Competitor gathered in the lodge nice and early under blue bird skys, but the wind was tearing shreds of the venue and peoples moral. Bitterly cold and unable to open the lift to access the venue, management opted for a cat to boost athletes to the top of the venue. Not quite cat skiing, but certainly not a chiully lift ride and boot pack.

The first competitor of the day, set an ominous tone when Katherine Lange crashing badly and having to be packaged and taken off the mountain in a toboggan by Patrol.

Things did flow however after that with the girls finishing off and Amber Gale claimed first spot and bragging rights. Sonja lercher moved up into 3rd behind Sue Larson after she discovered a math error on her score cards.

First out of the gate for the men, Shane Carmichael dropped in, made things look pretty easy and skiied strong and fluid down to hit the lower cliff band without any other tracks to follow. He jumped out to an early lead and only when others tried to ski the same line did it become clear how technical the terrain was off the wind hammered ridge.

Mike Leake took the honors for the qualifier with a clean and confident run to ensure the pre-qualified athletes had better be on their game come Friday. All in all, the things flowed smoothly, moving through the 70 athletes by just after 2pm. Most managed to keep it together on the bony take offs, but a few made the vcrowd gasp as they crashed and burned. Most notable was Imran Azziz when he stuff his first cliff and skiing with speed faound a land mine under the snow and blew up before tumbling through a cheese-grater rock ride.

Tomorrow the spotlight is on the Snowboarders with 2 runs each to determine a champion.

Friday the skiers take over again and the best in the world battle it out.


RESULT ATHLETE NAME BIB HOME RESORT COUNTRY RUN 1

WOMEN

1 Amber Gale 114 Snowbird USA 32.80
1 Sue Larson 26 Alta USA 32.80
3 Crystal Wright 47 Jackson Hole USA 30.60
4 Hannah Whitney 78 Crested Butte USA 29.60
5 Michele Manning 52 Alta USA 29.20
5 Sonja Lercher 16 Whistler CAN 29.20
7 Crystal-Rose Lee 89 Whistler USA 28.80
8 Liz Welles 40 Big Sky USA 28.40
9 Tamara Guttman 93 Jackson USA 28.20
9 Dana Carmichael 122 Blackcomb CAN 28.20
11 Emily Teague 48 Aspen USA 27.20
12 Kelsey Carmichael 74 Blackcomb CAN 27.00
13 Cait MacQuarrie 124 Alta USA 26.60
13 Rachael Burks 17 Snowbird/Alta USA 26.60
15 Joni Wirts 56 Kirkwood USA 26.20
16 Charlene Rymsha 54 Kirkwood USA 26.00
17 KJ Brussow 2 Snowbird/Alta USA 25.80
17 Robin McElroy 66 Squaw Valley USA 25.80
19 Alexa Miller 7 Jackson Hole USA 25.40
20 Nancy Elrod 61 Squaw Valley USA 25.00
CUT OFF
21 Erica Martling 97 Big Sky USA 23.40
22 Allison Buckley 77 Squaw Valley USA 21.60
23 Brittani Ballantyne 109 Kirkwood USA 20.80
24 Tara Paras 51 Snowbird USA 14.40
25 Lex Bennett 34 Eldora USA 14.20
26 Molly Baker 35 Snowbird/Alta USA 9.80
27 Katharine Lange 99 Squaw Valley USA DNF

RESULT ATHLETE NAME BIB HOME RESORT COUNTRY RUN 1

MEN

1 Mike Leake 105 Alpine Meadows USA 34.40
2 Shane Carmichael 6 Blackcomb USA 32.80
2 Carston Oliver 127 Snowbird USA 32.80
4 Todd Ligare 150 Snowbird USA 32.60
5 Erik Wilkinson 46 Park City USA 32.20
6 Tyler Boutelle 112 Squaw Valley USA 32.00
7 Maxim Arsenault 106 Whistler USA 31.60
7 Tim Normand 126 Snowbird USA 31.60
9 Cachaulo Van Laanen 49 Mt. Baker USA 31.20
9 David Wintzer 133 Park City USA 31.20
11 Forrest Coots 113 Mt. Shasta Ski Park USA 31.00
12 Kent Hyden 4 Alta USA 30.80
12 Kris Thomas 146 Kirkwood USA 30.80
14 Cory Zila 61 Mammoth USA 30.20
15 Dex Mills 129 Snowbird USA 29.80
15 Mat Jackson 89 Squaw Valley USA 29.80
17 Anton Kushlan 2 Kirkwood USA 29.60
18 Guy Morneault 108 Solitude USA 29.20
18 Jared Dalen 119 Kirkwood USA 29.20
20 Ron Shevock 137 Kirkwood USA 29.00
20 Daniel Zeffaro 77 Dodge Ridge, CA USA 29.00
20 Mike Vaughn 91 Alpine Meadows USA 29.00
23 Bobby Lee 107 Alpine Meadows USA 28.60
24 Daryn Edmunds 12 Snowbird USA 28.00
24 Matti Wade 13 Berthoud Pass USA 28.00
26 Drew Krawczuk 38 Summit County USA 27.80
27 Scott McBrayer 99 Sunlight USA 27.40
28 Chris Tedesko 121 Squaw Valley USA 27.40
29 JJ Schiller 144 Kirkwood USA 27.20
30 Adam Ruscitto 17 Squaw Valley USA 26.80
30 Rob LaPier 81 Whiteface Mtn USA 26.80
32 Ryan Banker 51 A-Basin USA 26.60
33 Tony Karwowski 73 Squaw Valley USA 26.20
34 Ryan Kindervater 115 Mammoth USA 26.00

CUT OFF

35 Mark Curry 111 Mammoth USA 24.40
36 Willie Schneider 116 Kirkwood USA 24.20
36 Shaun Spacht 148 A-Basin USA 24.20
38 Brandon Wilkinson 100 The Canyons USA 24.00
39 Kyle Johnston 87 Pine Knob USA 23.00
40 Steven Walicki 97 Kirkwood USA 22.60
41 Paul Zaleski 61 A-Basin USA 21.20
42 Andy Sabatier 34 Sun Valley USA 20.60
43 Jason Holton 82 Crested Butte USA 18.80
44 Rob Greener 10 Snowbird USA 17.60
44 Nate Kushlan 18 Roundtop PA USA 17.60
44 Earl Christensen 130 Squaw Valley USA 17.60
47 Nick Hanscom 5 Sun Valley USA 17.40
47 Jake Rothfels 95 Snowbird USA 17.40
49 Ryan Leard 63 Kirkwood USA 17.00
50 Ben Ford 70 Berthoud Pass USA 16.80
51 Elliot Marsh 68 Crystal MT USA 15.80
52 Keith Tsugimoto 64 Kirkwood USA 15.60
53 John Nahorney 59 Squaw Valley USA 15.00
53 Adam Moszynski 123 Aspen USA 15.00
55 Woody Stemley 143 Squaw Valley USA 14.00
55 Jesse Cristo 104 Kirkwood USA 14.00
57 Brad Taylor 67 Squaw Valley USA 13.40
58 Roman Nelson 109 Kirkwood USA 12.80
59 Dave Twining 23 Alpine Meadows USA 12.60
60 Chuck Mumford 39 Cochrens VT USA 12.40
60 Jesse Humphrey 102 Squaw Valley USA 12.40
62 Jonny Schellenberg 125 Alta USA 12.00
63 Rick Rice 7 Kirkwood USA 11.80
64 Nick Frey 88 Squaw Valley USA 11.00
64 Brad Bermes 80 The Canyons USA 11.00
66 Drew Kolbe 136 Kirkwood USA 0.00
67 Joe Blatchford 1 La Grande USA 0.00
68 OJ Abben 32 Kirkwood USA 0.00
69 Ben Lowry 56 Tamorack, ID USA 0.00
70 Imraan Aziz 145 Kirkwood USA 0.00