Alright everyone, time to inform you of my plan for the coming season. Please bare with me for it is all subject to change. Which basically means I don’t even have a firm grasp of that plan yet myself. Hah! We’ll figure it out but for now, let me tell you…
I have been in this sport a while. Most literally, my entire life. For that time I have trained and raced exclusively for Green Mountain Valley School. It is a great program and has taught me not only invaluable lessons in ski racing, but has also shaped me into, (I think), an okay individual. Teaching me not only to excel on the hill but also to strive to be caring, and most of all respectful to the people around you. I have taken all of those lessons to heart and I like to think that I don’t have too many enemies out there because of it.That all said I plan to ski and train with GMVS again for most of the season next year. However,
At the end of last season I felt deflated. The winter was long and although there were sparks of greatness, those sparks fell in the wrong places and failed to start a fire. I felt the need for a change of scenery and something to revamp my drive to push myself. I started looking for options out west. The east is great but for early season skiing, there is something left to be desired. Not long after I started branching out I came into contact with Guenther Birgmann. I met Guenther a few years prior and was coached by him at a NDS (National Development System) camp that I attended. I liked him instantly. He is an Austrian with his “no bull shit” ways and if you suck, you suck. This is what you must do to get better.
This summer he informed me that he was bringing together a group of 12 kids ranging from U18s to U21s (17-21 yr olds) in an elite group (dubbed “TCRA-USA”) focussed on racing Nor-Ams and elite F.I.S races. A group of the Nations best, to give them the best chance at making the National team. Perfect, just what I need!
On roughly October 23rd or 24th Chelsea and I are packing up my Subie and hitting the road! We will be driving cross country for the mecca of pre-season training and early season racing in Colorado. She, with the US Ski Team. Me, with Mr. Guenther Birgmann! I have decided the best path for me to reach my on snow potential is to get as much quality training in as I can. (Pretty obvious, right?) Being off snow for most of the summer was not so ideal and thats why joining up with TCRA-USA will be so invaluable. Being in Colorado for an extended amount of time will give me the quality training I need that the east, simply can not supply in the early months of ski season.
So, my plan as of now is to race and train with TCRA-USA for the duration of November and December. At which point I will fly back east for Christmas and most likely join my friends (who are really like family) at GMVS again. After that we will re-evaluate and find the best road for my success. Mentally I am ready to walk that road. Physically I am too. Guess all I have to focus on now is not sucking on skis! Should be an easy matter.
So there it is, a rough outline of where I want to be in the next two months. I usually don’t know what I am doing tomorrow so for me, thats a pretty big accomplishment. I will miss my friends and family for the short time I am away. GMVS has not only given me a great basis for my life but the multitude of friendships and memories I have formed there are priceless. Whether it was Chris Frank giving me endless amounts of grief for god knows what or Luc, my 70 year old coach beating me in a push up contest during my physical testing last year. (Chris, I know you love me deep down, and Luc I let you win.) But I am psyched to meet my new team and make new memories. (And awesome new edits!) See you in November for some shredding!
-Tucker
If you would like to read more about Guenther and his program check out this link
http://www.skiracing.com/?q=node/12704
Life.Love.Skiing. 