Everything was perfect this morning firm snow, a great course set, and a good bib draw of 13. I hammed out of the start and skied exceptionally through the top and upper middle section of the course and was a tenth off the lead at the first split. Then came the head wall turn, one I’ve done countless times, I knew I could pull off a tight line so I pointed my skis down the fall line and looked for speed. Unfortunately, I didn’t just find speed. It was choppier than I expected and my downhill ski shot out, it didn’t fall off, but it lost snow contact and my tight line failed. I immediately found myself standing on the side of the course with despair. But, oh well. I took a calculated chance and it didn’t pay off. Rather than dwelling on the outcome, it wouldn’t be that hard, I’m tuning up my slalom skis and getting ready to make tight radius turns again.


Slalom here we come. w