Kitzbuhel Krazy

Last weekend I was in Kitzbuhel for the FIS Audi Men's Downhill event. This is the skiing equivilant of the Masters Golf tournement.  The race is held on the infamous Strief course and is known locally as the Hahnenkamm-Rennen. Hahnenkamm literally translates as roosters comb primarily due to its multiple curves and shapes across the mountain terrain.

Many have tried but not many have won. The legendary Franz 'The Kaiser' Klammer is perhaps the most famous winner with four titles to his name. In recent years Didier "the Butcher" Cuche made it to three. With other winners inclusing Alberto "Tomba the Bomba' Tomba and Hermann 'The Herminator' Mayer.

This year we were all expecting a win by favorites Axle Lund Svindall, Beat Fuez or Dominic Paris. Usually the race is won by anyone wearing bibs 1 to 12...however a suprise winner was bib number 19, Germany's Thomas Dressen. You can see his amazing run on Youtube here:

Perfect Posture...but it looks so flat!

This dynamic (yeah right!) image shows Jonny on a black piste in Kaltenbach - and yet it looks so passive, but I can tell you it was around a 43 degree steepness. The main point being how photography can be so deceptive. On TV Formula 1 cars look slow, FIS skiers look slow, and people look bigger.

Its quite amazing how the eye can be fooled.

Meeting an Olympic Gold Medalist

It is often surreal to meet someone who has reached the pinnacle of their careers. They seem so much more human and fallible not to mention smaller than anticipated.

There are a few exceptions (I once played golf with Sir Henry Cooper for a week and and he was huge!).

But last week in Austria on the Penken side of Mayerhofen I was lucky enough to meet Anna Fenninger-Vieth, the Olympic gold and silver medalist and Nicole Hosp her Austrian teammate and multiple
winner on the FIS tour.

Not only is Fenninger a superb athlete but also has a real charisma. Seeing her attach the Super G downhill course with no apparent fear traveling at 70mph is something to behold up close. It is simply amazing how she edges the skis.

To see Anna's Olympic run watch here