BEAVER CREEK — Beaver Creek has come through again.
Despite the considerable challenges associated with producing a mile-long downhill course covered with rock-hard frozen snow three weeks before winter officially begins, the crew here has pulled it off with its usual aplomb.
Only once since Beaver Creek became a regular early-season stop for the men’s World Cup in 1997 has warm weather prevented the resort from having the race course ready. That occurred in 2001.
This year offered an unusual challenge: Lots of natural snowfall. Race crews prefer clear, cold conditions that allow them to cover the course with manmade snow, a better racing surface. But Beaver Creek has received 73 inches of natural snow, usually with temperatures above what is ideal for making snow.
“The piste is really in perfect shape,” said Austrian Michael Walchhofer, who won the season’s first downhill last week at Lake Louise, Alberta. “The slope is very good, very fun to ski.”
Miller criticizes setup
Bode Miller, who won three medals at the Vancouver Olympics, said the snow is “really nice, smooth,” but criticized the way the FIS (International Ski Federation) officials set the course.
“It’s really turny,” Miller said. “They just keep making these downhills more and more turny.”
That has been a trend for decades: Introducing more turns to keep speeds from becoming unsafe.
The FIS believes that is prudent because skis keep getting faster. Miller said the Beaver Creek downhill is “turnier” than super-Gs were when he came to the World Cup. Super-Gs, by definition, are turnier than downhills.
Old-school racers believe nothing should inhibit a downhiller’s speed except the natural terrain of the mountain and the skier’s courage.
“There’s not one part of the course where you’re not going hard left or right,” Miller said. “There’s no real downhill part to it anymore.”
Is it really a downhill?
“In my mind, it isn’t,” Miller said. “They call it that, and they’re the ones who make the rules.”
Weibrecht progressing
Andrew Weibrecht, the surprise bronze medalist at the Vancouver Olympics in super-G, has had a humbling start this season: 35th and 37th at Lake Louise, 45th in Tuesday’s training run here.
Wednesday was considerably better: 13th.
“Today was definitely a step in the right direction,” said Weibrecht, who is from Lake Placid, N.Y. “I think I can build on this. I know that I can still ski race now.”
John Meyer: 303-954-1616 or jmeyer@denverpost.com
