VAIL, Colo. – One of the benefits of training on her home hill is that Lindsey Vonn gets her own private course.
The two-time World Cup overall winner began slalom training on Vail’s Golden Peak this morning (Nov. 3), christening the ski area’s new snowmaking system.

Vonn has her former ski club – Ski and Snowboard Club Vail – to thank for an injected slalom course that is all her own before she heads back overseas for the World Cup slalom in Levi, Finland on Nov. 14.

“We’re really excited that Lindsey’s here on her home hill,” said Ski and Snowboard Club Vail executive director Aldo Radamus. “We injected the snow for a slalom lane so she could prepare for Levi. She’ll have it as long as she needs it. It’s something we’re happy to provide her as an alumnus of the club. We’ll use it with our athletes when she leaves but while she’s here, that’s her place to train.”

Despite the warm, sunny weather in Vail on Tuesday, the course was rock-solid and ideal for slalom training. Several coaches and Ski Club Vail crew members spent Monday evening injecting it exclusively for Vonn’s training.

As the double world champion took laps through the course with her trainers and husband Thomas Vonn Tuesday morning, several Ski Club Vail athletes, who also got some time freeskiing on the Eastern side of the hill, paused to observe Vonn’s runs.

Although Vail doesn’t open to the public until Nov. 20, Ski and Snowboard Club Vail financed a $3 million, automated snowmaking system that now has Golden Peak covered in snow from top to bottom. Several other international, university and club teams will begin training there this month.

“We’re way ahead of schedule as far as getting the hill ready,” Radamus said. “Our kids are out training and we’re really glad Lindsey’s here. We’re working on morning hours until demand increases by our guest teams.”

The rest of the U.S. Women’s Alpine Speed Team arrives at nearby Copper Mountain later this week, where they will be sharing the hill with several other teams, speed training in the morning as well as making their way to Loveland Ski Area for more technical training. Vonn will focus on slalom while at Vail and will intermittently join the U.S. Team for speed training at Copper.

by Shauna Farnell

PHOTO: Lindsey Vonn awaits the go-ahead at the top of the course while slalom training on Vail's Golden Peak on Nov. 3. (Shauna Farnell) Check out more photos.