No training run today

This morning (Wednesday) started pretty early... about 6am.  That would be midnight for those of you in an eastern time zone.

We all left about 6:30am with it pouring rain out.  The odds are if it is raining that there will be no race today.  That was ok with me as it allowed me to spend some timing working on some of my batteries for the on hill equipment.

As well, the team got to make sure that all the rest of the hill was working.  That includes getting the backup or bad weather start wired up.  For me, it was the ability to get the Slalom finished sorted out with all the wiring pairs.

Let's move forward to today (Thursday).  We did manage to get a training run in, but not without its issues.  

My radar on the video wall

First, it was an early start just to get a training run it.  I went up about 7:30am and got both my radar sites working.  My radars are used on the bottom half of the course and the run into the finish.  On the finish run, the speed is displayed on the very large video wall.  That 'tv screen' is about 40 feet high.

Next I hear that the lift is stopped.  Make that broken.  No idea of the ETA.  I happen to be in the finish hut to hear on the radio that the top 30 racers will be taken to the start by helicopter.  The others by bus.  Bus???   Apparently you have to take a bus to Kirchburg and then take the lift to a different top.  Our 20ish year old starter, Ernst, got a helicopter ride to the start.  Pretty cool for him.

Now, for the bad news.  We had a very bad crash on the first jump.  This course is one of the hardest courses in the world.  You start on a very steep hill.  Then, 2 seconds later, it gets steeper.  8 seconds after you start, you hit the first 'jump' doing about 120kph (we used to have a radar gun here, but they didn't want it this year).  You have to hit this one right and land it perfectly.  Such is not the case for Hans Grogger.  He landed very wrong and has head injuries, broken leg, and much more.  We just heard that he is now out of danger.  He did require cranial surgery.  I hope he pulls through and that it all works out.

Other than the snow that happened during the race, it was pretty calm after that.  You can watch the live camera on the start area if you like at http://hkrlive.com.  Remember, we are 6 hours ahead of eastern time zone for those of you on the other side of the pond.

This course is the real deal.  I mean the real deal!!  You ski this to the bottom in less then 4 minutes and survive, you are nothing short of amazing.  Finish in the top 10, and you can walk on water.  Yesterday just about anyone could have skied this course.  Today it was rock hard ice, much like an NHL hockey rink.  

I guess this is why they invite the guys from Eastern Canada out here.  We are used to skiing ice.

I am trying out a new camera by Sony (hard to believe that anything from Sony actually works).  This is from the Nex-3.

Panorama view of the finish.  Click to enlarge.

Tomorrow is the Super G from a brand new Super G start.  They had a very large wind storm that ripped out acres of trees, all of them in the area of the Super G start.  It really changes the complexion of the hill in the middle.