TOP FIVE FRIDAYS: DECEMBER 6, 2019
#1: FIS World Cup Ski Racing Recap: Shiffrin 4-Peats at Killington
It's all smiles for Shiffrin as she continues to dominate her signature discipline: the Slalom. Image: Mikaela Shiffrin on Facebook
This week we kick things off as we do every week of winter: with the latest in FIS World Cup Ski Racing results. If this year is anything like last year, that also means we’ll be starting most weeks with a recap of Mikaela Shiffrin’s most recent jaw-dropping efforts. Such is the case today as we take a look at last weekend’s World Cup results in Killington, VT. Coming into last weekend’s event, Shiffrin had just won her first slalom race of the year, as well as the slalom race held at Killington in each of the previous three years. In other words, she was the heavy favorite in that discipline and had a strong chance of winning the Giant Slalom event as well.
So, how did she do? In Saturday’s GS race, Shiffrin skied well, but was relegated to a third place finish as Italy’s Marta Bassino outpaced teammate Federica Brignone by .26 seconds, and Shiffrin by .29 seconds. In doing so, Bassino earned her first World Cup victory. While finishing in third place is outstanding, it’s not the preferred result of Mikaela Shiffrin. A day later she made that point herself by finishing first in the slalom event, outpacing second place finisher Petra Vlhova by a ridiculous 2.29 seconds. With that victory, Shiffrin takes another step towards the numerous records she’s on track to break this year, while also claiming her fourth straight slalom victory in Killington. By securing this year’s slalom gold, she also remains the only gold medalist in that event at Killington since the resort began hosting World Cup Races four years ago. Looking ahead, Shiffrin will look to lead the pack again as the Women’s circuit takes on a Downhill and a Super G race in Lake Louise, Canada this weekend. While these aren’t her preferred disciplines, at this point it feels safe to say that if Shiffrin’s on course, she has a chance.
On the men’s side of things, the U.S. team continues to struggle to find a podium. Still, there are reasons to be hopefully moving forward. At last weekend’s event in Lake Louise, Travis Ganong finished 12th in the Super G race and tied for 10th with his teammate, Steven Nyman, in the Downhill race. Despite not being podium finishes, the results are strong enough to suggest that either of the athletes stand a chance of taking home at least one medal this season. They’ll continue towork towards that goal this weekend in Beaver Creek, CO, where they’ll compete in a Super G, Downhill, and Giant Slalom race.
#2: BIG SNOW American Dream, America's First Indoor Ski Area, Opens for Business:
A snowboarder puts BIG SNOW America's freestyle features to the test. Good news: they work! Image: BIG SNOW American Dream on Facebook
In other ski news, a day that many skiers in the New York City / New Jersey region have been looking forward to for quite some time has finally come: BIG SNOW American Dream has officially opened for business! For those unaware, a quick recap: BIG SNOW American Dream is North America’s first indoor snow park, and is part of the American Dream mega-mall, which also houses an NHL size ice-skating rink, a Nickelodeon Theme Park, a Dreamworks Waterpark, and much more. At the moment, only the entertainment venues are starting to open at the complex, with the rest of the stores and eateries set to open by Spring 2020.
As for BIG SNOW American Dream, our first glimpses of the ski area fall right in line with our expectations. If you’ve ever seen a European indoor ski area, then you’ve more or less seen BIG SNOW. Consisting of one primary slope accessed by an indoor chairlift, as well as a smaller side slope for first timers that uses a magic carpet, the focus of BIG SNOW American Dream is definitely on providing the novice to intermediate skier a place to recreate. That said, the ski area also features a small, yet suitable terrain park at the base of the slope. Based solely on the media we’ve seen produced by news coverage, it seems like a pretty cool place if we’re being honest. Sure, advanced skiers will likely get bored pretty quickly, but considering it’s the first of its kind in North America, as well as it’s likely clientele, it appears as if BIG SNOW American Dream has accomplished what it set out to do: bring indoor skiing to America, giving casual skiers a way to participate in the sport year round. To learn more about BIG SNOW America, check out this writeup from NJ.com, or their official website, here.
#3: World’s Largest Avalanche Detection Installed in Canada's Rogers Pass:
While the world's largest avalanche detection system has just been installed in Rogers Pass, mitigation efforts will remain a multi-front effort, including the use of Howitzer missiles and avalanche fencing. Image: Revelstoke Review
In a decidedly different category of ski news, we’re also excited to share that the world’s largest avalanche detection system has been successfully installed in Roger’s Pass, a treacherous and yet heavily trafficked corridor through Canada’s Glacier Park. The project, which cost $3m to complete, utilizes 13 infra sound panels and 3 Doppler radar detectors to monitor avalanche activity. When an avalanche happens, this system will pick up on the sound and electromagnetic waves, automatically alerting Parks Canada avalanche officials via text message. While traditional methods such as Howitzer guns and over 2 kilometers of snow fencing will continue to be used, officials cite the new system’s effectiveness at times of low visibility as its primary strength. In addition to increasing safety for those traveling through the pass or recreating in the mountain region, which neighbors B.C.’s popular Revelstoke resort, the new system also aims to elevate economic issues stemming from closures of the pass. Last year, the pass was closed for over 100 hours. At an estimated economic impact of approximately $500,000 an hour, that puts estimated economic loses at $50m last year alone. In other words, officials expect this new avalanche system to pay for itself in no time. For more on this, check out the report from Revelstoke Review.
#4: Eric Pollard Releases New Ski Film, "Drawn":
Finally, we’ll end this week in a slightly unusual way: with coverage of a new internet-based ski flick. While 9 times out of 10 we wouldn’t consider the release of an online ski film newsworthy, this particular movie is. Why? Well, for a few reasons. First, it’s a work created by Eric Pollard, one of the most influential skiers of the 2000’s era both in terms of ski design (he’s the brains behind many of Line’s most iconic skis), as well as his artistic approach to the sport. Second, we haven’t heard from Eric in a while, so this latest film feels like a bit of re-emergence. Third, the movie itself is incredible, and stands alone in its ability to seamlessly blend art, inspiration, and skiing. From the extremely thoughtful transitions, to the well orchestrated voice overs, this whole edit is unlike anything we’ve seen from the world of skiing, save for the last time Eric dropped a movie. Finally, accompanying the release of this short film is an interview with Newschoolers.com that gives further insight into the life of Eric Pollard, as well as his approach to making this film. All in all, there’s a lot to be excited about with this one, especially if you’re a fan of witnessing skiing in a nuanced, artistic way. We won’t even begin to break down the film itself, we’ll just encourage you to hit play on the video above.