This is a place where friends of the UAA Ski Team can check in on the cross-country skiers as they train and race for the University of Alaska, Anchorage.
Hey you guys, guess who I went skiing with today? Laura Rombach!! She's back in town again! But now she's got a new name, a new job, a new house, and she's married! I haven't seen Laura since she graduated from UAA, sold her car to my neighbor and left town back in the spring of 2012. We had so much to catch up on, but we only had about an hour and a half before she had to get to work, so I'll have to wait until our next outing before I can find out everything she's been up to lo these many years. Maybe we can even talk her into coming out for some UAA team practices? There's plenty we can learn from Laura; she was no stranger to the RMISA podium when she was a Seawolf.
Here's Jaime and Laura, going 1-2 at the Colorado Invitational in Steamboat in 2012.
Laura and Jaime at NCAA's in 2011, in the pouring rain in Stowe, Vermont.
Laura had moved to Anchorage just a few weeks before this photo was taken. With her teammates Nils Kristen Sandtroen and Sadie Bjornsen in 2008.
The word "freshman" invokes certain images and thoughts in the minds of most Americans. A "freshman" is associated with eagerness, curiosity, enthusiasm, and perhaps an innocent willingness to charge ahead into a new experience. It's always fun to have freshmen on the team for the new energy they bring to the group, and we always look forward to seeing what the new kid can do. JC has lived up to the characterization of "freshman" this fall, and is off to a strong start in his first races wearing the Green and Gold.
Though JC's performances this weekend comprised a solid Besh Cup debut, we here at The Blog didn't realize how truly impressive his weekend was until the following paparazzi video was anonymously* submitted to UAANSTB headquarters here in the heart of Spenard this evening after the conclusion of this weekend's races.
There are a few items of note that I would like to call your attention to:
-JC did not lie around and complain about the stupid snow snake that made him fall down.
-JC did not stop to pick up his tuque.
-JC had the presence of mind to use the tried and true somersault-with-half-twist method for coming to rest with his skis facing up the trail (so he wasn't facing the wrong way, necessitating a u-turn).
-JC got his velocity up again quickly after this incident.
-JC did not employ profanity or express negativity in his words or actions.
-JC raced this 30-meter section 7.5 seconds faster than I did, and I didn't even fall down.
This is an excellent example of the kind of freshman behavior we want to see around here.
In case you're not clear on today's lesson, here's a video to compare and contrast with the one of JC above:
I guess Julien Lizeroux just doesn't have that freshman spirit.
*footnote: the anonymous videographer was actually Marcus Von Halen, whom you can hear in the background cheering on his teammate
We went ski racing this weekend, just up the street at Government Peak in Palmer. I'd never been there before, but I'd heard good things. The race courses were tough and the intimate little start/finish area fits perfectly into a cozy little depression in the mountainside. And there was plenty of snow due to the storms that we've been getting this past week. I'm looking forward to my next ski trip to Government Peak!
Here's what it looked like:
The Chugach Range in the background; Jenna in the foreground
Marte. Due to my missing the first race last year, and then Marte missing the rest of the season due to mononucleosis, this weekend was the first time I've seen her race.
Hannah
Anna
Hailey vs Skippy. Going head to head. Having left the UAA ski team this year for the national team, Hailey's scheduled to make her World Cup debut in January in Dresden, Germany so stay tuned.
Quail
Skippy
Anna
Jenna
Hannah
They gave Jenna a special prize for winning the U20 age category. Congratulations, Jenna!
I was kind of impressed by this team van. I was more impressed when Randall Von Winkelstein told me that the van was green before Team TOG acquired it and painted it white.
