Planes, Trains, and Race Cars?

It has been an amazing three weeks.  My adventure started in Revelstoke for the first stop of the Freeride World Tour.  As soon as I arrived in Revelstoke,  the snow began to fall.  I didn’t see the sun for ten days.  I was starting to wonder if it was possible to see the sun in Revelstoke.  I finally asked a local on the chairlift and he said, “I think we saw the sun a couple times at the end of the season last year.”  It was looking like we might not get the finals off for the Freeskiing Competition, but on the very last possible competition day, I woke to a beautiful beam of sunlight.

The day was amazing.  Mount Olympus is one of the most picturesque venues I have ever competed on.  The day couldn’t have been more perfect.  A heli shuttled us to the top of the venue, a knife edge peak.  The venue was stunning and the feeling at the top of the mountain was powerful.  It was one of those moments when I felt incredibly lucky to be a professional skier.  I skied my line exactly how I had planned and came flyin into third place.

Riding my high from the day, I returned to my hotel room to receive a text message on my iphone: Jess can you be in Telluride on sunday.  Sorry for the short notice, but it is the only time Regan Smith and his team have time this month.  It was thursday.  My plan was to drive the 15 hours back to Jackson, recharge my batteries, and fly to Chamonix on the following thursday.  It felt like a quick turn around without a trip to Telluride, but it’s not every day you get an opportunity to ride in Regan’s Furniture Row Race Car.  So, yes of course, I can squeeze a quick trip to Telluride before I fly to Chamonix.

I can’t begin to describe the feeling of sitting in a race car.  The feel of the engine is powerful.  As soon as Regan started his engine, my heart rate jumped to 170 and that was before we went 200mph.  I have never thought of myself as a motor head.  And I never thought I would watch a Nascar Race.  Never say never.  After spending two days with Regan and his team I found myself watching Nascar on my flight over to Chamonix.  And I can’t wait to go to my first Race.

It started to snow as soon as we arrived in Chamonix for the second stop of the Freeride World Tour.  My timing couldn’t have been better.  It snowed so hard the first night I arrived that the mountain didn’t open the next day.  Luckily, the competition was postponed because as soon as I arrived in Chamonix I came down with the stomach flu.  I was my first time catching the stomach flu and I never ever want to have the stomoach flu again.  Thirty hours of sleep later, I emerged from hotel room feeling like I had been hit by a truck and “ready” to compete.

I have to admit, I wasn’t feeling my best, but I rallied to the top for my competition run.  I chose a winning line, but it wasn’t my day.  I choked when I arrived at my biggest feature.  Why did I choke?  I wish I knew.  What I do know is that I don’t like fourth place.  It’s time to head back to Jackson, recharge, and get ready to kick some ass!

Bib Draw – Contest Sunday

As people filled the main square of Chamonix, a band played, and blankets of snow fell from the sky. The scene was beautiful and just what we needed two nights before the competition. The snow forecasters are predicting upwards of 40 cm which might be enough to heel the south facing competition venue.

I spent the day inspecting the face and trying to guess where the best snow might be. As I said before the venue is south facing and has been heated many times over creating an almost bullet proof crust. In my opinion, not the best conditions for a competition. There is an east facing side to the venue that holds much softer conditions. The issue is that it is almost impossible to find a line that flows on the east face. The best features are on the true south face of the venue.

Much of the snow on the south face has rotted out around the rocks and it is hard to tell if it has crusted over. Many of the competitors are hopeful that because the venue has not been skied in the last month that the snow will still be good. I am undecided. “It’s hard saying, not knowing.”

I was hoping for a late start and that is exactly what I got. I will be starting bib 48, second to last female skier. With the conditions as they are, I have not found a line I am totally in love with. I would like to ski the south facing side of the venue, but am worried that the snow is just too funky. I could play it safe and ski the east face, hitting small features, a guarantee to stay on my feet. I think it is too early to decide. I will sleep well tonight and see what mother nature brings us in the morning.