US skiiing legend Daron Rahlves jetted in to the mountainous St Anton in Austria, yesterday to take part in the first ever Red Bull Hüttenrallye – a combination of Skiercross, freeskiing and Super G. He gives us his first impressions of the course in his blog...
'Having taken a good look at the course, I have to say I’m really impressed by the set-up for Red Bull Hütten Rally. The course looks very fast – much faster than the ski-cross sections in the World Cup.
I’d almost say it’s more like a Super-G course with obstacles. Of course the Red Bull Hütten Rally differs in other ways from a normal ski-cross race – for a start, you’ve got to jump over the old huts. Anyway: it's all a bit “rough and ready” – is not as super smooth a World Cup course.
The track is really challenging and many of the amateurs were looking really nervous at the start. But they were all smiling by the end because, like I said, this is a fun course.
As well as all the old cabins, St Anton has a unique spirit: there’s a sense of history about the place. Arlberg is one of the cradles of skiing. While filming here once, I had the privilege of skiing down the hill in old ski equipment – leather boots and wooden skis. The skiing wasn’t so aggressive in the old days. It was more a case of 'falling with style'.
That’s the spirit I’ll take into the competition. Tomorrow I’ve set myself the goal of enjoying myself. The field here is pretty strong. I’d single out the French World Cup skiers as the favourites – they always go at it hard and they’re very comfortable with a quick course. I’d say John Teller (from the USA) and Simon Stickl from Germany will also be in the running.
It’s a pity that the Austrian Ski Federation has pulled their athletes from the competition It would have been great to have them here. After all, the main aim is to have fun.
We’ve got a dinner tonight with all the skiers. I’m going to that with half an eye on the clock as I want to get an early night. I’ve still got a bit of jetlag and I don’t want it to spoil my day.
Catch you later,
Daron
© Red Bull Photofiles
Want more?
- Check out Daron Rahlves website
- Video: What is Red Bull Huettenrallye?
- Gallery: Daron Rahlves in action
- Video: Profile of Daron Rahlves
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