U.S. women praise technical aspects of DH track

By all accounts the women’s new downhill course at Whistler is a beauty.
    “It is definitely the most difficult technically that I’ve faced,” says the U.S. Ski Team’s Stacey Cook. “But it’s still a downhill. The only thing missing is a big long flat… and I don’t think that bums too many people out.”
    It’s going to be a test for the 2010 Olympians, which is something the women racers of the World Cup have been pressing for. Too often, they say, women’s downhill courses, and Olympic courses in particular, have been too easy.
    Lindsey Vonn, the World Cup downhill standings leader, says it is “a good course,” and word has it five-time downhill title winner Renate Goetschl likes so much she is considering prolonging her career to race it in 2010.
    So what makes it so good?BY ALL ACCOUNTS, the women’s new downhill course at Whistler is a beauty.
    “It is definitely the most difficult technically that I’ve faced,” says the U.S. Ski Team’s Stacey Cook. “But it’s still a downhill. The only thing missing is a big long flat… and I don’t think that bums too many people out.”
    It’s going to be a test for the 2010 Olympians, which is something the women racers of the World Cup have been pressing for. Too often, they say, women’s downhill courses, and Olympic courses in particular, have been too easy.
    This season the World Cup tour has addressed the complaints with a myriad of races being held either on new courses, or on courses previously only run by the men. The Whistler course, called Franz’s Run after the founder of Whistler, Franz Wilhelmson, will meet all the requirements.
    Lindsey Vonn, the World Cup downhill standings leader, says it is “a good course,” and word has it five-time downhill title winner Renate Goetschl likes so much she is considering prolonging her career to race it in 2010.
    So what makes it so good?
    Libby Ludlow, another of the U.S. team racers says, “It’s really technical and that’s kind of hard to find on the women’s tour. It requires action. It just comes at you the whole way down. There aren’t a lot of flats like a lot of women’s courses have. It’s got everything, jumps, sidehills, fall aways, banked turns and all sorts of pitches. It’s totally fun. This is what downhill is, putting it all together and nailing it on race day.”
    It starts out with three tricky turns and the skis aren’t moving fast enough yet to really bend, making the turning all the more difficult.
    “There are three right footed turns all at the top of the course,” says Cook. “You have to be real trusting at the top of the turn that your ski will come around.” For her, it is one of the hardest sections to overcome.
    After a bumpy section there are two big double turns leading into a traverse and a sweeping left turn into a jump, followed by a compression, another traverse, a sweeping right and a roll into another jump.
    By the middle of the course racers will catch air over a pair of humps then rip into a big banked turn. Then some super G type turns, a road crossing and at the bottom, a big old jump launching into the stadium.
    “I love the giant jump at the bottom,” says Cook. “It’s really cool and is spectacular for the fans. It’s like a bonus at the end of the run.”
    Ludlow, as well, likes the jump, but she’s more pleased with the lack of flat. “I love jumps. I love flying so I’m in my element,” she says, “but there isn’t any one place I look forward to. It’s the whole package. I’m not good at gliding sections because I always feel like I should be doing something.”