Mountains of powder greet World Cup racers

By Published On: December 8th, 2007Comments Off on Mountains of powder greet World Cup racers


It was a downright frenetic freakshow up on Aspen Mountain on Friday. It dumped 18 inches overnight on top of the 3 feet from last weekend. The downhill race got postponed and the super G got cancelled, but the consolation was a powder choke fest.
    “I couldn’t breathe,” said the Libby Ludlow on the U.S. Ski Team after getting first tracks on Jackpot, a steep run under the Silver Queen Gondola. Skiing powder is the only time that choking, poor visibility, and hugging trees is fun. “I hope I don’t get stuck in a tree well,” she added.
    Led by Aspen locals, U.S. Ski Teamers Ludlow, Stacey Cook, Resi Stiegler, Kaylin Richardson, Leanne Smith and Hailey Duke were as drunk on powder as the local ski bums. Richardson, a Minnesota native, at one point stopped midrun — totally glazed over in a trance — and said: “I’ve never skied this much snow.”
IT WAS A DOWNRIGHT frenetic freakshow up on Aspen Mountain on Friday. It dumped 18 inches overnight on top of the 3 feet from last weekend. The downhill race got postponed and the super G got cancelled, but the consolation was a powder choke fest.
    “I couldn’t breathe,” said the Libby Ludlow on the U.S. Ski Team after getting first tracks on Jackpot, a steep run under the Silver Queen Gondola. Skiing powder is the only time that choking, poor visibility, and hugging trees is fun. “I hope I don’t get stuck in a tree well,” she added.
    Unlikely, as Ludlow, who has been known to sneak away from race camps for powder turns, led the U.S. powder-posse charge. She grew up skiing at Crystal Mountain in Washington State, after all, where the snow dumps in the mountains when the rain pours in the city, which means always. The super G specialist was bummed that her race got cancelled instead of the downhill, but said it was a “consolation” having a sweet powder day. “It’s the second best thing,” she said.
    Led by Aspen locals, U.S. Ski Teamers Ludlow, Stacey Cook, Resi Stiegler, Kaylin Richardson, Leanne Smith and Hailey Duke were as drunk on powder as the local ski bums. Richardson, a Minnesota native, at one point stopped midrun — totally glazed over in a trance — and said: “I’ve never skied this much snow.”
    The entire world of the World Cup was out there — including Sweden, Canada, Monaco, Great Britain and the United States — well, everywhere except on the racecourse. Anja Paerson was spotted with a “gaper gap,” where skin is exposed between the hat and goggles, a clear sign that one of the best racers in the world might want to work on her big-mountain “steeze” factor. Her Swedish team was having fun, screaming “ya hoos” on the flat traverses thinking that was some of the best snow. Not. They must have missed the traffic jam of locals heading to the steeps. Some international skiers were shredding powder in their race skis. Ugh! Team U.S.A., however, was dialed in, prepped in their faux fur down jackets and powder boards ready to shred some sick pow — which they did.
    Richardson did a little dance at the bottom of the gondola; Stiegler did one at the top; and everyone else joined them when they danced down the deep powder faces — hollering, choking, and avoiding tree wells the entire way down.

    

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About the Author: Pete Rugh