World Cup – January 2011 – Germany – Slovenia – Austria

USTSA
Complete Results

Maggie Doherty – January 22, 2011
Call it Done!
It was a beautiful day to race and to end the January series. The sunshine was brilliant and I think it even encouraged some village locals to witness some fine telemark racing!

The temperature was good but the snow was really great. We all felt quite used to the hill and how the course would be laid out for today’s sprint. I think that a lot of racers learned a good lesson on proper boot spacing and transitions as today’s penalties were not as high as yesterday’s. For Cole, who’s GS day ended a bit sour with gate penalties, he really focused on skiing clean and managed to end his day without any gate penalties! Although for both he and I, we still racked up jump penalties and we’ll head home to Whitefish on Monday with a plan of attack to conquer the jump!

 I don’t have the official results to report, they were in my hand but by the end of the prize giving ceremony, I think the super fast Norwegians raced away with my copy. You’ll just have to check online later!

Shane had another great day and ended his day in 7th, climbing up one spot from 8th after his first run. He looked really fast on the skate section. He’s earned quite a reputation for not only his fast skiing but also his unique facial hair. Cory had some bobbles but at least he didn’t crash today! Cole ended in 28th. I ended up in 16th, last place, but still wore a giant smile on my face. I’m really good at coming in last.

 As for me, I am sad to leave for home on Monday. It’s been an incredible experience and has taught me many lessons. I feel honored to race against the top skiers in the world and witness their winning styles and techniques. While I didn’t place very high each day, I was encouraged, each day by my own self and by all of their other competitors, to give it my very best. This racing community is fast, young and strong. For my first World Cup experience I am humbled and thankful. I’ve learned a lot and will return to Whitefish with renewed motivation, a more specific training regimen and a strong desire to head to Norway in March and have a better showing in the results.

 I wish Shane and Cory all the best of luck throughout the rest of the World Cup season. They are both incredible teammates and I think they will both continue to find success in the upcoming races. For the rest of the US telemarkers who make their appearance in Thyon, good luck, charge hard and have fun! Relish the entire experience: the good, the bad, the fast and the ugly!

  
Shane Anderson – January 22, 2011
A 7th Place Finish!
Another beautiful cold day in Rauris, Austria the piste was in superb shape after a night in the -14C range.  Denis the trainer of France set a fun course with some super delay turns.  Very big across the hill into blind gates over rolls and very hard snow.

 With bib number 1 for the first I was focused and pumped.  Skied a very fast upper section of the course into delay number two with a bobble and earned a few penalties.  Flew off the jump and skied the rest of the course well into a tight rap and skated well on the fairly long skate section.  Tied for 8th place after run number 1 with 2 gate penalties.

 Second run was set much the same.  Not alot of options for setting on this hill.  Kind of boring but we always know where we can improve.  This time I nailed all the delays skied all the gates very well except the gate after the jump.  Ripped the rap. Skated well and moved up to 7th.

 This was the last race of the first part of the circuit.  We have 10 days off until the races resume in Switzerland.  We hope to make it to Kitzbuhuel tomorrow to watch the Mens Slalom.  Chill out in Zell am See again and then get in some training in Thyon before the races begin.

Talk at you later.

USTSA – January 21, 2011
Complete results of Giant Slalom –
WomenMen

Cory Snyder – January 21, 2011
What Could Have Been
Today is one of those days that you just have to stick away in your back pocket and let stew.  As far as skiing is concerned it was a great day!  I made a silly mistake in the first run in a delay.  My goggles were fogged up so I was not looking where I needed to be looking, a mistake that I should not have made, with or without the foggy goggles, but they certainly did not help me any.  So I slid on my butt for a little ways but I pulled it out and still managed a pretty fast time considering.  The second run was really good for me. I skied mostly clean, aside from jumping about three feet early on the jump.  I got a little lost before the jump, too many turns just before the jump.  I was really fast off the jump and I got really late, fast but late, after the jump but I again held it together just long enough to  crash through the last gate, penalty free, I cleared the telemark line 🙂 and slide through the finish line on my belly.  So I have earned a bit of a reputation for dramatic finishes, but hey I finish!  So raw time, I would have been fourth, but I got nailed with 18 penalties, 6 on the jump for not making the line and 12 in the gates.  So I ended up in 19th place.  My stance is of “questionable bootspace”  So any of the close ones I got hit with a penalty for.  I was not the only one though, a few other guys also got nailed. Sooo goal for tomorrow is to ski clean and fast!  After these races I will spend some time training working on making my stance a little bit wider so that I do not have so many close calls.  Hopefully I can ski well tomorrow, in my crash I incurred a nasty bit of skiers thumb, so I am super sore tonight though, I can barely move my thumb!  ICE ICE ICE!!  I am bib 22 tomorrow, hopefully I a ready to go!!

Maggie – January 21, 2011
Giant Slalom
The temperatures in Rauris are falling but the not the penalties! The day started out with great sunshine for a long GS course–a mix of flat sections and then the challenging terrain features of the slope on the lower half of the course. But penalties would define today’s race. Rumor has it the judges were quite strict on boot spacing and most competitors racked up many penalties. Shane skied clean but had trouble with the jump and he finished the day in 10th position. Cory had two very fast runs, one that included an incredible fall and slide to the finish to finish 19th. He should be awarded bonus points for his chin slide into the finish! Cole came in 37th and he too fell victim to the plague of penalties. Maggie climbed two spots to finish 14th.

Our good friend and Zell am See training partner, Thomas Bergfors, finished on the podium in 3rd place and we’re very happy for him!

The Top 3 Men:
Sven Lau FRA 1:56.68
Harald Kvaerner NOR 1:59.48
Thomas Bergfors DEN 1:59.50

Top 3 Women
Amelie Reymond SUI 2:01.37
Sandrine Meyer SUI 2:02.01
Katinka Knudsen NOR 2:06.36

Tomorrow is our final day of racing for the January World Cup series with the sprint. We’ll eat well and rest up for the sprint here in beautiful Rauris!

Shane, January 21, 2011

Another beautiful day in Rauris, Austria. We had cold temperatures this morning -9C.  Partly cloudy weather and just a bit of sun to warm us up at times throughout the day.  GS was the race just gates and a jump.

Lots of penalties for almost everyone today.  Some deserving and some maybe not.  But thats part of the sport that we all love.  I struggled with the timing of the jump today.  Never clearing the line.  Tough course set on the first run and a bad second run inspection.  Anyways without gate penalties I was able to claim 10th place with some mediocre raw times.  Close to where I want to be just not quite there.

Cory was penalized alot.  6+3 penatlies each run.  Plus a belly slide through the finish line on a fast second run.    Maggie collected a few penalties each run finding herself in 15th place.  Cole also stuggled with gate judges and finished 37.   We might not be getting boot space. At least in the eyes of the wackadoodle british judges.

Resting up for another Sprint race tomorrow.

Shane, January 20, 2011
8th Place in Sprint Classic Today!
Its starting to feel a little more like winter here.  We woke up to colder temps and a little bit of new snow.  The Rauris race hill is fairly challenging.  Steeper and a few challenging rolls to navigate.  The course was the tightly set and a small difficult jump made the steepest section after the jump very difficult.  Into a tight rap and a fairly long skate.

Cory, January 20 2011
A FINISH!

 My first run I skied the top section just as planned.  I made the jump line but landed backseat and earned a few penalties through the next turns trying to catch up.  Ended up with 3 penalties and in 8th place.  Clearing the jump seemed to be the difference.

 Second run was a similiar set.  I knew that I had to try and clean it up and get less penalties.  The jump once again had other plans.  I cleared the line and collected 2 on the landing and the next gate.  The rest of the course was good.  I even got the same time on  both runs.  Thats amazing.

 Pretty happy with the result.  Cory Snyder was 17.  Cole Schneider 31. And Maggie Doherty 16.  We are having lots of fun.  Gearing up for a GS tomorrow.

Complete Results:  Women     Men

Zell am See, Austria - Training with Team Denmark

Shane – January 18, 2011
A little update is in order after a few fabulous days in Zell am See.  We have been getting in a little training with the Danish Telemark Team.  They have a good set up in the area.  Through their federation we are staying in a very nice hotel in Bruck, Austria and getting to train on a decent training space at the Schmitten ski resort in Zell am See.  We have had much better weather after the warm wet spell.  Beautiful and colder days have left some extremely hard snow for us to train on.  We are starting to adjust to the conditions.  We expect the same for the races in Rauris which start on Thursday and the weather is expected to become more winter like.
USTSA – January 18, 2011
An additional race has been scheduled for Rauris on Thursday to make up for one of the canceled races in Slovenia.  Check back here for results on Thursday.

.Zell am See, Austria, training with Team Denmark

Cory – January 14, 2011
So indeed we are going to Zell am See, Austria today to train with the Danish telemark team!  So that means the chances of us going to the Kitzbuhel Downhill just got REALLY GOOD!!!!!!

Shane – January 13, 2011
When it rains….It pours.
We seem to yet again hit another huge warm wet cycle.  It poured rain all night and all day.  We still were able to race.  Is that a good thing?  I think so.  I like to take advantage of sloppier conditions.

Anyways the first run was a short 8 wide easy gates into fast jump then into 4 really quick problematic gates into the rap and twisting skate section.  I skied the upper gates very fast.  Seeking the straighter line and really carried alot of speed into the jump.  Flew way past the line and ended up on my right hip.  But wait popped right up onto my skis as the next gate flew by and ended up with the 4th fastest raw time.  Adding two penalties from the mishap to put me in 7th position.

Not much of a reset was possible as the hill was deteriorating very fast.  The race surface was fair enough and very bumpy.  I skied fairly well into the jump landed it made it two more gates and then the “American Corner” got me.  I crashed slid on belly for a gate and stopped and hiked and made it down in 24th place.  O well.  It happens to everyone.

In other news.  Cory Snyder made a jumpline.  But upon landing his entire binding silver and orange part opened up giving him a free heel and toe.  Luckily he was able to pull off the course safely.  Cole and Maggie both made two good runs for themselves and are not sitting in the hot tub drinking beer.
Ciao for now.

Complete Results of Sprint Classic – WomenMen

2011 Oberjoch GS Course

USTSA – January 12, 2011
Complete Results GS –
MenWomen

Shane – January 12, 2011
Hello Bad Hindelang

We are staying in the town of Bad Hindelang at the Pension Hirschbach a great B&B with nice host family who speaks little English but is very genorous.  All the coffee we need!  After great breakfasts we have to drive up to Oberjoch where we ski. Its only 7.5km  but 105 turns and 300 meter elevation gain.  Luckily we have not had slick road conditions.  I hope you like the picture of the road.

Picture of road from Bad Hindelang to Oberjoch

The race hill is German Alpine training center.  They are set up great  for them.  Unfortunately they are only giving the Telemark race half the run.  Making course setting difficult.  We also get the less favorable side of the hill.  Most right turns are a big time fallaway.  Luckily there is a giant orange A net the runs nearly the length of the slope to keep us from flying into the abyss.

It was very exciting to race today.  Even if it was just a GS.  After an inspection and jump practice we were preparing for the race when we were told that we would have to Practice jump again.  The first jump was pretty much a freestyle booter.  The second jump was slightly better.  After battling through that the US team was ready for racing.

First run was a tough quick course set.  It was very difficult to get ahead of the course.  Lots of late and low lines. Luckily I carried good speed into the jump and made the line but was penalized for no tele landing as I was not prepared for it.  I ended up with some of the fewest penalties and in 8th after run 1.    Maggie and Cory both took nast crashes after the jump but were able to brush it off for the second run.  Cole made it down and really had a fun time ripping the course in Germany.

Second run was set a little bit wider and with more space.  It was still hard to get ahead and stay ahead as the course stacked up before the jump.  I wanted to push myself in the second run As I knew that people were upset with their first runs.  I made a few mistakes early but remember talking myself into better positions.  Unfortunately I held it to just before the jump and lost my speed before the jump and was unable to make the line.  Booo.  The new jump distance penatly is 3 seconds.  Making  a big difference.  I still ended up 8th with a little bit of people flip flopping here and there.   Cory Snyder threw down a run he could be proud of a few tenths behind me.  Cole Schneider had another a nasty crash.  Maggie made it down all in one piece.  Funny things today?  Cole, Cory,  Maggie all crashed in the same spot?  We are going to try and kill the snow snake!  Thats it.  Hope to report more news tomrrow.

Bad Hindelang

Maggie, January 12, 2011

 The weather was unsettled–luckily it was not as warm as predicted. Fog and wind dominated the skies during the race. The snow stayed pretty firm.

 The top three finishers:

 MEN
1) Erik Rykhus NOR 2:17.53
2) Mattias Wagenius SWE 2:18.04
3) Chris Lau FRA 2:18.90

 WOMEN
1) Amelie Reymond SUI 2:18.33
2) Susann Schubert GER 2:33.24
3) Katinka Knudsen NOR 2:35.98

 US Times:
8th Shane Anderson 2:23.53
33rd Cory Snyder 3:09.06
34th Cole Schneider 3:15.03
18th Maggie Doherty 4:55.85

 Cory fell in his first run but made a very impressive second run–he was just over a second slower compared to Shane’s second run time. Cole fell in his second run, but before his crash he was looking really solid and fast. Maggie had a very interesting crash–she lost her ski in the fall, including her glove and pole.The other competitors called for her to put back on ski and finish the course. So, after waiting for the next skier to complete her run, Maggie re-entered the course. There was a lot of confusion regarding this, if it was legal or not, and after the race the unofficial results noted her a DNF. She then put her race skis in the car, figuring her day was over and was about to help run clothes for the men when the official start list made its appearance and her name was on it! So, in a rush, she got her race skis and entered the course for the second run. She’s pretty darn happy to have finished upright and although she came in last place, she’s glad to at least have an official finish in her first World Cup race.

 Tomorrow is the Sprint Classic and we are hoping for a solid day on the race course and for once again that the conditions to hold.

The Slovenia races have been cancelled due to rain and no snow. The three of us are planning on traveling with the team from Denmark in Austria until the races in Rauris.

Cory, January 12, 2011
Ouch!
Well today did not go exactly as planned, but I am still happy with the end result today!  The course was super super turny today, and icy as all get out.  The entire course was one big sheet of ice, but we are racing on a europa cup hill so it has to be super hard for them to train and race on.  Read more in Cory’s blog, Adventures of Cory.

Cory Snyder and Shane Anderson at Oberjoch

Maggie – Tuesday, January 11, 2011

We’re back down in the fog in Bad Hindelang, enjoying our lovely accommodations at Pension Hirschbach which not only includes a fantastic home cooked breakfast but tonight our hosts will treat us to their wood-fired hot pot! We’re tuning skis, cooking pasta and even eating salad! We’re crossing our fingers for good conditions and that we’ll race well in tomorrow’s GS!

Cole Schneider, Cory Snyder, Shane Anderson - Oberjoch, Germany - 2011 WC

Maggie – Monday, January 10, 2011
All is well with the fearsome foursome in Germany. Cole and I joined Shane and Cory yesterday afternoon. They skied yesterday and the conditions were boiler plate. There’s not a lot of snow here. Today we awoke to rain/snow mix. It was heavy wet snow and we skied on our powder skis. Low visibility and poor snow conditions so we’re crossing our fingers for cooler temps. We’ll see!
Maggie Doherty, Cole Schneider, Shane Anderson and Cory Snyder in Oberjoch, Germany 2011 WC

Cory – Monday, January 10, 2011
Well, we are one day away from the official start of the Telemark World Cup Season here is Bad Hindelang, Germany.  Tomorrow we will have our official training day and then on Wednesday we will begin with a Telemark Giant Slalom.  We skied a bit today and the snow was pretty funny.  Shane described it best as mashed potatoes over gravy.  The gravy of course being the mix of dirt and stuff lying just under the wet wet new snow we got last night.  Yesterday we walked up to the race hill and everything was hard as a rock, the snow was literally frozen into groomer.  The ice was probably two or three inches thick.  Today not so much though, it was quite soft.  Hopefully things will harden up a bit before the race on Wednesday! Wish us luck!!

Cory – Sunday, January 9,  2011 (from his blog “Adventures of Cory”
Bad Hindelang!

ahhhh,  Deutchland!  After a long day of following the signs that led to “D” yesterday, we had settled into our place in Bad Hindelang today.  We got in around ten am, it was only a half our drive from the place we stayed last night to our hotel in Hindelang, so we had all day today to wander around.  We  drove to Oberjoch, which is where we will be racing, its only about twenty minutes, 300meters of vertical elevation, 7.5 kilometers, and 105 curves away.  For those of you that don’t feel like doing the math, thats 14 curves per kilometer.  Personally I think they underestimate that number, the road is rediculous.  It puts the kanc to shame.  There is legitimatly not a single section of road that is straight for more than three or four meters.  Its silly, and we have to drive it twice a day.  The race piste is hard as a rock. Apparently it has been quite warm here, and just recently they had one or two nights of intense cold.  It’s boilerplate hard.  We watched a little bit of the German team’s training and it looked rough.  Hopefully we can do some freeskiing on the race hill tomorrow to get a feel for it.  We went for a little run through Oberjoch, it felt great to do something physical.  Its amazing what a half an hour of running, pushups, high knees, and other assorted exercises  can do for a body that has been sitting for three days.  Cole and Maggie got here around four from Munich and we just went out to a “Shneitzel Haus” for dinner.  SOO tastey.  I am loving the food here.  I am looking forward to doing some skiing finally tomorrow!  Lets get shreddy!!

USTSA – Friday January 7, 2011
Shane Anderson and Cory Snyder, A Team members, are headed to the first round of World Cup Racing this season.  Joining them will be Regional Team members Maggie Doherty and Cole Schneider.  Lorin Paley, who has been living and training in Switzerland since October will not be competing as she has returned home for an evaluation of her knee that had surgery last spring.  She hopes to return to Europe for races later in the season.  Follow Lorin on her website.

The first two races will be held in Bad Hindelang, Germany on January 12 and 13 followed by a stop in Bohinj, Slovenia on the 15th and 16th.  The next week, the Brittish team will host races in Rauris Austria on January 21 and 22.

Anderson and Snyder plan to spend the season, or much of the season, in Europe and attend every race.  Anderson has said that this is his last year racing and wants to give it his all.  The Steamboat Today recently ran a story about Anderson and his goals for this year. READ STEAMBOAT TODAY STORY

Cory Snyder just finished his first semester at the University of New Hampsire and is ready to devote the winter to racing.  Follow Cory on his Blog page.
Maggie Doherty and Cole Schneider are both living in Whitefish and training with 5 time National Champion, Kelsey Schmid-Sommer.  This is Maggie’s first year racing at the World Cup level and she is excited to be traveling with experienced WC racers.  Cole competed in the World Cup events in Colorado last season and is looking forward to testing his skills on the European courses.  The Whitefish Pilor, recently ran a story about Maggie and Cole. READ THE WHITEFISH PILOT STORY.

Well I did not ski as fast as I had hoped to today, ending up in 17th position, but I did ski two runs without crashing, on the same day, so a step in the right direction I suppose!?  The course was pretty gnarly especially after the jump where the set was super tight.  I skied rather conservatively in the first run, eking out 19th position after the first run.  I skied clean except for three penalties for not making the jump line.  It was near impossible to make the line, it was VERRYY far.  In the second run I went for a little more, but I paid for it, barely missing the jump line, then skiing one of the last gates before the wrap on the back third of my inside ski with my butt on the ground and the other ski in the air.  I managed to pull it together and finish the run with only that penalty, and still fast enough to land me 17th place.  Hopefully tomorrow on a longer GS course I can ski more aggressively and snag a higher position! I am bib 19, wish me luck!

As a first timer to the World Cup series, I can only express my sincere amazement and gratitude. All of the competitors are incredibly friendly and warm. Handshakes and hugs are given at the bottom of the run and our US World Cup veteran, Shane, knows a lot of the skiers, and they’re quite happy to see him once again. It’s an atmosphere that reflects the genuine spirit to telemark skiing at its best and is what most attracted me to the sport.  And to all you retired telemark racers, many of your European friends say hello and hope that you’ll reconsider retirement and consider training for the World Championships in Norway!