the season is underway
I just finished up my first North American Cup races (NorAms) to kick off the competition season here in North America. The races proved to be quite competitive, as there were many World Cup teams gearing up for the upcoming races at Beaver Creek.
After having a great Thanksgiving at home in Windham, I left early the next morning for Colorado to get a day of training and some free skiing in before the races began. Because of the lack of snow and cold weather this fall in Colorado, the race organizers really had their hands full. All four races - two giant slaloms and two slaloms - were scheduled to be held at Keystone. The lack of snow forced the slalom races to be moved to Winter Park.
The race series began with the giant slalom races at Keystone. The races were held on a part of the mountain called North Peak. Getting to the race venue was quite the ordeal. Most of the competitors had to ride a gondola up from the base, then get into another gondola that traversed across a ridge to North Peak. Once there, everyone had a ten minute hike up to the top, where they could get to the race trail while carrying a backpack and two pairs of skis. At the race venue, the race trail was the only trail open. That made it tough for warming up. There was no lodge, only a hut with bathrooms at the base of the lift that serviced the race trail. Luckily I was able to get a ride with one the few teams that had a permit to drive up the access road and avoided all of the gondola rides and hiking.
Despite how primitive where we were racing was, the snow was great and the race hill was in excellent shape. The first day I started number 46 out of 110 competitors. My goal going into the day was to finish in the top 30 after the first run, because for the second run the top 30 go in reverse order of finish, then places 31 through 60 go in order of finish and everyone after 60th place does not get a second run. The tough part about accomplishing my goal was that the field of races was so deep that the athletes starting right in front of me were some of the best giant slalom skiers in the world - including Kalle Palander, who finished second in the opening World Cup giant slalom.
My first race run did not go as well as I had hoped. During my inspection of the course, the hill looked a lot more difficult than it actually skied and I ended up over skiing the course by giving it too much respect and not taking enough chances. This only moved me up a few spots and not into the top 30. Although I was somewhat disappointed, I knew what I had to do for the second run and the following race. My game plan immediately changed. The rest of the runs there, I just charged down the course. The first day I ended up just out of the top 30 after a decent second run.
The following day during the second giant slalom, I was even more determined. The tough field made it difficult, and I saw myself in 33rd place after the first run. For the second run, I did all that I could and kept charging. When you do this, though, sometimes you can push it too far and that is what I did. Right before the finish, I fell on my hip and slid past a gate. As tough as it is to not finish, I went down giving it everything I had and was happy with that.
One thing that I have learned racing at this level is that you don’t get anywhere skiing less than 100%. Just making it down is not enough to be at the top. You have to take chances. The 40 competitors ahead of me are all charging as hard as they can, too, so if you don’t do the same you are going to be way out when you get to the bottom.
The move over to Winter Park was a welcomed one because a lot of my training this fall has been in slalom and I had a lot of confidence in my skiing. I have raced and trained quite a bit in the last two years at Winter Park and know the trail and am familiar with the aggressive side hill. This is where the trail and race course go in one direction and the fall line goes off in another direction. All of the left turns are banked turns and on the right ones the hill goes away from you, making it very difficult.
The first race run there, I moved from 27th up to 20th and was very happy with how I skied. I took chances and it paid off. I stuck with the same game plan for the second run, but got into some trouble with a big mistake on the top of the course. When this happens, one thing goes through my head and that is that I have time to make up. After the mistake, I went straighter and took even more chances until I got to the bottom and it caught up with me. I had another mistake before the finish. In the end, the mistakes cost me quite a bit of time. I managed to hang on to 24th place and earn valuable NorAm points for finishing in the top 30.
By the time the last race came around, four days of intense racing at 10,000 feet above sea level caught up to me. Usually four races in a row is not a problem, but because the air is much thinner racing in Colorado can be very taxing. In the final race, I never got into the rhythm of the course and during the second run it was even worse with a course that had big sweeping turns all of the way down. It was very frustrating to be tired and not able to ski the way I am capable of, but I had to take the positives with me. During the race series I had runs and races that I was not capable of last year, and I know that with more time racing consistency will come. I am now just outside of Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada, getting ready for some downhill races and am ready to give it everything I have got.
Apr 07, 2008 - A long stretch
I have just finished up quite a long stretch of racing. I have been on the road for the last month, putting over 2,000 miles on my car. I have been to Ontario, Lake Placid, Sugarloaf, and Vermont for races during this time. The end of the trip included 10 races in an 11-day period. I cannot begin to explain how tired I was by the last day... Mar 13, 2008 - March Madness
Spring is here and my racing is in full swing. The spring races are some of the best opportunities all season for racers in my position. From here on out, I will be racing against national team athletes trying to score points that will help my world ranking. Yesterday wrapped up a five-day block where I had five NorAm Cup races. The races began in Collingwood, Ontario. For anyone unfamiliar with Canada and Ontario in particular, Collingwood is in the middle of nowhere. It is about two hours northwest of Toronto on the shores of Lake Huron. It was an eight-hour drive there from Lake Placid where I was training last week... Mar 03, 2008 - Rollercoaster ride
Ski racing can be one of the more frustrating sports around. It boggles my mind how quickly things can change. Emotionally, it can be a rollercoaster ride from great highs to disappointing lows in a mere matter of days - then back to those wonderful highs. Avoiding any lows would be ideal, but throughout the season there are bound to be some. Each athlete’s hope is to make the highs last longer and shorten the low points as much as possible... Feb 14, 2008 - A long trip
My recent trip to Whistler Blackcomb sure seemed like the longest eight-day trip that I have ever been on. When I decided to go there to compete in the Canadian National and Junior National Championships, I envisioned good races being held under decent conditions. I could not have been more off in my assumption. I would guess that I saw the sun for a total of three hours the whole time I was there. I must say, though, when the sun was out it was a breathtaking place - perhaps one of the more beautiful places in the world I have been to. Feb 07, 2008 - A different perspective
While at home recovering from the crash that cut my Europe trip short, I had the chance to see a couple ski races as a spectator. In the week that I was home, I caught a Windham Ashland Jewett Central School Ski Team race and a J-V and J-IV (13 years and younger). It was great to see these races because I had come up through the same races. I started my racing in the weekend program at Windham and continued through high school. In 7th grade, I began skiing for the high school team, as well. Jan 28, 2008 - Feeling pretty beat up
The skiing world in Europe is far different from anywhere else in the world, especially North America. Here, skiing and mountain life are a part of the culture. Skiing is a social activity... Jan 19, 2008 - Another world
A lot has happened since my last entry. To begin with, I spent three days at Sugarloaf waiting to race downhill. The always-reliable January thaw was far from merciful during our races there. In the three days, I only skied three runs - all of which were during the first morning... Jan 08, 2008 - A good start to the new year
I just finished the first half of an eight day racing block. The first four days were NorAm Cup slalom and giant slalom races. They were held at Sunday River right after New Year’s... Dec 26, 2007 - Home for the holidays
After a whirlwind trip across North America that included 13 races in Colorado, Canada, and Maine and spanned just about a month, I can say without a doubt that it is good to be home. As exciting as it is to travel great distances and see beautiful places while skiing, sometimes there is nothing better than relaxing at home and sleeping in your own bed... Dec 14, 2007 - A great day
Ski racing can be a funny sport sometimes. In a matter of days, things can totally turn around. I was kind of disappointed that I had not skied better than I did during the downhill races at Lake Louise. I knew that I just had to put that performance behind me and move on to the next race. That could be the most important lesson that I have learned in this sport. There is almost always another race right around the corner. At this level, when you have 60 races in one season, there are plenty of opportunities to succeed. Dec 10, 2007 - North of the Border
I arrived in Calgary, Canada, to some bone chilling weather. I came up here after racing in Colorado to compete in NorAm Cup speed races. There were two downhill races, two super G races and a super combined (one run of super G and a run of slalom). My first races were two downhills held at Lake Louise, Alberta. Before we arrived, Lake Louise had played host to both men’s and women’s World Cup speed races Dec 02, 2007 - The season is underway
I just finished up my first North American Cup races (NorAms) to kick off the competition season here in North America. The races proved to be quite competitive, as there were many World Cup teams gearing up for the upcoming races at Beaver Creek. Nov 23, 2007 - A little down time
I am finally home and getting some much needed rest. The journey home was a long one, totaling over 6,000 miles and 28 hours of traveling. I got home a few days ago and am just getting over the jet lag. I am now able to stay awake past 9 pm and can sleep past 6 am. Nov 07, 2007 - Surrounded by the Best
AUSTRIA -- Paul Epstein, my teammate for the year, and I made our way back to Soelden for the weekend to watch the World Cup races. We were excited to get out of Hintertux after a difficult week of training because of the snow and weather conditions. I was particularly excited about watching the Men’s race, but the women’s race provided quite a bit of excitement with Julia Mancuso’s spectacular second run moving her into second place overall.
Oct 30, 2007 - About Chris Frank
Chris Frank grew up here in Windham, the son of the resort’s general manager at the time, Dan Frank. At the age of 7, Chris joined the junior race program at Windham and was a part of it until graduating high school... Oct 30, 2007 - Thrown Into Winter
Thrown into winter - October 23, 2007 - It has been 10 days since I stepped off the plane in Munich, Germany. After getting my bags in the airport, I hopped into a van for a 3-1/2 hour drive south that brought me to Soelden, Austria...
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