Hinterstoder SG

     Yesterday (17.12) the organizers decided to make 2 Super-G races to start off the races in Hinterstoder with. For me it was not a good day result wise but a good one learning wise. In the first run I was out because I got the wrong line. I did not work enough during the course etc etc. In the second one I corrected was needed to be corrected but unfortunately my ski went off. The binding was set on 17 (170 kg). There was this really important turn where the pressure needed to be stronger than normal. So I did. I guess my ski did not like it so much. Flew right off and I had a spectacular fall at about aprox. 90-80 km/h I would say. But no problem. I was fine, not a scratch. It is actually quite fun to fall when it ends well :). Confident about the Downhill in the next days. My number today was 86 out of 130.

     Ieri (16.12) organizatorii cursei de la Hinterstoder au decis sa inceapa cu 2 concursuri de Super G. Pentru mine nu a fost bun rezultatul dar experianta pretioasa. In prima mansa am iesit din traseu dupa mai multe greseli, nu am fost pe linia buna astfel m-a scos din traseu. A doua a fost mai bine, am corectat ce era de corectat fata de prima insa la un viraj unde presiunea trebuia sa fie mai mare mi-a sarit schiul. Legaturile erau stranse la 17 (170 kg). Am avut o cazatura spectaculoasa (din ce mi s-a spus, eu nu m-am simtit foarte spectaculos) cam la 80-90 km/h insa am scapat fara nici o zgarietura. Sa fiu sincer cazaturile imi plac cat timp se evita accidentarile :). Sunt increzator in legatura cu Coborarile ce vor urma. Numarul meu astazi a fost 86 din 130.

Val Gardena

   First race. Kind of. 2 Super G and 2 Super Combined in Val Gardena (ITA). The result was not good, quite bad to be honest. But no problem, that’s what first races are for. Get a grip of the slope, get back in the racing state of mind. I truly learned a lot from this race. In the end I must say I am satisfied with the overall experience. Now it is on. Next race: Hinterstoder, Austria (17-20.12). The place where me and downhill first met J, same time last year.

   Primul concurs. Oarecum. 2 Super-G si 2 Super Combinate in Val Gardena (ITA). Rezultatul nu a fost bun, ba chiar rau. Dar nu este problema, pentru asta sunt primele concursuri. Familiarizeaza partia cat poti de mult, intra in atmosfera de concurs. Am invatat multe lucruri din aceasta cursa si pot spune ca sunt multumit cu rezultatul overall din aceste 2 zile. Gata, a inceput. Urmatoarea cursa: Hinterstoder, Austria (17-20.12). Locul unde am facut cunostinta cu Coborarea J, anul trecut pe vremea asta.

Oportunitati

   Este timpul sa ma spovedesc. In momentul in care l-am ales pe domnul Hans Frick sa imi fie antrenor nu stiam foarte bine cine este, ce rezultate a avut, de ce este in stare. M-am gandit ca pare un om bun si ar trebui sa incercam, sa vedem ce se intampla. Intre timp, in aceste 2 luni jumatate am aflat tot ce era de aflat. Oamenii cu adevarat valorosi nu se dau mari. Plec capul in fata sa. Nu exista o cale mai buna.  Este foarte pasionat de schi alpin si de rezultate, sa faca ceva din nimic. Cu mine spre exemplu. Ce antrenor de top din Austria ar lua un roman de 23 de ani, fara o tehnica de baza, care cunoaste schiul mai putin decat un junior de 15 ani din Austria, incercand sa ajunga cu el in Cupa Mondiala intr-o buna zi? Apropo, fara sa il intereseze banii. Pe zi ce trece imi dau seama din ce in ce mai mult cat de norocos sunt ca Georg si Hans m-au acceptat in echipa lor, oferindu-mi astfel conditii de care nu a avut parte un roman de foarte multa vreme. Cu exceptia lui Dan Cristea, poate sunt singurul. Sa explic ce inseamna asta. Pe 9-10 decembrie a fost pentru prima oara cand am urcat noaptea cu gondola. De ce? Pentru ca am avut incredibila oportunitate sa ma antrenez alaturi de lotul de Cupa Europei a Austriei (a doua echipa a tarii).  Raiteralm, Super-G, partie inchisa, combinezon, timp, top! 4 manse in conditii de concurs. Poftim? 4 manse? Nu e prea putin? NU. E perfect.  Acesta este inca un lucru care l-am invatat acest sezon. Ce inseamna cu adevarat caliltate cand vine vorba de antrenamentul pe schiuri (una dintre lucrurile pentru care Romania este unde este in ziua de azi la schi alpin, voi reveni la acest subiect). Poate va intrebati ce mare lucru sa te antrenezi in asa conditii cu austriecii, toata lumea poate. GRESIT.  De obicei nimeni nu poate si asta e ideea. Daca nu faceam parte din echipa lui Hans aveam sansa porcului de Craciun J. Sa dau un exemplu mai pe intelesul tuturor, ca sa ilustrez ce inseamna asta. Joci la Steaua Bucuresti, te antrenezi cu FC Barcelona. Oportunitatile incredibile care imi apar in cale (calea schiurilor) imi ridica moralul si imi dau incredere in mine. Timpii care i-am obtinut in aceste antrenamente in comparatie cu cei mai buni ai Autriei sunt foarte imbucuratori. Semn ca am inceput pe un drum foarte bun.  Am cautat un drum, l-am ales pe acesta. Ideal. Tot ce ramane de facut acuma este sa ascult cuvintele ce provin din imnul clubului mei de fotbal preferat, si sa fac ce spun ele. Walk on…and You’ll Never Walk Alone.

Opportunities

        Confession time. When I choose mister Hans Frick to be my coach I did not know who he was, what he has done, what he can do. I said to myself he is a good guy and I should give it a go. So I found out in the last 2 months and a half all I wanted to know about him. I bow my head to him and say I could have not make a better decision. For sure, by far. He is a very passionate man about skiing and is interested about getting results, making something out of nothing. Take me for instance. What top Austrian coach would take a 23 year old Romanian guy who has no skiing technique whatsoever and knows less about true skiing than a Austrian 15 year old, to try to get with him one day in the World Cup?  With money not important? I cannot stress this enough. How extremely lucky I am Hans and Georg accepted me into their team and offer me conditions I am sure no Romanian had in a really long time. Except Dan Cristea, maybe not ever. For instance take the days of 9-10 December. First time in my life I got up the mountain at night. I was in the gondola and it was night outside. Why, you ask? Because I had the immense privilege to be training alongside the Austrian European Cup team (second team of Austria) in a Super-G course in beautiful Raiteralm. Closed slope, timing, race suit, the works! Four runs in this course, that’s it. Just four runs you are asking? That’s another thing. I have finally understood what quality training means (one of the things because countries like Romania is where it is in the world of skiing, but more on that later). Some of you are probably wondering what’s the big deal training like this, same conditions as the Austrians. Anyone can do it. WRONG. Almost nobody can do it and that’s the point. If I would not have Hans as a coach I could never get even close to them. Let me give you an example of what I mean in football terms. You play for Steaua Bucharest, you train with FC Barcelona. The immense opportunities appearing right before my skis boast my confidence an awful lot. The times I did in these trainings compared to the best in Austria is also a very good sign of a very good path I started to walk on. I’ve been looking for it, I’ve got on it hoping it is the good one. What do you know…it is better than that. Now it is truly the time to embrace that famous saying of my favorite football club. Walk on…and You’ll Never Walk Alone.