McThoughts: Tapestry of an Olympic season

McKee’s McThoughts
By Hank McKee

It hasn’t snowed much lately in the McThoughts neck of the woods. Normally that would be considered a negative, but because it’s a woods the neck is in, there are some aspects to it. Without fresh snow the tracks of the wildlife reveal the pattern of life, the threads of the fabric. I tend to stroll the edge of the ravine and take in those patterns. Some times a little drama – indeed a life and death struggle – has left its mark if the observer can only piece together the story.

And that got me to thinking. There are so many threads at play in the World Cup tapestry this season, it makes me wonder how it can all fit together.

Start with the fact it’s an Olympic season. Take the biggest event of a four-season time frame and plop it in the middle of your four month schedule. Chances are, it will alter some things, like preparation, peaking and finding time to train. Not only do the Olympics alter the dimensions of the season it also adds that whole intra-team tension thing surrounding who, among teammates, will be selected to go to the Olympics and who will either stay home or be expected to get it up for NorAms or Europa Cup competition after not accomplishing their goal. Most of our guys got to go alleviating much of that, thankfully.

By the way, I think it is all well and good that other sports conduct their little “qualifying competitions,” to help select their teams. We have them, too, but ours are held at Kitzbuehel and Cortina. Ski racing knows how to separate the curd from the whey.

The Olympics are but one set of threads. More compelling in terms of the effect on the season are all those injuries. I got a bit down about tracking injuries after TJ Lanning blew up at Lake Louise (God speed TJ).  But here’s a take: consider that the two guys who won at Kitzbuehel (Didier Cuche SG and DH) and Ivica Kostelic (CMB) both did so after coming back from injuries incurred earlier this season, Cuche from a broken rib and Kostelic from knee surgery. Makes me want to play “what if.”

The tour lost one of its most charismatic and intriguing athletes (at least that’s what the general media tells us) before the season even started with teenager Lara Gut dislocating a hip. 2007 World Cup champion Nicole Hosp went out in the first race. Defending slalom champ Jean-Baptiste Grange was lost before the second slalom was held. World DH champ John Kucera got three races into the season before he took a helicopter ride.

There have been other injuries, quite a few actually, but even if limited to these few, how much different might the surface, the public view, of the World Cup be looking about now? How different a tapestry might be weaving.

The injuries have had some other impacts as well. In all my years of watching races at Kitzbuehel, I have never seen a more toothless Hahnenkamm downhill (not that I’d want to race it). For better or worse, (I’m incline to think better since the Streif has altered too many lives too drastically over its time) that’s a big deal, perhaps even a turning point in the direction of ski racing.

And perhaps the automatic injecting of race hills to get those surfaces bullet proof might be pulled back into an arena of common sense.

Two threads sets there – Olympics and injuries – now add in some personalities, a little color if you will.

Just in the “U.S. locker room” if Bode Miller returning to the fold of the U.S. Ski Team isn’t the biggest story of the year, then certainly Lindsey Vonn’s complete domination is. With his late start to the season, Miller has found the amount of time available for getting his equipment dialed in and his body near peak has been a might brief. But this is a man on a mission and with a plan. They are still changing his ski set-ups – though by smaller and smaller degrees – and then he’s racing on the new set-ups. Not warming up, not in training, he’s racing on set-ups he’s never used before. His deciding not to race the Kitzbuehel slalom is significant only to those who tally points, tied as it was to a combined he had a shot at winning. He wants (it’s always dangerous to assume with Bode but he has said) to peak for the Olympics. He wants the opportunity to out ski the best competition in the world when they are going for the win. Looks like he’s going to get his chances. At the very least, his racing at the Games will be an incredible treat. No one, ever, has had his abilities and the chances of his putting down at least one unforgettable run are extremely high.

Like Miller, Vonn already has her place in history. It is not the place she will end up with. Add to the immeasurable talent Mrs. Vonn has, the ability to simply out-work everyone else, and to do so while smiling and playing the media at the same time. Nothing is left to chance with Lindsey. Given a fair course and fair weather, she is going to win the Olympic downhill and super G. No brag, just fact as a buddy of mine use to say. With a little luck the combined is also hers, and don’t rule out slalom. We don’t get to talk about too many ski racers like that.

Consider this: Among active skiers, Vonn is the  fourth all time in the win column, behind Bode, Benny Raich and Anja Paerson.  Bode has one win to the break this season, Benny none, Anja none. Lindsey has eight. Bode is 32-years old,  Benny 31, Anja 28, Lindsey 25. She will pass them, it’s just a matter of when. She will finish her career among the very highest echelon of ski racers all time. Enjoy watching her my friends, these racers do not come along very often.

Quite the quilt we have this season and we haven’t even touched on what’s happening in slalom. And by the way, Nolan Kasper, ride this wave as long as you can hold on. Those runs at Schladming were outstanding in so many ways.

One more thing. The racer’s bib auction on Ebay in support of Haiti was a wonderfully inspired idea and is a fantastic opportunity for race fans around the world to demonstrate the volume of our voice. There are still, as of Wednesday, some bibs still under $20. That ain’t right. Vonn’s bib was still about $14,000 less than that of Didier Cuche and that’s not that good either. You’d think one of her sponsors might up that bid. Anyone awake in Vail?

Some of our U.S. skiers have already garnered some decent bids, but come on gang, this is an important cause. Band together if you have to and pool those checkbooks. Bid like it’s 1999.

Safe speed my friends.