Saturday - it is snowing

It is snowing lightly here and there will be some concern as to which start we will use.

The visibilty is also poor and we won't know until about 11:30 which start we are going to use.

mike@portcredit.net

Sent via BlackBerry on the Bell Mobility network

Wow

With 60 minutes to live TV, we have to move to the lower start due to wind.
That includes all the timing equipment and the front advertising facade.

We should still be good to go on time.  

And, we were on time.  Vonn blew the compitition away.  

Thanks to Skunkworks Software for the screen shot of Lindsay going through Radar (speed) 2 at the bottom of Gunbarrel.  The new graphics are pretty cool.  

Ladies go for it tomorrow

Not too much been happening for the last few days.  Tuesday's training was cancelled as the track was too soft.  Wednesday was actually cold as was today.

Today, the radar was just driving me crazy.  The 'Skunk' and I have been trying some new radar views.  I'm finding that side slippers and even forerunners speeds are read just fine, but then the first racer comes down the track and all bets are off.  

Today was a great example.  I moved closer to the track (and netting) and thought that it would be a no brainer.  Not so lucky.  After lots of different adjustments, I got it right at racer 30.  Tomorrow is race day, so I had better get it right by the first racer.

It has also been cold.  Not normal Lake Louise cold, but cold enough.  Tomorrow, it is the full cold package including the coaches coat.  

From what I can tell, if you want to watch Friday's race, you might have to watch it on CBC Bold.  Saturday should be on CBC national (not sure for the rest of the world).  

The old boy still has it

Even at 36, Herman the Herminator can still race a Super G.  He did put on quite a show yesterday and our boy from Calgary was at least 2nd.  What a thrill that must be considering that Herman has been racing for decades and John Kucera is just over 20.  Wow.  But, John K has indicated that next time, he will be standing higher that Herman.  

The race yesterday went very well, except for the moment that Murphy showed up.  With 3 racers into the program, the battery on Radar 2 (bottom of Gun Barrel) died.  No reason why, other than it for some reason did not get charged, even though the charges we use did say it was charged.  

As I'm still trying to tune Radar 1 for the SG skiers (ie:  find the sweet spot that we get the best reporting), I now have to bail to the bottom of the course with the spare battery/RS485 box.  As this is a speed event, I can't go down the course and must find a way to get there outside the fence.  I can ski about 1/2 way, but the rest requires me to travel by skis down an up opened run with only enough natural snow on it to hide the holes and the rocks.  Then, through the woods, and down the outside of the A netting.  This still leaves me on the wrong side of the course and takes me about 12 minutes to get there.  

Dave B. gets escorted across the course to get the spare unit.  He tries to power the radar/interface box for a few racers by using a 9V battery which sort of works.  Dave runs back up hill, while I take off through the woods by foot to get back on a ski run.  Peter Dyson, who was watching the show from inside the timing shack, meets me at the lift with another spare battery and I cycle up and around to get back at my station.  Soaking wet and sliding down on my head through Sunset gully, I get back on my station after about 22 minutes.  Not bad I guess, but it should have never failed in the first place.

Not only that, one of the start clocks (the live one) also failed with a dead battery.  There is a pattern here.  We should get that sorted out today.

Today (Monday) is a sort of off day).  I'm sitting on the main floor of the Chateau either writing this or reading a book.  About every 20 minutes I get interrupted by the Japanese tourists who want their picture taken.  Too funny.  I have had to deal with every portable camera possible and figure out how to turn their flash on even with the Japanese character set on the screen.  All in the name of timing.

So.. more on the radar

Having just returned from dinner with the team, I had a chance to talk to the Skunk about the radar data.  

It is too bad that the speed data was NOT presented to viewers.  What you would have seen is all the speed variances at each racer.  This was due to the wind just slightly above me.  While it seemed to be that the wind was blowing down the pitch, on the top of the pitch, it was blowing into their faces slowing them down.  

By the end of the race, the sun had started to come out and wind died.  You do the math.

CBC sucks

Apparently they are not using our Radar Speed graphics.

Surprise to us.

So, unfortunately, you at home didn't get to see speeds.  I'm not sure if you got a verbal or not, and won't be able to tell until I get home next week.

This was a boring DH from my perspective.  There wasn't much of a change in the first 30.  Peter Fill raced a great race.  If your going to watch this, and haven't already, it doesn't get exciting until the end until the sun started to come out.

It was pretty warm by Lake Louise standards (-6C at the start I think), but it was absolutely freezing where I was 1/3 of the way down the course.  With no sun, and a wind it just chilled me to the bone.

Tomorrow is the Super G.  We moved the start down the mountain (to the top of Tickety Chutes -- just above where I was standing).  Again, timing was the last off the mountain as we had to wire in all 5 channels of data we use to our equipment (for you timing propeller heads, that is:

1. Primary Start 
2. Backup Start
3. Headset for starter
4. Headset for backup hand timing
5. Data - This is for the display board that we run at the start

This means we have to pull the cables out of the trees and then splice in our lines.  Not hard work, but still an hour's worth of splicing at cold temps.  And, we have to wait till all the other crews have moved their equipment in place (like put the tent up, install the start posts, medial has to put up the pretty looking face that you see on TV, etc).  

So, after that is done, we skied down in the almost dark.  It is work next Saturday as it all runs late and we ski down in total darkness.

Now, some of the nicer things about the Chateau Lake Louise.  Last night, while trying to find a package that was couriered to me from Toronto last Sunday, I found out that Canada Post does NOT deliver to the Chateau.  But, it isn't in Lake Louise either. Canada Posts web page says it is in Edmonton, but apparently parts of Canada Post are on strike.  If I'm lucky, I will get it before I leave for home a week ago.  The staff here did all they could to find it.  No joy yet.

Part 2 was that one of the staff at the desk offered to help me out with my laundry by taking it to a wash and fold in Banff today.  20 minutes later, we find out that there is no wash and fold.  Damn, that means I might have to do my own laundry on Monday.  But, wait one...  They offer to throw my laundry (not much) into theirs and have it delivered to my room later today.  When I got back, there it was.. all folded and clean.  Excellent. 

Today is race day

I'm writing this from my blackberry just in case I come up with some funny words.

-6C and a little breezy at the top. Track is in excellent shape, but the rest of the resort is a lot this. It hasn't snowed since I've been here.

Should be a good race. Watch for the 2 speed traps. We are using radar instead of the normal 'eyes'.

Speed 1 (where I'm standing) is about 34 seconds into the race. It should be the fastest reading - about 130kph.

Speed 2 is at the bottom of Gun Barrel and the speeds should be a little less.

Enjoy the show.