Off Topic - Johanna's ski racing

[zgur]

Since most of the people on this forum know my family, and my daughter, I felt it's an appropriate place to do a little bragging.....

Johanna has been ski racing for two years. Last year, she place consistently in the to 10 in Tahoe League Race Series: Local kids ski racing. Quite a ompetitive league.

In her first race this year in Tahoe League, she destroyed the field of 10/under and got 1st place. Her coaches encouraged her to try USSA - United States Ski Association - races. This is the same body that picks the US ski team for World Cup/Olympics. They have multpile classes, youngest being J5.

They cautioned her and z parents, not to expect too much as the level of competition on USSA is much higher. Most kids have sponsors, private coaches, all that Jazz.

So Johanna enters her first USSA race last weekend at Sugar Bowl. On her first run, she places 5th!!!! blew everyone's minds. On her second run, she flies down the mountain and got the fastest time of anyone 10/under, with only 1 boy getting a faster time. Holly macro batman, she is a fast one......quite amazing.....

Many racers now know her.......

Check out this link for her pictures http://www.hickingbotham.com/gallery/ph ... &u=26934,1 (sugar bowl, 1/29, J5, Johanna Gur if you have to search)

So our life is slowly evolving to support her stoke on the sport and learning how to - achieve goals, overcome adversity, deal with being nervous (you ever stand in the start gate of a ski race??), stay humble, be fit/healthy - all the good life lessons kids need......

This thursday she went and trained with a small group called the auburn ski club. She Skied so fast, I could not believe it's my little 10 year old.....she rips.

Ok that's enough, now back to work.....

Get some, Z.

[mkramer]

Go Johanna! Congratulations. That's amazing.

[dakine1]

Way to go Johanna....You come from good jeans.. And I don't mean Carhart.. Hey Z Let me know when you want that personal coach for USSA. Done alot of time in that area.. Ha Ha... Let me know when I can drive that new Rhino... SAFETY FIRST...

ED/OUT 8)

[Bulldog]

Z,
You must be one proud papa. My dad had me and my brother on skis at 4 and racing at 6. I've always felt that the confidence you build from learning to go that fast on a slippery surface as a little kid goes a long way in life...

I'm headed to Silverton on Weds. with my bro for three days of "lift accessed backcountry". Can't wait for some soft snow.

[zgur]

Paul,

Our snow this weekend was plunty soft from the sun. Believe it or not, the conditios were really good.....we definately need some more new snow, as it's getting quite thin....

Yes, I'm very proud of my "not so little" munchkin. She is skiing so fast and so technically clean, it's amazing.

Her next race is this Saturday at Flatstar, I mean Northstar.

Get some, Z.

[Greg]

Z-monster,
Glade to hear she's off to such a great start with her skiing. I know with solid, well rounded parents, such as yourselves, she can go far!
Winning feels so wonderfull that it presents many new challanges in life..
Much Love, G

[zgur]

Quick update about my pumpkin....two weekends ago she raced in Mammoth mountain, and placed 3rd and 4th in a very tough field of competitors.

This last weekend, while most of my bros were kiting, I had the pleasure of watching Johanna raise her game to a whole new level. The race was at Boreal and it was a Kombi - Super G, Slalom, GS - all combined on 1 course. Really tested you skill as a skier, not just in 1 dicipline.

Johanna got 3rd the first day, very respectable. On the second day, she came back with an "eye of the tiger" and got 1st place by so much, that she won the entire weekends race - combination of both days - by a big margin. :shock:

If you have some time, here is video of my little ripper http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuI44VhXhcs To give you some perspetive, as vid makes things look smaller, the jump she goes off before the blue gate is about 3-5 feet of air going VERY fast. The double bump that she absorbs, blew up many people as it's big and fast. She just sucked it up........she is goooooood.

I'm so proud =D>

[Bulldog]

Link not working?

[zgur]

Final update for the season.

This last weekend was the USSA Far West Championships, the biggest race of the season, at Sugar Bowl. It was 4 days of racing covering all diciplines: Slalom, Gian Slalom, Super Gian Slalom and Dual Course GS (2 people on the same course). All the athletes really wanted to win, as these are the most coveted trophies, and included a presentation of the trophy by Darhen Rahlves, a US olympic skier and one cool dude.

To get in the top 10 is considered really respectable. To podium, get a top 3 finish, is very hard and quite awesome........

.......Johanna calmly executed and delivered a mind blowing performance. I'm still blown away by how well she skies, very smooth and powerful. Her results for the championships:

Thursday, slalom, 2 runs - 1st http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sutdm4rmrVU

Friday, gian slalom, 2 runs - 2nd http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUamooQb2P8

Saturday, super giant slalom (steep and icy), 1 run - 2nd http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roF0SkYSKWw this vid stops because I slipped on the ice as I turned, and fell down the hill: it was steep and icy

Sunday, dual course GS,2 runs - 1st http://youtube.com/watch?v=HwihHW5ZhLk

Finally, she received the Overall Championship trophy, which is the hardest to get, for getting the best overall results for the weekend.

I am so proud of how hard she worked for these results and the great lessons she learned. Team "Gur", her offial sponsor/sherpa/gear bitch/mental coach/breakfast maker/ski tuners, is elated.

Get some, Z.

[cedralpass]

Wow! That is incredible. What a fast rise to fame she has had.

I watched some of the Far West Races from KT-22 at Sqauw on Saturday. Those kids are going hard these days. What was cool was that even though it was highly competitive, they were all having fun together. The kids were ripping between heats all over the mountain, on skis bigger than they were!

Congrats to your daughter!