The UAA Ski Team coaches are always sniffing around, rooting around, scouting for talent, leaving no stone unturned in the never-ending search for the next big thing. Andrew isn't afraid to search in unconventional places to find skiers who might bring us future Seawolf glory. Coaching athletes to greatness is only a fraction of the job of a head coach of a college ski team. Recruiting is another fraction. The fast skiers are out there, but they don't become Seawolves unless they're discovered by the coaching staff, and Andrew is always out there trying to discover new Seawolves wherever they may be hiding.
Take last week, for example. Andrew had a meeting with a potential Seawolf right here in Anchorage. Here's a guy who may have prodigious talent that just hasn't been discovered yet; a budding Seawolf who simply hasn't yet had a chance to bloom. Our potential recruit said "I'm no skiing gold medalist...", but who's to say he couldn't be? Andrew and Howie got together for a little tryout at Kincaid Park and we have
film of their workout.
Now that you've watched this video, I'm sure you have some questions, just as I did. The first thing I'm sure you noticed was that when Andrew was handing out the skis, he gave the Trabs to Howie and the Rossi's to himself. Now, I don't want to sound critical or anything here, but that's a little like taking your date out for a game of tennis and giving her the broken racket. I know Andrew's got a mean streak in him, and he needs to see what our potential new recruit is made of, but it strikes me as a little harsh for the first day of practice.
On the other hand, I have to admit that I've never seen that dead-bug maneuver for getting back on your feet after falling down. That was pretty ingenious. In fact, I probably should teach the UAA alpiners about it next November at our on-snow training camp. I've seen them fall a few times, but I've never seen them use the dead-bug move to get back up. I think they'll appreciate knowing about this.
