The team as a whole is off to a strong start, opening the season with second-place finishes at finishing second in the Bates College and University of New Hampshire Carnivals and winning last weekend's carnival at the University of Vermont.
After losing earlier in the season to UVM, the Dartmouth ski team soundly defeated the Catamounts at their home course last weekend, winning by a score of 916-735. The Nordic teams dominated the competition, winning nine out of the 12 possible medals. Alpine rookie Ben Morse '14, who finished first in the giant slalom and second in the slalom, highlighted the performance.
Members of the team said they are looking to build on this positive momentum as they head into the weekend.
"Coming off of last weekend, we have a lot more confidence, and on top of that, being at our home hill is very exciting," alpine skier Annie Rendall '13 said.
The relatively warm and dry winter, despite appearing to be a disadvantage to non-racers, has actually provided almost ideal conditions for the alpine teams this weekend.
"Man-made snow created a good base at the beginning of the year, which allowed us to last through the warmer periods," alpine skier Trace Smith '15 said. "Hard snow or icier snow is better for alpine skiing and the periods of warming and cooling make for optimal conditions."
The team is nonetheless facing some unexpected challenges this week. Because of a lack of snow in the Upper Valley, the Nordic races have been moved away from Oak Hill, the home course of the Dartmouth team, to Stowe, Vt. This change essentially eliminates the unique home advantage that the Dartmouth teams would have enjoyed.
Nordic skier Sam Tarling '13 said he was not fazed by this last minute change of plans.
"Racing at Oak Hill is a huge advantage for us since it is so technical and the climbs are long, but we have raced at Stowe a ton, and it will be a good alternative," he said.
The change also has the effect of removing the Nordic skiers from all of the events and distractions that surround Dartmouth's world-famous Winter Carnival.
Tarling said that while the events, such as the now-canceled human dog sled race and Polar Bear Swim are fun, it can be tough to stay focused on skiing with all of the added distractions.
"It is always nice to be able to be a part of the festivities on campus, but it certainly is easier to get adequate sleep and catch up on work when we're away," he said.
The alpine skiers acknowledged the need to stay focused on skiing despite the many other events going on around campus this weekend. Rendall said she was not worried about her team's focus, noting that everyone spends most of the weekend together at team dinners or at the Skiway on race days. Despite missing some of the events, she said that it helps "to be separated from all of it."
"As a team, our heads are in the right place and we'll be able to focus on the skiing, but you can only control so much," Smith said.
The men's alpine team also took a significant hit this week as Trevor Leafe '12 was injured in training, forcing him to the bench for the remainder of the season. Leafe was one of the top three skiers on the men's team and had been an important part of the team's success so far.
Smith said that the injury was a "big blow, but it opens opportunities for some other skiers who can take advantage of some starts. Someone's going to have to step up this week."
The Carnival begins on Friday with the men's and women's giant slalom competition along with the women's five-kilometer and men's 10-kilometer freestyle races.
The competition continues on Saturday with the slalom races for the alpine racers and women's 10-kilometer and men's 15-kilometer classical Nordic races.
Even with the Nordic events moved away from campus, the alpine team plans to take advantage of its lone opportunity to perform in front of a home crowd. The team is planning a tailgate at the Skiway Saturday afternoon, and they expect annual 99-cent ski day on Friday to draw crowds.
The alpine skiers are also looking forward to competing at home in their biggest showcase of the regular season. Smith, a freshman, expressed excitement about experiencing the atmosphere for the first time.
"We're trying to use the Carnival spirit to our advantage and get people fired up to come watch," he said.
In addition to the extra fan support, the team looks to benefit from experience on an unusual course at the Skiway.
"Warden's is a very different [giant slalom] hill from most of the places where we have races in the way it's set up, with a steep going onto a long flat," Rendall said. "Especially in the [giant slalom], we have an advantage training there often."
