WCSN Blogs

Well the good is good. Bode is skiing well, he is feeling good, the skis are good, he is in first and the finish line is near.

The bad would be that we just found out that Lanzinger (the Aus skier that crashed in this weeks super-G) will be having his leg amputated.

We all know the dangers of the sport that we love so much and it is always the last thing in your mind when you are skiing but it can happen. There are lots of questions on why, why there was no helicopter at the race, why there were not better staff to handle the situation, why skiing is not safer. But why is good, hopefully people will learn how it can never happen again.

We are in Kirchburg, Austria, trying to find some good snow to train on and its slim pickens . It has been really warm and rainy the past week pretty much all over Europe so it’s hard to find good bullet proof snow to train on. Bode is taking a day off after the weekend and we will be training tomorrow some where. As we speak, Johno’s phone is ringing with hill reports from different training hills, and by the afternoon we will have a plan.

The overall cup race is really heating and the next few weeks will be very sweet, so pay attention.

Things are going well for Team America. We have been doing a lot of training, and by training I don’t mean riding on trains.

Last week, we were doing slalom and gs and this week more of the same along with some super-g. Bode has been trying some new skis in anticipation for the upcoming giant slaloms and seems pretty happy with the skis. Last week after training, me and bode were heading back to camp when we got pulled over by the man. It’s always funny getting pulled over here in Europe. The same thing always happens, you get pulled over, the police give you a ticket, you try to argue and they give the hand gesture and say (in English) “I don’t understand what you are saying” and then take your cash … dang.

Uncle Mike and Johno took off, leaving all us youngins to fend for ourselves. Hopefully, we will be able to stay out of trouble, but you never know with us. We will be doing more ski testing and training this week, and then heading to Zagreb, Croatia, at the end of the week. I have never been. But from what I hear, the place goes off … so it should be fun.

I Can’t Believe the Pats Lost!

What a great week on this side of the pond. Monday, TEAM AMERICA and I skied the Vallee Blanche, a 12 mile run that drops about 8,000 vertical feet, a real leg burner. Bode rode the tram up and due to the fact that the kid was still banged up form the previous week, choose to ride the tram back down. The run was awesome and a keen reminder of why I am here, to ski.

Later that afternoon, we headed to Val d’Isere. The next day Jake and I were on the hill all day, and the day after that, and the day after that, and the day after that: and on Saturday the race was canceled so we went skiing. Bode grabbed his gear and joined us. The whole week was great. I can’t say exactly what day I did what but we found really cool terrain. Val d’Isere has a bunch of easy access steep chutes and stream beds that are a blast.

We took a break in the middle of the week to do slalom training. During the slalom training reporters on skis with camera equipment in tow, dragging it up and down the hill, were hassling Bode: “just one question”. Bode finally said sure, they asked him a question, he answered and they immediately asked another. He gave a little laughed and said, “I thought you were going ask only one question’ and skied away, which was a keen reminder of why he is here, to ski. And, that he did on Sunday.

Old Glory flew twice this weekend, once for Marco on Saturday (for his first win of the season) and for Bode on Sunday.

Wednesday, Bode crashed on the first jump in a down hill training run. I went up to check out the crash site the following day and he was not exaggerating when he said he fell about 80 feet onto a flat. After the down hill on Saturday he then hooked a gate during a slalom training run and went ass over teakettle 8 feet into the air, flipping twice, and landing on his hip. As you can imagine, the poor guy was pretty banged up by Sunday.

Bode wasn’t the only guy that faced some crash n’ falls this week. When I got up in Sunday morning I tried to open the door to my room but the door handle just spun and the door would not open ( just my GD luck) I called Robbie the ski tech who was rooming one floor up but he did not answer his phone. I really had to use the bathroom and with no way out I jumped from the second story window, shoeless, landing in 3 feet of snow and ran around to the front door. When I finally I rolled down to the RV, Bode came limping out for his room jokingly moaning like an old man. We laughed about the random crap life throws at you … “Aw life, you really got me good that time.” Then he went up the mountain and kicked some SC butt.

Way to go, America!

Sweet dude! He did it.

Bode is now the greatest American that ever lived, — well, that’s the jibe he’s getting from all the Team America guys. Bode is very pleased with his accomplishment, but his focus is on the next event. He is training slalom today, normally his day off, working for another win in Schladming tomorrow.

The weekend was sweet. Bode’s downhill run was crazy! At one point, he shot up onto the fence for a distance of approximately 50 feet and at a speed of 70 mph. That would take most racers out, but not Bode. He knew that it cost him time so he lowered his head, got pissed, and really dropped the hammer. It was not enough to win the downhill but enough to take the combined.

The next few weeks will be exciting. There is a little less pressure and a ton of speed events coming up. Bode is skiing friggin’ awesome, it’s tight at the top of the overall title, so tune in for the action.

Hello race fans. We just arrived in Interlaken, after last weekend in Abelboden, and things are going well. Adelboden is always fun. The race itself is quite a circus with about forty thousand fans, which is good for tee-shirt sales. There is always something to capture your eye; marching bands dressed in elaborate costumes, vending and promotional tents, or a guy that had a little too much sauce. Even the king of Switzerland stopped buy the tent, apparently he is a Bode fan.

Both Wengen and Adelboden are rich with Swiss tradition and last weekend was a great ski weekend for the Swiss which made for an exciting few days. The other great thing is that the Swiss love Bode so when he kicks everyones ass this weekend they will be just as happy.

Bode had his first training run today and he was confident and fast. After winning here last year and looking the way he did today, I would be surprised to see him not pull something off. But, he is Bode and this is ski racing. He has been dealing with the expected issues of starting his own team but he seems to be handling being his own boss just fine. The training bus is paying off with isometric leg workouts on off days. He also has been playing a lot of hockey for aerobic. Spirits are good and the machine is in full working order. I am really excited for the weekend, but ,win or lose, its all about the season. After Bormio, Forest and I were riding in the car laughing about how after a race, no matter the outcome, we immediately start planning the next week’s strategy with no acknowledgment that we are part of one of the best ski teams in the World Cup but we could throw in a Biggy Smalls CD and feel like a gang’sta

well I am finally off to europe to join the boys on the road to victory or at least one hell of a ski vacation. The last few days have been hectic to say the least. Along with all the normal worries of going on a trip, do I have my passport? do I have a ride to the airport? did I remember to get a ticket? And christmas shopping, witch I no every body loves. I also had the nursery to worry about. The last few days I have been franticly running around try everything buttoned down for the winter ,cleaning up the mess and locking the doors. As far as I remember….I got everything done.

this morning around am me and my girlfriend were heading down to boston to hope a plane when shortly in the trip when I herd a dragging noise from under the car. I pulled over and looked und the car only to see a bolt had fallen out and the muffler was dragging. I new I had forgotten something, I should have checked the muffler bolts. luckily we were right by are local ski area Cannon Mt. I new the snow makers would be up and working at am so I pulled into there shop and asked “what do you got for me boys”.” How about a coat hanger ” they said. “perfect” I replied. I crawled under the car wired it up and we were in Boston in time for the flight.

so here I am sitting in the air port eagerly awaiting my flight. I am happy to heading off to europe as I will be happy to return home. I look forward to getting up on the hill and seeing some good ski racing and hopefully some good pow days. I would love see bode on the podium a few times this season but if not that’s fine to after all he is my cuz and i will support him no matter what.

Thursday night I got a call from my buddy, Cam, saying we were to meet Bode in NY on Friday .I was not sure what it was but I had a good idea .Bode, Cam and I were room mates for about three years and had a kind of those-were-the-days time so when ever we get together it is a gas.

After a bunch of telephone calls from Bode, his agent, and his manager about radon stuff they wanted me to bring, Cam picked me up and we were on our way. about half way threw the trip in rush hour traffic we got a flat. Cam is in a wheelchair and, although he offers tons of emotional support, in this situation he has some barriers. But I love this kind of stuff. I looked at Cam and said, start the clock. I unpacked the mess tossed into the back of the car, found the jack, and had the car jacked-up in minutes – the clock ticking. Cam drives an Audi and apparently the spare is stored flat and you inflate it with this little compressor that is as fast as a herd of turtles. It really put a damper into my time but we were back on the road within 10 minutes. at that point we new nothing could stop us, then we got stuck in traffic for about an hour

finally we arrived and after checking into the hotel we met Bode at a friend’s restaurant for dinner. Bode jokingly said that I would have to wear a French maid’s costume. I thought he was kidding. But, sure enough, the next day there I was standing in front of the camera with an Elmer Fud hat on my head and wearing a French maid’s costume. The video is a spoof interview with Bode for the launch of Skispace.com. I played the part of his nutritionist. Their was some other stuff with Bode’s agent and this old guy playing his new trainer .The whole shoot had me rolling on the floor and I can’t wait to see the finished product. It should be up Nov. 28.

We did a little celebrating after the shoot Saturday night and headed back to New Hampshire on Sunday. Bode was home for the day and headed out for Levi the next morning. He was really fired up and I wished him the best of luck.

P.S. — A big “way to go” to Ted and Julie on last weekend’s performance

Well hellllooo race fans,
Here we go again after a long summer.
When we got back from Europe last spring the first thing we did was to attend Bode Fest, a charity event that Bode and his foundation hold, with a bunch of our friends. It was a great weekend. We skied by day and laughed by night: I laughed so hard it felt like I had been doing sit-ups all day. It was good to be home. And, that was my last day off.

I have a small nursery and landscape business that kept me pretty busy. It was the second year in business and, typically for a second year business, it is lots of work and lots of bills. I love having my hands in the dirt and I wouldn’t change it for the world. Speaking of dirt, I did mange to get out on my “dirt” bike when ever I had free time. It makes me laugh, here I am all sore from working like 80 hours a week and any free time that I get I am out beating myself up on my dirt bike.

Along with my not having much free time, Bode was pretty busy with new contracts and whatnot now that he has left the ski team. I think it is great that he has gone independent. For years I’ve watched the team administration not handle Bodes celebrity in the media and just come back at him with rules that a high school senior wouldn’t follow. He always did a great job of putting a good face forward and keeping his chin up but I know it pissed him off. It seems to me that he has a new found motivation now that he is skiing for the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA rather than the US Ski Team corporation.

Much of the time I spent with Bode this summer was working out as that he is training like a mad man. I did some core work outs with him at the local gymnasium. After the grueling work out we would go up to the foam pits and practice our huckin’ and flipin’. The cute little kids would make fun of our style and technique and I have to admit it was pretty fun watching a 230 lb guy muscle his way down a 30 foot long trampoline doing handsprings and trying to do some crazy spinny hucky flip a the end. I can’t imagine what I looked like as that I am about as graceful as a drunk monkey.

I am really looking forward to watching Bode this season. Not that I look don’t forward to watching every one, I think every one should get a medal at the end of the race. But watching Bode ski when he is on his game is seeing a glimpse of perfection.