KMS student-athletes opened the 2011-12 winter competition season with a FIS slalom at Neustift, Austria, followed shortly by the Copper Mountain, Colo., Grand Prix halfpipe event. The Austrian race starts—Tuesday's slalom and an upcoming pair of giant slaloms—provide athletes targeting top-level junior competitions throughout the season a chance to experience both an elevated level of competition as well as the overall experience of a European race trip. In the U.S., Dan Rosenblum's Grand Prix start will mark the first World Cup-level start for a KMS Freeskiing Team athlete and another indication that the program continues to grow.
The KMS racers in Austria—Kyle Burcin, Mike Ferri, and Cameron Price—got in two training days on the Stubai glacier before the first scheduled race on Monday, December 5. Eight inches of snow hampered that plan; despite the race organizers' best efforts—including bringing five snowcats onto the racing hill for a last groom at 8:30 a.m.—the race was cancelled.
Tuesday's slalom at Neustift benefitted from better weather, but the recent snow made for a tough surface. The athletes' first runs were "far from what they are doing in training," a condition Coach Jack Bailey ascribed to racing in Europe with surnames such as Matt and Schild on the start list. Jack helped the athletes regroup before the second run, where the athletes' skiing was "much better," although Mike straddled a gate and Kyle hooked a tip, leaving Cameron the sole KMS finisher. All three racers will take today off to rest and recharge in preparation for a couple days of training and a pair of GS races.
On Wednesday morning, Dan Rosenblum put in two strong runs in the qualification round of the Copper Mountain, Colo., Grand Prix superpipe competition. This is the opening event of the 2011-12 FIS Freeskiing World Cup schedule and is one of several upper-level competitions on Dan's schedule as a result of his success in the 2010-11 season. With the guidance of Coach DJ Montigny, Dan has continued to work hard over the summer, at on-snow camps, on the water ramps, and in building fitness; he should be even more exciting to watch this season as he continues to move up the ladder in halfpipe competition. Dan's runs scored a 49.0 and a 51.6, good enough for 11th place in his heat, but not quite strong enough to make a finals field including top skiers such as Mike Riddle and Simon Dumont. Dan will continue top-level competition next week in Breckenridge, Colo., where he will compete in the Nike 6.0 Dew Tour Qualifier. Watch the KSC/KMS Freestyle and Freeskiing Team blog at http://kmsfreestylecoach.blogspot.com for more updates on Dan and the rest of the freeskiing team.
