NYSEF's Christopher Beckmann upsets NorAm downhill in Montana

NYSEF’s Christopher Beckmann upsets NorAm downhill in Montana{mosimage}Christopher Beckmann, a New York state junior on a late-season roll, won the second of two NorAm downhills at Big Mountain, Montana this Wednesday. The race was delayed several times because of bad weather.

“They ultimately pulled the plug on the women’s race, and right then it started to get nice,” said U.S. Ski Team coach Dave Kerwynn, who was there with several members of the national team’s Europa Cup squad.

Beckmann won with a time of 1:30.11, which was 0.32 ahead of Canada’s David Anderson — the current NorAm downhill, super G and overall points leader.

“He’s a player for sure,” said Kerwynn of Beckmann. “He’s a tremendous glider. He’s going to have to get into one of our camps. He just needs some time training the components, especially terrain and air.”

Beckmann was fifth the day before, picking up a 33.75 FIS-point result. Today’s win nets him a 20.19 result, bringing his points to roughly 27 (on the bubble for the top 100 in the world). At this time last season, Beckmann’s points were 119.

The number of athletes a nation has in the top 100 in FIS discipline standings has an effect on that nation’s quota for World Cups.

Beckmann, who plays high school football in Altamont, New York, is young. Born in 1986, he still has two more years of junior status. He was invited to World Junior Championships this year when the top-ranked junior downhiller in the country, Nick Baker, blew his knee out in a cartwheeling tumble at a Europa Cup in Altenmarkt, Austria.

At World Juniors, in Maribor, Slovenia, Beckmann rose to the challenge and finished 5th in the downhill, contributing essential points to the American team’s successful effort to win the Marc Hodler Cup, awarded to the top nation in the race.

Men’s NorAm downhill

February 25, 2004

Big Mountain, Montana

1) BECKMANN, Christopher (USA) 1’30.11

2 ) ANDERSON, David (CAN) 1’30.43

3 ) OSBORNE-PARADIS, Manuel (CAN) 1’30.67

4 ) JOHNSON, Justin J (USA) 1’30.73

5 ) STUTZ, Paul (CAN) 1’31.23

6 ) KUCERA, John (CAN) 1’31.25

7 ) BARNES, Cameron (CAN) 1’31.33

8) BISHOP, Wade H (USA) 1’31.50

9 ) MANN, Eric (USA) 1’31.59

10 TRANSUE, Jeremy (USA) 1’31.64