Abtenau

In Abtenau we had loads of snow and rain unfortunately, races and ski days got cancelled.

But on Saturday (January 21) we got some sweet powder turns.

Weather was still pretty good on Wednesday (January 18) we trained GS gates and super G free skiing on the race slope. I actually had some pretty good GS runs, I start to move quicker in GS so that’s a big improvement. I also had good super G runs, the race slope felt good and I felt ready for the next day, my first IPCAS super G race.

Thursday was race day; super G, 2 races on one day I had bib 12 in both. Since I had only free skied SG so far and no gates I skied the first race like a training run, I need to build confidence and my first time in the Super G gates being a race wasn’t ideal for sure. I skied safe, much to safe but it gave me the confidence I needed to get in the second race, and I skied 7 seconds faster in the second race. Yeah I learned. And it was so much fun, I like the speed and look forward to race and train more super G and get faster.

 First super G race

After the second Super G race

It rained on Thursday and that night the rain turned in to snow and the next morning the snow turned in to rain again, this gave some very bad slush puppy snow and the race was cancelled. Because of the heavy wet snow we didn’t free ski that day.

 wet....

On Friday night we had a opening ceremony with the local ski club kids, they made a great show!

Japanese guys in the back of the van....

Well the rain turned into snow again and it kept snowing that night (Friday). Saturday we had loads of fresh powder, race was cancelled, too soft. So we free skied, the snow was great and it was so much fun! (see the 3^rd video in my previous post).

Later that afternoon it started snowing again.

Saturday night they cancelled Sundays race because it was raining again. Sunday we didn’t free ski because of the conditions but we played in the snow, build DAAST (Dutch Adaptive Alpine Ski Team) .

Sunday night I took a flight home. It was a great trip, I'm looking forward to my next trip to Chamonix in less than 2 weeks. The last week at home I have been busy studying, had a test on Friday. It’s cold in the Netherlands at the moment and finally not raining J had a nice ride on my bike Friday afternoon.

Movies Sestriere and Abtenau

Sestriere

Abtenau part 1

Abtenau part 2

Sestriere part 1 (I wasn't there yet but great video)

Kitzbühel

Yesterday we made the trip from Sestrietre to Abtenau and today we had a restday and went to watch the first training run of the men’s downhill in Kitzbühel.

It was cool to watch the training I have never been to an actual World Cup even got a chance to take a picture with Ted Ligety.

After the training we had lunch with the team, it was a good rest day better than just hanging around the hotel the whole day. Tomorrow GS training and some SG free skiing and Thursday Super G races. Rumour has it Heather Mills is going to race the Super G’s.

About the slalom Sunday; same old story, crashed the second run after a decent first run. Did won crash of the week though with my superman dive and we got it on video.

 Slalom course

 View from our room in Sestriere

Fore run European Cup

I finisched!

Today was the GS race and I finished, both runs, impressive, not really but after my track record of the first 3 international races I started not finishing one single one it kind of gets to be a big deal, to me anyway. Could have skied much better I was skiing to conservative giving too much time away on the steep part. The flat went pretty well, in the end I came in 6, not great, but the weight of the DNF’s and DSQ’s is off my back and that’s a relief, today was a good day!

Yesterday I got to forerun the European cup slalom, that was a good experience learned a lot and I finished those 2 runs to, let’s hope this becomes a trend ;)

Tomorrow slalom.

Some pic’s

 Women VI podium

 Women standing podium Anna in 3rd

 Men Standing podium Bart in second place

Men sitting podium Kees Jan second

Arrived in Setriere

Yesterday we arrived in Sestriere after a smooth trip. We left rainy Holland for sunny and white Italy, nice!

Today was our first day of skiing, I did some GS free skiing and a few runs in the gates, it was an awesome day with bluebird conditions. It was good to be on my GS ski’s again after almost 2 moths and I was able to continue where I left off. Also today was the European cup slalom. Tomorrow is another European cup slalom and hopefully I get to forerun the race, fingers crossed. I have a Giant slalom race on Saturday and slalom on Sunday.

Some pictures of today.

Sunrise during early morning walk and stretching

With young talent Jasper