Beaver Creek: Race day brings out the true fans

Under awesome blue skies Thursday at the site of the infamous Birds of Prey downhill, the scene was as expected — fan clubs of promising athletes, posters for all nations, energetic spectators dressed in costumes, a mass of thousands of screaming fans — all part of the excitement as the favorites flung themselves down the ice-glazed hill, holding on to dear life and searching for a W.
BEAVER CREEK, Colorado — Under awesome blue skies Thursday at the site of the infamous Birds of Prey downhill, the scene was as expected — fan clubs of promising athletes, posters for all nations, energetic spectators dressed in costumes, a mass of thousands of screaming fans — all part of the excitement as the favorites flung themselves down the ice-glazed hill, holding on to dear life and searching for a W.
    Among the many supporters were a group of 100 screaming girls and boys from Edwards Elementary School, a school in the Vail Valley, just minutes down I-70 from Beaver Creek Resort. Carrying signs for Italy, Germany, Sweden and the United States was all part of the school project.
    “We made them in class,” one student chimed in. “We are cheering for skiers from a lot of countries, not just the United States. That one’s mine over there,” he said, pointing to a sign that read “Jimmy Cochran you are the best!”
Despite the din of interviewers, announcers and scurrying fans, the sounds of the elated fifth-graders cheering on their heroes was audible throughout the day, despite cold hands [temperatures in the single digits] and frozen faces.
    “We got to miss a whole day of school!” said one of the students. “I can’t wait to see Ted Ligety.”
    One inspired student held a sign that read, “Ted Ligety we want you to win!” as he ran up the hill asking everyone in sight if they were, in fact, the famous Ted Ligety.
    Some fans rooted for foreign athletes, with fan clubs for Austrians Hannes Reichelt, Michael Walchhofer, Mario Scheiber and Benni Raich holding their own in the stands as foreigners piled in to stay warm and give support to their perspective countries.   
    Some dressed in costume to combat Mother Nature. “I’m definitely staying warm!” said one man dressed as a pig, representing Vail Resorts. Smokey the Bear also made an appearance as a reminder to “Stop forest fires!”
    Ligety even joined in the fun by painting a mustache over the tape on his face that was there to prevent frostbite.
    “It’s so cold out here I had to tape my face so I wouldn’t get frostbite so I had the idea [to paint a mustache] so I wouldn’t look like every other guy in goggles.”
    Awaiting the slalom, fans continued to pile into the stands and signs cheered on downhill leader Bode Miller. And for the students?
    “We are out here until it’s over!,” one shouted. “Hopefully it will be with an American who won a gold.”