Team Maximum Velocity, Roger and I, have certainly had better days. On Monday, Roger and I set up training at Mutters, a small ski area just outside Innsbruck. It was a beautiful day, the snow was hard, and it was just the two of us training on the first course I’ve ever set. On our second run, Roger came over a knoll on a right footed turn a little late, lost snow contact, and when his skis reestablished snow contact his down hill ski hooked up sending back and then into the air. After he tried to get up and couldn’t, I skied down to him and knew it was a bad day.

Roger completely tore his ACL and meniscus. After his meniscus torn, it slid into his joint so he couldn’t straighten out his knee. Roger went into surgery on his meniscus only 5 hours after the accident after getting x-rays and an MRI at various private sports clinics around Innsbruck. He’s going to have surgery on his ACL at home in the next couple weeks. Nina Bartsch, the daughter of the head coach at Mutters, was our personal liaison and took us around the city to make sure Rog got the best service. It is astonishing how streamlined the private sports clinics are in Austria. So all said and down, we were certainly in the best possible place for this type of accident.

I just dropped Roger off at the Munich Airport in Germany and I’m off to Kranjska Gora, Slovenia for two slaloms that start tomorrow. It’s a bummer to see my only teammate pack it in for the season.

Hope you’re all having a better start to the week. W

P.S. I’m sure Roger would love to hear from some of you. He’ll be back in the States later tonight and if you’d like drop him a line at 802-578-6330.