Following much excitement and enthusiasm , the DHO Inferno 2020 team finally numbered 36 on race day due to injury, illness and last minute drop outs.
However we had a very enthusiastic turn out and a good pre racewarm up.
The team met in Rocks bar to hand out last year’s badges and diplomas and share a few beers on the Thursday pre race.
Some of us did training with Peter Wyss on the Inferno course which really helped with speed and lines and skating advice.
Then on Friday, there was a super G on the Lauberhorn piste for the Eastwood trophy. It was hard and fast and great fun as well as good practice for speed skiing. Even better it was won by Peter Lawrance (no favours given)!
On race day we assembled for breakfast at the Jungfrau Hotel, but some lucky ones had already started and finished!
There was a long queue to get up to Birg so plenty of time to get nervous, this was heightened by the Schilthornbahn playing Highway to Hell by ACDC as we travelled to the top with everyone joining in and stomping their feet.
Those lucky newcomers with high bib numbers actually set off early , like Chemmy Alcott they had the best conditions and a great run and great times. For the rest of us the conditions worsened , bigger ruts, many crashes and delays so it was a hard race to Wintereg.
I am glad to say we nearly all finished, except for Tim Brown who crashed and was injured early on and transferred to Interlaken Hospital and Peter Lawrance whose binding broke so he could not finish.
Overall we gained 3 Silver medals and 17 Bronzes with Jonathan Crockett being fastest DHO man and Elizabeth Gay fastest DHO Lady.
There were many smiling faces at the finish, where a revival bar was set up by our many supporters , Kathrina, Nuala, Hayley Cynthia and families, thank you,for welcoming us home with food and drink.
A great evening was held in Murren which Lara will report on next….
After a quick turnaround in Wengen, we headed back over to Murren for a lovely dinner in the Eiger hotel. We were lucky enough to have been given our own private room thanks to James Wilson’s local connections. We all voted on who we thought should win the DHO Inferno trophy 2020 and I was very surprised to have been awarded it! Thank you to everyone who voted for me!
We then made our way up to the sports hall ready for a night of fun, drinking and table dancing. There was music from a local band and a brass band and the atmosphere in the hall is incredible with people on the dance floor and on the tables singing away. After lots of beers, shots on wooden paddles and broken tables, it was time to get on the 2am train and head home.
Anyone who feels they would like to enter the Inferno in 2021, who is fit and competent to ski in all conditions, up and downhill fast with 1850 other competitors please contact dhoinferno@gmail.com
Tessa Lawrance and Lara Hirst Malin