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US Freeskiing Nationals
Snowbird, Utah Jan. 26-28, 1999
Day 1: Quals
Day 2: Semi-Finals
Day 3: Finals
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Jennifer Berg Photo: Greg Epstein
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Jennifer Berg and Will Burks Take it Home from the 'Bird
The final day of competition of the US Nationals Freeskiing
event matched the music over the loudspeakers: the old-school Led
Zeppelin approach of the semi-finals segued into today's finals and a mix of hip-hop and techno beats. It was
bluebird at the 'Bird and the north face of High Baldy was about as prime as
it gets in these parts.
Competitors could feel the energy of the crowd belowa
mass of people ranging from industry folks out here for the Outdoor Retailer
show, to hardcore ski fans sitting on skis and boards in preparation for what
was to become an historical ski day.
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Will Burks Photo: Greg Epstein
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Although he didn’t win, Jared Mazlich from Breckenridge pulled the biggest
airtwicethat Jeremy Nobis and even "Sick" Rick Armstrong claim they had ever
seen. From a 90-foot rock outcropping at the top of the course, Mazlich skied
to the top, raised his arms to the crowd below, and launched it. You could see
blue sky behind his entire body as he floated an additional 50 feet or more.
His airtime was so long, he could have pulled a chute if he was wearing one.
Instead, he landed in a pillow of powder, bounced around a little, then stood
up and continued to ski down the mountain before pulling a little 30-footer at
the very bottom.
As for judging such a monstrosity, it takes more than fat airs to pull off the
win, including creativity, route selection, and a mix of drops
and fluidity. Utah local boy Will "ber" Burks put two such runs together for
the overall win. While he didn’t stomp double backflips of say, Brain Swinson
or achieve the effects of speed and twisted airs of Frenchman Seb Michaud (who
came in second), Burks did have the right combination of fluidity, technical
carving, and strings of smaller cliff drops, including a final 25-footer that
sent him speeding World Cup downhill-like to the bottom.
Burks, known around
these parts for his quiet demeanor and big skiing prowess, didn’t even bother
showing up at the podium to receive his award. Rumor had it, the day was done,
and so was he. Nothing more.
Jeff Holden from Whistler,
the 1999 Canadian Freeskiing Champion from earlier in the month, had the crowd in a frenzy when
he shot the hole at the top and took a new line down skiers right that led
right into a string of cliffs and technically steep sections. Originality was
what got him on the third place step of the podium.
Chris Davenport, winner of 24-hours of Aspen, picked a line through the rocky shoals of the most
technical part of the mountain to make what seemed unskiable, skiable. If he
didn’t get hung up at the bottom for so long, he could have put together the
winning run. Instead, he landed in 4th place.
Shane McConkey, who lost a
ski in his first run of the day, took his second run on a mismatched set of
boards, but still flew down the mountain carving as perfect turns as one can
in a rock-strewn 50-degree face riddled with imposing cliff drops. What was
enjoyable about McConkey’s second run is that he pulled a heli and lofty
spread eagle right off the top, a place where most competitors took it easy.
Glenn McConkey was pleased with her son’s run, even though it was only enough
to put him in 5th place.
When it came to Dave "the Grom" Richards, all eyes were on the young lad with
high hopes in a future of freeskiing. The Grom’s first run was full of
drops, technical skiing, and a mix of speed and originality. Donned in his
Mambosok outfit and a big smile, he was pleased about his third place-ranking
going into the final run of the day.
On his second run off the top he pulled
what the announcers called "Grom Airs," a mix of little drops between 10 and 25
feet one right after another. But the human knee can only take so much
absorption. The Grom’s last drop was a knee-bender and it hurt. With a style
and grace not usually found in young extreme skiers, Richards stood up and
skied, painfully, into the finish area. From there, he was taken down in
sled by ski patrol. Still, he came in 9th overall.
Curtis Tischler, from Tahoe, almost captured it. He’d put together such a
clean line on the first run that he was in first place going into the 2nd run of finals.
As the sun just started to duck under Baldy Peak in the late afternoon,
Tischler pushed off. Fast turns on the top, now-bald, 45-degree face gave him
the necessary momentum to pull a fat air off the first rock outcropping. It
looked good until the landing when he pre-released and had to hike back up to
grab his ski, which basically meant it was over for the Tisch. He came in
20th.
As for the women, there was much to be said for the level of women’s
freeskiing ability. Basically, the ante’s been raised, gals, and it’s the
likes of today’s winner, Jennifer Berg, and tied second place finishers Barb
Peters and AJ Cargill pushing the limits.
AJ looked to have the most
impressive second run. She took off the first white granite cliff and followed
it up with 3 moresomething that only the top men pulled-off.
"True, I
did take a lot of drops," said AJ, "but I mean, I’m not the biggest hucker out
there. I’m glad I went for it, but in the air of the first drop, I looked down
and was like, ‘Oh no, how am I going to get through this?’"
She did and it
moved her into second place with Barb Peters from Crested Butte. "Big Air
Barb" shot the hole at the top, basically making the steepest portion of the
run look like a 30-degree cruiser, then threaded her way down one of the most
technical lines of the day, pulling two airs at the bottom. Meanwhile,
Jennifer Berg kept it going.
Fluidity and control where huge factors to
place her in first. By far the most aggressive run balanced with a mix of
smaller drops and an original line off skier’s right placed her on the top of
the podium.
That night, parties were everywhere, from Greg Stump’s techno bash in Park
City (with buddy Seal camouflaged in a back booth) to the freeskiing dancefest
at the Zephyr in downtown Salt Lake City. Like the pumping music during the
day, the Zeph cranked tripped-up techno, getting everyone rowdy on the dance
floor. I’d have to say two such parties stuffed with the best skiers in the
world, in a Mormon-influenced state at that, means something went really
right.
Kathleen Gasperini reporting from the Greatest Snow on Earth for The Mountain Zone
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