US Ski Team comes the Sugarloaf
Column by Heather Burke March 16, 2008

Sugarloaf is the place to be next weekend. Everyone who is someone will be there - The US Ski Team, The Easter Bunny, maybe even Bode Miller. Talk about a culmination of characters. While kids dress up in brightly colored costumes for the perennial Easter Parade, Ted Ligety and Lindsey Vonn will don their skin tight speed suits and compete in the US Alpine Championships.

I always like to be at the Loaf for Easter. It’s typically much later on the calendar, but with this season’s snow, a March Easter should means mid-winter conditions plus snowfields. It also means getting up at 5:30am on Easter Sunday, stumbling into ski boots to board the Superquad at dawn, for the glory of watching the sun come up over Burnt Mountain in the company of core loafers (I guess you can’t call them “loafers” when they get out of bed that early). After an inspirational Sunrise Service, skiers get an early bird run.

This year the lure of Easter at the Loaf is even greater, because you get to hob knob with the A-list, specifically the A-team of US ski racers – competing in the US Alpine Championships. Fresh from thier their World Cup finale in Italy, Sugarloaf will be the last ski stop on their whirlwind winter tour.

Sugarloaf held the U.S. Alpine Championships in 1996, '97, and most recently in 2006. Each time Sugarloaf proved itself to be an ideal venue for this big race event.

“We had an exceptional Championship in 2006,” said Calum Clark, V.P. of U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team Events. “The crowds were so knowledgeable and appreciative. It's a great mountain and the enthusiasm of the fans was off the charts. They showed the true passion and energy for alpine racing and we're so glad to be returning to Sugarloaf.”

US Ski Team racer Stacy Cook said, “Last time we had the U.S. Championships at Sugarloaf, it was one of the best events we've been to because they had huge crowds.” Cook took the women’s Super G title in 2006 (ahead of Maine’s Kirsten Clark). “It was also the year Daron (Rahlves) retired and Kirsten (Clark) was the hometown girl, so there was a lot of excitement, and I think the athletes could really feel that. I hope we can do that again this year.”

For spectators, Sugarloaf provides numerous spots to watch the six-days of races along the familiar Narrow Gauge trail. On Peavy’s X-Cut, racers reach the greatest speeds, up to 80 mph during the Downhill. It’s a blur in some cases, difficult to read the bib number as racers fly by – never mind identify a face, but it’s an exciting blur just the same. Another highlight of the Championship event is the Parade of Athletes and Award Ceremony at the Sugarloaf base on Saturday night. An autograph session follows. At the event two years ago, several athletes, Ted Ligety and Julia Mancuso in particular, stayed for more than two hours to meet each eager spectator that had waited in the long line.

This is a rare opportunity to see these pro ski racers for more than a nanosecond on the racecourse. For aspiring racers and CVA students, this brush with ski celebrity shows that their dreams are attainable with focus and hard work.

Seeing these athletes firsthand, I am always struck by how surprisingly normal they are, aside from their bulging quadriceps. They look, eat, sleep and talk like “normal people” when they aren’t wearing their bibs, speed suits and helmets.

Several zealous school girls have been asking me if Bode will be there. Word is he’s in - but stay tuned since Bode does what Bode wants. He wanted to win -  Miller mission accomplished. Bode won the overall World Cup title this season under his new breakaway bus tour and self-dubbed “Team America” entourage of nine including a former ski team coach and CVA classmate Forest Carey.

If you question for one-tenth of a second Bode’s bravado, then check out his dare-devilish Downhill run in Kitzbuhel (on YouTube) where he takes a high-speed turn so wide he skis up onto the barrier fence, then skis back into the gates for an astonishing 2nd place finish. Bode has eclipsed Phil Mahre’s 1983 record of 27 World Cup wins, with more 31 so far. Perhaps he’ll put on a show at the Loaf, and stick around to sign autographs - to the delight of the aforementioned star-struck young females.

This year’s US Ski team is fast and focused, without the Bode babysitting of the past. Lindsey Kildow Vonn of Vail, CO, won the women's World Cup Downhill title, following her idol Picabo Street - who did so in 1996. Ted Ligety of Park City, UT, scored the GS globe. 

Keep your eye out for Sam Sweetser of Cumberland, vying for a spot on the US Ski Team for his 7th time. “He missed the US Ski Team by hundredths of a second more than once, and he looks forward to this year being his best shot, on his home turf,” said his father Greg Sweetser. Also competing on familiar territory is Bump Heldman from Auburn, now on the US development team. Three CVA students, Emma Coffin, Kirsten Waddle and Katie House, also qualified to compete.

The Alpine Championships begin March 19-20 with Downhill training, March 21 is an FIS downhill, March 22 is the Downhill, March 23 is Super G, March 24 is Slalom, March 25-26 is Giant Slalom. Awards are presented at the end of each day’s event. Saturday is Opening Ceremonies at 6:30pm at Sugarloaf’s “Beach” with the day’s Downhill awards.

I for one look forward to seeing our US Ski Team race down Narrow Gauge next weekend. Watching the sunrise and seeing little kids race around looking for chocolate eggs left by the big bunny on Easter Sunday morning makes it all the more festive.

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