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Canadians Excel at Chamonix Alpine Skiing World Cup

Editor — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:43:45 +0000

With temperatures dropping to minus 15 degrees during the Men’s Alpine Skiing World Cup held at Chamonix this past weekend, the three Canadian skiers who started the race all finished in the top five. Jan Hudec of Calgary overcame injury obstacles that have plagued him recently to claim the gold medal, being his first since his downhill victory at Lake Louise in November 2007. Eric Guay of Mont-Tremblant took the bronze with Ben Thomsen of Invermere completing the event in fifth place. In a post-race interview, the team’s head coach Paul Kristofics noted that having all three competitors finish in the top five was amazing.

While the accomplishments of all the team members were noteworthy, for Jan Hudec it was a particularly meaningful victory in light of his six knee surgeries and continuing back problems. Delighted with the results of the race Hudec said that he had started the day free from pain for the first time in a long time and knew this was his opportunity to put his career back on track. With the icy slopes particularly suited to Hudec’s gliding skills, the skier completed the race in 2 minutes 3.25 seconds. Reigning world downhill champion, Guay came in 0.63 seconds behind the winner. Austria‘s Romed Baumann took silver with a time of 2 minutes, 3.78 seconds.

Commenting on the team’s performance, Hudec said “I think we blew everybody out of the water.” He also pointed out that while the results were against the odds, he thought the team members had done everything in their power to put themselves in the position to win. Referring to his injuries, Hudec said that although it would have been nice to make it to this point in his career without so many injuries, he felt that these obstacles have made his victory “that much sweeter.”

Teammate Guay was reported as saying that recent injuries in the team had resulted in a loss of momentum, but he noted that Jan Hudec’s return has been a motivating force for himself personally, and for the team. Certainly, Hudec’s will to overcome seemingly insurmountable health problems can serve as an inspiration to many.

Hirscher on World Cup Winning Streak

Editor — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:10:42 +0000

Overcoming limited visibility in foggy conditions, Marcel Hirscher of Austria maintained his winning streak as he claimed his third victory in succession in the slalom at Adelboden, Switzerland, on 8 January 2012, bringing his total wins for the season to five. With a combined time of one minute 58.66 seconds, Hirscher made history as the first skier to win both classic World Cup races in a weekend at the Adelboden Resort. The 22-year old skier beat defending champion Ivica Kostelic by a mere 0.27 seconds, with Stefano Gross of Italy taking third place on the podium.

In a post-race interview, Hirscher expressed his surprise at his success, noting that the weather conditions made the race like a rodeo and had him rocking all over the place. Having recovered from an injury suffered at the end of last season, Hirscher had not been expecting the success he has achieved in the current season. He was reported as saying that he has achieved the goals he set for himself this season, and was having fun with each race, enjoying his winning streak for as long as it lasts. He also noted, however, that he is glad for the break before the slalom set to take place in Wengen on January 15.

Kostelic conceded that he had been more cautious than usual in the manner in which he tackled the race, explaining that he has a history with the last ten gates on the Adelboden Chuenisbargli course where he has made mistakes in the past. Hirscher did not let anything hold him back as he took the victory. Both skiers agreed that weather conditions had been extremely difficult to deal with.

Although Ivica Kostelic of Croatia is 230 points behind Marcel Hirscher in the men’s World Cup championship, he has made it known that he is up for the challenge. He noted that what he likes about alpine skiing is that each race has skiers starting from scratch and he anticipated that Wengen will provide plenty of excitement, and Hirscher will have to show what he’s worth in speed events. Marcel Hirscher plans to skip the Super-Combined race scheduled for Friday and concentrate his efforts on Sunday’s Slalom.

Vonn and Ligety Shine at World Cup Opener

Editor — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:33:15 +0000

The Audi FIS Alpine World Cup season kicked off in Austria’s Soelden on the weekend, with Americans Ted Ligety and Lindsey Vonn of the US Ski Team claiming the top spots in the World Cup standing for men and women. For Ligety, this was his ninth World Cup win, and as defending champion, the weekend’s success was a good start to the season. Alexis Pinturault of France took second place, with Philipp Schoerghofer of Austria in third place.

Lindsey Vonn certainly appears to be etching her name in snow skiing history, as her weekend Grand Slam victory made her the fifth female to win races in all five of the Alpine disciplines – the other four skiers to have done so are Petra Kronberger (Austria), Pernilla Wiberg (Sweden), Anja Paerson (Sweden), and Janica Kostelic (Croatia). In a post-race interview Vonn admitted that she did not have much confidence as she started the race. Having hurt her hip in a practice run, the American skier had missed most of the week’s training sessions, so her objective was simply to do her best and finish the runs. Describing her victory as a “dream come true”, Vonn noted that she had seen a win in the Grand Slam as being out of her reach in this event. Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany came in second, with Elisabeth Goergl of Austria in third place.

Ligety is defending his third World Cup Grand Slam title, and his performance in the opening event of the season showed that he has what it takes to hold on to the coveted title. His win on the challenging Rettenbach glacier was a first for Ligety, and his ninth Grand Slam victory. Twice Junior GS champion, 20-year-old Alexis Pinturault came in 0.29 behind Ligety, scoring his second podium finish in the men’s GS league. Pinturault beat Ligety in Slovenia’s Kranjska Gora last season, taking second place behind Carlo Janka of Switzerland.

Skiers returning to the competitive slopes this season, having recovered from various injuries, include Robbie Dixon and Jean-Philippe Roy of Canada, and Didier Defago of Switzerland, as well as Marcel Hirscher and Benjamin Raich of Austria. Competitors acknowledge that the first race of the season is not necessarily an indicator as to how things will unfold, and with the season having just begun, skiers and spectators have lots of skiing action to look forward to.

FIS Sets Ski Radius Limits

Editor — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:43:43 +0000

With the start of the 2011-12 Alpine Ski World Cup just around the corner, there has been some controversy between the Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS) and athletes over proposed radius limits on various skis for the 2012-13 season. In line with this issue, the FIS Alpine Executive Committee has made the recommendation that the FIS Council permit an athlete to join the executive group.

The current controversy began in July when the FIS, the organization that governs the World Cup as well as European Cup races, brought forward a proposal to limit the radius of skis for super-G, slalom and grand slalom. The adjustments have been made for the safety of skiers. The main issue is carving skies. With this type of ski the skier’s grip on turns is affected by the degree of curvature along the length of the carving ski. Slalom racers have found that the carving skis require less energy and result in easier turning. On the downside it is placing immense pressure on athletes’ joints, increasing the risk of injury.

It is generally agreed that there should be a minimum radius on carving skis, though the argument comes in when deciding what that number should be. The limit that is attracting the most attention is that on grand-slalom skis, which have been set at 30 meters for women and 35 meters for men. A study was conducted by the University of Salzburg’s Institute for Sport Science, but many feel that the FIS has not examined the results carefully enough when setting the limits.

A number of ski racers have objected to the ski limits set by the FIS, with only Benjamin Raich of Austria fully supporting the changes. Many have criticized the FIS for not allowing athletes to assist in the processes related to safety decisions. Thus the FIS Alpine Executive Committee (AEC) decided to recommend that athletes are represented on the committee. The skier nominated to join the AEC must already be a member of the athletes commission, as well as a current participant in alpine racing events. There will be a meeting of the FIS Council in November, where the request by the AEC is likely to be approved.

FIS Ski World Cup Overall Title Decided by Weather

Editor — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:01:58 +0000

Excitement and competitiveness hit fever pitch as the 2011 Audi FIS Ski World Cup reached its conclusion at Lenzerheide Valley Resort in Switzerland on 20 March, following five months of exhilarating events across Europe and North America. Unfortunately, poor weather put a damper on the occasion, and organizers taking the unavoidable decision to cancel the Super G and Giant Slalom events for both men and women.

The Ladies’ World Cup Overall title was taken by Germany’s Maria Riesch, with Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic taking the Men’s Overall title, making his way into the history books with three wins in the 2010/2011 series. The World Cup Finals Team Event was clinched by Germany, with Austria taking the 2011 Overall Nation Cup. Second place in the Overall Nation was taken by Switzerland, with Italy taking third place, continuing in the pattern set in 2007 of the three nations finishing first, second and third.

Many will remember the 2011 Audi FIS Ski World Cup for the close competition between Lindsey Vonn of the United States and Maria Riesch for the Ladies’ 2011 World Cup overall title. Right up to the last events, the victory could have gone to either competitor, but the cancellation of events in Switzerland gave the victory to Maria Riesch who had clocked up 1478 points, sixteen podiums, six wins and two world championship bronze medals. Past World Cup achievements for Riesch include globes for Slalom in 2009 and 2010, as well as Super G and Super-Combined in 2008. Although expressing her disappointment at the cancellation of the races, Riesch was reported as saying that when she realized that she had won the overall title, she was really happy.

The decision to cancel has met with some harsh criticism, and with March historically being a month known for unstable weather conditions, it has been suggested that organizers move future events up to end the series in February, or move the finals to a venue with more predictable weather conditions. Having won the title in 2008, 2009 and 2010, Lyndsey Vonn was understandably disappointed that she didn’t get the opportunity to defend the title. Nevertheless, the popular Vail-based skier added globes for the Downhill, Combined and Super G events to her growing collection. Fans will no doubt be looking forward to the excitement of the 2012 FIS Ski World Cup and the opportunity to watch their favorite champion in action.

Men’s World Cup 2009

Editor — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:44:51 +0000

The magnificent slopes of Lake Louise will be over run by high speed skiers on the 28th and 29th of November 2009, when the fastest skiers will be competing for the Men’s World Cup 2009 title. Spectators will be able to see their favorite skiers perform at their best in the inaugural downhill races and in the super giant slalom events. It is guaranteed to be a thrilling event for both skiers and supporters and is a event that should not be missed.

For detailed information in regard to the resort and the Men’s World Cup 2009, kindly visit the website at http://www.skilouise.com/.

Date: 28 – 29 November 2009
Venue: Lake Louise Resort
City: Alberta
Country: Canada

Aspen Winternational 2009

Editor — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:33:09 +0000

The best athletes in the world will be taking part in the 2009 Aspen Winternational Audi FIS Alpine World Cup on the 28th and 29th of November 2009. Some of the athletes that spectators will be able to watch in action, includes Kaylin Richardson, Julia Mancuso, Lindsay Vonn, Stacey Cook, Caroline Lalive and Resi Steigler. These ladies will be setting the snow on fire and is an event that should not be missed.

For more information in regard to the show, kindly visit the website at www.aspensnowmass.com.

Alex Bilodeau takes top honors

Editor — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:02:15 +0000

Mogul skiing has been around for many years. It is a form of skiing that tests the skills of athletes and their abilities. This form of skiing falls under freestyle skiing, and requires athletes to move through various moguls that are on the slopes. Moguls can best be described as bumps that are formed on the slope and forces skiers to execute sharp turns and technical moves to avoid them. Some are formed naturally, while others can be formed and grow bigger as one skier after the next follows the same path.

When it comes to mogul skiing, which some resorts offer visitors by not grooming slopes so that moguls can form, this freestyle skiing discipline is often located against very steep slopes with narrow pathways. Many skiers have perfected the skill of working their way through these courses, such as Alex Bilodeau, who walked away with top honors on Wednesday, 18 March 2009, in the World Cup Final that was hosted in La Plagne, France.

Even after all he has achieved, Alex Bilodeau is a humble athlete, realizing that to stay at the top; he needs to constantly keep improving himself. His most fierce competition came from the French, Guilbaut Colas, but after winning the Moguls Title the previous month, all he had to do was ward off Colas, to win the finals, which he did brilliantly. Bilodeau finished the season with 790 points, while Colas accumulated 564, putting Bilodeau in a comfortable lead. With Bilodeau being victorious in the men’s dual moguls event, assisted the Canadian team in winning the top slot in the Nations Cup title, which is awarded to the team as a whole.

No doubt that Bilodeau will be back to challenge the freestyle skiing divisions again, but knows that there is a lot of work ahead of him, commenting: “Every day you need to prove yourself and that’s my mentality,” he said. “I need to continue to improve it.” Being at the top only means that athletes will be focused to dethrone him, and the competition is strong. But for now, congratulations are in order!

Downhill

Editor — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:50:00 +0000

Downhill skiing, also referred to as Alpine skiing, is a fantastic way to keep fit and have fun. In a nutshell, downhill skiing is moving down a slope on a pair of skis – often at high speeds. The equipment required for downhill or Alpine skiing includes a set of skis, poles to maintain your balance, a comfortable set of ski boots and lots of warm ski clothes.

Are you interested in learning how to downhill ski for that Alpine skiing holiday? It is advisable to find an instructor to help you get started. You will need to learn to shift your weight back and forth whilst pushing the skis out side to side. It is important to balance on both feet and to be able to think and react quickly to deal with possible obstacles.

Alpine skiing competitions such as the Downhill Skiing World Cup and the Winter Olypics, skiers are primarily judged on speed – and to reach the level of expertise needed for high-speed skiing takes a lot of dedication and determination, along with loads of practice. The different categories of these competitions include the downhill, the Super-G, the Slalom, the Giant Slalom and combinations of these.

Whether you are merely interested in an Alpine skiing holiday or you are a dedicated skiing enthusiast, you will enjoy every moment of the thrill of downhill skiing.

Famous Skiers

Editor — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:50:00 +0000

There are many famous skiers throughout the world. We will highlight just a few of them.

Toni Sailer of Austria, a famous downhill skier, came to be called the “Blitz from Kitz” as he won all three of the Alpine skiing events at the Winter Olympics of 1956. He went on to win 3 gold medals and silver in other World Championship events. He retired in 1959.

A famous Italian skier is Alberto Tomba. His first participation at the Olympics was in 1988 where he won the slalom and giant slalom. He went to win more medals at the next two Olympics and is the first male downhill skier to have five career Olympic medals.

Bode Miller currently holds the title of World Cup champion. He won 2 silver medals at the 2002 Olympics and has gained a further 4 gold medals at various championships.

May these famous skiers motivate you to join the world of skiing.