NorAm Cup season kicks off with Lake Louise downhills

By Published On: December 11th, 2016Comments Off on NorAm Cup season kicks off with Lake Louise downhills

The NorAm Cup kicked off with two downhills in Lake Louise, Canada, this past week. Although the temperatures stayed negative throughout the event, the sky was clear and the conditions only improved. Each day the podium had a new athlete on the top spot, setting up what is sure to be an exciting competition season.

In the first men’s race, Nick Krause collected his first NorAm win. Krause was ecstatic to finally stand atop the podium, although it was in an unexpected event.

“I’ve been a GS skier my entire life,” Krause said, but he cherished the win all the same. Krause has had a long journey over the past two years battling multiple injuries in the process.

In 2014, Krause fell in at the World Junior Championships downhill is Jasna, Slovakia, tearing his ACL. Seventeen months later while trying to return to competition, he found himself unable to make a turn, and another doctor informed him he still had a torn meniscus, further delaying his return. He spent most of last season skiing giant slalom. This year, finally returned to near-full health, he has been able to branch out into other disciplines. This summer, he spent time in Chile with the American Downhiller team working on gliding the entire time. Krause said that seeing the U.S. men’s speed team, which according to him is the strongest it has been in a long time, helped him improve.

“They’re able to make good and powerful turns while in their tuck,” Krause said, so that is what he worked on. Coupling that training with a refreshed confidence in his own ability allowed him to take home the gold in the NorAm season opener.

Canadians Tyler Werry and Broderick Thompson finished just 0.14 and 0.42 seconds back from the American on the first day, finishing in second and third place, respectively. But they didn’t let Krause take home gold at both races in Lake Louise as they took both first and second place on the second day of racing. Werry set the pace with a total time of 1:16.45 and Thompson finished 0.11 seconds behind his teammate. Swedish skier Felix Monsen took third 0.19 seconds behind the leader.

On the women’s side, Stephanie Fleckenstein of Canada took the win on day one, earning her first NorAm victory. She was chased down by U.S. C-Team member Alice Merryweather. The American could not reach the top of the podium, placing second both days with Fleckenstein and New Zealand’s Georgia Willinger on either side of her each time. In the opener Fleckenstein topped Merryweather by 0.15 seconds, Willinger followed 0.18 seconds behind the pace.

Don’t mind the frigid cold weather and blistering windchill, it’s Downhill time at Lake Louise!!

A photo posted by Neil Lande (@neillande) on

It was Willinger setting the pace the second time around with a time of 1:20:43. Merryweather followed 0.26 seconds behind and Fleckenstein came in third, 0.74 seconds back.

Kris Shampeny, assistant coach for the women’s U.S. Development Team, said that he was not surprised by Merryweather’s success. Merryweather has raced the track in Lake Louise for the past two years, and the conditions could not have been any better this year. Merryweather has been working on the technical aspect of her skiing and that really came through in her speed last week, Shampeny said.

Shampeny also noted that the current three way tie for first place in the NorAm downhill standings between Merryweather, Fleckenstein and Willinger is something he has never seen. Merryweather should settle in for a hard fought battle throughout the season for the speed title.

Although Shampeny has not seen Willinger ski many times, he said she is a solid skier. He has been watching Fleckenstein ski for the past few years and said he figured it would be a tight race.

Merryweather certainly didn’t expect to find herself in a tie for first place but it is “definitely a good place to be,” she said.

Merryweather said that she feels confident in her skiing right now and that it came through on race day. It certainly would have been nice to come away from the series with a win, but she was still happy holding down second throughout the series. Merryweather continued to say she felt more comfortable throughout the week and she is hoping to carry her momentum into the next series.

The American also came in second in the Canadian National Championship downhill on Dec. 9. Fleckenstein took the win that day, taking the title of Canadian National Downhill Champion by just 0.08 seconds. In third place was Canadian Soliel Patterson, 1.29 seconds off of the winning pace.

“Today was an awesome day and I’m really happy with the win,” said 19-year-old Fleckenstein. “Coming in second-place at last year’s Canadian Championships, there was only one spot to go, but up! I think racing the World Cup last weekend was really helpful in building my confidence. I was able to test out new lines, which didn’t work yesterday, but worked today! I’m now heading to Panorama for the next NorAm Cup race series.”

In the men’s national championship race, Thompson took the win by 0.37 seconds. He was chased by Werry and Krause, who came in second and third respectively.

“I felt really focused in the gate today and I wanted to put it all on the line and leave nothing on the track,” said Thompson. “I was really happy with the outcome and super excited to take home the Canadian downhill title today. I will continue with NorAms in Panorama and will rejoin the World Cup speed team in Santa Caterina.”

Both the men and women head to Panorama for the last NorAm series before the new year.

Complete results available here.

Share This Article

About the Author: Chris Keating

Chris Keating grew up in Vermont and skied at Boston College where he served as captain during his senior year. He is currently a staff writer at The Valley Reporter in Waitsfield, Vt., and will be covering the NCAA and NorAm circuits for SkiRacing.com this winter.