http://timjitloff.com Fri, 04 May 2012 18:12:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 http://timjitloff.com/2012/05/new-update/ http://timjitloff.com/2012/05/new-update/#comments Fri, 04 May 2012 18:12:44 +0000 jit http://timjitloff.com/?p=233 http://timjitloff.com/2012/05/new-update/feed/ 0 http://timjitloff.com/2011/04/january-until-the-end/ http://timjitloff.com/2011/04/january-until-the-end/#comments Tue, 26 Apr 2011 09:55:39 +0000 jit http://timjitloff.com/?p=219 So here we are again! Been a long time coming for an update from me. I think I left off in January and here we are, it’s pretty much May now. I could go through each individual race and talk about how things went, but I’d rather take it by month. January was a fight indeed for me. I made some great progress finding my race form again. For those unaware, I have been struggling for about 2 years to get back to the form I was in GS 2 years ago. I feel like things started to turn again in January. I had some great results, some bad, but I was fighting like hell, and trying to get better everyday. The last 2 years felt like I was going through the motions a little bit and I finally felt like I was interested in getting better every day I was in training; and racing for that matter. I was getting stale just skiing GS, so I branched out into the Super Combined and my positive results there slowly gave me confidence that was certainly lacking. Unfortunately, even after having solid results in GS throughout January, the selection to race GS at World Champs ended up coming down to one race at Hinterstoder. 2 Spots for 3 guys. I crashed. Gameover. I did however have results in the combined, so I ended up racing that in Garmisch. Initially I wasn’t a huge fan of Super Combined because it is really a lot of work, but it has allowed me to freshen up my skiing and give me something fun to do since there are only 6 GS World Cups in a year. My Slalom is still good enough to compete with the best, and I love haulling ass in Downhill. As I said earlier, sometimes just having a good race in anything helps the confidence level rise, and that happened for me in Super Combined. My confidence grew with a 14th place in the SC at the WSC, where I survived damn near crashing face first into the net in the DH portion (blowing all my speed). I then threw down the 2nd fastest slalom run of the day to move from 29th to 14th. I was pleased I had done a good job, and honestly happy it was over because that  DH was super intense. After the WSC in   mid February, I headed to Bansko, Bulgaria for the WC SC there. I ended up  in 8th place. I had a slalom run 1.2 seconds off the fastest SL skier in the world (JB Grange). Not bad for a guy that trained a wopping 3 days of SL since the beginning of the new year. I might have to bring SL back, we’ll see. Either way it was my first top 10 in 2 years so I was pleased. It was also the final SC race so I ended up 22nd in the world rankings for the year! Not bad. That good result gave me tons of confidence and I took it with me into Kranjska Gora GS in early March. I ended up 23rd there, with a not so good 2nd run. Nothing special but, again more confidence to be  back scoring points in GS after some time. The interesting thing is that all the training and hard work was beginning to build and pay off. The “better every day” metallity was working for me. In Kranjska I scored points, but that wasn’t what was important. What was important is that my GS at that point was about half way there, in terms of quality, compared to where I ended the season at. I was still figuring things out in Kranjska, but when I got back home in the US for some Nor-Ams things started getting back to feeling easy and natural. I needed FIS points and I got them in Whistler. I won my first Nor-Am in who knows how many years by a healthy margin to get a 6. The 2nd day I tried a repeat but I was against some odds on the 1st run with some bad light and weather, so I ended up having to make up a deficit on the 2nd run.  I  almost pulled it off, but missed the win by something like .04 hundies. Oh well, I got what I needed. Things came to an end at US Nationals, I again just missed winning the GS title  there by a couple .08 hundies. I actually fell down on the 1st run, so I was still happy with 2nd. The rest of the races there were very much a “where you started is where you finished” scenario and I didn’t exactly nail good start numbers, so suffice it to say I was there for the ride. The season came to a close, and I bailed for vacation time. All in all, I was pleased with the season. It wasn’t great by any stretch of the the imagination, but I am again making progress and building on my hard work. Next stop, summer. Laters!]]> http://timjitloff.com/2011/04/january-until-the-end/feed/ 0 http://timjitloff.com/2010/12/end-2010-new-year-begins/ http://timjitloff.com/2010/12/end-2010-new-year-begins/#comments Sun, 26 Dec 2010 19:00:21 +0000 jit http://timjitloff.com/?p=211 It’s been a while since my last update, so here’s a little catch up! The World Cup Giant Slalom  season got underway in Beaver Creek in early December at the Birds of Prey course. I had a solid day, finishing 23rd overall. I was happy to get back on the horse a little bit with that one, as it is always good to get some World Cup points. After the race I headed over to Europe to race two more World Cup GS races before Christmas break. The first was in  Val D ‘Isere, France. The hill has never been my favorite, so I knew I was going to have to battle. I ended 32nd on the 1st run. missed the cut off by a few hundreths. Definately a tough pill to swallow when you miss the flip by a narrow margin, but I have also been on the other side of that coin. In Val D “Isere it is very helpful to have a early start number, and I did not.  After France we headed to Italy to prepare for Alta Badia. Alta Badia and I have an interesting track record. It is my favorite hill to ski on, but we can’t find a way to make music together. Last year I caught an edge at the final gate, straddled it and crashed throught he finsh into 8th.  I was later disqualified. This year I was sure that I would redeem myself, unfortunately the hill was so icey I had serious issues getting any grip. I trained on ice leasding into the race but something in the set up wasn’t the same.  By the 5th gate I was almost sliding out of the course. I was super  frustrated because my skiing is in a  really good place and that hill suits my style. Spending the entire  run  just trying  to stand upright and not even attack or arc a ski was not what  I had in mind going in there. By the time I reached the bottom of the cousre I was so physically  tired from survival skiing, that when  I caught an edge before a roller my body said no more  and I  blew out. I flew back to the US the next day to get a short break with the family, and I am now soon to be heading back over to Europe for some training before Adelboden. Adelboden is the last GS race for World Champs qualification. I am exciting to get in there and fight. Best, Tim]]> http://timjitloff.com/2010/12/end-2010-new-year-begins/feed/ 0 http://timjitloff.com/2010/11/pre-december/ http://timjitloff.com/2010/11/pre-december/#comments Tue, 23 Nov 2010 03:28:09 +0000 jit http://timjitloff.com/?p=191 The usual season opener in Soelden ended up being cancelled due to bad weather after the first run back at the tail end of October. I wasn’t too disappointed as not only were the snow conditions dangerous for the boys in the back, but also the visibilty was so bad you couldn’t see anything until you hit it. The guys who got some sun,  used it and got in there. Guy’s who missed it were SOL.  To say I was uncomfortable would be an understatement. So when it was cancelled I was more than okay with it. I did do as I promised however! I unveiled the ”Race For The Cure Helmet” in honor of breast  cancer awareness month (October). The helmet is now on its way to The folks at Susan G. Komen to eventually go for auction!  After Solden we had a brief break before re-grouping for the slalom in Levi, Finland. I literally flew out of Denver International Airport on the 11th, arrived in Levi the night if the 12Th, trained the 13Th, raced the 14Th, flew the night of the 14th to Helsinki, stayed the night and finally travelled all the way back to the west coast of the US the by the late evening of the 15th. I think I lost about 6 months off my life after that one. I didn’t finish in Levi, I got snagged on the same gate as about 30 other guys. The reality for me,  is that Slalom is taking a back seat this season to my focusing on Giant Slalom. So I’m not terribly distraught over the result. I am still skiing very good Slalom and I have been skiing really well in training  before Levi, but it is a difficult event  to stay in the upper ranks unless it is your sole focus. I hope to one day bring it back, but I want it more in GS at this point. I’m now on my way to Colorado to continue training for the upcoming World Cup in Beaver Creek. I will do some Nor-Am cups, and Downhill training runs to prepare for the GS at Beaver Creek. I am looking forward to it!]]> http://timjitloff.com/2010/11/pre-december/feed/ 0 http://timjitloff.com/2010/10/race-for-the-cure-was-a-big-success/ http://timjitloff.com/2010/10/race-for-the-cure-was-a-big-success/#comments Thu, 07 Oct 2010 20:26:30 +0000 jit http://timjitloff.com/?p=185 it happen!! Look for me to be wearing a custom painted helmet for the World Cup opener in Soelden, Austria. The helmet will be designed to honor October as Breast Cancer awarness month, and later go for auction! Cheers, Tim]]> http://timjitloff.com/2010/10/race-for-the-cure-was-a-big-success/feed/ 0 http://timjitloff.com/2010/10/september-in-new-zealand/ http://timjitloff.com/2010/10/september-in-new-zealand/#comments Thu, 07 Oct 2010 20:05:25 +0000 jit http://timjitloff.com/?p=177 . I also had the opportunity to catch my favorite band, Metallica, in Christchurch. My teammate Erik Fisher and I got in there early and held our ground for almost six hours through the whole show. It paid off as we were no more than ten feet away from the stage with our arms in the air! It was incredible. The Metallica boys still bring it. After the show I had to fly back down to Queenstown the next day, so I spent the whole morning touring around Christchurch and its parks. After they had just been hit with a 7.5 earthquake I was surprised at how little damage the newer buildings suffered (good building codes) however the older churches took a serious hit. Either way I was very impressed with the city! I later tried to catch a flight back to Queenstown but due to bad weather our flight was turned back to Christchurch. Luckily I met some awsome folks on the airplane who showed me the definition of Kiwi hospitaltiy. Micheal Patterson, who manages the classy “Copthorne Hotel” had myself, Brian Pearson (who heads up vbase venues and events, ie he played a serious role in bringing Metallica to Christchurch) and Amy Scott, a public speaker, to Dinner at the hotel. The dinner was fantastic, and so was the conversation. I ended up staying with Micheal at his house before we caught the next flight in the morning. By the way, Brian Pearson later hooked up our entire speed team with some VIP tickets to the local rugby match that was sold out.  So a big thanks to Brian, Micheal and Amy for their kindness!! The camp ended well and we all headed back to the States for one last moment of peace before the season gets rolling!]]> http://timjitloff.com/2010/10/september-in-new-zealand/feed/ 0 http://timjitloff.com/2010/09/test/ http://timjitloff.com/2010/09/test/#comments Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:24:35 +0000 jit http://timjitloff.com/?p=128 ]]> http://timjitloff.com/2010/09/test/feed/ 0 http://timjitloff.com/2010/09/jitloff-to-raise-10k-for-the-race-for-the-cure/ http://timjitloff.com/2010/09/jitloff-to-raise-10k-for-the-race-for-the-cure/#comments Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:14:16 +0000 jit http://timjitloff.com/?p=120 Jitloff’s mother Pam was diagnosed with breast cancer in December of 2007 and is now two years in remission following successful radiation treatments. His mother’s experience had a profound effect on Jitloff and propelled him to a new level of awareness – a level he’s driven to help grow. “I want to have an impact in my community and help spread awareness. Being a World Cup ski racer, my community is pretty global,” said Jitloff, a six-year veteran of the U.S. Ski Team and a member of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team “Susan G. Komen Northern Nevada is excited to be working with Tim again, especially after his tremendous success last year as the number one fundraiser for the Northern Nevada Race for the Cure,” said Lucy McGuire, President of Susan G. Komen Northern Nevada. “We are thrilled that a local, as well as an international athlete, is putting together a team to help save lives and work towards a world without breast cancer.” Last fall, Jitloff raised just under $10,000 through sponsorships of his 5K run. This year, he’s set the bar at $10,000 again, but hopes to surpass it. Reno’s Grand Sierra Resort and Casino has already matched its 2009 pledge with another $5,000 and additional sponsors have brought Jitloff’s current total to $7,330 with a month left to race day. “It was an instant ‘absolutely’ from Grand Sierra and I’ve had amazing support from other returning sponsors,” added Jitloff. “I’ve also had a number of new folks who have come on board and are excited to be a part of this, but there’s still more we all can do.” In order to take the message globally, Jitloff plans to complete one run of the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup opening giant slalom in Soelden, Austria with a specially painted Uvex helmet in support of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The helmet will later go to auction to benefit Komen. “I started off last year with a very basic plan to help; now I am being a bit more creative by adding some new twists to how I can have an impact. Soelden is a huge race with thousands of spectators in the stands and hundreds of thousands more watching on television across the world. It should be a cool way to kick off the season,” said Jitloff. Join Jitloff’s team for the 12th annual Susan G. Komen Northern Nevada Race for the Cure by logging on to http://komennorthnv2010rftc.kintera.org. Worldwide, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women.]]> http://timjitloff.com/2010/09/jitloff-to-raise-10k-for-the-race-for-the-cure/feed/ 0 http://timjitloff.com/2010/09/summer-training/ http://timjitloff.com/2010/09/summer-training/#comments Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:07:40 +0000 jit http://timjitloff.com/?p=118 http://timjitloff.com/2010/09/summer-training/feed/ 0 http://timjitloff.com/2010/04/spring-update/ http://timjitloff.com/2010/04/spring-update/#comments Fri, 02 Apr 2010 07:01:22 +0000 jit http://timjitloff.com/?p=107 http://timjitloff.com/2010/04/spring-update/feed/ 0