This trip is now over

It is amazing how Air Canada can keep planes that came out about the time of the Wright Brothers still flying. My back is still killing me from yesterdays 9 hour flight home from Munich. Ouch

Many thanks to the Kitzbuheler Ski Club for sending a driver to pick us up and drive us to the Munich airport. Made for a very relaxing morning. Had we gone by train, we would have had to get up at 4am to make the train.

Did you know that Google has a language pack called called "Elmer Fudd"?? Go into preferences and you to can have a "hunt wabbits" option. Cool!

We never got to see what happened with the Robertson screw episode as we had to move the start down with an hour to go to the start. I'm sure we will hear about it.

That's about it. More pictures will be loaded on the web site later today with any luck.

Packed up - ready to leave

It is now Monday morning. We've packed up 2 tons of equipment and it will be shipped out to various parts of the world this week. We are all headed home to various parts of North America.
Andy gets home for one night and then is off to the NHL All Star Game. Coop goes back to Calgary and is there to help his kids with their math homework sitting across from them at the kitchen table. Ted, back to his other ventures with a trip to the UK on the way with James (The Skunk) joining him. BTW, if you want to read the Skunk's blog, you can see it at http://www.themightyskunk.blogspot.com/. Be aware, he is a little more colourfull that I am.
Yesterday was a great show with Bode winning the Classic Super Combined. ORF is so much better at doing a ski race then CBC, but then again, CBC is much better at Hockey.
I will upload some more pictures when I get home later tonight.
BTW, Scott MacArtney from the US who had the big crash in the finish on Saturday came out of home coma yesterday morning had 3 questions:

• How fast was I going (he was the fastest at 141K)
• How are my knees (they are fine)
• Did I break my skiis (who cares)

He will likely make a full recovery.

The Kitzbuhler Ski Club is sending a van to take us to the airport in Munich. It arrives in about an hour.

73....

Downhill Race Day

We've spent a week getting ready for today. Then, with less than 1 hour to go, we find out that we have to move the start to one of the lower starts due to the wind on the mountain. So, in 40 minutes, you have to connect all the timing equipment to new wires. But, you have to wait for the media guys to move the facade that says Audi first before you can run your wires. Then, you have to resync all your timing equipment.

Coop's team pulled it off with minutes to spare. Well done!

The race did not disappoint. Racer #2 had the highest speed on the Zeil Schuss of 141kph. However he missed judged the jump into the finish and landed so hard that it left him with a serious concussion. Both Ted and I actually thought he was dead or was going to be shortly. They air evac'd him to the local hospital, but then moved him to Innsbruck. Fortunately (from what I hear) he will make a full recovery. As well, there were 3 other crashes that seemed very horrific, however it is clear that the netting did its job.

Today's amazing thing is the crowds. In the first picture above, look up the hill and count the people. Then, later today (at 6:30pm) they do the bib draw. It is dark, and even a little foggy. There must have been 20,000 people there when I left and then kept coming. They are all singing, drinking, waving flags and firing snowballs. You can click on each of the pictures above to see a larger picture.

More pictures on the gallery at http://portcredit.net/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=28

Wow - 1 hour to go

And we just heard that we are moving to the fowl weather start due to wind. Coop's 3 person start hut team will be hauling ass to make this happen in 30 minutes. We are live on TV at 11:30am.

I'm my crampon hike down from Ziel radar, what was once hard as concrete is now so soft that I sunk right up to my hip. We have to get this in the bag before this course flows down the hill.

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Course Overview for Saturday

I found this great view of the race course. http://www.hahnenkamm.com/cms/en/winners_courses/course_segments_graphics/index.html.
As you hover your mouse around, you can see some arial shots.

Race day - finally

We weren't sure if we were going to get today's race off, but the weather stayed cold enough and the visibility was pretty good. Hopefully, if CBC broadcasts the SG race on Saturday. Watch for our coats (see attached pictures) in both the start hut and the finish line. In fact, just after Jim Karnes took this picture (that is his wife, Chris), one German speaking guy wanted to know where he could buy my jacket. After talking to his english speaking girl friend, he was really disappointed that there were only 10 in existance. He also didn't have the 1000 Euros that Skunk said I could sell it for.

I can't tell you how much fun it is to watch the Canadians race and do well. Robby Dixon started 43rd and finished 6th (http://www.skiracing.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6046&Itemid=2). Robby's run woke us all in in the finish hut as he had the fastest 1st interval. We normally assume that anyone past the 30th started won't break the top 15, but it does happen sometimes.

2 Canucks in the top 10. Great!!

We then toured the village and although there was a crowd, by Kitzbuhel standards, you could shoot a cannon off. The same time tomorrow, it will take you 30 minutes to go 200meters.

Apparently Brian Adams is playing tonight. (Update on this. Coop and Andy went to see Brian Adams, but it was just a parade of celebs --- who knows, Brian could have been there)

The race does have its own web site at: http://www.hahnenkamm.com/

More on the Media guys.....

Nice bunch of guys! l-r Andrew Allen (hill ape), Brian Cooper (head hill ape), Ted Savage (head cheese) and Jim Karnes (chief controller of who gets to race and leave the start gate--ie: makes sure that the right bib number is reported to TV and the rest of the media people, and manages all the speeds, intermediate times and final times).

Since today's training was cancelled due to mild weather (and some very wet snow), we had to head to the start to move the start equipment for the GS start tomorrow. When we got there, we found out that that Media guys have RIPPED off the bracket we use for the radar and it was just plain missing.

We searched for about 20 minutes before we found it. Now, Coop has NOT started his Robertson screw replacement, but it is going to start in earnest on Saturday. There is NO way these guys are going to find the right screw driver to get these out (unless one of them shops at Canadian Tire). This is going to result in them actually bending and breaking their wonderful signs, but who cares......

Having had to work with these guys at Lake Louise, they are just going to be fuming when their departure is delayed and they don't make the bar on time.

As we went to set up the start for the GS, the start posts were already set and the Audi facade was already in place (ie: the media guys had been there). One of the guys from the FIS showed up, stated the start was in the wrong place and left. This meant that that same media guys had to crawl out of the bar, put their wet boots back on and head back up to the start of the race course to do it over. Too bad for them and they actually might have to work for 3 hours this week. Rest assured, this war isn't over.

I'm attaching a video that you can play. It is taken about the Housburg (listen to the music that is piped all over the mountain). The racers pass through the Red Bull gate (you can't see where you are landing, and pick your takeoff by aiming at a landmark like a church) and then have to make a hard right turn just after they land to make the run down the Ziel (Finish) Schuss. We have radar running at this point and on TV you should be able to see them accelerate to almost 140kph. At that point, they hit the Ziel Finish Jump (at 139kph) and coast (yea right), into the finish.

So far that jump has claimed 2 forerunners. One with broken vertebrae and the other with a broken leg. One racer also broke his leg after making a mistake on the jump. As I am standing on the right side (skiers left) of the finish line, I get to watch each racer make this jump and hope that he lives.

No training run tomorrow

Good day today as we got the training in today. The first forerunner was injured on the Finish jump. He must have missed the pre-jump and went straight up and then rotated and landed on his back.

Yesterday, one of the forerunners did the same thing and broke to vertibrae. This is one dangerous hill. Today, there was about 3 crashes and one required an air lift. He broke his tib/fib as he sailed right through a B net and into an A-net.

No training run for tomorrow. The weather for the next few days is just way too mild with little or no cold weather and maybe rain. I imagine that the priority will be to hold the downhill at the risk of not holding the Super G or the Slalom.

One at least one of the accidents, the racer behind was not stopped. Either the jury missed the radio call, or the racer ignored the yellow flag. Since I don't have a jury radio, I was unable to hear the actual radio call.

Last night was a great dinner with the representatives from Rolex and Mikey Huber, the race organizer. Mikey has many stories on the history of the Hanenkam.

Wednesday morning

At this point of my day I'm already on the hill. I've just finished installing the radar for the Finish run. Amazing that the racers can actually stop on where I can hardly sideslip.

I've uploaded some pictures with comments to www.portcredit.net/gallery. Look for Kitzbuhel 2008.

As they say, revenge is sweet. Most of you have heard of our battles with the media guys. I might have mentioned that they plastered advertising all over the start hut which totally put us about 2 hours behind schedule yesterday.

Today, we had to rerun run some cables behind the aluminum walls. This required Cooper to take out about 50 Phillips (starred) screws. Well, he made a slight change when replacing them and he used Robertson screws. You know, the ones you can only get in Canada!!

We can't wait to see them start to take this apart Saturday night (unless there is a Canadian Tire somewhere that they can find a screwdriver), which they start doing about 20 seconds after the last racer has left the gate. Hopefully film at 11.

What happened to Sunday

Simply put, we went out drinking. Very late night. I never got to the update.

So, back to Sunday. Our second day on the hill and this allowed us to spend some time to really get to know the hill. OMG, what a hill. At Lake Louise there are only 3 areas that a little hard to slide slip. Here, at the Hahnenkamm, there are at least 6 areas that I can count that will make you change underwear if you mess up the slide slip that you are doing at about 60kph.

I have yet to do the last 2, and I have a choice to either do them tomorrow (Tuesday) or climb up through the woods for about 200 vertical meters carrying batteries for the radar. If you watch this on this coming Saturday, this will be the 3rd speed into the finish.

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of having lunch in the start building. Lots of history here and lunch we no exception. The start building is built into the side of the hill and has a complete living area attached to it. Joining us for lunch was Dave Pymm and the President of the Kitzbuhel Ski Club. We just lucked out with that lunch.

We spent today getting the rest of the 'eyes' in place and working. As this is the super bowel of ski races, you can just image the amount of advertising in place. It gets in our way everywhere and we have to deal with it. Advertising sells, so timing is expected to work around it. Argh.....

My job was to ensure that the 2 radar devices we are using to measure speed where installed in a good location and working correctly. When I left the start, that one was fine (it will used to measure the fastest to 100kph). When I got back there are 4:30pm (it was getting dark), the radar was no where to be found and the entire area where I had the radar mounted was now covered with Audi advertising. We can't even shoot a radar signal through the advertising, as it is built on an aluminum base.

The 2nd radar was on a part of the hill I just didn't want to slide slip down today. It might have had something to do with the Snow Cat at the bottom of the run. So, I had to climb up to it. By my calculations, it was about the same distance as walking to the top of Craigleith from the bottom (about 250 vertical meters).

In the picture above, you get a view down to the finish from Radar 2.

Saturday - tour of the hill

Morning started off pretty good. Some sun, but we got to head up and take a tour down the Hanekam. Make sure you watch the race next Saturday. If you haven't read Ken Reid's book, The White Circus", the start WILL get your attention.

To describe this, if I left the start, I would be in a FULL and I mean Full slideslip.

You then stand on your right ski to greet the Mausefalle. It is a 75% slope and so far you are no more than 10 seconds into the race. Pucker factor is huge, but it won't be the worst your are going to see. That is coming later.

Anyway, once we finished the tour, we spent the afternoon in the drizzle putting together the Alge video wall. 6 panel wide and 4 panels high. You can see this from the next country once it is running. Each panel weighs about 40 kilos and we have to hoist them with a rope up as we assemble it like a lego set.

Not sure what the weather is going to bring, but they have been talking about it all day. It was above zero most of the day, and it is either going to rain or snow like crazy. I might actually have to get my poles out some days this week.

As I post some pictures here, try to have a look at the slope based to the person in the picture and how they are standing on it. Look at the attached picture and you see Coop standing on an off camber turn into the Steilhang. Now imagine you are doing 100kph. The racer comes from the right of the picture and exits out the back. One heck of a right hand turn.

Kitzbuhel

We made it in time for dinner on Friday night. Our last part of trains, planes and automobiles was Ted picking us up at the train station in Kitz. He showed up in the 'happy van'. The HV has room up front for 1 (but their was 3 of us). The HV is a large windowless panel van, so that meant that Coop and I had to get in the back.

The back is filled up with the entire video wall. Large panels that make up the entire score board for the finish area. It wasn't too bad, since the drive is only about 10 minutes. Talk about sensory deprivation. We did just fine until Ted had to slam on the brake for someone who pulled out in front of him and Coop went from the back to the front in .2 of a second. That was followed by us hollering from the dark back "We're OK!".

Today, hill inspection for us. A thousand thanks to The Skunk for taking my skis in to be sharpened. Apparently the tech spent hours breathing life back into my skis which were last out to play in Lake Louise. If you remember, there wasn't a lot of snow there. Skunk claims he can't even find a single scratch on the bottom.

Off to breakfast.

Arrived Munich

Arrived here at MUC 20 minutes ahead of schedule. Why does that happen when your not in a rush?

To boot, my bag was #2 down the chute. Again, this always happens when you have 4 hours to kill while we wait for Coop to arrive.

At YYZ

Amazingly slow here at YYZ and that with only a few people in line. Must be all those that never fly!! Even lining up for security with 6 people in front of me took 30 minutes. The line kept getting bumped with wheel chairs. I counted 9.

My good looking seat turned to crap when AC changed to an older plane.

BUT, the gate agent kindly found me 2 seats to myself at the back of the plane. Excellent!

Andy made it to 1st class. I'm in the back.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Here it is... Another race, this time the super bowl of races in Kitzbuhel Austria. We will be doing a Super G, Downhill and a Slalom race late next week. With that includes 3 days of downhill training and who knows what else.

I depart today from Toronto later tonight, meeting up with Andy who is doing the Montreal, Toronto, Munich route. To add to our troubles, Toronto is going to get snow later today (after basking in +15C earlier this week and 100kph winds yesterday).

When we get to Munich tomorrow morning at 8am local (2am ET), we get to sit around and wait for Cooper to fly in from Calgary. Next, the train part. 4 trains from Munich to Kitzbuhel. At that point, we get picked up by van (we hope) so we can slug all our bags to the Villa Mellon (http://www.villa-mellon.at/).

Some of the best web cams you might want to check out are at http://www.kitz.net/. Look for the Wettercam and you can surf around down and even seen the start hut (more like start cottage).

Off to finish packing. Can I keep it under 70 pounds?