Summer has gotten off to a chilly start here in Vancouver but the racing season is hot as ever! Since my last update I've gone to 3 more races, each of which has had it's own challenges and successes.
First off was the Sunshine Coaster, a “just for fun” race on the Sunshine Coast. This was my first real DH race back in 2007 and I’ll never forget the feeling of exhilaration crossing the finish line and then standing on the podium. Ever since then it’s been one of my favorites and this year was no different. It may be one of the flattest courses around but it more than makes up for that in flow. I had a blast in practice and then pedaled my heart out in my race run, landing me a 4th place finish in a solid field of Pro Women.
Next it was back to Port Angeles for the 3rd round of the NW Cup series. I’ve really been enjoying this series and cannot say enough about the level of organization and how friendly everyone is. The course this time around was a combination of NW Cup #1 (top) and NW Cup #2 (bottom) with a new middle connecting section. It was definitely the most technical of the 3 which was fine with me. I was loving the course, finished 3rd in seeding and felt confident going into the race. A mishap in my race run put me back a bit but I still stood tall on the podium in 5th place.
Last but not least was perhaps the biggest race of the year so far, the first of the Canada Cup Series in Tremblant, QC. Tremblant was very unlike all of the races I’ve done so far this year – it’s rocky and rough with more rocks and then a few more. My M9 rose to the test and felt rock solid the whole weekend. Come race time I’d decided that, due to the technical nature of the course, I would play it safe in the more technical sections and then pin it the rest of the time… and it worked. I came away with a 2nd place finish, a great way to start the National Series! I just want to say a great big thank you to my sponsors at OGC who helped make this trip smooth and relatively stress free! I want to end with a few awesome shots that Ian Hylands got of me at the Pro GRT earlier this season.
Danice
