And that, young skiers, is why inspection is important.

Austrian Georg Streitberger, barely a household name in his hometown of Maishofen collected his second career super G win, and first since the tail end of the 2008 season. He was patient while skiing the Beaver Creek super G Saturday (Dec. 4). The Americans were not.

Frenchman Adrien Theaux collected second, his first result better than sixth in any World Cup and the old Swiss, Didier Cuche got third, his sixth career podium at Beaver Creek.

But the loudest cheer rising from the filled bleachers below the Birds of Prey race course came when Travis Ganong, in bib 41, was the first American to make it past a section that ought to have earned a name this day.

Call it the American Hole, call it Cancellation Corner, call it whatever you wish. The set by Austrian coach Andreas Evers played on the American emotions. Hyped up by a vocal crowd and anxious to display their considerable talents before friends and family, the top U.S. skiers – four of them – exited at Screech Owl, about half way down the Birds of Prey course.

Bode Miller was the first to exit the course when his customary aggression carried him too wide off a roll and left him miles outside the gate. He simply elected too straight a line in an effort to generate speed. That’s not exactly an unexpected thing from Miller, well known for a daring all or nothing style. And he ran 15th, the first of the home team without any course report. The rest of the guys  – Marco Sullivan, Andrew Weibrecht and Ted Ligety –  said the course reports did not emphasize enough how far they would fly off the roll and they ran too close together to benefit from each other’s realizations.

“A trap? Yeah I’d call it a trap,” said Sullivan. “It’s our fault to not recognize that. we knew it was going to be a big turn, but I didn’t really realize you get kicked coming out of it. You had to have your turn complete before you hit that bump.”

“I didn’t anticipate how big of a turn it was,” said Ligety. “We didn’t really have the full information on how much you had to set it up.”

“If you want to be fast in super G you have to be on the fine line of making it and not. We were on the wrong side of that line.”

“Coming into screech owl was a tactical challenge,” said head coach Sasha Rearick. “We actually skied the section above that really well so we came in with much more speed than we thought. … We had a plan to go in there and give it some space. The guys came in with more speed, didn’t realize how much you had to actually turn.” He said the course reports “got more refined,” as the run continued.

Perhaps the defending champion, Swiss Carlo Janka said it most diplomatically. “It was a race of character,” he said after putting down a cautious run to finish 23rd.

While there was no shortage of disappointment among the crowd and the U.S. team, the day “was perfect,” for winner Streitberger. “It was my second victim, I mean victory. A
dream come true.”

He added, “It is a difficult course and you have to ski well. Sometimes, you have to
ski with the brain, put on the brakes a little bit. It’s difficult.”

In an understatement Theaux said, “It was a big surprise.”

The SCOOP
By Hank McKee

Men’s super G. … Beaver Creek, Colo., Dec. 4, 2010. … It is the fifth of 38 races on the original men’s World Cup schedule, the third to be held. … It is the second of seven super G’s on the Cup slate. … It is the 40th World Cup race held at Beaver Creek. … the 11th SG all men’s. … The site also hosted the 1999 World Championship races. … Austrian skiers have won five of the 10 previously held Cup SG’s at Beaver Creek.

It is the second career World Cup win for Georg Streitberger, the previous a SG win at Kvitfjell, March 2, 2008. … His only other podium is also in SG and also on a tough hill, at Kitzbuehel, Jan. 22, 2010.

It is the first career World Cup podium for Adrien Theaux, his previous best a pair of sixth place finishes, one in DH at Are March 11, 2009 and in SG at Lake Louise Nov. 29, 2009.

It is the 55th career World Cup podium for Didier Cuche. … the 19th in SG. … It is his sixth podium at Beaver Creek and second in SG having previously won the 2002 SG.

Robbie Dixon matches his seventh best World Cup result, matches his fourth best in super G. … It is the career best result at Beaver Creek for Manuel Osborne-Paradis. … It is the third time Steven Nyman has finished 25th in a SG at Beaver Creek.

Mario Scheiber (5th in race) maintains the lead of the World Cup overall standings 175-149 over Michael Walchhofer (7th in race). … Streitberger moves to third overall with 136pts. … Bode Miller (DNF) is 17th overall with 54pts. … Streitberger leads the SG standings 118-110 over Tobias Gruenenfelder (21st in race). … Cuche is third at 105. … Dixon tops North Americans on the list in 12th with 46pts. Austria leads the men’s Nations Cup 824-595 over Switzerland. France is third at 338. Canada is fifth with 210pts and the U.S. ninth with 92pts.