What an amazing weekend - It is Tuesday already and I'm barely recovered! So much happened during the Monster Homecoming Invitational at Seven Springs that it could probably fill several blog entries. I'll try not to get off on a tangent, however, and give you the real news worthy stuff.
Practice on Friday was a bit of a challenge. Warm weather coming in created a strong headwind but the girls were able to get a good feeling for the course. Thanks to the design of the course and its excellent maintenance by the park crew the landings were kept smooth and safe. Unfortunately Kaya Turski separated her shoulder but that didn't keep her from the the comp. Not only did she tear it up with corked 720s, switch 900s, and large switch-to-switch straight airs called zero spins she walked away with the Homecoming crown for the skiers. Grete Eliassen took second and the Monster hostess with the mostest Kristi Leskinen found herself a spot on the podium with a corked 720 mute grab.
Chanelle Sladics took the snowboard crown with her strong performance on the rails backed up by her outstanding cab 360 and cab 540. My fav, sweetie Silvia Mittermuller, took 2nd on the snowboard side followed by Maribeth Swetkoff.
While the tricks were big they are tougher to pull than usual. The girls were fighting soft, wet snow that reduced their speed forcing them to fight for every inch of air. Willi's sent up a box of Swix rub on wax that the girls used before each run which seemed to help but the warm March air continued to be a factor throughout the weekend.
The girls celebrated the event Saturday night in Seven Springs' night club, the Matterhorn and seemed to enjoy cutting loose. Sunday morning found them hosting local kids who had stuck around after the event to ride with them. The soggy conditions did not dampen the kids enthusiasm as they worked on their skills at the different park areas of Seven Springs.
The coaching the kids were given seemed to pay off because there was some amazing stuff being thrown down at the Amateur Rail Jam Sunday afternoon. Over 65 kids showed up to show off in front of the girls who cheered them on and tossed out some great prizes for everything from the best crash to the biggest air.
"I think the ride-with-a-pro and the Amateur Rail Jam was a great part of the weekend," said Greg Klein from Willi's Ski and Board Shop. "It really gave the locals a chance to connect with the girls and I think it was fun for the girls to see that there is some real talent coming out of Seven Springs"
There is no doubt that this event was a huge success and will continue to grow in the years to come. Thanks and a big shout out to Kristi and all of the sponsors who made this great event happen - Seven Springs, Monster Energy Drink, Rome Snowboards, Oakley, Willi's Ski and Board Shop and media partner Freeskier Magazine.
