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July 30-31, 2005
Dubna, Russia, World Cup Stop #1
After training in England for almost a month, I felt ready for the challenging waters in Dubna, Russia. My experience in Russia last year was a disappointment because I was early and missed the finals. I knew this year I was more confident in rough water and ready for the conditions. We arrived in Dubna Thursday evening and Friday morning we went out to the Volga River, where the tournament would be held, to get in a little practice. The sun was shining Friday and the conditions were an obvious improvement from the year before. In practice we would only get two passes to warm up, but that is enough to get the feel of the water.
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Michelle with Russian girls in front of the spectators |
My practice was acceptable, but I have learned never to gage how you will ski in a tournament by how you practice the day before, because you can always do better, or worse. Saturday morning the women’s slalom event was first and I was in the middle of the group. I went out and skied 2 @ 38off (11.25 meters) which in Russia is a pretty respectable score. The best score of the day was 4 @ 38 off (11.25 meters). My score put me in the 3rd position for the next day in the finals. In the finals, I ran 35off (12 meters) again, which in Russia for me was an accomplishment in itself, a big improvement from the year before. When I got to 38 off I messed up my gate setup and fell around 1 buoy which would mean a score of ½ @ 38 off. I ended up in 4th place. I really wanted to be on the podium, but I realized in Russia that I was getting closer and closer to the top.
Beyond the skiing, my experience in Russia is always something to remember. Many of the World Cup Stops have translators, or helpers, that
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Michelle with a group of the pro girls
at the Russia final night banquet |
are usually college age girls who volunteer their time for the weekend to help us communicate and get around. The girls in Dubna are always fun to talk to and they have been so hospitable the past two years. I enjoyed speaking to the girls about their educational experiences and just life in general. Most of the girls are studying English, which is what I’m studying, so it was interesting to compare the differences in what we learn. I always find that these personal experiences are sometimes the best part of the trip.
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