No snow for Dow’s Giant Slalom race

| 20/02/2010

Cayman Islands News, Grand Cayman sports news, Cayman Winter Olympian Dow Travers(CNS): Cayman will have to wait another two days before they see the country’s first ever Winter Olympian take to the slopes of Whistler’s Creekside at the Vancouver games. Dow Travers, who is competing in the Giant Slalom, will now race on Tuesday 23 February instead of Sunday as scheduled. The race has been delayed as a result of a lack of a fundamental ingredient for skiers– snow.  Travers will be in the starting line for the first course of some 80 skiers from around the world for a race that will last for just over a minute.

The racers will then face a second newly laid out course where the top 30 finishers from the first run will be swapped around to increase the competitive tension. The times from both races will be combined to find a winner. The first race is scheduled to take place at around 12.30 Cayman Time and the second at 4pm.

Giant slalom generally covers just over 50 gates and this course is a little shy of 5000 feet long. The race combines the speed of the downhill race with the technicality of slalom racing and its quick turns. Skiers are moving at around 40 miles an hour. Although the sport has traditionally been dominated by European skiers, American Ted Ligety is currently favourite for the gold, and while the medal my not be very likely to come to the Caribbean everyone in Cayman will be rooting for Travers to make a great showing and crossing their fingers for him to make a personal best.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Today’s the big day, Good Luck Dow!!

  2. Anthony Travers says:

      Dow will race with Bib 101. 

  3. Anonymous says:

    There is a ton of snow on the mountains….too much in fact.  That’s why it was delayed!

    • Anthony Travers says:

       The heavy  snow is at the higher elevations.The  course is set low to enable spectators to view the finish . The problem is the ambient temperature which is so high that  precipitation has fallen at the lowerelevations as rain. The temperature is such that  snow cats cannot groom out the undulations and ruts because the snow is so soft  they will go through to dirt . Normally any new  snow would have been mechanically groomed in but the one night snow fell last week  it had to be dealt with by ski patrol using their skis which creates an inconsistent surface and caused the delays.  The organisers  are trying to water  inject at night when the temperature drops below freezing but the ice doesn’t stay when the direct sun hits it after 11am .At best the course is extremely difficult as a result and there have been a number of high speed crashes in the speed events. The first GS run is at 9.30am 23rd Feb.  Likely Dow will start at the back of the pack. No race  list has been published yet but we anticipate about 80 racers . The main question will be how the course holds up over two races running late into the warmth of the day .Television coverage does not give a good perception of the steepness of the pitch  nor the undulations and ruts. For the best understanding of the rutting on the course  watch the ski edges in the  slow motion shots.Thank you for all your email good  wishes .Dow is relaxed and free skied the hill this morning with his coach.    

  4. Anonymous says:

    Good Luck Dow!!

  5. KeeKee Fan says:

    Happy Big, er, Trim Mac went to the games. If he didn’t go, we’d hear another story!!!  Hang in there Kee Kee – keep stepping to your own drummer and fear no one.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Is Dow Travers the son of Tony Travers? Sorry, but I never heard of him until this news story.

    • Anonymous says:

      Yes.

      • Anonymous says:

        Ah, that explains why Mac and crew were there! Good that they were supporting Dow and good that he is representing the Cayman Islands, but did they need to travel there at the expense of the country in these tough financial times?

  7. Anonymous says:

    Mac comes rushing back to Cayman because of Chuckie’s protest !!!!

    The Chuckster got himon his toes once again !!!!!!!! 🙂

  8. Anonymous says:

    there is plenty snow just check the web cams for whistler!!!

  9. Anonymous says:

    All that hot air that Mac and his cronies spread around probably caused the climate to change at the Olympic site. It is only because some of them are leaving Vancouver this weekend that the games can resume next week.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Mckeeva arranged the whole thing so he and his croonies could stay a few more days on the taxpayers dollars.

     

    • Anonymous says:

      Wont he be staying to the end so he can attend the closing ceremony , then I guess he will need to go to London to see how the preparations are going for 2012 – afterall  Cayman will no doubt be putting a bid in to be host nation at somepoint  

      • Anonymous says:

        I heard that Mac and Dart are looking into hosting at Camana Bay.

        Mount trashmore should be high enoough for the Downhill event by then.