A successful McMillan race week. We had a lot of club members in the village as is usually the case at this time of year. 40 of us enjoyed a night in the Schneebar-Figeller, a huge thank you to Karl Napflin for treating us so well. Sadly the weather meant we could not run our parallel slalom.However we had a lot of fun playing people bingo with chocolate bites and a champagne prize.
This was on Wednesday the same day as the final races of the British School Boys. I had decided earlier in the season that for the McMillan week race we cold try running our GS straight after the British School Boys. This meant our course was much more complicated than a normal course. It had more than one banana gate and a generally more difficult to follow route. As 140 school boys had skied through the course there was a very distinct rut line to follow / survive. Some of the racers more used to courses on freshly groomed slopes thought it an odd decision. Mr Morris, on his first ever time through a start hut and first time skiing round gates found himself delighted to improve by 4 seconds on run 2 and promptly entered the McMillan Downhill the following day!
The less than normal snow fall this winter and warmer weather in the preceding days of the race meant our normal start line and first field was unsuitable for racing. However, from the end of the first field we had a beautifully groomed, rolling race piste. That word race added anxiety because it was very fast. I mean the piste was hard but grippy. The faster you go the more grippy it gets. Our start consisted of 25, including 3 great nephews of the late Flying Officer McMillan whom the race was started in honour of. One of the nephews even won the Novice Cup. The race went smoothly although it was said that the winner was only just in control as he crossed the line. A huge well done to all the brave competitors.
Not from this year, but here is a view of the race from a few years ago.
The prize giving went very well and it was especially fun to welcome Mr Rolf Wegmuller of the Tourist Office as new Honorary member of the Downhill Only Club. As he was present he was also able to present the Tourist Cup to the winner Mr Jamie Verden-Anderson. A very well done Jamie, a fantastic ski gave a time similar to that of the fastest times set by the school boys
Finally more than 40 of us enjoyed a magnificent celebration meal at the Bellevue Hotel. The meal was superb and many of us went off for a few after dinner cocktails in place such as the Wengener Hof, The Tannar Bar and the Sun Star hotel.
This coming week our race will be on Wednesday. If you are around come and register when we are enjoying drinks at the Falken Hotel on Tuesday (7/2/17). Expect a challenge with a difference, involving gates, timing and photography. Details are on the registration sheet.
Apres ski at the club for half term! For Monday to Friday on the weeks starting 13th February and 20th February I am hoping to find and organise enough volunteers to man our bar and open the Club room from 1630 until 1730. During that time we can enjoy a little apres, people can register for coggins and arrange skiing for the following day.
