Ganong races to podium finish at Birds of Prey

Staff Palisades Tahoe skier Travis Ganong had a vocation day on Friday, competing on the iconic Birds of Prey training course in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

Soon after an error took him out of contention in Thursday’s Earth Cup tremendous-G race, Ganong, 33, returned the subsequent day and raced to a 3rd-put end to assert his first profession Entire world Cup podium in the self-control.

“I didn’t make any issues, and I had a tactical program,” claimed Ganong, in an job interview with the Vail Daily. “Today, I gave a minimal more and came from at the rear of and took my speed throughout the flat and just hammered the finishing pitch. I received the lengthy split, and that place me on the podium.”

In contrast to Thursday’s structure, Ganong said Friday’s program more suited his style of skiing on a hill that he’s grown to really like.

“We all really like this hill. It’s tremendous pleasurable and playful and matches into our model of snowboarding, escalating up in Tahoe and freeskiing a great deal,” included Ganong. “I’ve been second at the earth champs below and fourth in the super-G and fifth in downhill. I’ve never ever had a tremendous-G podium, nevertheless, so I’m stoked on my skiing.”

Ganong’s previous Planet Cup podium was a very first-put finish in downhill in 2017 in Garmisch, Germany. He was capable to celebrate this newest podium with far more than a dozen customers of his family.

“When I was young, it type of included a little worry, but now I just get pleasure from it. I feed off of their electrical power,” Ganong explained. “They’re so stoked just to be in this article and be snowboarding. It is sort of like a loved ones reunion of sorts for them, as well. So it’s just a fun celebration of existence and skiing.”

Neighborhood legend Daron Rahlves was also on hand Friday to check out Ganong. Rahlves, a 12-time winner on the World Cup and a a few-time earth championships medalist, received downhills on the Birds of Prey program in 2003 and 2005, and was next in 2004.

He stated the Birds of Prey track is flawlessly suited for men like him and Ganong.

“Back at house at Tahoe … there’s a whole lot of terrain, we’re going rapidly, you’re form of like escalating up just making an attempt to be 1 with the mountain and flowing down the hill, and that’s form of what you do for downhill snowboarding,” reported Rahlves.

“The super-G is really tricky on this hill. Travis is seriously good — he’s a conservative skier with methods, and truly difficult terrain, which assisted him a ton nowadays. But then he just laid it down and went really intense at the bottom. I’m just so stoked for him right now.”

Ganong’s weekend at Birds of Prey incorporated a 22nd position in Thursday’s super-G, and a 24th in Saturday’s downhill. Sunday’s downhill was canceled due to substantial winds.

Fellow Crew Palisades Tahoe skier, Bryce Bennett was also competing this weekend in Beaver Creek. Bennett, 29, posted a 22nd-put complete in downhill to declare Globe Cup points. He completed 39th and 43rd in the two tremendous-G situations.

An additional member of Staff Palisades Tahoe, Erik Arvidsson, 25, was competing at Birds of Prey as nicely. Arvidsson took 38th in downhill, and 35th and 43rd in the two tremendous-G gatherings.

The Earth Cup period heads to Val d’Isere, France this weekend for a pair of large slalom and slalom races.

Justin Scacco is a staff members writer with the Sierra Solar. He can be attained at [email protected]

Vail Each day reporter Nate Peterson contributed to this report