The last decade I’ve wanted to cross the finish line in a World Cup race happy enough about my performance to celebrate with a bunch of fist pumps. To stand, all eyes on you look up into the sky and realize that you’ve finally accomplished a goal few people will ever accomplish. I cannot explain how psyched I was to stand in the finish today in Beaver Creek. It’s been a huge grind over the years to rarely reach any of my goals usually by just barely falling short. Today was retribution of all those days. Today was vengeance against all those that told me I wasn’t good enough to keep ski racing. Today, I stood in the finish fist pumping and smiling like I always dreamed of. Today, I finally reached one of my long time goals. Today, I put together two very solid run and finished 24^th in the World Cup at Beaver Creek!!!!!!! Boy does it feel good to write that. I didn’t win, but it was certainly a victory for me.

After second run, I was in the finish hanging out with Charles Christianson, Cody Marshall, Tim Jitloff, Sean McKenna, and David Chodounsky and Doug Haney pulled me away to give the coaches a report of the course. It was about 15 guys before Ted went, but it was clear the report was only for the coaches so I gave them a full report of the course. A few minutes later Doug grabbed me again and said all right will you give the same report to Ted now? I replied with an unequivocal, “hell yeah!!” I gave him a more detailed report than the one before. I explained how the course was set much tighter in a few key sections and then told him where he could straighten out the line coming out of the abyss a section that as I continued to watch started to get far more choppy than it was when I skied it. I watched a few guys swing that up and take a round line and do ok. Then, I watch Jansurd come down and put together a spectacular run so it was all up to Ted to make it happen. On the lift ride up before our second run, Ted mentioned that whenever he’s won the first run he’s always come in second. So it was all on him to change that. I gave him the best possibly report I could and tried to get him fired up. But when he came out of the gate I was so damn nervous I could barely stand. The crowed was all at it’s feet, screaming at the top of their lungs ready for an American to do something amazing. I held on to my poles more nervous than I think I’ve ever been watching him crush the top. All I could think was I really really really hope I didn’t screw him with the comment of cutting off the line out of the abyss section. He cut it off and snapped off some nasty turns right after it and I knew he had it. When he crossed the line and took home his first victory on American soil it felt so good. BTW, it’s very difficult to write this update without constantly swearing to explain the excitement of the entire today.

What a day. I really can’t quite explain what today means to me, but I just want to thank everyone that came out to watch and everyone that’s helped me along the way, which is a ridiculously long list of people. Thanks for all your help. I fly to Munich in the morning and then off to race Val D’Isere next weekend.

I’m so tired, but so fired up I probably won’t get a wink of sleep tonight. Good night and hope all is well, w