Podium Profile: Hello Canadian Cowgirl

The Canadian Cowboys aren’t the only ones getting results these days. Hello Canadian Cowgirls.

ASPEN, Colo. — The Canadian Cowboys aren’t the only ones getting results these days. Hello Canadian Cowgirls.
    “We’re trying to establish the Canadian Cowgirls,” said Britt Janyk, Saturday's downhill champion, “but we don’t need the cowboy hats, we’re going with the tiara.”
    Go for it.
    Janyk posted her first World Cup win Saturday in the first women’s downhill in Aspen since 1988. She got third in the Lake Louise downhill on home snow last weekend. She sits first in the overall downhill standings.
    Since 1981, the American women have been kept off the top step at Aspen. Even the heavy favorite, America’s Lindsey Vonn, couldn’t handle the soft snow — a result of a huge storm to hit the Elk Mountains — which allowed the Whistler-bred racer to take advantage.
    “I feel quite comfortable in these types of conditions,” she said while proudly wearing her tiara. “I grew up skiing on the West Coast and these are the type of conditions I love. You just had to keep your head in it and stay focused and go 100 percent. I just kept my focus and knew I wanted to ski fast today.”
    The downhill was halted after 37 racers due to two major crashes and soft snow conditions on the course. After nearly 2 feet of snow fell on Aspen in two days, the course was soft and getting rutted out in parts. Janyk, however, stayed focused.
    “When you leave the start gate of a downhill or a super G,” Janyk said, “you have to trust exactly what you’re doing. You can’t worry about little technical things. Having a podium last weekend, it really gave me more trust and confidence in my skiing so when I leave the start my mind is clear and I focus on where I need to be on the course and where I need to be fastest and that’s it. Everything else just stops. To be a winner that’s what you need to do and I’m working on it every day. Today it came through.”
    Having a powder day Friday, and still being able to compete — and win — the downhill was like icing on the cake.
    “It is a rarity,” she said about powder skiing. “We don’t get a lot of chances to powder ski and do what we love to do. … It was great to get out there yesterday.”

    — Sam Flickinger contributed to this story