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.
Chamonix Competition Venue 2012
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!
