If you haven't heard already, the USSA has cut the nordic combined team because some people think we don't have Olympic or World Championship medal contenders on our team. We are now on our own but looking to unite with U.S.A. Ski Jumping. We have to raise more money than ever before in order to continue our national program. I will give you more information once I hear what our plan of action is going to be. Right now I am focused on my training. I am motivated to prove to everyone who doesn't believe in us that we are still a threat and we are going to kick ass this upcoming season. They are wrong about U.S. Nordic Combined!
I haven't posted in a while but I will get you caught up with some of the spring and early summer activities. After Western Regionals in Park City, teammates Tyler Smith, Colin Delaney, and I extended our season by two weeks and drove up to Whistler for Canadian Nationals. Yes it was a long drive but it was a fun road trip. We could have flown but the ticket prices were too high and with no money it made sense that we drive. However I really have to thank the National Nordic Foundation because they gave us $500 for the trip and we used it towards gas which helped us a lot during the drive! Thank you NNF! Training went really well. I had jumped poorly all winter and jumping really big hill with a lot of air pressure really seemed to help. However I couldn't pull together a good competition. I skied a great cross country race putting in the fastest time. Tyler Smith won the days event. It was a fun trip and a good training camp and I even with the bad result, I finished the season with confidence. On our way back to Utah, we stopped for a night in Vancouver then the following night we visited friends in Bellingham, WA, and then Portland, OR the last night, before making the long drive back to Park City.
I am now in Steamboat Springs for a week of training. I arrived last Saturday. I spent a couple days in Steamboat training and then I went home to Aspen for a day to see my parents and grandmother. Everyone at home seems to be doing great and enjoying the summer weather. Even my little cousin Molly, who is living with my parents is doing well. She is making jewelry for a store in Aspen and makes much more than I do working at a pizzeria. It was good to see the family. I drove back to Steamboat on Tuesday so that I was back in time for the Rabbit Ears time trial on Wednesday. The time trial never seems to get any easier. My goal for the day was to beat former ski jumper Jake Barker, who now bike races for Middlebury. That didn't happen. He blew by me and I held on for a couple minutes but fell off his pace. I was really happy my girlfriend came out to cheer because I was hurting really badly and her words of encouragement helped me get to the finish line. Jake Barker rode really strongly and I congratulate Jake on a great ride. Ben Berend, another one of my teammates, was in it and rode very well. Next time I just have to race smarter.
I will work much harder at staying on top of my blog this summer so that you may follow me more closely!