Final NorAm Giant Slalom Series Concluded in Vermont

The final technical series of the 2019 NorAm season kicked off on Tuesday, March 12th, with men and women’s giant slalom. Both circuits traveled to Vermont for the week, to test the men against slopes of Burke Mountain and the women against those in Stowe Mountain Resort, two well-renowned skiing resorts on the East Coast. Both sets of races decided the 2018/19 NorAm giant slalom champions and assigned the coveted World Cup giant slalom starting positions to the top two continental finishers.

Men’s Giant Slalom – Burke Mountain, Vermont, USA

On the men’s side, the podium remained the same across both days. Switzerland’s Tanguy Nef led the pack in first, followed by the United State’s Brian McLaughlin in second, and Canada’s Riley Seger in third. Tuesday, Seger led the pack after the first run, but was unable to hang on to his lead and slipped into third. McLaughlin gained enough time to step up into second, 0.37 seconds out from Nef. On Wednesday, the trio held onto their respective positions throughout the course of the race.

Canadian Jeffrey Read and American Kyle Negomir were the only other men capable of finishing in the top ten both days of the giant slalom. On Tuesday Read and Negomir finished sixth and seventh respectively. On Wednesday, Read slipped into the seventh position, tying with Norway’s Halvor Hilde Gunleiksrud, who charged to the front of the pack from bib 36 to finish 1.72 seconds back from Nef. Negomir slipped into tenth, finishing 1.81 seconds behind Nef.

After the conclusion of the giant slalom series on Wednesday, Americans Nicholas Krause and Brian McLaughlin finished first and second the NorAm giant slalom standings, followed by Norway’s Max Roeisland in third. Two-time World Junior Champion, River Radamus, came close top three in fourth, trailing Roeisland by a mere eight points.

The races continue in Burke on Thursday and Friday with the final two slalom races of the NorAm cup for the men.

Results Day One – Tuesday, March 12th

1. Tanguy Nef (SUI): 2:11.60
2. Brian McLaughlin (USA): +0.37
3. Riley Seger (CAN): +0.58
4. Nicholas Krause (USA): +1.34
5. Brodie Seger (CAN): +1.52
6. Jeffrey Read (CAN): +1.91
7. Kyle Negomir (USA): +1.92
8. Addison Dvoracek (USA): +2.06
9. Drew Duffy (USA): +2.08
9. Garret Driller (USA): +2.08

For full race results, click here.

Results Day Two – Wednesday, March 13th

1. Tanguy Nef (SUI): 2:11.00
2. Brian McLaughlin (USA): +0.12
3. Riley Seger (CAN): +0.80
4. Tobias Kogler (AUT): +0.88
5. Tobias Windingstad (NOR): +0.97
6. James Crawford (CAN): +1.64
7. Halvor Hilde Gunleiksrud (NOR):+1.72
7. Jeffrey Read (CAN): +1.72
9. Liam Wallace (CAN): +1.75
10. Kyle Negomir (USA): +1.81

For full FIS results, click here.

Women’s Giant Slalom – Stowe Mountain Resort, Vermont, USA

Tuesday, Canada’s Mikaela Tommy held on to her first run lead to win the giant slalom with a combined time of 2:04.76. The United State’s AJ Hurt, Keely Cashman, and Nina O’Brien, all outskied Tommy on their second run, but could not muster enough to surpass her time set in the first run. In the end, O’Brien finished second, 0.31 seconds back from Tommy, and Hurt finished third, 0.69 seconds back. Cashman jumped ahead a few positions, settling in fifth.

On Wednesday, Hurt, O’Brien and fellow Americans Paula Moltzan and Tricia Mangan, led the pack going into the second run. Each woman has had the opportunity to represent the USA on the World Cup circuit over the course of the 2018/19 season. Moltzan was even named to the United State’s World Championship team to ski her specialty, the slalom. In the end, only Mangan hung on to a podium position. Tommy once again charged to the front of the pack after laying down the second fastest time in the second run. She settled in second, 0.22 seconds behind the Netherland’s Adriana Jelinkova, whose second run time put her far enough ahead of the field to take the win. Moltzan and Hurt dropped back in the ranks, O’Brien did not finish her second run.

After the conclusion of the giant slalom series on Wednesday, O’Brien leads the giant slalom, slalom, super-G and overall standings in the NorAm Cup. Hurt trails O’Brien in the giant slalom by 147 points and will finish second in the NorAm giant slalom standings, followed by the Jelinkova in third. Like Radamus, Cashman came close to the top three but fell short by a margin of seven points and had to settle for fourth in the giant slalom standings.

The races continue in Stowe on Thursday and Friday with the final two slalom races of the NorAm cup for the ladies.

Results Day One – Tuesday, March 12th

1. Mikaela Tommy (CAN): 2:04.76
2. Nina O’Brien (USA): +0.31
3. AJ Hurt (USA): +0.69
4. Tuva Norbye (NOR): +0.98
5. Keely Cashman (USA): +1.28
6. Andrea Komsic (CRO): +1.48
7. Eirin Linnea Engeset (NOR): +2.26
8. Alice Merryweather (USA): +2.79
9. Francesca English (USA): +2.90
10. Paula Moltzan (USA): +3.21

For full race results, click here.

Results Day Two – Wednesday, March 13th

1. Adriana Jelinkova (NED): 2:11.98
2. Mikaela Tommy (CAN): +0.22
3. Patricia Mangan (USA): +0.64
4. AJ Hurt (USA): +0.70
5. Eirin Linnea Engeset (NOR): +0.93
6. Paula Moltzan (USA): +1.01
7. Tuva Norbye (NOR): +1.27
8. Claire Thomas (USA): +1.57
9. Andrea Komsic (CRO): +1.85
10. Francesca English (USA): +.209

For full race results, click here.