A Memorable Night

A good representation of what it looked like (Norwoodnews)

In this post I would live to throw it back to when one of my close friends was here.  This friend is now gone for a while but we shared many good memories and unforgettable times.  When we put our minds together it was not a very good thing, I say that because we would come up with the most fun idea that could very well end us up in a heap of trouble with both of our parents.  These ideas usually consisted of sneaking out of our houses meeting up and driving around with our other friends going wherever we felt necessary at that moment.  But aside from the generalized story that I told you I would like to point out one memory that sticks out the most in my mind. 

It was around eight o’clock at night and we had just arrived at Main Street which was where we going to spend the majority of our night.  The plan was to go on a hike with our friends and our girlfriends.  That plan changed very quickly, I say this because right as we stepped out of the car we saw a group of men walking by.  Being the loud mouth that I am I started giving them some grief for the fun of it.  The men just shrugged of our comments and kept walking.  We didn’t think twice about it.  We both turned our backs to each other and continued on our way.  Or so we thought, about thirty seconds later we saw the men sprinting after us.  I told my friend to get my back because the men looked pretty pissed off.  The first guy came sprinting after me and tried to get me in a headlock.  I pushed him off of me and started yelling, “What are you doing? I am only fourteen years old!”  This didn’t stop him he got in my face and I got in his.  He swung while I was turned and hit me in the side of the face.  I barely felt it and started laughing at him that he was going to go to jail because my friend was already on the phone with them.  After that statement was made the men quickly started leaving.  Our group then followed them telling them what was about to happen to them.  They split up which led us to split up and I was now with the dude and a girl I know.  He started leaving so I grabbed him and pinned him against the window and waited till the cops arrived.  The cops questioned us and took the drunk adults away to the slammer.  The girls we were with were terrified and my mom was fuming but it sure was a good story to tell!

Championship Weekend IIII

My chin after slalom run (original)

The next morning after the GS (previous post) was much like the last.  I woke up around six fifteen put on my long johns, sweats, sweatshirt and got all my gear so I could put it in the vans.  After that I went to the continental breakfast and ate eggs, bacon, and cereal and talked with kids from different regions.  I then jumped in the vans at seven and slept all the way up to the mountain which was about a half an hour away.  Once I got up there I put all my stuff on, clicked into my trainers and went up chair lift with my skis on my shoulder.

The Slalom was on the same hill as the GS but it was on the side where there was a sort of side hill that made the run much harder.  I was pissed off for greatness as ray lewis once said and I was determined to win the Slalom.  I had a lot of pressure on me for that run but I didn’t let it get to me.  I stayed calm but focused the entire day and I knew I was ready.  I took a quick slip down the run because inspection is not really needed for slalom.  I then went up to the top and cheered on my team mates until my run.  I was already stripped, warmed up and ready to go.  I got into the gate, bib number fourteen, and I heard all of my teammates screaming my name and I exploded out of the start.  I went into the first rhythm section of the course I completely nailed it, then came the combination nailed it!  Next rhythm section started and I felt a sharp pain on my chin but I ignored it and kept ripping my run.  I was having a perfect run and I knew that I was going to win it.  Here came the finish, the tempo was increasing and I couldn’t keep up with it.  I missed a gate hiked, and then straddled the next gate.  I was infuriated and didn’t know what to do.  I threw my pole with my glove attached and skied into the trees so I could be alone.  I broke my other pole that I had with me on a tree and put my head between my legs in complete despair.  My entire ski season was for that moment and I messed it up.

I skied out of the trees found my dad and talked to him and he said that I was a second ahead coming through the finish which pissed me off even more.  I skied away and got on the lift with a couple random people.  About half way up the lift the person next to me told me that my chin was bleeding, I looked down at my bib and realized that it was covered in blood.  I felt my chin and felt a big glob of blood on the end of it.  I went down the ski patrol shack and had to get seven stitches across my chin.  That was the end to my Championsh** weekend.

Championship Weekend III

Most likely what I looked like

The next day after the Super-G (previous post) was much like the last.  I woke up around six fifteen put on my long johns, sweats, sweatshirt and got all my gear so I could put it in the vans.  After that I went to the continental breakfast and fueled up before the day and talked with kids from different regions such as California, Montana, and Alaska.  I then jumped in the vans at seven and slept all the way up to the mountain which was about a half an hour away.  Once I got up there I put all my stuff on, clicked into my trainers and went up chair lift with my skis on my shoulder.

The GS (giant slalom smaller than Super-G and bigger than Slalom) was located on a different hill and it was super foggy and depressing at the time we were starting. Ski racing in the fog is very hard to do because of speeds and how quickly you have to react and when you can't see it is hard to react fast.  I was lucky enough to be the third person to run the course but I was also very unlucky for that very same reason.  I inspected the course and got just like the day before into my zone.  If you have been reading my last couple posts you will see that ski racing is a very repetitive and tedious sport to listen to and even do at sometimes.  The men were running before the women so I was starting very soon after my inspection.  Once I lapped around the forerunners were in the gate, forerunners are people that test out the course to make sure that it is running okay before the actual racers get into it.  I stripped down to my speed suit, did my movement prep and clicked into my race skis.  I was determined to win this race and I was also prepared.  GS had been my best even all year and I had won two out of the three GS races throughout the year.

Me at previous race (Left, original)

Racer Ready? Ten Seconds… Five… Four… Three.. Two.. I pulled out of the gate.  I was linking my turns from gate to gate, putting all of my body weight onto my outside ski.  I was having a great run,  I got to the first delay (two gates that you ski through) I took a straight line and gained way to much speed through it.  If I could hold onto that speed I could win the race but the forces overcame me and I was on my ass once again before I knew it.  My ski popped off and I was on the side of the run in instant despondency.  I hit my pole on the ground and it snapped straight in half and I skied off cursing under my breath and just about to breakdown into a temper tantrum.  I was completely fed up and was so pissed off which was a very good thing for the next day.  My anger was going to be my inspiration to win the next day which is Slalom.

To Be Continued…