Change of Pace

New Zealand is done! It has been a great training session down here! For one, I didn't hurt myself! I had a couple good crashes (hooking a GS pannel at 30-40mph) with a few bruises but nothing major. We experienced a lot of different snow conditions and course sets. Best of all I am weighing in over 100k! (220lbs). World Cup flat sections here I come.

While down here we had some races. Our team got together and had the Kiwi cup where Erik Fisher and Andrew Weibrecht were 1st and 2nd, I was 3rd. From the Kiwi cup we went back to Queenstown and raced in some FIS GS races at Coronet Peak. I hadn't raced GS in three years! My points had become horrible (79 horrible) but luckily there weren't too many people here or else I would have started in the way back! Instead I started #47. Finished 20 something with a lackluster performance. I thought I could just ski well to do well,which wasn't true. I skied beautifully but SSSSSSSLow. GS is a different event, you have to go for it. In speed events you are more tactical focused. In GS it comes down to how much you charge. I guess I forgot this! haha Hey Im still learning at my old age.

Now I am headed to Portillo, Chile for Spyder's 2001-12 line shoot. I had the opportunity to go to Denver and see the Ad campaign, it is going to be awesome! I am stoked to be a part of it, I have never been a major part of an AD campaign. I am also excited to go to Portillo to ski some of the surrounding Andes mountains instead of just training.

Til then

Steven

NZed time

Currently I am in Mt. Hutt, New Zealand training SuperG and GS with the speed team. It has been good thus far. Before Mt. Hutt we were in Queenstown training some GS and SL. Yes SL!!! Steven Nyman slalom version 2.0 is coming out! It was feeling good. I actually made my first two runs down the course without missing a gate and I was skiing well. I have some bugs to work out and it will take time, but I do still have my sights set on some slalom and some combi races.
It is funny though, I have so much I want to do with my skiing but I only have a certain amount of energy I can exert each training session. We have been doing double sessions each day on the hill but I have to discipline myself and work on my GS. It is the basis of all skiing and I need to create my foundation there. When I was skiing my best speed I was also skiing my best GS.
It has been feeling great since I have been down here. My body is responding well to the pressures I am putting upon it and I am feeling stronger and stronger. I am gaining a ton of weight too! I'm 101 kilos! That is the most I have ever weighed and I am still feeling athletic being as big as I am.
I will try and keep everyone updated on my progress and adventures.
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A brief update since I haven't blogged much this summer. But I spent June and July in San Diego training with John Adams and World Renegade. He did an amazing job of putting me back together and making me feel like an athlete again. Thank you John, Lisa and Bill, Tony, Patty, Roya, Drew and the whole Renegade crew.
I learned some bad news about a week ago. John was headed up to Mammoth Mtn, CA to bring four of his athletes to some high altitude training, when their car flipped. Two of the girls died. John, Drew and Derek survived but are fighting in the hospital right now. May some thoughts and prayers go out to them and their families.
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