August, 2010

My Australian adventure is winding down faster than I would like.  After the Hoppet, I kept skiing as much as possible, enjoying the sunshine and camaraderie.  That caught up with me yesterday when I woke up absolutely exhausted and took a relaxing day off to catch up on some much needed rest.  Got out for more skiing this morning, though the weather is moving back in quickly.  I’m pretty sure the Dam Wall in Falls Creek could give Mt Washington a good run for the windiest place on Earth.

Wrapped up my final intensity workout on snow for a few months this morning, hammering up the Paralyzer a good six times on my classic skis.  Tomorrow, I’ll get out for a final long ski in the morning, before packing and heading out in the afternoon (read: ahvo).

One of the big highlights I’m looking forward to is catching an Aussie Rules Football match in Melbourne on Friday night – Geelong vs. St Kilda.  It’s the semi-final championship game of the season, equivalent to the NFC championship for the NFL.  Not exactly sure how we got tickets, but I can’t wait for the game, taking place at the MCG Stadium – Home of the 1964 Melbourne Olympics.  Should be a good chance to experience some real Aussie culture.

For now, here’s a shot of a few of my new Australian crew.  All the folks I’ve met Down Under have gone a long way towards helping make this an epic summer (or winter) trip.  Thanks!

Two days after the Hoppet, conditions are perfect for crust skiing.  Finn Marsland, Valerio Leccardi, Esther Bottomley, Nick Grimmer, and I had an epic ski this morning.  Instead of boring you with words, I give you photos from the Falls Creek High Planes and the Bogong Plateau, high atop Australia.  Enjoy!

How's that scroggin?

After ten days of murky, overcast Australian skies, I awoke on Saturday morning to bright sunrays streaming through the window. A vivid bluebird day was the ideal backdrop to the 2010 Kangaroo Hoppet. Three feet of fresh powder fell on Falls Creek during the week and was groomed to perfection under the Southern Cross the night before the race. Over 1000 skiers from around the world toed the line for either the 42km Hoppet, 21km Australian Birkebeiner, or the 7km Joey Hoppet.

Photo: Matt Hull - Falls Creek

The cannon blasted at 9:30am and we were off without a hitch. The field strung out quickly through what locals appropriately call “Sun Valley.” The front runners took turns at the lead and by the time we came through the first aid station at 7km, there was already a five man breakaway, including four-time Hoppet champ Ben Sim, Continental Cup champ Callum Watson, Australian biathlete Alex Almoukov, Swiss sprint Olympian Valerio Leccardi and yours truly.

Sim leading the train

Once we realized we had broken away from the field, the pace settled into a consistent cruise. The local resort television station had a snowmobile documenting the race, making the race feel that much more Pro. The first 10km of the 21km loop are very flat, skirting around the Rocky Valley Dam reservoir. The second half of the loop gets hilly, with a 6km constant V1 climb, dubbed “the Paralyzer.” I took the lead up the Paralyzer and was treated to untracked corduroy snaking up through the snow gum trees. Our little group stuck together over the high point and back down through the lap.

On our second lap, the race got a little more interesting as we lapped hundreds of skiers in the smaller races, darting through tiny gaps and getting cheers from the folks we passed. There was even a pair of snow bunnies who, upon getting passed, called out with their lovely Australian accents, “Hey fellas, mind stopping to give us a quick lesson?” Man, life is full of tough decisions.

The Crew with Antarctic Expedition Training Center and Boat House in background

Before I knew it, I was back with the pack and cruising up the Paralyzer for the second time—a little faster than the first. Leccardi laid down the hammer over the top and shattered our little group into pieces. Unfortunately, I was the caboose of the train and almost derailed on the fast descent. It was fun slaloming past the lapped skiers, but the gap between me and the leaders kept getting bigger. In the end Leccardi comfortably took the win, with Almoukov, Sim, Watson, and I rounding out the Top-5 in about 1 hour 40 minutes—over six minutes ahead of the next skier.

Simbo and Almoukov going for second. Photo: Matt Hull - Falls Creek

Skiers kept coming across the finish line for the next six hours. Among them was my dad, in Australia for the Hoppet—completing his 11^th Worldloppet marathon. We kicked back at the finish line, soaking up the warm Australian sun in t-shirts, enjoying big kangaroo burgers after an exciting day at the races.

Jimbo at Falls Creek Nordic Bowl

I’ve got another week here Down Under and look forward to enjoying some more sun and ideal winter conditions before heading home.

You can also follow along (“like” CXC Skiing) at facebook.com/cxcskiing

Ideal day for the 2010 Hoppet–first time seeing my shadow (and also the sun) in Australia!  Cruised the 42km with a 5 skier lead pack.  Lost a little juice towards the end and finished 5th, about a minute out from champ Valerio Leccardi.  My Dad wrapped up his 11th Worldloppet marathon with a 3:14 42km Hoppet.  Enjoyed a brat while soaking up the rays after the race.  Photos and report to follow. . .for now, we’re off to Mt Beauty for awards and celebration.

Winter Carnival weekend here in Falls Creek with big festivities for the Kangaroo Hoppet.  Last night included opening ceremonies with fireworks, parade including an over-snow fire truck, and Night Sprints.  Similar to the Elite Sprints down Main Street in Hayward, this sprint featured a steep downhill start with some fast corners and short climbs on a short 300m course.  Knockout rounds including quarters, semis, and final were exciting with some hard crashes and lots of spectators.  The men’s final featured and All-Olympic cast, including Australians Ben Sim, Alex Almoukov (biathlete), and Swiss sprinter Valerio Lecardi.  I came in second behind Valerio in a last-second lunge to the line.  Afterwards, it felt good to ski to the top of the Alpine run and rip some tele turns in the fresh falling powder.

The snow looks to be finally letting up, just in time for the Hoppet tomorrow.  I’m heading out the door to do a little course inspection (haven’t even skied the entire course yet!), then go through the pre-race prep, getting skis dialed, big pasta dinner, and packing up for an early race start tomorrow morning.  Saturday’s race should be done by the time Americans are heading to bed on Friday night!

In the middle of Australia’s storm of the decade at the moment.  In addition to the constant snow last week, it’s snowed over 2 feet in the past 24 hours.  Groomers are running almost constantly, keeping the track firm and fast.  I drove down the mountain with some of the Australian’s yesterday in hopes of doing some running on the famous Mt Beauty single track and seeing some kangaroos.  The trails were awesome, even though it was pouring rain and 40 degrees.  The ‘roos must’ve been inside staying dry, because I didn’t see any.

It took us half an hour to dig out Callum’s truck before the trip (I want to get my hands on a Toyota Hilux).  This picture was taken before the big snow storm!  As the license plate says, Victoria is “The Place to Be.”

Kangaroo Hoppet Night Sprints under the lights on the alpine hill – tonight!  Stay tuned. . .

Two hour distance ski this morning with Aussies, Swiss, Americans, and a handful of other internationals.  Couldn’t see from the back of the train to the front it was so long (and the snow was coming down so fast).  Heading off the mountain for the first time in a week this ahvo for a run on the local single-track.  Hoping to see some kangaroos and get some pics. . .

Winter greetings from snowy Falls Creek, Australia—home of the Kangaroo Hoppet Worldloppet Ski Marathon. Less than a week into my first trip to the Southern Hemisphere, I am beginning to settle into life Down Under at Australia’s highest ski resort.

To say that things in Australia are “backwards” may be a little harsh; perhaps “upside-down” might be a better description. Why, for example, is the resort town atop the mountain where I am staying called Falls Creek, while the village in the valley below is called Mount Beauty? I knew that water drains counter-clockwise Down Under, but I had no idea that light switches get flipped down to turn on. Always. My favorite example though, is that Australia gets snow in the middle of our summer—and that’s the real reason why I am here.

Australian National Team Skier Ewan Watson

My adventure started a month ago with an invitation from Australian National Team coach, Finn Marsland, to join the Aussie Team for their National Championships and help improve the FIS points at the races. I get the impression that he was looking for skiers with better points than me, but fortunately for me, I was one of the few international athletes to take him up on the invitation! Other internationals here for the races include Olympic Gold Medal biathlete Anastasia Kuznetsova, Swiss National Team skier Valerio Leccardi, and the entire Korean Junior National Team.

En Route to Falls Creek

Travel to Australia was much easier than expected. During the 15 hour flight, I caught up on all the latest new releases, including a disappointing Avatar. Upon arrival, the bus ride from Mt Beauty up to Falls Creek was spectacular. The bus climbed on the left side of the road through an exotic forest of gum trees—second tallest trees in the world, only to the California Redwoods. Beyond the gum tree forest, the view extended to the Kiewa Valley, one of Australia’s famous wine regions.

The surroundings were so surreal, I almost expected to see blue people to come flying out of the clouds. Instead, we were the ones who drove into the clouds and into a big snowstorm. It’s been a week since I arrived and the snow is still falling. The only time the sun peaked through the clouds was during the Australian National Championship last Sunday, August 22.

Australian Nationals 15km Skate

The course for the 15km Skate National Championship was challenging—reminiscent of Soldier Hollow in Utah. The trails included plenty of climbing, open views with few trees, and more altitude than I was expecting. Fortunately, I used Toko Jetstream to prep some fast skis, helping to compensate for my lack of off-season fitness. Australian Olympian Ben Sim caught me from 30 seconds back and we worked together for much of the race before I made a few seconds back close to the finish. In the end, I came in second at the championships, giving Salomon skis a 1-2 podium.

Podium at the Birkebeiner Ski Club

Be careful what you wish for. I came to Australia looking for snow. It’s fallen everyday so far and the forecast is for more snow this week—40cm in the next two days! That should make great conditions for the Hoppet this Saturday, August 28. Stay tuned!

Getting ready for my first race Down Under -10km Classic tomorrow morning.  Fortunately, I found the best wax tech in Australia and I’m very confident that I’ll have some fast boards. . .

If I took a picture of Falls Creek right now, you wouldn’t be able to see anything.  Snowy, foggy, and windy, but there’s plenty of snow on the ground and I’m going skiing momentarily.  Internet is pretty shady, but I’m going to try to get some posts from the trip up as soon as possible.

I’ve only almost died about eight times running the wrong way into oncoming traffic.  Gotta get used to this left hand side business. . .