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Show Wed/Thurs/Fri, December 2-4, 2009 The Park Record B-6 Annual Celebrity Ski Fest Submitted by Deer Valley Resort PHOTO BY HARF?Y CASTON Winter Sport School graduate and former Park City Ski Team member Megan McJames negotiates a steep and icy course in the first run of the giant slalom at the Aspen Winternational World Cup on Saturday. Mancuso leads U.S. in GS difficult for me," Mancuso said. "It was hard to get my rhythm. I definitely could have done better, but it felt good to get two solid runs. It's a lot better than Soelden By Lindsey Sine, (Austria) and it's a good place USST to start. "It helps a lot just to know ASPEN, Colo. (Nov. 28) - I can charge again and really Under overcast skies on just go for it," she said. "It's Aspen's Strawpile run. made a big difference because Olympic champion Julia I don't want to be tentative Mancuso (Olympic Valley, when 1 leave the start gate." Following Mancuso for the Calif.) led the U.S. contingent Saturday, finishing 13th in the U.S. was Colorado native women's giant slalom at the Sarah Schleper (Vail, Colo.,) Aspen Winternational World who finished 23rd with her Cup. Germany's Kathrin family cheering her on. According to Schleper, the Hoelzl won the race. "I am psyched to get two Strawpile course presented a solid runs in,'' Mancuso said. lot of challenges for the racers "The second run could have and required a lot of confibeen better, but I made it to dence. "I think I skied the top well the finish and it feels pretty and the course was so smooth good. il I hope to get back into the this time when I went down. top 15. I'm right outside, so But I went a little too round hopefully I can get enough and I think I was too conserpoints to get in there." vative," Schleper said. "The Joining Hoelzl on the middle section here is so techwomen's podium were nically demanding. The terAustrian Kathrin Zettel in rain is so undulating and it's second and Federica Brignone the iciest part of the course so if you're not charging and of Italy in third. While the course did pres- super confident it's really easy ent some difficulty with light to lose time out there.'' Megan McJames of Park and ski chatter, Mancuso said she was pleased with the City finished in the top 30 in the first run to qualify for the result. "The course was a little bit second run and was hammer- Mcjames qualifies for second run ing the top of the course during run two when she slid out and did not finish. The crowd in Aspen was fired up for the U.S. Team and, in particular, for World Champion and World Cup overall champion Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.) to race. But she was unable to make the p 30. "I hit a rock about halfway down and my right foot just wasn't holding anymore," Vonn said. "I slid out about four times. I was just trying to make it down and I was laughing at myself because of how big of a tool I looked like. On this pond ice you really have no chance unless you have a sharp edge." But the fans in the finish area lifted Vonn's spirits and, as she waved to a group of young girls waving a Lindsey Vonn poster, she explained what she hopes from Sunday's slalom race in Aspen. 'These guys are out here cheering for me and they don't care if I came in last place; they're still cheering me on and that definitely makes me happy because today was not my best day," Vonn said. "Aspen is the toughest place for me. It has so much terrain and it's pond ice, but I'll do the best I can and hopefully tomorrow goes better.'1 Deer Valley Resort kicks off its winter ski season with the annual Deer Valley Celebrity SkiFest on Dec. 56, 2009. The invitational ski event pairs former Olympic ski legends with television and film celebrities for a weekend of skiing, live music and fundraising for the environmental group Waterkeeper Alliance, which supports and empowers Waterkeeper member organizations to protect communities, ecosystems and water quality. The Deer Valley Celebrity SkiFest will include giant slalom races on both Saturday, Dec. 5 and Sunday, Dec, 6 on Deer Valley's Birdseye ski run. The competition will be televised by CBS on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009, at 5 p.m. (EST) following the NFL. The public is invited to watch the ski-racing portion of the event adjacent to the Birdseye ski run. A Pro-Am race will be held Saturday at 1 p.m., with the final race taking place on Sunday at noon. Some of the best-known legends of U. S. skiing will compete in this year's event, including Steve Mahre, Phil Mahre, Tommy Moc and Deer Valley's own ambassador of skiing, Heidi Voelker. Celebrities scheduled to attend at this time include: Cheryl Tiegs, Larry David, Bobby Kennedy Jr., Max Kennedy, Chris Kennedy, Cheryl Hines, Gloria Rueben, Rob Morrow, Neil Patrick Harris, Dylan Bruno and David Conrad. Other upcoming events at Deer Valley Resort this winter include the 2010 Visa Freestyle International FIS World Cup, Jan. 14-16, 2010. The world's best freestyle aerial and mogul competitors will show off their moves along with extracurricular events such as fireworks and live entertainment. For more information on the event, please call Deer Valley Communications Manager Erin Grady at 800424-DEER (3337) or 435645-6522; or view the Resort website at deervalley.com. Zahrobska repeats Aspen slalom win No U.S. women in top 30 Submitted by the USST ASPEN, Colo. (Nov. 29) - The Czech Republics Sarka Zahrobska took her first-run lead and parlayed it into her second World Cup slalom win in as many years at the Aspen Winternational Sunday. No U.S. women qualified for the second run. Austrians Marlies Schild and Kathrin Zettel followed Zahrobska on the podium'in second and third, respectively. The fans showed up to the Aspen Winternational in full force during the weekend, making historic attendance numbers for the early season women's World Cup in Colorado. But it was a somber 'day for the U.S. Women's Alpine Team, with no athletes making the top-30 cut for the second run. "I'm very disappointed. This is not an indication of how we ski and how we've been training. This is an embarrassing day for us," women's alpine head coach Jim Tracy said. Many of the racers had challenges with the icy race course but, according to Tracy, the athletes have to be able to adapt to all conditions of the race. "There were some slick spots up there for sure, but we've been on it before and we train on this stuff. It's easy to say that, but to me it's an excuse," Tracy said. "It isn't for some others and those other ones are going to be on the podium and they're going to gain World Cup points. We train on it. We have trained on it. We just didn't mentally do what we needed to do today/' Kaylin Richardson (Edina, Minn.) was the top finisher for the U.S. in 34th. The first racer up for the U.S. was fan favorite Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.) whose skis locked on the hard surface and rocketed her off course. "I felt like I was skiing OK on the top, but not my best, and then I just got shot off the course. There's nothing I could do about it. Sometimes tilings just don't go your way." Vonn said. "Lake Louise is a place where I can build confidence back and get happy again. I'm just looking forward to skiing some downhill.1' It was a unique experience for Julia Ford (Plymouth, N.H.) who marked the slalom in Aspen as the first World Cup start of her career. "It feels good to just get it under my belt. It took a lot of effort and I was just trying to stick with it. I got thrown around and made some mistakes but I was determined to get down," Ford said. "The hill was intense today and the course was challenging." The team remains in North America as the athletes now head to Lake Louise in Alberta for speed races. OtindRattjfa&lOAucfi F.Alp« World Cup Aipm, Colo., Nov. 79,2009 Wforoon'i Snotn I. Sarka Zahrobska, Czech Republic, 1:43.45 2. Marlies Schild, Auitria, 1:44.03 3. Kathrin Zefle!, Austria, 1:44.22 4. Susonne Riesch, Gremany, 1:44.91 ' 5. Maria Riesch, Germany, 1:45.40 34. Koylin Richardson, Edina, Minn., 58.04 I 35. Hailey Duke, Boise, Idaho, 58.11 37. Julia Mancuso, Olympic ^ l e y , Calif., 58.70 39. Sarah Schleper, Vail, Colo., 58.85 : 40. Sterling Grant, Amery, Wis., 58.97 44. Juta Ford, tipraufi, Wbsh., 1:00.43 DNF; Lindsey Vonn, Vail, Colo. W... Park City Performing Arts Foundation presents Vienna Teng & Alex Wong p&)iscovery Series FAVRE If ••#> PACKERS FINE ART FOR ARMCHAIR QUARTERBACKS Into Brett Farve more than Picasso? Fabulous framing of all types of sports memorabilia '•f - ~ Saturday D e c e m b e r 1 2 7:30 p.m. PEAK ART& FRAME Taking Art Higher Between Staples & Pier 1 next to Wai Mart at Kimball Junction Singer/pianist Vienna Tcng and percussionist Alex Wong have crafted a' sound that the Associated Press calls "ambitious yet always tuneful ... gorgeous and haunting." In live performance, using an array of instruments alone with looping pedals and effects-but no pre'recorded tracks of any kind-the duo veers from intimate to epic and back again, showcasing their love for an ever-widening range of genres: folk, pop, classical, jazz, country, even atonal modern music. Tickets: $30 reserved, $15 general admission Open 7 days a week-Mon-Sat 10am-7pm-Sunday 12pm-4pm 435.649.0801 www.peakartanclframe.com PARK CITY PERFORMING ARTS FOUNDATION A O~ I T S V;^ . ,. GEORGE S.& DOLORES DORE ECCLES CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 1750 Keams Boulevard, Park City |