Pitztal 2017 - In which I nearly raced (twice)…

My last skiing adventure of the year took place in Pitztal, Austria, where I was due to compete in two races, one of which would be my first giant slalom race. As usual the races followed a few days of training where I got the chance to build on my skills.

Having just taken ownership of the new chest strap on my monoski I spent the first day of training focussing on proprioception and what I could feel through various parts of my body. This, with time will allow me to identify when to put my body into the best positions to deal with the conditions I am facing. I also found the new chest strap a massive help as it helps keep my trunk more stable as I can get it tighter much more easily; it is also more comfortable than the old one, which is another bonus.

We spent the next few days gate training, both slalom and GS, I’m getting more confident skiing faster and closer to the gates but I still have a lot to work on with regards to being smooth and consistent. One big lesson I learnt was just how many layers I could be wearing and still be able to move! (It was extremely cold all week, with temperatures averaging at around -20° most days.)

Unfortunately when it came to the race days there was no improvement in the weather. The day of the slalom race was particularly stressful as to get to the glacier in Pitztal you have to go on a train first. This train can only take nine wheelchair users at a time (and around half of the competitors are wheelies) and I am not a very assertive person, this led to me not getting on until the fifth train up, leaving me a bit worried about timings. However, as my train pulled into the station, I was informed that the race had been cancelled as the weather made it too dangerous.

The next day, GS race day, we headed out with optimism as the sky was clear and the snow on the ground relatively good, I was looking forward to getting my first giant slalom race done.  Inspection took place as planned and then the first run began. This was not to last, as it soon became apparent that a storm was coming in - fast. This happened three skiers before I was due to set off (bib 41 was in the start gate, I was bib 44). After pausing the race for a while (just after I had taken off my coat in a -30° snowstorm), once again for safety, the race had to be called off.

This was a bit disappointing but I will have plenty more chances to race in the not-so-distant future, and with the additional training I will be able to perform even better.