Landgraaf Europa Cup and SnowWorld

The Camp all returned safely to The States last night.  Our demanding journey kicked right in at 9am.  We sped to the Dusseldorf airport in a shuttle manned by a Dutch criminal who robbed me of my last Euros and dollars.   It's a good thing Serena had my back with some contest Euros, and I was able to pay the scoundrel in full.
SnowWorld provided quite an experience.  Upon arrival the thought of a hotel, ski area, gym, spa, restaurants and bars all under one roof was appealing and exciting.  In the first Team Captain meeting the host advised that while there was really no need to leave The Dome, we should all find time to step out and get some fresh air.  By the end of the trip the hotel channeled Stephen King's The Shining locale.  Jeremy Thompson and I are the only ones who ended up leaving for long.  A 500 set staircase leads up the landfill that supports SnowWorld.  At the top is a viewing point overlooking Germany and Belgium.  Those with WWII knowledge could appreciate the history of this crossroads.

Our first day on the slopes was pleasantly productive with small jumps and some good rails.  Temps were low but the laps were hot with the 40 second T-bar rides.  A young local named Mees quickly introduced himself and demanded to know how Americans from Breckenridge could be so obviously enjoying themselves in The Dome.  Mees quickly became our Dutch guide, as did his father Martin.

Mees

JT

This tire later exacted revenge upon me for this switch air

  We came to the event wondering if doubles or 10s could be done on indoor jumps.  By the end we lost count of how many we witnessed.  The course hosted some amazing runs from an international field.  Serena Shaw ended up in 4th in a decision the the judges even questioned.  She fell on the last rail in an otherwise flawless first run in finals.  Under pressure she repeated the run top to bottom, showing true grit.






  Brett Moody, clearly favored by fans and the announcer himself, rode like a wildman, and only a bit of the wild-stlye on rail two kept him off the top of that podium.
Jeremy Thompson fell on a front 10 in his first, otherwise top 5 run.  Like Serena he came back and landed the run, and somehow scored lower.  These flagrant fouls led me storming to the panel, to no avail.  An inspiring day led to a frustrating evening.  What to do but catch up with Mees and Martin for the going away party!
Nothing too crazy though, we had a shuttle to Dusseldorf at 9am…….

MOODY AND JT SHOW YOU SNOWWORLD

And to the fans at Ayer Shirley, don't forget to wish Mrs. Shiely a Happy Birthday on Monday.