U.S. women up to speed in Chile

By USSA

The U.S. Ski Team’s women’s speed group has been on snow in the Chilean Andes for over a week, but that’s enough to make Speed Head Coach Alex Hoedlmoser say, “things are going very well.”

The U.S. coaching veteran of over 10 years reports Olympic gold medalist Julia Mancuso (Olympic Valley, CA) is in some of the best shape of her career along with double World Champion Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) adjusting well to her new equipment.

“Julia is super motivated and skiing extremely well,” said Hoedlmoser. “She’s healthy, motivated and confident. And Vonn did really well with the super G block. She’s been doing a lot of testing with her equipment and she’s feeling comfortable, that’s the important thing.”

The women’s squad arrived in Chile to a blowing storm that nearly closed to the road to Portillo, yet produced their first official powder day before getting four consecutive days of super G skiing. Mancuso took full advantage of the day to limber up with the first powder turns of the season.

“After barely making it up the road, we watched the storm blaze away, to finally clear to one of my best powder days of the year,” reported Mancuso on her website. “It was so much fun and every time I get out there and get to enjoy natures best, it reminds me of how much I love to ski.”

Though the storm did produce soft conditions to open the camp, clear skies have rapidly improved the training slope.

“We did lose the first day and the conditions started out pretty soft,” said Vonn. “But it’s been warming up in the afternoon lately and freezing overnight, so the snow has been pretty good. Everything is feeling great. I’m still testing a bunch, but the transition to Head has been awesome.”

Vonn also followed up on her technical training from New Zealand in August saying that she was very impressed with the hold on her new giant slalom skis and said the relationship with her new technician, former Bode Miller tuner Heinz Heammerle, is excellent.

“Everything has been really positive,” said Vonn, who will remain in Portillo for another week. “My GS is feeling really good and Heinz is great to work with. The skis have incredible hold, but you never know for sure where you’re at until we get into the season. I’m excited for Soelden.”

In addition to Vonn and Mancuso, Hoedlmoser also reports very good skiing from Leanne Smith (Conway, NH), who was sidelined in January of last season with a torn ACL at the Cortina, Italy World Cup.

“She’s doing the full speed program, which is pretty amazing,” said Hoedlmoser. “She’s fully in there, sending the jumps and having fun. This is a big learning experience for some of the younger girls who haven’t been to the Portillo camp before and it should definitely pay off by the time we get back to speed training in Colorado and then open up the speed season in Lake Louise.”

In prep for the tech races, the women’s technical group lead by Head Coach Trevor Wagner has arrived in nearby Valle Nevado, Chile. 

The Audi FIS World Cup season opens Oct. 24 in Soelden, Austria with the annual giant slalom on the Rettenbach Glacier before moving to Levi, Finland for a slalom and onto the Audi Aspen Winternational in Aspen, CO marking the open of the full World Cup season over Thanksgiving weekend.

Image: Julia Mancuso and the U.S. Alpine women’s Team are at full speed at Chile camp.  (GEPA)