OWENS/CPG hook up TED LIGETY>>>>resulting stoke=GS TITLE @US ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS

[youkneebonger]

cool owens, virg, O.C., way to spread some Chugach Stoke !!!


Ted's excellent adventure
A day of heli-skiing sets up Ligety for giant slalom title as Bode Miller disappears
By RON WILMOT
Anchorage Daily News
Published: April 4, 2007
Last Modified: April 4, 2007 at 05:28 AM
A day of heli-skiing in the Chugach Range didn't deaden Ted Ligety's legs enough to keep him from winning his first giant slalom title Tuesday on the final day of the 2007 U.S. Alpine Championships at Alyeska Resort.

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Taking advantage of blue-sky weather and an off day for the men, Ligety and other U.S. Ski Team members hooked up with Chugach Powder Guides on Monday for a day of skiing powder in nearby valleys and bowls.

"Man, I was so tired after 20-some-thousand vertical feet of heli-skiing," said Ligety, the 2006 Olympic combined gold medalist from Park City, Utah.

"It was definitely tough to come out and do the GS the next day," he said. "Waking up this morning, I didn't have a whole lot of motivation."

It didn't show on a flat-light day in which nearly half the skiers weren't able to finish on the chattery and challenging GS course. Ligety posted the fastest time on his first run, just ahead of Bode Miller, who inexplicably disappeared after inspecting the course prior to his second run.

Ligety's second run clinched victory as Will Brandenburg, a fast-improving 20-year-old junior from Spokane, Wash., stood in the finish chute waiting to see if his lead would hold.

"(Giant slalom) is one of the harder titles to win," said Ligety, who won the U.S. slalom title last year but placed second this time. "We've always had a deep team in the GS. It's too bad Bode didn't show up for his second run and give me a run for it."

U.S. Ski Team coach Phil McNichol said Miller seemed focused and ready to race after inspecting the course. Miller won the super-G on Saturday for his ninth U.S. title, tying the men's record.

"Everything was A-OK. Then he just vanished," McNichol said. "I just hope that nothing happened that would be of concern. Something happened, I just don't know what."

McNichol said he had no problem with his athletes taking a day to ski on their own -- via chairlift, snowcat or helicopter. In fact he encouraged it to restore spirits after a miserable World Cup season with little snow in Europe.

"We missed winter in Europe," he said. "We struggled around on grass and mud all winter. Spirits were down. People had a tough winter, just being away from home and not being able to free ski.

"It's just to see them love to ski," he added. "I'm more concerned when I have athletes who don't love to ski, except down an icy race course."

Tuesday's GS course was that -- icy and challenging in the flat light. Skis chattered and skipped on the hard surface. Lines of blue dye helped mark the lines between gates. Twenty-five skiers did not finish their first run.

One racer, Trevor Leafe, screamed in frustration as he veered off the line with too much speed. He slowed way down to make the next gate and finished with the slowest time of any first-run finisher.

Kyle Kung, 21 and originally from Girdwood but now living in Park City, caused a few gasps from the crowd at the finish chute in front of the Alyeska Day Lodge. He veered way off course, fell, and began to slide down on his side before stopping himself and skiing down the course.

Kung said he entered the Steilhang, a short but steep black-diamond run, with too much speed and hit an unexpected bump.

"I got shot out and that was the end of my day," he said.


Daily News sports reporter Ron Wilmot can be reached at 1-907-352-6712 or rwilmot@adn.com.

2007 U.S. Alpine Championships

At Alyeska Resort, Girdwood

Tuesday's giant slalom results

1) Ted Ligety, 2:22.34; 2) Will Brandenburg, 2:24.66; 3) Cody Marshall, 2:24.78; 4) Mark Heinrich-Wallace, 2:26.25; 5) Chris Frank, 2:26.61; 6) Austin Johnson, 2:26.96; 7) Jeremy Transue, 2:27.14; 8) Drew Roberts, 2:27.32; 9) Maximilian Hammer, 2:27.70; 10) Stefan Hughes, 2:27.81; 11) Miles Cook, 2:27.93; 12) Travis Ganong, 2:28.11; 13) Paul Epstein, 2:28.22; 14) Andrew Phillips, 2:28.73; 15) Jacob Lund, 2:28.83; 16) Nathan Asoian 2:28.84; 17) Zachary Schwartz, 2:28.85; 18) Brian Morgan, 2:28.95; 19) Bump Heldman, 2:29.19; 20) Jonathan Hverven, 2:29.24; 21) Andrew Wagner, 2:29.70; 22) David Chodounsky, 2:30.82; 23) Ryan Donovan, 2:30.85; 24) John Kemp, 2:31.14; 25) Seppi Stiegler, 2:31.25.

Alaska finishers -- 20) Jonathan Hverven, 2:29.24; 31) Maximilian Meier-Meitinger, 2:32.17; 38) Dan McKay, 2:34.96.
http://www.adn.com/outdoors/skiing/s...-8666563c.html

[Rontele]

The unibonger has returned.

[ptavv]

Bode's disappearance will be the bigger story.