 Poster: A snowHead
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Icy winds blasting the course from the start to the finish, white-out conditions, crashes (spectacular but no serious injuries), touch and go whether the race would even begin, cross-winds whipping up the snow to the extent that some racers could barely see the next gate, a remarkable job done by the course workers to remove the loose snow and make it 'safe', all in all a race to remember.
"Ayma" watched stoically from the sidelines wondering what all the fuss was about....
In fact Ayma was to be a surprise extra for the eventual winner who was reluctant to part with her despite being offered the sum of 1000 euros by a bystander. Having deliberately gone to chat to Ayma before the race began she was convinced the Savoie cow had brought her luck.
"Would she be taking her to all her future races as a good luck charm?" was met with a laugh, but my "When's the barbecue" didn't go down so well... 
Such high winds that helicopter operations were jeopardised, in fact. But the enterprising French apparently had an answer in case they needed to shuttle the racers back to the start....
A long chat with Chemmy, Anja Pearson, and a number of racers to follow with the story from behind the scenes of a race that very nearly didn't take place...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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PG Missed the race on TV due to the delayed start. Looked as if a bit of snow had come down, but a real wicked wind.
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I missed it also and the later emission on Eurosport 2 was unavailable due to a "technical problem with this channel". Hopefully I'll be able to see it on the reply tonight.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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They had to lower the start because of the conditions, but one or two racers weren't exactly happy, it was a bit of a lottery because of the conditions at times.
Local favourite Ingrid Jacquemod was on fire yesterday, but was she able to grab today's race by the horns?
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I missed it too.
Nice pics PG. You a journo then ?
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Not giving much away in case people still haven't seen the TV coverage/results, but those who saw the race... and if you haven't and get the chance, don't miss it... the younger of the two Italian Fanchini sisters was lucky to escape relatively unscathed from her crash, and a spectacular one it was too. The powerful and unpredictable gusts of wind both caused sudden whiteouts and threw racers off line, with several stoppages following crashes, and some debate as to whether the race could/should continue. In the event the race was halted before everyone had come down, but after the minimum number had successfully completed the course to ensure a result was obtained.
Chemmy was one of the last ones to come down before the race was stopped, and was well in the points until she was caught by a massive gust not far from the end that cost her a lot of time and left her just outside the top thirty... she was hugely disappointed.
Within an hour even down in Val itself I had to walk along the road with my eyes shut against the force of the wind and the driving blizzard that had developed....
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Is it usual to give cows to podium-finishers?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Jerry wrote: |
I missed it too.
Nice pics PG. You a journo then ? |
 No. But I take a good photo of a cow, I'm told.
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A 'Tail' of two downhills? 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| rob@rar.org.uk wrote: |
| Is it usual to give cows to podium-finishers? |
Not seen it before, suppose the organisers were just trying to milk the extra publicity for the 50th anniversary of the race...
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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PG, No pun intended? 
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Sun 18-12-05 0:28; edited 1 time in total
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Deleted - re-written below with correct quote.
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Sun 18-12-05 0:22; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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PG, I bet there was an udder reason...Ayma sure it was moo than that in fact, cows whatever the reason, 1,000 euro's snow joke!
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Poster: A snowHead
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I reckon the winner was just fresian cold and had forgotten her jersey.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Are you sure Angus from Aberdeen had nothing to do with this ???
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Cud we please not go off at a tangent like this again. I've never herd such tosh. It is the usual suspects milking their post counts. 
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Silage, silage, silage. Got to reach our quotas
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Frosty the Snowman, - sorry! didn't mean to upset the cream - just some 'off the hoof' remarks, not meant to be bovine, or crass in any way.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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All the above comments pail into insignificance besides PG's recownting of the races at the weekend  keep up the good words and pictures (though perhaps don't give the punsters as much ammoonition next time!)
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Sat's race looked really dangerous, saw the Karin Blaser fall which looked nasty.
Good to see Chemmy in there.
Amazed that Dorfmeister won yesterday after a serious mistake (only Bode seems to get away with that). Good to see her going out on a high.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Hard to judge from the brief chats I had with the racers but some of them - Chemmy, Caroline Lalive, Julia Mancuso, Anja Pearson, Emily Brydon and Dorfmeister herself among others, come across as really warm characters, down-to-earth and 'ordinary' in some ways, not the prima donnas you find in some sports. The same with a lot of the men racers I've met as well.
That's not to say that they haven't got something special. There's a definite 'aura' about these athletes, a mixture of calm confidence, strength, resolution. I suppose they wouldn't have made it so far in such a demanding sport without all of that and more, of course.
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PG, got to agree with you, having been to the Night slalom in schaldming for the past two years (as a guest of Atomic don't you know!!!) we had Pallander and Raiche sitting at our table in the VIP tent after the race
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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