish.  Tommy Gogolen, racing less than 6 months after knee surgery raced to a 10th place finish in the first Classic race and finsihed the week with 14th and 15th place finishes.  Birk Larsen’s best finish was 16th in the second classic race of the week.  He did not finish the day before and surely had some revenge on his mind.    Chris Henery skated hard to a 20th place finish in the first classic and Aiden Rohde was in 21st place right behind him.  Two members of USTSA’s development team, race World Cup for the first time in Steamboat.  It was their home hill and the both performed very well.   Tanner Visnick had two break out races, both with 18th place finishes and Rick Walters skated to a 19th place finish in the first Classic race of the week.

In the battle for the overall title, with races in France and Spain left in the season, Amelie Reymond (SUI)  has taken a commanding lead over Anne Marit Enger (NOR) and Sigrid Rykhus (NOR).  Rykhus traveled to Steamboat to compete and was tied with Reymond for the lead coming into the Steamboat races, but was unable to compete due to illness.  Three men arrived in Steamboat in a tight race for the top overall position, but their points became even closer by the end of the Steamboat races.  Phillipe Lau (FRA) maintains his lead over Bastien Dayer (SUI) by just 84 points.  Tobias Muller (GER) is just 5 points behind Dayer.

Madi McKinstry and Cory Snyder will be traveling to France and Spain in March.  They will be joined by Zoe Taylor, Tanner Visnick and Josh Lanzetta in Spain for the World Cup Finals and the Junior World Championships.

Reymond and Muller win Sprint Classic

February 18, 2012  – The final day of World Cup racing ended today under beautiful sunny skies, and no new snowfall.  Amalie Reymond (NOR) took the top place and by our count has 54 World Cup wins in her career.  Thea Smedsheim Lunde (NOR) was 2nd and Anne Marit Enger (NOR) was 3rd.  Sigrid Rykhus made the trip to Steamboat this week to race, but was ill and unable to compete.  Several of the top racers fell in the jump on their second run as the snow softened.  Tobias Muller (GER) was the fastest man today, followed by Bastien Dayer (SUI) and Sven Lau was in thrid place.

Women’s Results Men’s Results

Zoe Taylor WINS Parallel Sprint Classic

Steamboat Springs, CO – February 17, 2012 – Sixteen year old Zoe Taylor of the USA skied to first place in the World Cup Parallel Sprint race in Steamboat Springs today.  The US has not had a women on the top of  the podium since Cody Thompson of Whitefish won a Classic race in 2000.  Taylor, of Atlanta GA, has moved to Steamboat each of the last 3 winters to train at the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.  Zoe began skiing when she was two years old in Vail, CO and was introduced to Telemark at age six.   By the time she was 14 she was named to the US Development Team and she now is a member of the US Telemark A-Team.

After the qualifying rounds, 4 US racers advanced to the final rounds.  Madi McKinstry, Zoe Taylor and Charlie Dresen of Steamboat Springs and Cory Snyder of Franconia, NH all advanced to the final rounds, but were eliminated after the first round of the finals.

The final podiums were:

Women: 1st Z oe Taylor (USA),  2nd Laura Genier-Soliget (FRA), 3rd Julie Duedahl (DAN)

Men: 1st Phillipe Lau (FRA), 2nd Bastien Dayer (SUI), 3rd Tobias Muller (GER)

Women’s Results from Qualificaions Round Men’s Results from Qualifications Round

Women’s Finals Results Men’s Finals Results

Two Lau Brothers on the Podium Today

Thursday, Febrary 16, 2012 – Phillipe Lau (FRA) put together 2 fast runs and only one gate penalty to put himself into first place.  He was chased by his brother Sven who had the fastest time.  Following the first run, brother Chris was in the top 5 racers, but had a tough second run.  In third place today was Tobias Muller of Germany.  US racer Charlie Dresen had two clean runs, putting him into 9th position,  Other top 20 US men were Tommy Gogolen in 14th, Jeffrey Gay in 17th and Tanner Visnick in a break out race in 18th position.  Women’s Results Men’s Results

McKinstry is on a roll!

Tuesday, February 14th – Happy Valentines Day Madi McKinstry!  In heavy snow and difficult visibility, Madi McKinstry’s season long training paid off again with a third place finish for the second day in a row.  Amelie Reymond (SWI) finished first and was the only woman to clear the jump line.  Anne Marit Enger (NOR) finished in 2nd position.  It ws a difficult course for the women and three of the eight women did not finish the race.  Tobias Muller (GER) finished in 1st place for the men, with Thomas Sand Norberg (NOR) in 2nd and Phillippe Lau (FRA) in third.  Women’s Results Men’s Results

Madi McKinstry of USA takes 3rd place in Classic
Monday, February 13 – On her home ski hill, Madi McKinstry turned in the best performance of her career, finishing in 3rd place.  On a course that was covered with 3-4 inches of snow in the last 24 hours, racers struggled with the conditions.  But Madi cleared the jump line and had just one penalty today.  Tomorrow is another Classic race.
Women’s Results Men’s Results

Steamboat Springs welcomes Telemark Racers with their Winter Carnival celebration
Sunday, February 12 – Last evening skiers from 8 nations were introduced to the city of Steamboat Springs during their Winter Carnival Extravaganza.  There was music, fireworks, “The Lighted Man” covered in glow sticks with roman candles launching into the air from his backpack.