Super G


Downhill

Grippin' and rippin' on slalom skis


Left: 2010 | Right: 2005 | Not a lot has changed..


My dad, Brett Frip and I. Brett Frip is one of the organizers of the Ski-A-Thon


My mom and I after the medals


And for good measure a new shot from the Lake Louise NorAms in December

Front page of the Aspen/Snowmass website


Arcing it up at Fortune. Photo courtesy of Cynthia Stewart of Photo Buddies


Mari and I after the Fortune race


Camp Fortune Podium


I think it's too big Sprout...


Handing out medals at MSM

Trav, Dave (Trav and my technician) and myself moments before the start


What an unforgettable week! My Olympic experience was full of delays, snow, fog, but most of all fun. It was awesome to be at the Olympics, especially a home one. The support from everyone was unbelievable even though I was just forerunning. I ran into a ton of people from the Ottawa skiing community while out in Whistler. A bunch of them were volunteers (working their butts off!) and some were taking in the sights and sounds of the Olympics. But everyone was really supportive which was awesome, so thanks a lot!

When race day finally rolled around the atmosphere was like nothing I've ever experience before. There were TONS of people at all of the viewing areas (7,000 in the stands!) hours before the race even started. It's a pretty cool feeling when people cheer when you come through the finish.. of the inspection! Due to only having one official and incomplete training run, everyone had a chance to run from Coaches Turn to the finish. After that I had to head straight back up to the top because I would be the first forerunning and would open the Alpine events at the Olympics.



The view from the start on race day (20 min before start). Notice the line of people forming on the top left.

At precisely 10:20 the beeps started for me to begin my run. Leaving the start and hearing the roar of the crowd up there was something I didn't expect and will never forget! I almost broke into a smile before the first gate (good thing I was only forerunning I guess). Since I was the guinea pig and the first one down, I found out pretty quickly that the jumps were huge that day. The track was way firmer and a little faster than training, but was also a lot bumpier. Coming through each viewing area I could hear people cheering, which is something I have never heard before. Coming over the last two jumps, which were massive that day, I could see all the people in the finish and was just awestruck by how many were there. As I came through the finish I was so excited to be there and that I had just been a part of the Olympics that I let out a scream and fist pump, which I guess the crowd liked because they went wild! I will never forget that moment.

A view of the crowd

So with that said I'm really glad that I had the experience of running in such a big event because of all the little things that kind of took me off guard. For example the noise, people, and cameras everywhere. I think the experience will definitely help me in the future and hopefully in Sochi 2014!!!

The volunteers deserve the biggest medal of all. It was ridiculous how much work they were doing! Even making snow-slides to clear the track. Genius.



A bunch of the speed guys training Super-G on one of the nice days



Trav and I had the chance to watch the women's Super Combi. This is Vonn after straddling and a collective "oouhhhhhh" from the crowd. Just goes to show that anything can happen in this crazy sport.



After watching the Super Combi we went up top and took a 25 minute hike to find some freshies.



Todd Brooker hooked me up with some fatties for the trip



Awesome.

Olympic Start House


They really built up the start gate from previous years. Its about 75 meters of straight bully before you need to turn!


This is the first section of the course. Flat and rolly. It's hard to see because
there are no panels, but the track follows the dye over the rolls.


The first "challenge" in the course is this camel hump. Light on the first one, air off the second.


After a few Super-G turns you get to a decent-sized right-leg turn.


Same right legger. You can see how it drops off at the end because it's a jump as well!


Off the jump you need to get straight onto the left foot to make this cranker into the Weasel Flats section.


This angle gives you a little more clarification on how steep the previous section is.


The Weasel section ends with a big left-footer turn. You can feel yourself slow down
significantly through the left legger because it's such a big, flat turn.


But not to worry! You drop into the extremely steep Toilet Bowl section after the big left footer. Don't scrub
any speed on the left footer at the bottom of the pitch because that's a big flat/uphill ahead.


Following another right-footer "tunnel" jump, you drop off of the Fallaway turn. I've never seen a fallaway
like this one, or experienced a compression as big as the one at the bottom of this pitch!


After a short flats after the Fallaway, you are sucked into The Sewer. This huge sidehill is new for the Olympics.


Off the sidehill you really get into The Sewer. Sewer is by far the fastest section of the course,
and with a nearly 180 degree turn (Coaches Turn) at the bottom it's quite intimidating.


After Coaches you come across a long, slightly sidehill, left-footer that we nicknamed The Punisher.
By this point your legs are burning and the long left-footer does little to help your legs!


After a cranky right-footed turn out of The Punisher there are a few single gates
before the final two jumps of the course. This first one is called Boyd's Chin.


The landing of Boyd's Chin and the takeoff of Murr's Hoppe. It's a fairly small flight off of
Boyd's Chin, but Murr's Hoppe can have some decent air and distance!


The view off of the last jump, showcasing the giant stands! Can't wait to see those packed full of cheering, screaming (hopefully Canadian) fans!!

The Lenggries piste


Trav and I after Lenggries. (Trav joined the sweet shades crew)


The Geisberg pitch in Kirchberg


The famed Londoner Pub in Kitzbuhel. Never judge a book by its cover!


Jeff came 2nd at the Kirchberg FIS race that was stacked with World Cuppers


Nella got a new haircut for Wengen!


Trav loving slalom


Some of the terrain in Les Orres


The start of the downhill in Les Orres

This should not sleep two!


Site of the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics


Tom and I - Sweet Shades Club


Tom, our physio, doing what he does best


Slalom/GS training after the DH runs. (Europeans are organized when it comes to ski racing)


Innsbruck as viewed from the course


I now consider myself a wuss because this is how they used to ski downhill! No safety nets, just safety trees apparently!


Trav spent an afternoon completing this masterpiece.