CC Duren

As most of you know I have been in White Sulfur Springs Montana for the past five days on a ski race.  It was a great time, especially since Showdown is one of my all time favorite mountains in MT. 

Wednesday:

The day started out pretty crazy, I had to run around town and finish up some last minute homework.  Then at 11 Ty picked me up and we headed over to Rogers house where we picked up all the benches, and equipetment.  Then we all headed up to the mountain for one last afternoon of training.  Then at around four we hit the road (the winding road) and made our way to Showdown.  After we got there and unpacked we drove three miles out of town to a shed where we would be waxing skis the next four nights.  Once the tuning was done we headed to one of the “many” resturants in White Sulfur.  

Thursday:

Thursday was the training day before the three days of Super G races.  Ty, Rog and I got up bright and early and left for the hill around 7:00 a.m. Its about a 30 minute drive to the mountain.  The sunrise was amazing, and of course I had forgotten my camera that day!  Once we got to the hill it was time for the coaches meeting.  It is tradition that on the practice day the order of the teams are picked out of a hat.  Once a team is picked they are put in order 1-10 and that is the order they will run (be sent down the course).  I was chosen to pick names out of a hat (2nd yr. in a row).  Of course I picked my own team LAST… not on purpose.  And Silver Run (my almamatur) 2nd to last!  So I spent the rest of the day at the top of the course watching my kids go fast, and wishing that i could too!  The only good thing was that it was 40 degrees and sunny, which literally NEVER happens there!  The kids were given two runs and an inspection, our second run was suppose to be reversed (BSF would have then gone first), but they changed their minds and we went last AGAIN.  That night we went back to the shed and tuned 11 pairs of skis, which took quite some time.  After that Ty, Rog and I went for pizza and beer at the local movie theatre and pizza place (the movie theatre is in a basement of a restaurant).  That night we were all pretty sore so Ty and I went for a dip in the hot tub, and I took a long shower.  Around 10 p.m. Gina arrived to help for the next three days!

Friday:

Friday was the first of three race days!  The four of us headed to the mountain just in time to make the coaches meeting, and collect the tickets and bibs.  The kids were all pretty jazzed, as was I.  When leaving the lodge that morning I had an accident.  I fell down the stairs while carrying my skis and bag.  I fell right onto my bad hips, which as you can imagine was not how I wanted to start my day!  So not only was my pride shot, but so was my back and hips.  The rest of the day ran smoothly, the kids did great and I was very proud of all of them.  Erica, who is 13 took first place, as did Abbie, who is 14.  Evan took 3rd, and all of my little girls placed within the top ten in their age groups.  That night we got back to the hotel played some soccer, watched video of the kids skiing to prepare for the next day, and went to the shed to tune skis.  Dinner that night was an interesting occasion, we ate at the truck stop, which was not worth the stop.  I ordered a salad that had more dressing that salad.  Gina ordered a taco salad that only had meat in it, and Ty’s clam chowder was really potato soup, with one clam.  When we returned home Gina and I took a dip in the hot tub, and then it was lights out, and off to bed!

Saturday:

Saturday with stuck with our routine, and surged through the day pretty fast.  That afternoon after the race was finished we took the kids free skiing, which was great cause the night before the mountain got 6 new inches of snow.  G and I took Elizabeth for a few free runs, she broke her collar bone a few months ago, and Sunday was going to be her first day back in a course.  While G and I were with Elizabeth, Rog and Ty took the others to huck some cliffs.  Rog even got it all on video.  Once our free skiing fun was over we took in the awards ceramony and left for the hotel.  That night we played some kick ball, which was so freakin fun, then we watched the video from the race, and the cliff hucking haha!  That night after we waxed all the skis it was off to the coaches bonfire.  It was awesome they had a huge fire, and tons of food, loud music, and NO kids.  I think we all had a little too much fun, and a little less sleep.

Sunday:

Sunday was our last day.  Rog and Ty left for the mountain around 6:30 a.m. since Rog was setting the course that morning.  G and I followed shortly after loading up our car and eating a quick bite to eat.  The meeting this morning was pretty crazy.  the officials got the start orders and bid numbers all wrong, I had to pay for all four days of lift tickets, and two of our racers went MIA and decided not to show up!  The race ran pretty well, and our kids continued to place in the top 5 which makes me very proud and happy.  Elizabeth ran the top secssion of the course, just enough to count, and then pulled out.  A wise move by a very smart lady!  The race was offically over and the it was time to drive home!