Ski Racing - February 27, 2012

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SOLDEU, ANDORRA

The Blowout IN SOLDEU

MARLIES SCHILD STARTS A NEW SLALOM WINNING STREAK AND TESSA WORLEY GRABS HER SECOND GS WIN IN A ROW AT ANDORRA’S WINDY WORLD CUP DEBUT BY ERIC WILLIAMS

For the first time in history, the World Cup women were racing in the tiny principality of Andorra. Their first impression? Windy.

The night before the first of two scheduled giant slaloms, 100 mile-per-hour winds tore through 181-square mile Andorra, perched in the Pyrenees Mountains between the borders of Spain and France. The gusts threw tents and banners into the Valira d’Orient river and destroyed TV towers. After a two-hour delay, during which volunteers tried to patch together all the necessary equipment in the squall, the race was canceled. It was strike two for the race, which had been moved to Soldeu after being canceled by heavy snowfall in Courchevel, France, in mid-December.

After the cancellation, officials plucked equipment from the river, rebuilt part of the finish stadium and opted to flip the remaining schedule. The forecast called for more winds on Saturday, the new slalom day, pushing the giant slalom to Sunday. But the wind wasn’t done yet.