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Athlete's Voice by Chris Davenport: How to Score
Alaska's rollercoaster weather patterns proved a worthy adversary during the International Freeskiing World Tour championships at the Red Bull Snowthrill on March 21-28 in Girdwood, Alaska.

	Francine Moreillon

Despite frequent and foot-plus dumps of powder that caused days of down time during the eight-day competition, Chris Davenport of Aspen, Colorado, and Francine Moreillon of Coppet, Switzerland, came out of luxurious hibernation to claim the top crowns for the men's and women's events, respectively.

Hugo Harrison of Whistler, British Columbia, notched consistent finishes during the five-venue Freeskiing World Tour to earn the overall men's title, while aggressive lines and consistency paid off for overall women's tour champion Linda Peterson of Snowbird, Utah. Harrison competed in every event of the tour to finish with a total of 239.75 points, while Peterson earned 169.15 points in four events.

"I thought the competition was great," Peterson said at the Snowthrill finish. "I'm really happy with the way my season turned out. I accomplished my goals this year, and that was to win the overall tour. I like the way things are coming around. The girls are really stepping it up."

"A small but enthusiastic crowd gathered in the shadow of the run to gawk up at an area usually frequented more by Dall sheep and ptarmigan than skiers..."

The Red Bull Snowthrill of Alaska, which culminated a World Tour that visited such locales as Canada, Austria, France and Utah, kicked off with gusto. Thirty of the world's best skiers negotiated steep and tricky routes down Jim's Rock, an out-of-bounds area at rugged Alyeska Resort.

Generous course boundaries allowed competitors to get creative with their runs, with notable performances from Moreillon and Brian Swinson of Taos, New Mexico, who uncorked a back flip off an outcrop near the first-run finish. Moreillon chipped out confident staccato turns down the near-50 degree face of Jim's Rock, then grabbed a hefty chunk of air to cap an original line that proved to be a crowd — and judge — pleaser.

Davenport chased Harrison down the leaderboard on the first run, finishing a mere two-tenths behind the tour leader on the Jim's Rock run. Davenport's true fall line descent was over in a flash as the Aspen freeskier made quick work of Alaska's broad-shouldered mountains. Harrison kept the edge on Jim's Rock by taking a similarly steep, but slightly more technical, route down the rock-peppered face.

A small but enthusiastic crowd gathered in the shadow of the run to gawk up at an area usually frequented more by Dall sheep and ptarmigan than skiers. The Snowthrill evolved into more of a festival than a World Championship, with blaring music echoing off the glaciers and coulouirs that surround Alaska's premier ski resort. Paragliders and base jumpers added an edge to the event by staging stunt flights and feats of daring. Celebrity judges, including Jeremy Nobis and Dave Swanwick, added their wit and wry comments to the spectacle, and left their tracks first on the selected venues by forerunning the course.

Jim's Rock proved challenging enough in steepness and vertical drop to the touring athletes. Hidden outcrops and deceiving angles did take their toll, however. One female competitor did not finish the first run after tumbling backward off a two-stage cliff, and more than one male competitor struggled to remain upright while approaching the near-vertical waist of the run. Despite real exposure, there were no serious injuries.

A trio of storm cells grounded the helicopter and brought visibility to zero for five days between the first and second runs. Loaded clouds dumped champagne powder across the Chugach Mountains, a 400-mile range of sky-scratching peaks that hug Alaska's south-central coastline. A maritime climate allows wet snow to cling at surprisingly steep angles, making for exciting skiing and viewing.

"You're always dealing with Mother Nature, that's just part of the program..." — Linda Peterson

The down time, while frustrating for athletes intent on displaying to the world their mastery of freeskiing, was taken in stride. Slot-car racing, gourmet buffets, a swimming pool and 16-person spa helped temper the waiting period. Coupled with accommodating Girdwood locals while housed at the state's only four-diamond resort, the Red Bull contingent suffered in style through five weather days. And with the state's largest ski resort as a backdrop, athletes were able to stretch their legs regularly in the more than three feet of powder that fell between competition days. That, athletes said, helped take the edge off the dead time.

"You're always dealing with Mother Nature," Peterson said. "That's just part of the program."

March 28 broke clear and cold, albeit too windy for the copters. Competitors were ushered to the cliffs above Christmas Chute, a yet-unskied line at this 41-year-old resort, and were set free to do what they do best. The nine female competitors set the first tracks, with Switzerland's Moreillon again setting the standard. Kirsty Exner of Red Mountain, Canada, charged down the steep face skier's left of the cliff zone, set a traverse across a sketchy rock garden and emerged unscathed in second place at the powder field finish line. Utah's Peterson let her big skis roll, carving grand slices out of the powder pie to finish fourth at the Snowthrill and first overall for the tour.

Davenport proved his mettle by remaining unflappable along the cornice-capped chute. Edging hard left, Davenport dove into one of the steepest portions of the 50-degree-plus cliff zone and rode with confidence to the base of the steeps. Sweeping turns on uncut powder provided spectators with a glimpse of how it should be done, and Davenport finished the run with grace, a powder-fueled smile and in first place in a field of 21 men.

"We give each other really good support, and everybody has really good attitudes, and I think that rubs off on everybody..." — Chris Davenport

"I've had a really successful season," said Davenport, who has competed in two tour stops to Harrison's four. "I think right now I'm skiing at the best I've ever skied. It's what I love to do, and for whatever reason, I've been blessed with the skill to do it better than a lot of other people. I can't say it's a particular thing that sets me above a lot of people. It just comes from inside. Skiing is a soul sport."

Spectators were able to gain a rare, in-your-face seating for the second run. Situated directly across from the Spirit of Alyeska high-speed quad, Christmas Chute placed the audience within spitting distance of athletes, who sometimes weaved their way through the admirers en route to a more difficult passage.

Despite the intensity and expert caliber of competition, Davenport insists camaraderie is the real reward at the Red Bull Snowthrill.

"It's a really positive event," Davenport said. "We give each other really good support, and everybody has really good attitudes, and I think that rubs off on everybody."

— John Woodbury, MountainZone.com Correspondent