Mark Fawcett

Super G: What keeps these guys going? It sure as hell isn't fame or fortune.

When I rolled up to the Super G course late this morning (hey, sorry-the god damn editor "forgot" to phone in my credentials) it was oddly quiet. Not quiet, exactly, but vacant-like an apartment after someone's moved out. Sure, there were some people gathered at the finish line, a few coaches skiing around, a hand full of athletes checking out the scoreboard, and maybe a half-dozen photographers scattered about the course (or maybe they were gatekeepers?), but there was something missing.

Come to think of it, there was a lot missing. There sure as hell weren't any cowbells ringing on the sidelines Tomba-style. That might've been because there was no announcer to tell anyone who was on course, and no clock to show their times. There were no sponsor banners, leaving the course naked and hollow looking, with an ugly looking speed jump at the very bottom that seemed to add insult to injury. It was about four feet to flat and almost painful to watch-try sticking an air on a pencil thin board, legs all contorted under a 45-degree, 15 inch stance. Ouch! You're killing me, stop it!

But look into the eyes of Mark "Fuzzy" Fawcett and see a man possessed. Another win for the Canadian vet, who should give positive attitude seminars to the rest of the professional snowboarding community. Quit yer bitchin' already! I mean this guy never quits-he's the most consistent racer on the tour, with more time on the podium than most of those huck-for-dollars freestyle riders with multi-million dollar contracts will ever see (we won't mention any names). He loved the course, had a great time, and didn't really seem to care or notice the lack of support on the part of event organizers. As far as he's concerned, racing is the hottest thing going on and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Steffi won by four seconds. Count them. . . four seconds.

Never mind the fact that his team, Cross M, pretty much dissolved when half the riders decided it was time to make a living, or have fun freeriding-or (in most cases) both. It was weird seeing ex-Cross M head coach Jerry Masterpool, the man behind the whip, skiing down the side of the course on his mini skis. I guess he still has Fawcett to look after, but no more team to train, no more asses to kick, no more lives to dominate with rigorous training and hectic world cup race schedules. Now it's just the wife and kids and his mega-ranch in Nevada where the only whip that's cracking is the one on the cattle's asses.

I found Betsy Shaw just kind of standing around sideline, mid-course where she had just crashed. "I just don't feel like going down there and explaining to everyone what happened," she said. The Open has always been bad luck for Betsy. Despite her success on the world cup tour (can you say World GS Champion?) she always chokes on home turf. It's the same thing year after year-a frustrating prospect for an athlete who spends more time in Europe and Japan than she does Stateside. But if this event is any indication of the state of Alpine racing in the U.S., than it's easy to understand why she travels so much.

On a more positive note, Lisa Kasglow seemed pretty stoked, and content with a fifth place finish. After the fire she had under her ass last year in a do-or-die attempt to get to the Olympics, she's mellowed out quite a bit. Nagano was a huge disappointment for Lisa. She almost died when I told her that Ron Chiodi had the Olympic rings tattooed on his back and that Adam Hostetter (whom she dated at one point) wore his Olympic ring on a regular basis. "Ugh, that makes me sick! I just want to forget it ever happened!" she said. Rosey Fletcher was on the same wavelength. "I won't be going back to Japan for a long, long time," she told me in the base lodge.

Without goals like the Olympics, and the lack of event and spectator support at one of the biggest contests in the world, what keeps these guys going? "I'll never stop racing," Lisa explained when I asked her why she doesn't just drop into the freeriding scene. "I love going fast."

Pipe Dragon and crew working through the night.

Second that emotion for one multi-talented Leslee Olson, who is competing in every event at the Open: Super G, Big Air, Halfpipe and Boardercross. Stay tuned 'cause hopefully if I don't get too distracted, I'm gonna try to catch up with Leslee later this weekend for an in-depth interview to gain some perspective on her out-of-hand ambition. She took it pretty mellow today because with Big Air practice going on at the same time as the race, she hardly had time to scope out the course with all the presto-change-o she has going on with her equipment and all that shit. She's like Wonder Woman going from those secretary clothes into her leotard get up-and those GS suits aren't too far off from the style superheroes are runnin.'

You gotta love the racers. They don't give a shit about the hype. Hold your glasses up to em tonight-I know I will!

Stay tuned for more loose commentary from ex-TWS editor Ali Berkley whose screws got a little loose from riding all that pow in Jackson this season.