Pique Magazine, published 02.12.03

The racing season has really gotten underway and at home a Canadian has finished on the podium. I start my article off this week with my congratulations to Eric Guay for his second place finish in Lake Louise this past weekend. I’m sure all of you ski racing fans are well informed about this result, and were maybe able to catch it on TV, but for those who aren’t, it was a day in Canadian ski racing history. While the excitement was happening in Lake Louise over Eric’s second place finish in the downhill and his teams top fifteen finishes in the Super G, the women were down in Park City Utah racing in the technical events.

I last wrote to you about my return to the snow and the rehab with my knee. The races in Park City were a big step for me because it was necessary for me to make the move from my injury back and back to my racing form. It was decided at Nakiska that I was ready to go to Park City and race; I felt confident and strong, but still there were some nerves.

I proved myself in the GS race, and was able to finish with a strong result. In the first run my knee was very much in the front of my mind, but between runs it was fine and I realized that my knee felt good. The roughness of the course had thrown me a bit, but I soon realized that my knee could handle it; mentally it was time to turn things around and forget the injury and just go out and race.

I was very happy with having the 15th fastest time in the second run, it proved that I had mentally let the injury go and had allowed for my racing form to take shape. Though, next race I don’t think I will be quite as satisfied about a 23rd place finish as I will definitely be looking for faster runs and will move right back to achieving the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the season.

So what else is new you ask? Well for starters we had two of the development girls start in both the GS and SL events in Park City. Christina Lustenberger from Invermere started the GS and Brigitte Acton from Ontario started the SL event. It was great to have some younger girls around, they showed some strength and I know that they will be back soon to race again. They also raced the NorAm races, which followed the World Cup events. Christina, or as we call her “Lusti”, finished in the 3rd the first day and in 4th the second day amongst a very strong field of racers.

By the time you read this on Friday, my stay at home will be over and I will be traveling overseas for the upcoming World Cup events. I am looking forward to building more strength into my skiing and into my racing. Oh and just one more result to add, Emily Brydon earlier this week won a training run at Lake Louise. I will watch closely and cheer her and the rest of the women’s speed team this weekend as they race on their home turf.

With every success that the team has had it is proving to build nothing but confidence throughout the whole team. We felt Eric’s podium finish in Lake Louise as we were down in Park City; his result proved our strength as a group. We will continue to prove that strength as the season progresses and just maybe Ken Read’s will see his goals of many podium finishes come true sooner than later.