World Cup Photos: World Ski Champs

Leaving the start in Chamonix! Mt. Blanc is in the backgorund

Didier Cuche was the winner at Kitzbhuel this year
and it was my first time racing down the strif!

Autograph signing at the Army base in
Garmisch at the World Champs

Steve  and I at the World Champs

                                                           Carousel turn in Chamonix

Chamonix Behind the Scenes

This is a video showing the behind the scenes action at the start of the Chamonix World Cup Downhill.  It is a really cool atmosphere at the top of a World Cup Downhill. Everyone is nervous and very anxious thinking about what we are about to do.  I am usually very focused and have a routine that I go through before the start.  I have to visualize the course a few times, do some specific warm up jumps and stretches  and then it is game time.  Right before I push out of the gate, I have to give "Hughy" and our phisio Adam a fist pump and then its on!!!!! I also like to smile and take in the whole scene. It is really special getting to do what I am doing right now! I am loving it and having a lot of fun.  Check out the shots of me pushing out of the start at the end.

Broken Bones Will Heal...

Action shot from the SG at World Champs

Injuries are no fun.  I have been very lucky the last few years and have not sustained any major injuries skiing.  There is no doubt that ski racing is a dangerous sport, and well I guess that it was my time.  Granted it could have been something worse, but sill my broken hand is really keeping me from the sport that I love.

I hit my hand on the base of a gate while racing in the World Championships Downhill in Garmisch-Partenkirken on February 12th.  It happened about 30 seconds into my 2:00 run and I instantly knew that something was wrong.  I kept skiing and finished in 24th-it was very painful.s  Now I am sitting in Vail nursing my hand post surgery watching the snow fly outside and looking at results on the FIS website.  I was really disappointing to not be able to defend my US downhill tittle in Aspen yesterday.  For now though, the important thing is that I give my bones time to heal.

This is where it happened....

BAM!!!!! 

Dr. Randy Viola did an amazing job putting me back together. My index finger on my left hand was compressed 5mm into my 2nd metacarpal subsequently shattering my metacarpal into 6 pieces.   Dr. Viola put a bone graft into the base of my index finger extending it back out and then put all the other pieces together with 7 screws (two of which I will have for life) and one titanium plate!!!  My hand is going to be indestructible now.  All the gates out there in the world better watch out!!!  I'm coming for revenge! Haha.... But in all seriousness, I really hope my bones heal fast so I can try to make it back for the last World Cup Downhills and SG of the year in early March in Norway!  Although the most important thing is that I give my bones plenty of time to heal, so I will really have to think about all the options.

Side view of all seven screw.  The two screws in the front are holding in the bone graft.

Titanium plate!!!

5 hours post op. Looking good!

The biggest let down in the short term for me is going to be flying back to Tahoe and Squaw and watching all my buddies ski the 8+ feet of new light blower powder we just got!  Skiing is the most fun, healthy, and rewarding lifestyle and sport out there and I cant wait to click back into my skis and see how my new metal robot hand works!

Travis Ganong: Garmisch DH and Interview 2011 Broken Hand

So I just got out of surgery for my hand.  Im going to have a sweet little scar, but everything went well and I am feeling pretty good!  Here is some video from the World Champs DH. You can see where I broke my hand about 30 seconds into the run.  Its a bit tough for me to type right now, so Ill leave this one short, but yeah check it out!!! 

Travis Ganong: Garmisch SG and Interview 2011

World Ski Championships Super G race. Here is video from my run as well as an interview after-wards. It was a great experience and I learned a lot! I have some speed and am really looking forward the next World Champs in Vail in 2015.

Travis Ganong 2011 Hinterstoder SG

HINTERSTODER!!! Wow that was a tough race. I skied pretty well up top, but then I was just tentative and holding back in places lower down. It was the most turny, slow super g that I have ever raced, but sometimes it can be like that and yeah I learned a lot. Ill be more prepared next time. Tommy Ford ripped it though! It was really cool seeing him get 11th place in those conditions! That guy can turn! Nice work Tommy!

Chamonix Action Photos!

Flying off the top Jump at Chamonix. The Chamonix valley is below and Mt. Blanc is up to the right! 

The same jump from a different angle.