Racing notes from DH race

Racing to race, not skiing to finish:

Parents, I very much understand not wanting to travel several hours each weekend to watch your athlete DNF, but falls and missed gates are simply part of ski racing. The best ski racers will ski out and/or crash from time to time (sometimes just a few gates from the finish) because they are charging down the hill and racing for a good result.

The best time to practice this is in the first 2-3 runs at training-treat them like race runs. After that, it’s time to dial the aggression back and work on some technique/tactics.

Paying attention during inspection (especially at races) and racing with a plan:

During course inspection, we often talk about certain “money” turns during a race that can make or break the race run.

Great course tactics can make up time for those with less advanced technique, but poor tactics will trump great skiing technique more than 80% of the time.

Additionally, skiing those “money turns” with the correct tactics will typically keep an athlete away from the ruts or other challenging conditions that typically develop below the gate.

-Coach Johnathan