High Winds Postpone U.S. Champs Slalom
SUGARLOAF, Maine (March 21) - Overnight winds gusted up to 90 mph and are predicted to continue throughout the day forcing organizers to postpone the start of the 2008 Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships one more day, starting now with slalom at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday.
Competition will begin with Saturday's slalom, along with evening opening ceremonies, slalom awards and a U.S. Ski Team autograph session featuring newly crowned World Cup overall champion Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) set for later that evening.
"Sugarloaf has been doing a great job preparing the venues and each day to be race ready," said Calum Clark, USSA vice president of events. "We now have two competition hills ready to go and are just waiting for the weather to allow us to race. The plan still calls for us to get in every event and we'll do the best we can to make sure it happens."
A three-day storm battered the Carrabassett Valley beginning Wednesday producing six inches of snow and winds in excess of 90 mph. Saturday's forecast calls for lighter winds and snow as the system moves off to the south. The remaining race schedule will be determined following Saturday's slalom.
"We're in an outdoor sport with any number of variables that can change the schedule," said Marco Sullivan (Squaw Valley, CA), reigning U.S. downhill champion and winner of the famed Kandahar World Cup downhill earlier this season in Chamonix, France. "Sugarloaf is doing a the best they can to provide the best possible conditions for us to race and when the weather allows, we'll be ready to go."
Over 150 racers from across the country, who qualified through regional competitions, are scheduled to compete. The event will air Sunday, March 30 at 4 p.m. ET on Versus.
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High Winds Postpone U.S. Champs Slalom
