Lorin Paley attends WC in Spain and France

Paley is 2nd in Classic
Monday, March 15 –
Following is Lorin’s email
Yesterday was the GS, which traditionally I either crash or just plain ski slow.  Breaking from tradition, I put down two solid runs, earning a fourth place.  During the jump practice, though, I managed to delaminate my ski for the third time.  Fortunately, I brought an extra pair.

Today didn’t start off well.  Jet lag caught up to me and I felt like I  was still waking up during jump practice.  On top of that, my new trainer skis have a lower base bevel than my old ones, making them hooky, so that when I went to warm up I crashed a couple times.  Trying to put that out of my mind andyawning uncontrollably, I went to the start.  They moved the start further up the mountain today, so that we needed to hike to it. As the women’s race was starting the wind swirled putting the gates on the ground for one racer and sticking them in the face of the next.  I started in some good wind, skied pretty good, jumped far, and tried to stay aerodynamic in the flats.  Since the rap was built into the hill, I tried to hit it like a quarter pipe and it worked.  The first half of the skate was easy, then it doubled back on itself to a huge uphill.  I was the only girl to maintain V2, getting the fastest skate split by a second!  Combined with the ski, I took second only to the formidable/invincible Amelie Reymond!  So as the saying goes, it doesn’t matter if you crash in practice or yawn in the start, don’t count your chickens until they have hatched.  Ciao for now, Lorin

Lorin Paley is 3rd at Sprint Classic in Spain
Saturday, March 13 –
Read Lorin’s email
Today was a beautiful day in the Pyrenees.  There was no rain and the sun was shining.  I didn’t think telemark races could occur during good weather, but alas, today proved me wrong.  Since I tok so many days off healing my calf and didn’t do the gates during the training day, I skied the same way Serena Williams plays tennis: it took me a set to warm up.  The first course was super quick and turny, an unforgiving situation for my sluggish feet.  I made the jump line way too easily (men’s line plus), but overall I was in fifth (after three mystery penalties).  Second run was a taste of redemption.  I executed a strong run in the gates, getting good angulation at the tops of my turns, and had another strong skate, but since they moved the jump line down I didn’t make it.  Amelie won (of course), Sandrinecame in second, Susan Scheller, who was in third, crashed, and Katinka had a bobble, so at the end of the day, I ended up in third.  So that’s the update folks.  In between cheese tastings, shopping in Barcelona, and otherwise getting lost somewhere in the Spanish countryside, a telemark race broke out and I did pretty good.  Looking forward to another sunny day.  Hasta luego, Lorin Paley