A 'Fast' Inspection

Happy Valentines's Day all. We are a day ahead here so we get a heads up on events that affect the rest of the world (and if I forget, I am reminded - its a solid system).  It is also the Lunar New Year  - so Happy New Year!

The winds were still high so the gondola was closed so it was a two chairlift ride up  - one to get to the finish area and then one that would get you to just above the GS start (which isn't used here). After that, it is a snowmobile ride or you hop in/in front of a snowcat to where you need to get to.

 

When I got to the pick up spot, I was the first one there for the next cat, so I called shotgun and hopped in.  A couple of minutes later, the Chief Race Director Markus and Deputy Chief of Race Tommy aka Cowboy hopped into the bucket for the 10 minute ride up to Jump 2.

It did get sporty as 3 cats were coming down the trail and our cat and two snowmobiles were pulling athletes up the trail for training.

 

We scheduled an 'informal' inspection of the race course. It would be a fast inspection. In other words, they would inspect the course......but at 110 kmh. 

 

We wanted the racers in bibs so there was some control  - here is my start crew holding the bibs before the racers arrived.

The Fast Inspection started at Jump 2 giving the athletes a good feel for the snow surface again after not being on it for 3 days.

It was open to all downhillers, but only half took us up on it.  It was all over in 30 minutes. A necessary activity but it was a lot of hullabaloo as access to the course is important but safety is more important. 

The athletes have been given full access to the rest of the mountain for training - SL, GS and SG so they have had plenty of time on snow.

We then spent the next 90 minutes looking at possibilities for completing our speed schedule (DH and SG) given the weather forecast. TV isn't loving us right now.

B.