It's All Downhill: Let Lindsey race

[View web version] [It's All Downhill] [Friday, January 20] [Follow Matt Pepin] [Make it happen] One of the US's greatest ski racers, Lindsey Vonn, [told the Denver Post she wants to race against men]. T he US ski team supports her. But the guy who runs women's World Cup ski racing isn't keen on it. "I just don't see the interest," FIS women's race director Atle Skaardal [told the Post]. "For me it's a meaningless comparison. It doesn't matter if she's one second behind or a half-second ahead. We compete female against female and men against men. To me it doesn't matter if one gender is faster or slower. It doesn't mean it's a good idea, just because it's of interest to one racer. I haven't heard of any other sport being dragged into this kind of position." Apparently he hasn't heard of Billy Jean King, the PGA Tour welcoming Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie, or the NHL giving Manon Rheaume a chance to play goal in preseason games. There are many other similar instances. It's a pretty unbelievable stance for a sport that should embrace the kind of publicity a Vonn vs. men race would generate. Injecting a story line like this would be huge for ski racing's profile because it would take the sport far beyond its niche. Look at what outdoor games on Jan. 1 has done for the NHL. Look at what having a big air competition at Fenway Park did for freestyle skiing and snowboarding. The NCAA has played basketball games on aircraft carriers. All clever twists to the norm that generated a lot of interest. Vonn's fellow racers, both men and women, embrace the idea. So does the place it would likely be held - Lake Louise in Canada. It's time to make it happen. KUDOS TO WACHUSETT: More than 150 ski areas in the United States and Canada participated in the annual World's Largest Lesson Day on Jan. 6, and of them all, Wachusett had the best attendance with 168. New Jersey's Mountain Creek was second with 163 and Ski Butternut in Great Barrington, Mass., was third with 130. Here's a look at some of Wachusett's turnout, courtesy of Andrew Santoro: [Wachusett_lesson] IMPORTANT DISTINCTION: The Green Mountain Valley School announced a partnership with the US Ski and Snowboard Association that makes GMVS a US ski team development site and a US ski team high performance center. Located in Fayton, Vt., GMVS features a 30,000 square-foot racing performance center and has students in grades seven through post-graduate. "The US ski team's designation is a key component of our mission and what we strive to become. We're honored to be a committed part of their vision for training and development," said Steve Utter, GMVS's Alpine program director, in a press release. SPEAKING OF SKI RACING: This is one of the best weeks of the year, smack in the middle of one of the best months of the year, for ski racing. The famous Hahnenkamm men's downhill at Kitzbuehel is Saturday (televised on tape-delay at 4:30 p.m. on NBCSN), and a women's downhill is at Garmisch Partenkirchen the same day (3 p.m., Universal HD). Next week, the men's downhill shifts to Garmisch and the women are in Cortina d'Ampezzo Italy. Unfortunately, the men's downhill last week at Wengen was canceled. In [the latest episode of American Downhiller] on [SkiRacing.com], members of the US ski team provide their unique perspective on the Hahnenkamm. Meanwhile, the International Ski Federation and sponsor Audi posted a series of YouTube videos that take you onto specific parts of the course, including the [Mausefalle], [Steilhang], and [Hausbergkante]. LISTEN UP: I have not encountered a lot of really good skiing podcasts [beyond Alex Kaufman's Wintry Mix], but I've recently come across one I've grown fond of. The High Falutin' Ski Bums podcast is pretty entertaining, probably because it's not entirely about skiing. It's more like the kind of good conversation you might have on the ride to a mountain, or at a quiet apres-ski lounge. The hosts - Mario, Steve, and Brian - do mix in a lot of skiing talk, but also discuss their other passions like marijuana and booze, current events, and interesting news items. [Their website is here], or you can [get the podcasts on iTunes here]. If you know of any cool skiing podcasts, please share - I'm at [matt.pepin@globe.com]. TRIP REPORT: I spent two days last week at Sugarloaf in Maine, and conditions were challenging, to say the least. Some rain each morning made for a lot of mashed potatoes and ice, but there were also some really good spots, especially in the Whiffletree area and at the very summit, from Timberline down to Windrow, and Tote Road top to bottom. I also had another animal encounter, sort of. On one trail early in the morning we spotted a very distinct set of tracks that emerged from the trees, proceeded up the trail about 200 yards, then veered back into the woods. A Facebook friend said it was most likely a coyote. Here's a photo. Any other ideas? [sugarloaf] CHAIRLIFT ACCIDENT UPDATE: The [Vail Daily News reported this week] that the chairlift at Ski Granby in Colorado that had a fatal accident in December had undergone a mechanical overhaul before the incident. A new electronic drive had been installed, and an investigation by the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board showed that a "rare dynamic event" related to the electrical control system caused the fall that killed a Texas mother and injured her two daughters. MORE SKIING HEADLINES: I came across a lot of skiing/snowboarding news this week, and rather than write about each one I'll provide a list of links for you to check out. • The CEO of Burton snowboards [is paying for any female company employee to join her at the women's march in Washington] this weekend. • While not specifically about skiing, [this Boston Globe story] about the city's "snow czar" falling out of love with snow kind of hurts a little bit. • The Weather Network US [posted a great video from Powder Mountain, Utah], of one driver who wasn't exactly great about removing the snow from his vehicle. • A Massachusetts man [was killed in a skiing accident at Sugarbush] in Vermont. • The town of Londonderry, Vt., [plans to honor the history of Burton snowboards with a sculpture]. GREATEST SNOW ON EARTH? Who's to say where the best snow really is? Well, Halley O'Brien [put Utah's claim to that title to the test in the latest edition of The SnowReport]. THE MOUNTAIN REPORT: [This week's visit is to Wachusett], one of my favorite ski areas partly for the convenience but also because they do such a great job making snow and providing a lot of open terrain to disperse their crowds. LOOKING GOOD: Geoff Homer at Shawnee Peak in Maine sent me the photo below, taken by Ryan Chalmers. He also said the mountain is 95 percent open. [shawnee] [Like It's All Downhill? Tell a friend to subscribe]. [Sign up for more Boston Globe newsletters]. About This Email You received this message because you signed up for the It's All Downhill newsletter. To automatically unsubscribe, [please click here.] If you wish to unsubscribe from all BostonGlobe.com newsletters, [please click here.] Please note: this will unsubscribe you from the newsletters only. If you wish to cancel your BostonGlobe.com subscription, please call 1-888-MY-GLOBE (1-888-694-5623). [Manage Your Account] | [Terms of Service] | [Privacy Policy] | [Help Center] | [Advertise] Address: The Boston Globe 135 Morrissey Blvd. Boston, MA 02125 ©Copyright 2017 Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC