Mammoth Speed Camp

MammothMountain.Com Shows the Amazing Views

Although my real ski season has officially ended I recently took a little trip to Mammoth, California to ski with the best kids from the western region and send our selves of a jump to get better in the air for the event called Super-G.  We qualified to this camp by doing well at the Junior Olympics.  Most of us were from different states such as Montana, Alaska, Utah (where I live), and California.

My friend and I (shane) flew into Mammoth not know what to expect.  We have never actually met most of the kids at the camp so we didn’t really know what to think of it.  But once we arrived our friend from Nationals was waiting for us in our three story condo that we had to surprisingly three people.  The first day we got there we mostly just go settled in and hung out in our room with the new racers that we met.

We woke up at around seven thirty and took our time to get over and on the lift by eight thirty.  Although the snow was very thin the quality of it was completely fine and made for great training!  For you that don’t know what I’m training for, I am training for ski racing which is when you ski down a steep, icy pitch, and try to get down the fastest while also skiing around gates.  The days were short only about three hours of skiing, the first day all we did was terrain courses which consisted of snow piles that you pump over and try to remain as balanced as possible, and a phantom jump which simulates approaching a jump but leaves out the actual jumping process.  They made the phantom jump to act as a sort of profession the the bigger jump that we were going to hit in the upcoming days of skiing.  The first day after skiing we got undressed and went into our coaches office to watch some simple video for the day.  This only took about fifteen minutes then we were back chilling in the condos waiting for the hike we had to take three hours later.

Three Hours Later

Our fitness coach for the camp gathered us together at three o’clock and took us on a hike in the mountains to see the beautiful views.  On the way up the mountain we threw footballs around and kicked soccer balls around to pass the time.  Once we reached the summit we did some drills on the ladder and the rock wall that we were next to.  After we worked out for a little bit we played a couple games of sharks and minos and began to start to actually know each other.  We then started our way back down to the hotel where we were most likely going to spend the rest of the night eating and screwing with each other.

Unexpected Bro Trip III (continued 3)

A great representation of the weekend

After some congratulations to some fellow team mates and packing we were on our way down the windy road towards the airport.  The drive up to the resort is an hour full of switchbacks and is perfect for getting car sick because of this I quickly tried to get to sleep…

An hour and a half later…

I woke up and we were in the parking lot of the airport, my nap worked out perfectly.  We hopped out of the rental and started the long haul throughout the airport trying to find our flight.  It is hard to get your normal luggage around an airport but imagine having normal luggage along with four pairs of skis and all your ski clothes, it is not fun to say the least.  Once we’re settled in we only had about an hour long flight to Solana Beach, California.

An hour later…

I fell asleep again on the way to California due to the fact that ski racing tires you out in every possible way!  Once I opened my eyes and looked out the window I saw the plane defending and I heard the captain come on the intercom and say five minutes till landing.  I was once again very satisfied with my nap and the timing I had.  It was good to see the sun shining and to feel the humid air on my skin.  But isn’t it always good to get a change of scenery, especially after a hard day?  The drive from the airport to my friends house was only about another half an hour and this time I decided to stay awake.  The highway was lined with amazing views, houses, and everything else you can think of.  It was definitely weird to go from a ski town straight to a beach town.

We arrived at his house, threw all of our stuff in the bunk room and went straight down to the beach to jump in the water.  When we were down at the water Shane and I took a selfie and sent our ski coach a picture saying, “Warm welcome from Solana.” to get on his nerves that he is on a five hour road trip while we are swimming in the ocean.  The water was pretty cold but not to cold to get used to.  It was a short swim because both Shane and I were exhausted from our weekend so we decided to head back to the house and relax.

Next day…

We woke up the next day super stoked to go surfing and chilling around town all day.  After we ate breakfast we jumped into our wet suits, grabbed the surf boards and walked down to the beach.  The waves were not that good but good enough to catch a couple.  Shane and I were out there for around an hour with barely any luck besides Shane catching a couple small ones.  Finally, a wave came in and both Shane and I started patting in hoping to catch the wave.  The wave formed some more and we stood up catching some speed down the front of the wave.  It is such a good feeling to be on a wave, one of the best feelings you can get I would say, next to skiing deep powder of course!  From then on we dubbed that the “Bro Wave” and the rest of the day we lounged around until we had to jump back on the plane to get back to school and those dreaded responsibilities!

Unexpected Bro Trip III (continued 2)

Where I should have been (original)

Due to complications the day before we had two races that day.  Super-g is only a one run which makes it harder than all of the other tech events such as GS and Slalom that have two runs each.  I was relived to find that out because that meant that I had another crack at the course.  This time I am going to destroy it and win the run by a second and get back what I deserve, which was what I was telling myself riding up the lift to lap around and cheer on the girls on my team.

One Hour Later….

I sat at the start for a good hour before the boys were getting in the gate.  I was still bib number fourteen and was completely ready for the run.  I had my coaches crank down my dins (what determines how tight your binding is on your boot)  and I was stoked to get out of the gate.  Number one was in the gate and I started getting warmed up and peeled off all of my clothed downy to my trusty speed suit.  I brought my ski over to the pit to get clicked in and cheered on a couple of my older team mates coming out of the gate.  I was finally back in the gate ready to tear the course up!

The start gate worker started the famous phrase, Racer Ready? Ten Seconds…  Five.. Four.. Three I pull out with determination in my eyes and dropped back into my tuck once again.  I passed the first gate, the second, the third.  Bam!  I am on my ass sliding down the flats at the top.  My ski popped off again same foot and everything, I was fuming from the ears and I started hitting my poles on the ground in frustration.  I was so close to the start house that I decided to hike back to the start house.  I yelled at my coach because they did not get my bindings right again, then I stormed off to be alone and clear my head.  My ski season means everything to me and I can’t afford to be popping out of my skis for no apparent reason.

That concluded my disappointing race day and I was left to watch the people that I was planning to beat stand on the top of the podium.  I made my way down all of the cat tracks and runs and ended up at the upper lodge where we were having the awards.  I went inside to get out of my equipment and sat around talking to the other kids on my team about their race day.  The thing about ski racing is that it only takes one mistake to ruin an entire run and we (ski racers) spend so much tie perfecting the sport that it is so devastating to fall in a race scene.  A couple minutes later I had to stand around and watch people get medals.

During the awards my friend Shane surprised me with some great news.  He asked me out of no where if I wanted to go to California with him for the weekend.  How could I not deny such a request!  This lightened my mood and I was from then on stoked to get some sun on my pale white ski racer skin.

To Be Continued…..

Unexpected Bro Trip III (continued)

What I looked like right after my ski popped off

The lodge was nothing extraordinary, it had a lower level with food and a seating area and the same thing on the upper level.  We (my ski team) started putting on our ski stuff on and grabbed some breakfast burritos for the lift.  I was one of the last people to get on the hill because I take my time getting ready.  Who am I kidding, I am just overall slow at starting my day.  Once the process of getting ready was over I grabbed my pack and started my way up the lift.

15 Minutes Later…

After the ride up the chairlift and a ten minute cat track (a flat road used to get around a ski mountain) I had finally made it to the next chair lift which was what took me to the top of the race hill.  When I was sitting on the padded seat of the chairlift I was thinking to myself if I was still capable of winning a speed race.  I was at that time the younger generation of the U16’s I was fourteen while most everyone else was fifteen.  A majority of them had four inches and most likely twenty to thirty pounds on me.  After that thought passed through my head it dropped my confidence a little bit which is a grave mistake in ski racing.  I was then nearing the top of the lift with hesitation on my mental.

Left, right, left, right, delay, left right, jump, this was me memorizing the course.  Ski racers do this so they know exactly what is coming at them and to be ready for anything the hill throws at them.  It also helps me keep my head clear and focused because if I am not thinking about the course then I am usually getting side tracked or goofing off with my friends.  So it helps me mentally and physically in the sport.  The boy were running first today and i was bib fourteen so I had to lap around quick to get warmed up and strip down to my speed suit (the women usually run first in ski racing but this wasn’t the case today).

What a tuck looks like

Racer Ready? Ten seconds…. Five, Four, Three out I go from the start gate.  I drop straight into my tuck to gain some speed before the first pitch (a tuck is when you get low to the ground and put your elbows in-between your knees to stay aerodynamic.  A couple seconds later I was making turns down the pitch.  Left, right, Outside ski pressure! I told myself every turn.  Here comes the money gate (money gate is the most important gate in the course).  I started rolling my ski up onto edge and put all of my body weight on my outside ski.  A couple tenths later I hit a giant hole and my ski popped off.  I was going around fifty miles an hour and I was holding on for dear life so I wouldn’t go into the safety netting that lines the side of the runs.  It is supposed to keep you safe but sometimes I wonder if hitting a tree would hurt less than hitting the safety netting.  Thankfully I stayed on my feet and safely came to stop with anger in my veins.  I let out a f-bomb that all of the spectators could hear.  Once I cooled down a little a went down to my coach to tell him how much BS it is that my ski is popping off under those circumstances.

To Be Continued...

Unexpected Bro Trip III

Super-G Jump

It was around 11:30 in the afternoon when I packed up all of my ski stuff to load it on the van with a destination of Bogus Basin.  It was my first Super-G race of the year and I was stoked to actually get some real speed and get my adrenaline pumpin'.  The drive was about five or six hours through flat, boring, cattle filled plains.  Our team took a grey hound bus there and it smelled like a porta-potty the entire way there.  All of the older kids on the bus were saying how badly put together the race was and how there is always course holds.  Despite some empty doubts I was still so excited to get on my skis in a town other than my own (Park City, Utah).

We finally arrived at the hotel after a couple naps, headaches, and a terrible stench in my nose the entire way.  The hotel was very spread out and big and I could already tell that it was going to be a pain in the butt to get to my room.  I picked up both of my pairs of skis and my backpacks and starting walking up to my room.  It was on the second story and as far away from the stairs I come up then any other room in the hall.  The upside was that the beds were so damn comfortable that I never really wanted to get out of them.  I was rooming with my buddies Shane, and Charlie who I have known for basically my whole life.  Once we got settled in we had to go buff out our skis for the next day and put on all the necessary wax to get our skis as fast as possible.

Next Day

Beep... Beep... Beep.. went our alarm at around 6:30 in the morning and we all groaned in unison.  I stayed in bed for another five minutes while Charlie and Shane went back to the waxing room to scrape their skis that they didn't finish the night before.  I finally got up and took a quick shower to get woken up and started throwing on my ski clothes so I could make breakfast in time.  I had fifteen minutes to get all of skis, poles, and backpacks in the van and get something in my stomach.  I ran out with two skis on my shoulder and a backpack hanging from my arm.  I threw everything into the van and sprinted to breakfast.  Got there with just enough time to sit down for a couple of minutes and eat a couple bites before I had to make my way back to the van.  I got to the van with two minutes to spare and shortness of breath.  Now I had to sit through an hour long, windy road up to the ski resort. I put in my headphone and closed my eyes...

About an Hour and a Half later

I opened my eyes and looked out the window to see what was supposed to be a ski resort.  There was barely any snow to cover the trails.  This took away all of my excitement for the race and I was all of a sudden in not so good of a mood.  Coming from a dry season in Park City right back to another resort with a snow shortage.  After emptying the vans I headed up to the lodge and put on my ski clothes and decided to make the best with what I have...

To Be Continued....

Bro Trip II

Shane Carlos and I (original)

My dad had just recently bought a place in the one and only Solana Beach, California and wanted me to come down to the beach with him and bring along a friend.  Since my other friend Shane already was going to Solana that weekend (to his house that I visited a couple months before and wrote about in my second blog post) I brought my other very close friend named Carlos.  We have known each other since sixth grade due to mutual friends and sports and have spent a lot of time together since then.  I asked him at the very last minute to come to California with me and to my surprise his parents allowed him to accompany me on “Bro” Trip number two!

Half of Park City, Utah seemed to be around our whereabouts when we were in Cali.  Shane, Livi, Cameron, Raeah, Lance, and Finn were all in about a 2 hour drive to us.  So maybe I exaggerated a little bit not half of Park City but six of our friends were near us.  This added some excitement to the trip because if we didn’t find any girls or friends that I met from the trip before we could hang out with some of the Park City kids that were also visiting Cali.  We hopped on the plane the next day and flew for about two hours and landed only about 15 minutes outside of Solana.

We then found ourselves fifteen minutes later right on the beach in a very cool condo and within walking distance of my other close friend.  Carlos and I immediately put our swim trunks on and went for a short swim in the ocean.  It was very refreshing to get back into the ocean after being away from it for so long.  Although it was revitalizing it tired both of us out so we walked over to the famous local burrito shop named Robertos.  To our surprise we found Shane there with his two younger sisters.  Although we were both planning on seeing each other there it was out of complete chance that we saw him at that time.  We then made plans with shane for the night and went back to the house to shower and go to they gym (which we never actually got around to).  The night ended up to be a bust and we just stayed at shames neighbors house and watched a movie bu the next day was going to be full of adventure.

We woke up around 8 o’clock that next morning and felt compelled to go jump into the ocean for a couple of hours.  Equipped with boogie boards and skim boards we marched down to the beach for some fun.  Carlos and I are both not very educated in the ocean area and we ended up floating out in a rip tide.  Being blind from what was happening for around an hour we realized we were very far out and couldn't get back in.  I knew some about this and starting swimming diagonally out of the rip tide which thankfully got me back onto shore.  Although I was back on the beach Carlos was stuck out there for another good half an hour and we got it all on film!!  This trip was short lived but filled with fun and adrenaline!