01/28/09

A Quick Round Valley Fix

Like most busy parents, I was wild with joy last week when I discovered one hour of time all to myself. It was a crisp, sunny day, the kind of blue skies-without-a-cloud weather that Park City seems to have patented. Frankly, it would have been blasphemy to squander that hour working.

Since the dog needed exercise as desperately as I (and Round Valley was perfectly situated on the road to school pick-up), the decision wasn't hard. I grabbed my eight-year-old, ski swap, never-been-waxed, classic cross-country skis, loaded up my golden retriever and headed for the ice rink parking lot. We parked closer to the snow-covered baseball diamond than the rink, walked across the street to the trailhead sign, clicked in, un-clicked, picked up the pup's poop, clicked back in and we were...

Posted at 04:13 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1

01/28/09

Big Air Chronicles III - Lake Placid World Cup

The next morning was comp day and I felt the pre-comp jitters, but knew I was as prepared as I could possibly be to debut my new trick in front of friends, family and the hometown crowd.

I love competing in the US. Being home and having the support of friends and family makes being an athlete truly worthwhile. Regardless, I was a bit nervous about the added pressure that also comes with being expected to perform on home soil.

I had great early morning training and stomped my first jump, a full double full, successfully, landing me in third position going into the final. I was really excited, but was sure to remember not to celebrate too early. In aerials two jumps count, and doing well on the first one leaves no guarantees, other than the opportunity to continue on in the...

Posted at 03:33 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

01/26/09

Big Air Chronicles IV - Coming Back Home to PC

After all of the excitement of my first podium of the season in Lake Placid, NY, heading to Mont Gabriel, Quebec was a bit of a let down. Temperatures were well below zero and the site wasn't my favorite, but that is something that we have to deal with sometimes and I was determined to get over it and still compete my best. Unfortunately, I had some trouble getting used to the new jumps and by comp day was still a bit off, and found it difficult to get up to speed on my new trick. I touched a hand down on the landing of my first jump and missed landing well on my second jump, finishing in a disappointing 11th place. Thankfully, though not psyched, I rebounded quickly. There were many injuries in Mont Gabriel. A surprising five women were scratched from competition with concussions,...

Posted at 08:45 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1

01/26/09

Christmas Tree Bailout

I was sitting in front of my computer as I do most every morning checking the latest news headlines: bankruptcy, foreclosure, fraud, economic woes, and bailouts - the deluge was unending and numbing. Bailout, bailout - my morning latte must have been made with beans low on caffeine. Bailout. It finally hit me "Where is MY bailout"? I bought a new GM vehicle this year, I have an adjustable rate mortgage, and my 401K is more or less worthless. Don't I qualify for a handout from the federal printing press?

Let me tell you, the answer for once was YES! This year I got a bailout from the feds in the form of a $10 permit from the US Forest Service office in Heber, entitling the holder to cut down a Christmas tree in the national forest. Granted, the permits are more scarce...

Posted at 07:57 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

01/23/09

Big Air Chronicles II

In my last blog I explained that I would soon be doing a new trick on snow, a double full full (a triple twisting double back flip, for those who keep their skis on the ground most of the time), and that my main objective was to get out of my own way and allow my body to perform to its best ability despite the fear that often accompanies doing something new and challenging. Well ... the first try was a huge success, followed by what could have been a true athletic disaster.

I had a perfect day to attempt my first double full full on snow, a beautiful, bluebird day without a breath of wind. However, even with the perfect day, I could still feel the nerves beginning to invade my body and mind as I stood at the top of the aerial hill. It had been months since I had trained this...

Posted at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

01/21/09

Big Air Chronicles

Blogging is a difficult thing, especially for an athlete. Sharing the most personal of thoughts in a publicly read forum seems almost dangerous as I write this, and personally is something I have been taught my entire life as an athlete, not to do. But, here I am blogging for Park City Magazine, with the intention of it being beneficial for you, the readers, as well as for myself. For the next few weeks I'll do my best to let you into the world of an Olympic athlete preparing for the most important year of my career, leading up to the 2010 Olympics.

I've heard it said that athletes are a closed door; we share only what the media wants to hear, but how else are we expected to act after all that we have been taught as human beings and as athletes? As a young gymnast, I learned to...

Posted at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0