What a difference a day can make

Published: Wed Aug 15, 2007 2:00 AM MDT

Aotearoa

Atop a mountain, in a country known by the native Maori as Aotearoa – land of the long white cloud – weather moves in and weather moves out. One day to the next can make all the difference. On Friday morning the U.S. team ran for 2 ½ hours up the Matukituki Valley in t-shirts, then put in a distance and on-snow specific strength session in the half-light of the evening sky. The nighttime brought heavy winds and precipitation, a mishmash of snow too sticky to groom. Instead of slogging through snow so heavy only a coastal skier with a pair of hairy skis ready to roll could love, the U.S. men’s team put in their 3 ½ hour classic rollerski and run combo in the valley below. What follow are pictures from the two day’s events.

Friday

Running beside Lake Wanaka, en route to Mt. Aspiring and the Matukituki Valley.


The American contingent currently down in the Southern Hemisphere. From left: Andrew Newell,


One day you’re skiing on a hard but thin cover of snow with the boys, putting in a couple of kilometers and some upper-body strength drills with the boys…


…then after nightfall the cold, clear weather gives way to a solid winter storm of 50cm of snowfall, a helping of rain, and a driving easterly wind.


Saturday


(photo by Justin Wadsworth)

The next morning the New Zealand Burton Open and the ITU World Cup Winter Triathlon are cancelled do to the stormy conditions. The U.S. team needs to adapt as well. High intensity on-snow work was not in the cards. The sprint team traded in the interval and strength day for a 3 ½ hour O.D. The rain came down hard. The wind cut through the clothes. But as Leif said afterwards, “This was the best bad workout day ever.”




From the valley floor, a dirt road switchbacks 14 kilometers over old mountainous sheep herding terrain to the cross-country ski resort. On days like this you just hope two sets of eyes are good enough to get you back home.






At the SnowFarm, the boiler’s back on. The place is back pumping out hot water for showers and the afternoon cup of flat white. And the trails are getting a much needed addition to its base. I just hope that by tomorrow Carl can get out there and turn the windblown piles of snow into corduroy.

What a difference a day can make.







Torin Koos is a member of the National A Team for the United States. A World Cup, World Championship and Olympic competitor, Koos brings this experience to the FasterSkier sportscasting arena for the 2007/2008 season.

Equipment: Rossignol Skis, Boots and Bindings, Toko gloves and wax, Marwe, Exel poles, Rudy Project Eyewear, Powerbar

Home Ski Club: Leavenworth Winter Sports Club (www.skileavenworth.com)
Headgear Sponsor: USA Pears (www.usapears.com)
Best Western Icicle Inn (www.icicleinn.com)
BioSports NorthWest Physical Therapy (www.biosports.net)

 

 

Reader Comments - Add Your Own Comment

Mike Lansbury - San Francisco, CA, posted on Aug 15, 2007 That... was worth reading! Thank you Mr. Koos susan marston - boise, ID, posted on Aug 20, 2007 Boys: nice pictures and the modeling pose idea was inspired, but the final product needs some work. Vorde and Newell look sufficiently god-like, but damnnn, the rest of you look pathetic. I guess I know where to send all by back issues on "In-Style".

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