Day 6 - Judegment Day

Brace yourselves, this is going to be a long post...

Well, today was race day. I was up at 5:30am to get to the mountain by 7 for practice and inspections at 7:45am. Too early if you ask me!

They had to fix the course from earlier in the week because too many people were getting hurt on it. Several people had to be taken to the hospital, many taken down by ski patrol, and some were lucky enough to ride away and continue the race.

The weather was great! By around 8:30-9:00am the skies started to clear and the sun started to come out. It wasn't windy and the temperature was in the mid 30s. My first heat was toward the middle of the day, which was nice because it was super sunny and since the temperature wasn't too cold, the snow became softer and slower.

Timed trials started around 9:15am and I got to go around 9:45am. I finished with a time of 70.63 or something like that, which put me in 11th place, out of 12. Great...off to a good start. (Timed trials are done to figure out bracket placement.)

Brackets started at around noon and my age division only had two heats, I was in the first. It was split up into two groups of six. We went around 12:30. I was in lane six, which isn't the worst place to be, but not the best, either. Lanes 3 and 4 are probably best because it's pretty much a straight shot out of the gates, however, you have to be careful not to crash into other people since there are riders on both sides of you. If you are strong enough to get a solid lead through the whoop-dee-doos (rollers), then that's the place for you. For me, lane 6 was just fine (plus, I didn't have a choice since I was so low on the timed trial list). I was on the outside, so I only had to worry about bumping into one other person, however, being on the outside meant that I had to cross over the course to go through the first gate.

We all took off and slowly everyone pulled ahead of me until I was dead last and far behind. To my luck, the fifth place rider fell, and I was able to stick to my line and pass her, finishing in 5th. However, since it was the semi-final bracket, only the top three riders from each heat advance to the finals...not me. So, I was placed in the consolation bracket, where the bottom three riders from each heat go.

Well, I was in lane 6 again. Good ol' lane 6. I got off to a great start! Working the transitions through the whoop-dee-doos and a strong power turn around a gate to close the door on riders behind me (basically I cut them off so they couldn't pass me around the gate, don't worry, it's legal). I was riding hard and strong and flying down the course in 4th place with a substantial lead over the 5th and 6th place riders. And then it happened...

It happened so quickly, I can hardly even remember it. I was approaching the fourth to last turn, coming off a small jump and I guess the nose of my dive caught on the landing. I fell face first...it was a beautiful faceplant! Don't worry, my chin broke my fall. I then continued to slide into the turn on my face and since I was carrying so much speed, my legs started to come up over my head and I basically jack-knifed for a few seconds (ya know...similar to when a Mack truck is in a car accident and slides down the road on the front of truck while the rest of it is high up in the air? yeah, that). I could feel everything in my back cracking!!! I was not made to bend that way! Anyway, some how I ended up on my back, only to watch one rider pass me and then feel the second rider crash into me, sending me spinning into a gate and sending her into a gate further down the course. I felt bad that I knocked her over, but I was more upset that she scratched my new board!!!!!!! Oh, well, at least she wasn't hurt.

As for me, I was taken down by ski patrol and air lifted to the hospital because they were worried about spinal injury. Ok, maybe not...late April Fool's. But the accident really did happen. The true ending: I got up and finished the race. Dead last. Last one across the line. No one behind me. Brining in the rear. At least I made Top 12! Oh, wait...there were only 12 riders!!!!!!!!!

So, what could have been a 10th place finish, wound up being a 12th place finish. Dead last.

It was a fun experience and I am amazed at myself at how much I improved what what I was capable of doing. I'm not in too much pain now, but I feel like this is an injury that I will feel a few days after...so I hope it doesn't affect my crazy bowling skills on Saturday! I think my ego is more bruised, and my new board...ohh, my new board! That is definitely bruised!

Miss you all, see you tomorrow night!

Day 5 - Bombs Away!

We skied at Loveland Pass today. It was SUPER windy, but still GREAT! The wind was crazy cold and there were points that the wind was so strong that you didn't even have to breath, just sit there and the air would find its way into your lungs! Ok, maybe not. When we got there in the morning, they were bombing for avalanches! Yikes! We heard about three go off. They sounded pretty close, too. Let's hope there were no backcountry skiers back there to get caught in the slides!

The mountain is super nice! It's like a bowl and it was so wide open! The terrain park wasn't that great, but there were a few jumps that I could practice my take-offs and landings on. I felt pretty solid, so I will try to fly at full speed for my race tomorrow! Let's hope I don't fall!

The new board is nice! No, not to flexy, but for boardercross, something stiffer is better, anyway. The graphics are pretty sweet, too. If I can figure out how to upload photos on this, I'll put a picture of it up.

I hope some other staff members were spared and read your post, Emily! Sorry I wasn't at the staff meeting to take the fun quiz and help them out! I was thinking of calling you guys, but that would've been 6:30am mountain time. 8:30am is early enough, so I figured not...haha.

I have some homework to do and I should get to bed soon...I have to be on the slopes at 8am for inspections! Woo! Miss you all and thanks for everything!

Racers ready...15 seconds...10 seconds...5 seconds...GO!

Day 4 - Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

Well, stuck in the flats again today. Not only that, but I was stuck in the house. According to UPS tracking, my board was expected to arrive today, so we decided not to leave the house so we wouldn't miss the delivery. The board didn't come until around 5pm! It was really annoying.

I'll have a chance to ride my board tomorrow, one day before my competition. Then, I'll decide if I'm comfortable enough on it, or if I will use my old board. We're skiing at Loveland tomorrow because Copper (where competitions are) will be too crowded. Plus, I won't be able to get onto the course or in the terrain park and at Loveland I can, so I'll be able to practice take-offs and landings on jumps.

The end.

Day 3 - Stuck in the Flats

Well, not much to report today. I'm in Greeley until Tuesday, so that means no snowboarding until then. We went to the gym today and I walked around the track to try to keep my legs active so they don't burn so much when I ride on Tuesday/Wednesday. I got winded quickly...Greeley is about a mile above sea level, so the altitude can really get to you. In the mountains, it can be over double that at the peak.

Today was the first day of competition, it turns out that they are airing live web casts each day to cover the event. Unfortunately, they don't air competitions, only the awards and night events. You can check it out at http://www.go211.com/u/usasa2008. Keep in mind, CO is 2 hours behind NY.

It's supposed to snow big the next day or two in the mountains, so the course should get nice coverage and hopefully smooth it out a bit...maybe even slow it down. I still don't know what time my race is on Wednesday, but I have to be at the mountain at 8am for inspections. Hopefully I'm in the afternoon when it's warmer out and the snow is a little slushier. That will definitely slow things down. I have a feeling I'll be in the morning though, when the course will be cold, icy, and super fast. Ugh.

My new snowboard should arrive tomorrow! If it doesn't, that's bad news.

You all rock! Miss you all tons. Adios!

PS -- Emily, I'll see what I can do about the ram...J

Day 2 - Practice

Well, today was practice. We woke up at the butt crack of dawn to get to Copper Mountain early so I could register and get my credentials and bib. I slept most of the car ride, but opened my eyes to sneak a peak of the wonderful scenery and some wildlife...coyotes and rams. It was snowing in the morning, so the road conditions weren't that great and it was cold in the morning on the mountain. I couldn't get on the course until noon, but I took a lap near it to view the course and HOLY SHUTTERBUGS...it was INTENSE!

So by the time I was ready to get on the course, my legs were shaking and I was extremely nervous. The turns were narrow, the jumps were big, the gaps were long, the whoop-dee-doos (rollers), were tall and close together, and the transitions into each turn were tricky!

My first run was inspection only, meaning, you are not allowed to go top speed, but rather just gently run the course to see what it's like. YIKES! It is a scary and really tricky course! They only allowed my group one hour for practice and by the time you take the lift back up to the mountain, I only had time for one more run. This time I was allowed to go full speed, and full speed I went, and at full speed I flew into the air, and at full speed I hit the ground!!!! I fell about three times on the course!

Currently, I am not too enthused and I am FEARING my race on Wednesday. It's a super fast course and I lost control VERY easily during practice. The jumps are tricky because you need a lot of speed to carry yourself over the gap (about 4 feet wide). If you don't, then you really hit a funny landing and lose control and fall, which is exactly what I did. There weren't too many place on the course to check your speed, either, so falling is very hard to avoid, unless if I want to go down the course at a glacial pace. I suppose that wouldn't be terrible, though. It's better to go slow than to fall. I would lose more speed falling than I would if I slowed down, the only problem with that is then it creates hard, awkward landings from the jumps. Decisions, decisions...

At the bottom of the course, my thighs were on FIRE!!!!!!! Holy crackers my legs were so sore and BURNING! Not only that, I but I was sucking wind! I was soooo out of breath! It really takes a lot out of you!

It basically comes down to this: go big, or go home. I am dreading Wednesday because today's practice really made me realize that I am in over my head and that I will most definitely be bringing in the rear.

After snowboarding, we went into Denver for dinner and to walk around. It was beautiful weather...about 65 degrees! Unfortunately, I started to feel the effects of the altitude and felt incredibly sick, but it was still nice to be in Denver. It's a beautiful place to be and the weather was perfect!

Tomorrow and Monday we'll be relaxing in Greeley, then Tuesday, it's back to the mountains!

Let's hope for a miracle on Wednesday!

Day 1 - Traveling

Well, I never went to sleep the night before...bad move. I fell asleep on Alyssa in the car, several times...sorry! We took a nice detour right before getting on the GW Bridge, stupid MapQuest. I was so tired that when I arrived at the gate to wait to board the plane, I fell asleep. When I sat down, the chairs all around me were filled! There were only one or two seats still open in the waiting area. I later woke up to a text message from Alyssa, reminding me to wake up so I don't miss out on boarding my flight. I fell asleep while texting her back. I fell asleep once more for a few minutes and when I woke up, there were only three people sitting in the chairs around me...everyone was already on the plane! Yikes!

For some reason I was assigned two different seats, 15F and 21F. I didn't know which seat to take, so I took 21F, which was supposed to be a window seat, but some silly woman sat down before I could get in, so instead of getting up to give me my seat, she slid over and sat in my seat. So, I was stuck in the middle seat, squished between to weirdos. Yay for close contact...NOT! Luckily, I slept for most of the flight (I don't even remember taking off). They played "August Rush" during the flight and I miraculously woke up just in time for the movie, so I watched it, then went back to sleep.

We went into Fort Collins today to walk around and to try to find me padded shorts...no dice. Hopefully we'll find something at the mountain. We stopped at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, the bestest place in the world, to pick up some super stellar caramel apples. They have all different kinds of crazy flavors...YUMMM!!!!!!!!! There's one in the Palisades Mall, I suggest we go sometime.

That's about it for today. I have to wake up at the butt crack of dawn tomorrow to head to the mountain for practice. It's supposed to snow, so hopefully the roads won't be too bad. We'll probably hit a lot of traffic since there are roughly 2,000 competitors heading to Copper Mountain for Nationals...great!

Peace out girl/boy scouts.