World Cup Photos: Wengen + Kitzbuhel

Here are a few photos from the World Cup tour over the last few weeks...

Wengen

Kitzbuhel Finish

Jumping off the Hausberg at Kitzbuhel in a blizzard...

Beaver Creek

12th at Kitzbuhel!

Wow that was a really fun week racing in Kitzbuhel.  The weather was pretty crazy, but it was amazing that they could even pull off the race! Getting 12th on my second race run down the Streif was unbelievable.  I cant wait to do it again next year and I hope to take this momentum into Garmisch, Chamonix, and Sochi over the next few weeks! 

American Ganong 12th in Kitzbuehel Downhill - from Universal Spo - More amazing video clips are a click away

Kitzbuhel 2012

View from my hotel room

Here I am back in Kitz and fired up for my second time racing the legendary Hannenkam.  It is the hardest Downhill on the World Cup Circuit.   It is fast.  It is bumpy.  You get close to the nets and if you want to be fast here you have to put yourself on the “edge”, controlling your skiing as if you were controlling a free fall…  Im sitting here in my hotel with a perfect view of the Streif getting fired up for tomorrow….the only problem is that the snow and rain wont let up.  Today was supposed to be the Super G race, but due to above freezing temps all last night as well as rain, and now dumping snow, they had to cancel the race.  The course crew is up on the hill right now working hard to get it ready for the Downhill tomorrow, so we can only sit here and wait and hope the weather works out! Looking at the forecast, all I can see is snow and wind, so right now I am hopping that the weather man will be wrong! I guess we will see in the morning.  If we do race, this is something that no ski fan should miss, so check us out on Universal Sports on Direct Tv or online!

The Slalom hill

We are hopping the wind and snow will stop

You can see a bunch of people working on the traverse right now as I type...But it is snowing pretty hard still

Check out this video that I put together from my first experience at Kitzbuhel last season!

Wengen and the Jungfraujoch

Wengen is always such an amazing place to go race at every year. I have been racing here for the last 4 years and every time I come back, Wengen has something new and exciting to offer.  Check out this article that I wrote up about the Lauberhornrennen (thats the name of the Downhill here) a few years ago: http://www.travis-ganong.com/2010/04/my-first-laburhorn.html


And here is a sweet little video showcasing the transportation system and the race crowds in Wengen.  There are no cars allowed in the village which is perched on the side of a massive cliff high in the Swiss Alps. The only way to get there and to get around is by using this old school cog railway system! This makes Wengen even more unique:  



This year in Wengen we arrived to amazing powder skiing conditions, followed by amazing racing conditions and then we finished off the week with a trip to the Jungfraujoch, the Top of Europe.  The train climbs up through north face of the Eiger mountain and drops you off at the Jungfraujoch between two massive glaciers and the highest peaks in the Swiss Alps.  Check out my photos below! 

Arriving late at night and loading all the gear for the week onto the trains in Lauterbrunnen

The snow is starting to fall. Outcome: Amazing powder skiing in the morning. 

Early morning ridding the train up to the Jungfraujoch with our teams Physical Therapist, Adam, and Wiley Maple. 

The Swiss Army out in force...

Morning reflection shot of Wiley, myself and the first light on the mountains

The town of Wengen, Switzerland

Train transfer at the Klineshidegg

The Silverhorn

View from "inside the Eiger"

The train stops half way up where you can get out and see through some windows onto the North Face of the Eiger! Its super steep. I cant believe that Ullie Steck climbed the entire thing in two hours!!!

"Eiger Window"

Wiley checking out the view

The top of Europe! We conquered it!  Wiley, myself and Fish.

Looking back down from the Jungfraujoch to Interlaken 10,000 feet below

Inside the glacier

Back down in Lauterbrunnen after a week up on the mountain.  The racing didnt go as well as I wanted it to go, but it was a fun week and I cant wait to come back next season and ski faster! 

Waiting for the van to take me to Kitzbuhel!!!

June-uary Paddle Boarding on Lake Tahoe!

Las year on January 5th I was skiing bottomless powder behind my house here in Alpine Meadows and it had already snowed 23 feet! Check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiMfWGZmxtE&list=UUmpkf9MXz_vZ9v438IpkJdA&index=9&feature=plcp

This year on January 5th, (today) I did this:

Mateja enjoying the June-uary sunny day! 

I love how calm and clear Lake Tahoe is in the winter... 

Matejas sister Jana

It was an amazing paddle and it was so nice to have a little taste of summer right in the middle of the winter and in the middle of my competition season! Every time I come back to Tahoe and spend some time in the mountains I feel envigorated and alive and re-freshed which is exactly what I need to get me fired up for the next trip with the US ski Team.  This next trip is a big one.  I leave Saturday and will be headed to Wengen, Switzerland.  Then it is off to Kitzbuhel Austria, Chamonix France, Garmisch Germany, Sochi Russia, Kvitfjell Norway, Quebec Canada, and then back to Tahoe again on March 22nd! I am 100% confident that we will have snow.  For good measure and to make sure of that we decided to jump in the lake!!!!!