This week the Stifel US Women’s speed team was hoping to begin their World Cup season by racing the inaugural Zermatt Cervinia race. After successful training in Chile, they arrived in Europe feeling prepared and looking forward to a new downhill. Unfortunately, due to unusually warm weather, like the men’s race, the women’s race was canceled. 

Stifel US Alpine head women’s speed coach, Jeff Lackie, shared his thoughts while driving to Milan after the cancelation. 

Lackie reports team was excited about Zermatt-Cervinia

Lackie said, “It is a disappointment for the fans and the athletes. The athletes want to compete. Our athletes worked hard to prepare and were excited to race a new track. We did spend a few days there and it looked good. Everyone anticipated having a ton of fun.” 

In the best of years, ski racing is weather-dependent and cancelations are a regular part of the sport. Additionally, the faster and longer the race, the more susceptible it is to weather. Lackie comments, “Early season, there is always a risk that the elements won’t cooperate and there won’t be enough snow.” 

Lackie, however, continues to be enthusiastic about the event’s future. “All of us were excited to race at a new location. We have competed at all the other venues and Zermatt-Cervinia is fresh and new.” Lackie continued by praising the effort of the organizing committee in Zermatt-Cervinia. “They had two or three helicopters flying over the glacier, two dozen snow cats, a bunch of snowmobiles and the Swiss Army all doing that they could to save the event. It was clear they did everything possible to host the races.”

The Stifel US Alpine Ski Team had four of their best and a qualified independent on-site and prepared to race. The women were ready and willing to compete on the new track. The list included Breezy Johnson, Rowmark Academy, Bella Wright, Snowbird Sports Education Foundation, Lauren Macuga, Park City Ski and Snowboard and Keely Cashman, Team Palisades Tahoe. Additionally, the team was excited to include independent Trish Mangan, Buffalo, NY, as a member of the US contingent competing in Zermatt-Cervinia. The strong group of athletes representing Utah, California and New York had arrived prepared and ready to ski fast. 

The team is happy with their preparation for the season

Now the women will look forward to training in Copper to prepare for the Lake Louise World Cup. Lackie hopes to reunite with the staff in Colorado on the 7th of November and the athletes on the 8th, with everyone on snow on the 9th. The good news for the team is that snowmaking in Copper has been exceptional and they will be able to train the entire hill as soon as they arrive. 

Lackie is Canadian, and you can hear the pride in his voice when he tells us the team looks forward to racing in Lake Louise for what is apparently Lake Louise’s final women’s World Cup speed series. “The people in Lake Louise have done a great job for many years. You always feel passion and commitment when racing there. They deserve the best show we can put on and we are looking forward to our three days of competition in Canada.” 

When asked about their preparation coming into the season, Lackie expressed that being able to train again in the southern hemisphere was very beneficial. The US women’s speed program experienced two productive camps in Chile. The first camp started in El Colorado and finished in Portillo. The second camp was at Corralco. Lackie is very excited about their experience in Carralco. “They had eight meters of snowfall before our arrival. We experienced maybe two days of rain, but otherwise, it was extremely productive. The team used Carralco to do most of our final preparation for Zermatt Cervinia. We knew how long the new downhill is and we could train longer courses if we stayed in Chile.”

It might be time to start the World Cup season later

Lackie expresses that he would support the FIS considering a change in the World Cup calendar. “With the climate changes we are experiencing, it may be better to push the schedule deeper into the ski season. We spent significant resources to get over to Europe, only to turn around and head home. I acknowledge that weather will always be a part of ski racing, but early-season races seem more and more difficult to execute. It may be better to extend into the spring rather than bank on the early season. Hopefully, next year, Europe will experience colder weather.” He acknowledges that he understands everyone involved is trying to get people excited about skiing and that early-season races contribute to that important cause. 

The final issue Lackie touched on is his excitement about the efforts of the entire team, both staff and athletes. He is also excited to report that US star Breezy Johnson is returning to form quickly and he is excited to see that she is making a complete recovery. The women’s speed team plans to take full advantage of Copper’s conditions and looks forward to their trip to Canada to compete.