What A Week!

Wow, what a week it's been!
Snow, snow and more snow, in fact just over 60cm this week, the powder skiing has been amazing!
A.J and I had the best day on Wednesday as the storm cycle rolled through the Tahoe Basin, there was too much new snow to train so we ditched and lapped K.T 22 for most of the day in what was boot top to knee deep powder, G.S Bowl was awesome, it was fantastic to ski Squaw with my team mate and with so much snow after the past two years where new snow has been scarce to say the least!
We managed some training this week, some solid Slalom work on Exhibition with the U.S NTG Girls joining us for the past few days, it's been great to be back in such highly regarded company!
The first of the Far West Regional Qualifiers get underway at Squaw Valley tomorrow, 2 x SL + 1 x G.S over the next three days, I'm feel OK but a little under done, will give it my best shot and see how I go.
Wish me luck, updates on Sunday.

Ready To Go!

Having caught up on sleep after travelling 21hrs from Queenstown to Tahoe City and jumping from 30 degrees to -10 degrees along with the altitude change - 300m above sea level in Queenstown to 2500m on the course at Squaw Valley and fighting off a tummy upset I've now recovered and acclimatised and am ready to train with greater focus.
I skied / trained three half days last week to get my ski legs and rhythm back, I'm looking forward to a solid week of hard work this week heading into my first Far West Qualifying Races next weekend.

2015 / 2016 U.S Training

It's great to be back in the U.S and returning to my Squaw Valley U16 Team for the next 8 weeks.
I'm looking forward to catching up with my U.S training mates A.J, Magnolia and Anna and welcoming my NZ team mates Sophie and Livvie to the team.
I'm focused and have some clear goals that I want to achieve in the coming weeks, conditions are amazing with tons of great snow, so cool to see Tahoe at its very best!
Stay tuned for updates...

USA Here I Come...

In 24 hours I head to my Northern Hemisphere training base in Tahoe California.
I'll spend the next seven weeks training and racing as part of the Squaw Valley U16 Team, it will be great to be back on snow in a couple of days with my SVST mates and working hard to achieve my goals on and off the snow.
Conditions are looking great in comparison to last year and are perfect for training and racing.
While in the U.S I'll compete in several race series - The first races ( 2 x G.S and 1 x SL ) at Snow Summit, the second at Mammoth Mountain ( 2 x Super G and 1 x G.S ), and the last ( 3 x Super G ) at Alpine Meadows before heading home in early March.
Before I head away I'd like to thank my trainers Braden Lee, Michelle Watt and the amazing team at Fight Science Queenstown for keeping me in shape and making sure I'm physically and mentally ready to race in the U.S, Dalbello Italy for my new race room boots and Bobo Sports NZ for my Dynastar Skis
Can't wait to be back in my happy place! WOO HOO!

Andie G ❄️

Squaw Valley Ski Team / Tahoe CA USA

I must say, I'm starting to get pretty amped about heading back to Tahoe and catching up with my friends in Tahoe. With heavy snow falling there and a couple of earlier December storms things should be looking pretty good by mid January.  

Lululemon Athletica Queenstown

With much excitement I'm stoked to say that I've been asked to be a Product Tester for Lululemon Athletica here in Queenstown :)
I popped into the Queenstown flagship store this morning for a fitting session and spent some time with the amazing and inspirational LL team. They are all super friendly and knowledgable about the extensive range of clothing available, it's suitable for all types of workout situations and leisure activities - Yoga, Mountain Biking, Running and now even Alpine Skiing...
Lululemon clothing is incredibly comfortable, exceptionally well made and very functional. It's quality and design not only looks good and feels great but it's also very flattering, even with ski racers thighs like mine!
I'll be working out and training and racing in the U.S wearing a range of Lululemon clothing, writing reviews and giving feedback on select clothing items from time to time.
I'm really excited to be part of such a great team, very grateful of their support and encouragement and impressed that they are prepared to connect with young athletes in the community.
Thanks Naomi and Lululemon Athletica Queenstown for the opportunity to be part of such an Amazing Team and Worldwide Brand!

Lululemon Athletica NZ Link: http://www.lululemon.co.nz/?sl=NZ

U.S Winter Training and Racing

I'm heading back to the U.S this summer to train and race with the Squaw Valley U16 Team.
We'll be leaving Queenstown on January 14th and basing ourselves just up the road from Squaw Valley in Truckee / Tahoe CA, we'll be away for 6 1/2 weeks returning to Queenstown on March 5th.
I'm looking forward to skiing some big open spaces and getting used to my new Super G skis, at 201cm they are going to be fast and perfect for the U16 Speed Series Races at Mammoth Mountain in mid February.
I'm hoping for good snow and training conditions while away, my focus will be to train and race to win with particular focus on self belief, self motivation and aggressive skiing.

Thanks to Dynastar NZ / Bobo Sports for my new skis, Dalbello Italy for my new boots and Outside Sports Queenstown for your ongoing support, I couldn't do what I do without you guys :)

Summer Training For The U.S

With winter now done here in NZ and last weekend off it was straight back into Spring Training for  winter in the U.S first thing Monday morning!
First up I need to shed a few winter pounds and up the aerobic levels somewhat so it's early morning Boot Camp ( 6am to 7am ) four morning per week ( Yes, before school too ) for 4 weeks and a weekly one on one session with my Personal Trainer at Fight Science Queenstown.
Once the Boot Camp is finished I'll move to two days a week with my Personal Trainer working on strength conditioning and speed and agility work combined with some altitude running at Coronet Peak before another Boot Camp prior to Christmas.
I'll treat myself to a week off over Christmas and New Year and then hit the gym hard for 10 days before heading away to the U.S on January 14th 2015.

NZ Winter Wrap Up...

With winter all but done here in NZ and with only two days training left with the team before I finish up skiing for 2014, I'd have to say that I'm pretty happy with my season overall and my race results were really very pleasing :)
The final round of the New Zealand Youth Series finished up at Cardrona last weekend, we had great weather with favourable spring conditions, the snow on Day One ( Super G ) was a little soft for my liking so my time was a touch off my best.
Day Two ( Slalom ) and Day Three ( G.S ) saw the temperatures drop overnight producing harder conditions for both races over the next two days.
I was happy with my SuperG, finishing as the fastest 1st Year U16 Female, my Slalom was solid also and that result secured me the Overall NZ U16 Third Place Slalom Title behind the two older 2nd Year U16 Legends Eden McKay and Georgia Bushell.
The last day of racing ( G.S ) I skied  possibly the best G.S race of my life, once again finishing as the fastest 1st Year U16 female athlete and therefore securing the Overall NZ U16 3rd Place NZYS Title behind SSNZ Junior Development Team Members Georgia Bushell and Eden McKay.
I want to thank my amazing coaches Igor Stros and Tim Cafe, both have believed in me all season and have encouraged me to believe in myself and push my limits and ski to win!
My Dad has once again been my team manager, supporter, ski man and number one fan, thanks Dad for all your support and encouragement and the 100's of hours spent with file and hot iron in hand.
My Mum has been my inspiration this winter, with her own health battles she's been the guiding light on race day, supplier of inspirational quotes and sound advice and has instilled a " Will Do Attitude " in me, thanks Mum this season was for you :)
Thanks to Ivan at Dalbello Italy, Gerald at Dynastar NZ and Eric at Outside Sports Queenstown for your ongoing support and sponsorship I would really struggle to be as competitive as I am without you guys behind me, hopefully I'll continue to build speed and strength and deliver good results in the U.S this summer...
Now it's back into the gym and early morning boot camp to lose some winter pounds, build some strength and work on my speed and agility, to my trainers Braden / Ari / Alex / Kelsie - Game on!
I'll be heading back to the U.S this winter ( Jan / Feb 2015 ) for seven weeks of training and racing with the Squaw Valley Ski Team.
I'm looking forward to catching up with my old buddies up there and cranking some fast turns on my new 201cm SuperG ski...
Stay tuned for updates and photos from my Northern Hemisphere Training and hopefully some favourable race results :)
AndieG

Japanese Camp

We've had two great days of technical free skiing supported by video sessions at a small resort called Akita Hachimantai in the Hachimantai National Park in the far north of Japan's main island of Honshu.

There's just the one chairlift and two long, moderately steep runs which are perfect for training :)

There's no one here except us and the snow is perfect allowing us to ski hard and fast all day without getting into trouble!

We've spent the days training until early afternoon followed by some Dryland training and a bike ride in afternoon then a swim in the icy Lake Towada ( Which by the way has ice on the surface ), it's freezing but so much fun!

We're having a day off today to visit one of the nearby cities ( Towada City ) to do some shopping before we start four days of gate training tomorrow.

I'm loving my new Dynastar SL and G.S Skis ( Thanks Gerald and Bobo Sports NZ ).

My new race skis are totally different to my previous junior race ski, far more precise edge to edge, more stable under foot and powerful out of the turn, I'm looking forward to getting into a course with them over the next few days.

More to come, stay tuned...

We've Arrived In Japan!!!

Wow, what a massive couple of days!
After long drive from Queenstown, calling by my sponsors Bobo Sports in Darfield to collect my new SL and G.S skis we overnighted in Christchurch.
The alarm went off at 3:15am on Thursday morning, I was at the airport in Christchurch by 4:30am for a 5:30am flight to Auckland with my Dynastar buddy Prue Lange. We had a really bumpy landing due to a nasty storm and then a quick transfer across to the International Terminal to hook up with the other athletes travelling to Tokyo for the camp.
After an 11 1/2 hour flight to Tokyo with Air New Zealand we arrived in Tokyo early evening, thankfully all of our luggage showed up so after clearing Immigration and Customs ( Thanks to the Air NZ staff for escorting us ) we met up with our coach Simon Brown and his daughters Tegan and Rebecca in the arrivals hall.
Simon - " Guess what, change of plan the snow in Ontake isn't great we're heading North"...!
So after being awake since 3:30am in Christchurch and flying for 13 hours we headed off on a 9 Hour trek north to a small city called Moriaka in the Hachimantai National Park in the Northern Iwate Prefecture of Honshu on Japan's main island.
We arrived at 2:30am, you'd have to use they word shattered but I'm stoked to see snow :)
Awake 5 hours later at 8am we've just finished breakfast and are heading to the mountain to free ski this afternoon at Hachimantai Resort Shimokura then checking into our lodge near the mountain tonight.
Gate training will begin tomorrow, stay tuned for updates... :)

Japanese Camp

So amped to be heading to Japan in mid April for a two week training camp with my Dynastar buddy Prue Lange.

It's going to be a great experience and my first trip away on my own :)

USSA U14 Far West North Series Dual Slalom Races

Another amazing race day today at Alpine Meadows here in Lake Tahoe C.A.

A very competitive field of 87 of the best U14 Girls in the Western United States raced a Dual Slalom in near perfect weather, sunny clear skies and warm temperatures.

I posted the fastest time of the morning on the Blue Course and then the 6th fastest time on the slower Red Course in the afternoon finishing 4th overall, an OK result and I achieved my goal of a top five finish :)

Tomorrow my goal is a top three podium before heading home on Monday...

 

Back On The G.S Skis

After a long drive back from Utah yesterday and a bit more shopping in Reno on the way through it was time to put the fat skis away and get back onto the good old G.S Skis :)
Training today at Alpine Meadows was awesome, only a few of us there as most of the local kids were in school, the snow was dry and chalky and we skied hard in the gates until late afternoon.
It's so nice to be training in a race suit and hoodie, working on the goggle tan and making small technical changes to my technique. Looking forward to another great day tomorrow - Thanks SVST

Epic Utah!

There's only one word to describe Utah - EPIC!
After a long 8 hour drive through Nevada and across the salt flats into Utah we arrived in Salt Lake City full of expectation, it had been snowing hard since we crossed the state line and the forecast was for the storm to continue throughout the night!
We skied at Snowbird the next day in windy but clearing weather, what a wicked mountain, steeps, trees, and long unforgiving runs, it was pretty windy so the Tram was closed but we managed to skis some great runs and amazing powder!
The next day we once again skied at Snowbird, the storm had passed and the wind had dropped, the Tram was running and the Peruvian Tunnel through to Mineral Basin was open. We skied a couple of lines off the Tram just because we could then rode the magic carpet through the Peruvian Tunnel (So Cool) into Mineral Basin, we made a couple of runs there then connected across to Alta, really amazing to have so much terrain and variety connected by an amazing lift system all on the one ski pass!
Alta was great but with many of the lifts closed for avalanche control work we made a few runs then headed back to Snowbird to finish our day as another weather system rolled in.....!
The following day was very windy and it was snowing hard so we decided to take a drive across to Park City and Deer Valley to see if things were any better weather wise there, they weren't in fact it was worse there so we decided to have a rest day and shopped at the outlet mall in Kimble :)
The snow continued throughout the night and the next morning it was still dumping but the wind had gone, we packed early and headed too Alta with the hope of an epic powder day!
We got it, knee to thigh deep champagne powder as only Utah can deliver, with it been Monday everyone was either at work or at school so there were no crowds, endless powder runs and no lift lines!
We skied hard all day in the trees, it was so much fun skiing together as a family in such amazing conditions, we explored so much unbelievable terrain finishing up skiing untracked steep lines through the trees off the Supreme Lift at 11,000 feet!
Thanks Utah, we'll be back... :)

Utah - Snowbird / Alta Here We Come...

With California seriously struggling in terms of snow we have decide to pack up the truck and head east to Utah.
A 10 hour drive tomorrow should see us in knee deep powder by Saturday :)
Stay tuned...

Bigtruck Hats Truckee CA

What a great day off!
We went across to Truckee for some shopping and a late lunch, we ate at a really cool retro diner called Jax on the Trax and then looked around the shops in Downtown Historic Truckee, Mum and Dad bought me a pretty snowflake necklace ( which I love ) for doing well in my races over the weekend at Sugar Bowl which was really cool!
We then decided to try and find the Bigtruck Hat Factory and after some clever use of free Wifi here and there, Google Maps and some sleuthing about we managed to located it.
We entered the warehouse factory to be greeted by both Galen and Kelsen the two really cool guys that created the now very famous Bigtruck Hat Company a few years back and a brand now worn by many well respected athletes including my inspirational idol and Truckee local Julia Mancuso!
So what was really just supposed to be a quick drive by of the Bigtruck base in Truckee turned out to be so much more...
The guys were stoked that we had travelled all the way from Queenstown, New Zealand and had made the effort to call by their warehouse and say hi that they gave us a full tour of their operation showing us each stage of the design phase and how they make their wicked hats, after which Galen says "So Andie how about you design your very own one off Custom Bigtruck Hat" - I'm like speechless and grinning from ear to ear!!!
Then Kelsen rummages about in a drawer and produces a really cool Goggle Patch and says "Andie, you can be the very first person to use the new and yet to be released 2014 Bigtruck Goggle Patch".
I'm like wow, that's way cool, thanks guys!
So I spend the next 45 minutes with the guys in the factory choosing my hat, thread colour, custom flags and then I watch as Kelsen hand stitches it together right there in front of me, my very own one off, custom designed AndieG Bigtruck Hat, I'm so stoked, thanks guys :)
So then we are about to leave and Galen goes, so Andie I think you should have this pair of really cool KOSS Headphones just like Jules wears and oh, here's a Julia Mancuso Olympic Hoodie too...
I'm now totally blown away, a Custom Bigtruck Hat, Koss Headphones and a Julia Hoodie - Simply the best day off I could have hoped for!

Thanks guys, thanks Bigtruck!

USSA Far West North Series U14 SL Races

Having just finished two days of Slalom Racing at Sugar Bowl Resort here in Lake Tahoe I'm pretty happy with my results given the very challenging snow conditions - very slick, hard packed ice!
With the severe lack of snow in the greater Tahoe Region the races were limited in terms of where the ROC could set a SL Course that would hold up throughout the two days of racing and be fair and consistent, to the 170 + racers both boys and girls.
Day One saw the boys run their course first, a large proportion of them crashed hard as they struggled with the very icy course, this made for a very intimidating hour and a half for us girls as we watched the carnage and waited for the boys to complete their run and our race to start...
My first run saw me 8th in the gate out of 86 entrants, I started solidly then bang, went down hard as the tip of my ski clipped a gate, I got up and skied the rest of the course reasonably well but having fallen early I finished well down the field but qualified for a second run!
My second run was much better, 80th out of the gate I skied well putting in the 6th fastest time enabling a semi respectable finish in the middle of the field.
Day Two wasn't much better, conditions were still very slick, I started 77th in my first run of the day, I skied well putting in the 8th fastest time.
I was 9th out of the gate in my second run and although I didn't push 100% as I wanted to be sure of a result and a top 10 finish, I managed to improve my standing and finished 7th overall on Day Two to take home a nice, very heavy Far West Regional Medal :)
So, I'm generally happy with my weekend, I learned a lot, made some new friends and watched my very talented team mate A J Hurt ski two beautiful runs to take home a well deserved win which was really cool and very inspiring!
Thanks Sugar Bowl ROC and all the volunteers that made for a great weekend and my first race in the U.S.

U.S Training

Training is going well here at Lake Tahoe, California.
The majority of my training so far has been my favourite discipline Slalom, we've been training gates four days a week on the Alpine Meadows Race Arena, a great facility closed to the public.
Snow conditions are lacking as far as free skiing goes but are perfect, hard and fast for Slalom Training, just the way I like it :)

New Boots / Thanks Dalbello

I trained G.S today at Squaw Valley breaking out my new Dalbello Scorpion Boots care of a Race Department Sponsorship direct from the factory in Italy.

The difference is amazing, they are much quicker edge to edge with a very precise fit and much closer contact to the ski.

I then headed over to the Start Haus in Truckee for a custom footbed fitting this afternoon and can't wait to head out again tomorrow to see the improvements.

Merry Christmas everyone, be sure to make some turns on Christmas Day :)