Cory eased back into some gate training with Whistler Mountain Ski Club on a gorgeous day at Whistler.
At the top of Whistler Creekside gondola,
A leisurely ski down to Garbonzo chair to meet up with WMSC on the Ptarmigan run on Whistler....
And this scene at the top of Garbo, which was actually the start area for the 2010 Olympic Men's Downhill race
After a couple of runs through a long and challenging race course, Cory's focus was to learn how to produce turns of a shorter duration to avoid being on his ski edges as his skis crossed the face of the mountain. It's a matter of starting his turns earlier than he is used to, using a lot more exertion to get the turn completed just as he passes each gate. Here, his turns are finished several feet past each gate.
If he can master this skill, it will significantly improve his race speed.
Whistler was a busy place with such great conditions so Cory managed only 6 runs through the race course on this day, with long waits at the Garbonzo chair. But a really good day nonetheless to start his final 8 weeks of preparation for the National Winter Games.
Next week, Cory will rejoin his teammates with Special Olympics Vancouver at Cypress Mountain in North Vancouver every Monday for the rest of the season as well as a return to Whistler for a day-long Gatebusters session.