February 21, 2009 – Yesterday will be a day I’ll never forget. Filled with enough drama for a Hollywood screenplay, there were so many feel-good background stories and comeback moments to make a darn right compelling movie! All set against a backdrop of high winds, swirling snows, and changing wax conditions as the day’s drama unfolded in Liberec.

The first amazing chapter was written by Lindsey Van of Park City, in the women’s ski jumping debut event. Van stunned the field with a jump of 97.5 meters to take the gold medal. The 13-time US National champion has lead the charge for women’s ski jumping for more than a decade and and now she lead the world at the first appearance of women’s ski jumping as a full medal sport at the FIS Nordic World Championships.

Van’s trial jump was only 63 meters, but she bounced back, all while working on a new in-run position. Lindsey and all the women jumpers can feel a special pride for what they’ve accomplished. I know how hard they have all worked, and they are true pioneers of their sport. Years from now we will look back on this day to fully appreciate what happened on Friday. Van, the soft-spoken fire plug, who has had to overcome serious injuries in her career, summed it up nicely…”This is a victory for all of the women. I am one happy girl today.”

My longtime pal, and former Universal Sports co-commentator (last year) Todd Lodwick is no doubt happy that he made the decision to leave the broadcast booth and a return to competition after two+ years in “retirement”. Todd is one tough hombre, and what he did over the last two years is not exactly what I would call retirement. My idea of retirement is Tiki drinks with tiny umbrellas, Coronas, golf and a soft trade wind on Maui. Fortunately, Todd doesn’t see it the way I do. Good thing, BUB !

His gold medal for the US Nordic Combined Ski Team yesterday was simply extraordinary. Man, he’s not working on a come-back – he’s are already there! This was Todd’s first Nordic Combined World Championship medal – he lead the xc portion of the combined event with team mate Billy Demong in third and then the jump portion was delayed a day due to wind and snow conditions. The next day Todd was taken off the jumping start bar three nerve-racking times – that’s enough to get any flyer’s heart racing and break concentration – but it didn’t.

Lodwick, a native of Steamboat Springs announced his comeback last summer in an email entitled…”You Better Watch Out”.
Billy Demong of Vermontville, NY was a fine fifth place. Lowick has been a seven time member of a FIS World Championhip team for the USA.

In a conference call with Lodwick yesterday afternoon he told me the hill in Liberac reminds he alot of his home hill in Steamboat—“it flies the same, and that gave me confidence”, he said. On the win, “I still can’t believe it, it’s like a fairy tale”, he said in his understated way.

Also mark Friday as another awe inspiring day for tough xc star, Kris Freeman of Andover, NH. Freeman was less than two seconds out of the bronze medal spot for fourth place. The race was won by 38-year-old (the oldest medal winner ever at a Nordic worlds) Andrus Veerpalu, with local fav Lukas Bauer skiing to second place in the men’s 15 km classical race. Third was a bit of a surprise with Matti Heikkinen, 25, of Finland skiing to the bronze, despite having never been on a World Cup podium before—ever.

Afterward Freeman told me, “I definitely felt ready, especially after a very frustrating season. My legs have been hurting all season, and I will have surgery March 3 in Vail for compartment syndrome, so my season will be over in a week, but this is great today.” Freeman has been treated before for the disorder, having a previous surgery in 2001. The two time Olympian, who began skiing in the NENSA program in New England with the Andover program, said the waxing for the race was really tricky with temps hovering about 32F.

“I have great skis,” he added that coaches and wax techs did a great job with waxing. He told me that he would not ski any of the skate races at Worlds, “…with my injury skating just hurts my toes too much”. Clearly dedpite all that has happened, Kris is on top of his game.

Kudos, too for Sara Renner for her wonderful 9th place finish in the 10k event.

As always it’s the athletes who write the stories, with their skiing, their drive, grit and verve. And we, who stand back and watch in awe are all the richer for it.