This week we are getting ready to compete in a World Cup competition in Voss, Norway. Voss is a very small pristine village. It is only a ninety minute drive from the Bergen airport but there is not one straight stretch of road. My stomach flipped as we curved around the cliff line following the breathtaking fjords.
We had a couple of days off at the beginning of the week to recuperate from all of our competitions and long days of travel. I was looking forward to taking photos in this beautiful place but we were socked in with snow. Instead we wandered around the town and stopped to admire the town’s church built in 1277!
Voss is home to less than 15, 000 people but its residents have won 18 Olympic medals including six Olympic Champions! One of those Champions is freestyle skiing legend Kari Traa. Kari is a champion in every sense of the word and competing with her until 2007 was a great pleasure.
I am just off to the hill for another day of training before the competition on Friday.
Cheers,
Jenn
Last week was a busy week with two World Cup competitions in Deer Valley, Utah. We arrived at Deer Valley on Sunday and had to be ready to compete by Thursday. Deer Valley is one of the most difficult courses on tour so it is important to take full advantage of the training days to learn the tricky sections of the mogul course. The course is steep, long and demanding making it one of my favourite stops on the tour. It’s actually where the 2002 Olympics were held. We stay in beautiful condos and enjoy really comfortable surroundings. Since we are competing for the next two months straight and are living out of our suitcases it is a nice change from a hotel room and the laundromat!
People in Deer Valley are amazing. They’re a very enthusiastic crowd and it was almost as if they had hosted the Olympics yesterday!
On Thursday, the day of the Single moguls race, we had a crowd of about 4,000 people. I had a great performance in the qualifications. In finals, I skied too fast and had a spectacular crash on the bottom jump. But crashing is a part of the game - the boys are crashing all the time and learn from it and I intend to do the same.
Dual moguls on Saturday evening was an amazing event. The competition was held at night under the lights creating an incredible ambiance. I soaked up every moment of the event with the support of the huge crowd of about 5,000 people. That night I skied some of the best technical runs of my life. To me, that’s what it’s all about: pushing myself to become better while enjoying the moment.
This week is the Olympic test event so it’s another intense week. There should be 260 accredited media from around the world. I am using this week to get familiar with the competition site and preparing myself to deliver a great performance on Saturday. I’m looking forward to seeing my family and friends. I haven’t had the chance to see them since Mont Gabriel so I can’t wait!
Cheers,
Jenn