» spot Conor Davis

AK Comp Update #3

Yesterday was the last day of the Telepalooza World Comp. After hiking the Headwall four times in order to compete in both Alpine and Telemark I made it into both Super Finals!!! In the Telemark Super Final I pioneered a gnarly line, billy goating down a narrow 65° rocky face named the “Headstone.” From the Headstone i dropped into a chute, and then skied back into exposure as i hit a few features on the spine on the left side of the chute. I continued to down into the skirt making fast tele-turns through the sluff/avalanche debris fields. I stomped the telemark super final run, but a bobble/hipcheck from the day before kept me from reaching the top spot, I ended up in 6th place.

The Alpine super final didn’t go as smoothly, I skied the same line down the Headstone (it had considerably less snow the second time) all was well as I made my way to hit the other, higher scoring, spine on the right hand side. However, after I aired a small feature near the top, my skies loaded up, threw me, and I got high-sided. I rag-dolled over rocks and down the steep face, and I was finally able to use my pole to self-arrest after having it break three times on previous attempts. I saw blood pouring from my face and I immediately waved for help. Thanks to my helmet, spine-guard and mouth-guard I only ended up with a broken pair of goggles, a broken pole, a broken nose, a few cuts on my face, and a black eye… I did however, win the “Tough Guy Award” for both hiking up the head-wall a total of six times, and getting my self together and skiing down after my crash. I’m going to take a day off, but I might be up for night skiing later…