U.S. women convene in New Zealand for alpine camp

A large group of U.S. women alpine racers have stepped back into their skis — most of them, for the first time since May — in the snowy Southern Hemisphere for the beginning of the team’s first on-snow training camp in preparation for the 2007-08 season.

A LARGE GROUP of U.S. women alpine racers have stepped back into their skis — most of them, for the first time since May — in the snowy Southern Hemisphere for the beginning of the team’s first on-snow training camp in preparation for the 2007-08 season.
    At least 10 women, including World Championship medalists Julia Mancuso and Lindsey Kildow, have arrived in New Zealand and set up camp at Round Hill, near Christchurch on the country’s south island. Later, the group will head south to Coronet Peak, near Queenstown, for the bulk of their work during this camp, scheduled to run through Aug. 19.
    “Every time I go down there … you’d think I’d get used to it, but you’re in the middle of summer here and you get down there and it’s a little disconcerting when you get on the mountain and it’s cold,” said A team member Kaylin Richardson. “The first couple of days your [body’s] all soft, you know, after being in flip-flops in the sun all summer, and your feet are hurting. But after a couple of days you really get in the groove of things.
    "We’ve had a nice long break since May. I skied the beginning of May but I haven’t been on skis until now. So it’s one of those things where you’ve been in the gym so long that you’re kind of itching to get back on snow.”
    Richardson said the New Zealand camp will be geared primarily toward training in the technical events of slalom and GS. The women also will be continuing to tweak their equipment setup and getting comfortable on the new dimensions mandated by the FIS for next season. 
    “It’ll be a really interesting prep period because everyone’s skis will be different, the radius is different, they ski different,” Richardson said. “I was on the new slalom and GS skis at the end of last year and they’re great but they do ski different. You can tell.”
    The 22-year-old Richardson made the long trip to New Zealand last summer but was forced to return home early after sustaining an ankle injury that eventually required surgery in September. That surgery prevented Richardson from traveling to the team’s fall camp in Chile and training on the glaciers of Europe in October. So staying healthy is step one for her this time around Down Under.
    Step two, Richardson said, will be developing a plan along with her coaches that will better balance training between the tech and speed events. A native of Minnesota and Team Gilboa, the tech events will always be Richardson’s true love. But she enjoyed some success in the speed events as well last season, finishing 26th in the World Cup standings in super G, 17th in super combined and adding a 12th-place result in the super combi at the World Championships.
    “My one misgiving about being with the speed team was that my tech would suffer, and [my coaches] are so about my tech doing well, they want me to be a four-event skier,” Richardson said. “And I think one thing we’re going to focus on this season is doing downhill in the morning and then going straight to slalom, or doing GS in the morning and going to super G. Just mixing it up so that your body and mind get used to that muscle memory.”
    Richardson’s tech training should get a boost from the return of injured veterans Sarah Schleper and Caroline Lalive this season. Both traveled to New Zealand, and both boast impressive World Cup resumés in the tech events. Both racers suffered serious knee injuries two seasons ago and skipped last year to heal.
    “Schleper and I have played phone tag this past week. Caroline and I keep in touch pretty regularly and I’m really excited for her to come down,” Richardson said.