U.S. skier Resi Stiegler will miss the Olympics and the rest of the season according to the U.S. ski team. She broke her leg in a training run yesterday. Just got this statement from the team:

U.S. Ski Team athlete Resi Stiegler (Jackson Hole, WY) will be out for the season as a result of an injury in giant slalom training Thursday at Copper Mountain, CO. According to U.S. Ski Team Medical Director Richard Quincy, Stiegler suffered a serious complex injury to her left leg, which will keep her out for the rest of the season.

Quincy stated that Stiegler suffered fractures of the tibia and femur, which required surgical intervention. She was treated at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic at the Vail Valley Medical Center where she was hospitalized following surgery Thursday.
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Well, we said yesterday Whistler Blackcomb – the alpine skiing Olympic venue – was on the verge of breaking its record for snowfall in November. I just got this e-mail from WB’s Amber Turnau:

Whistler Blackcomb has officially surpassed the previous record of snow in the month of November with 418cm (165 inches) of snow falling as of Thursday, November 19. The previous record, set in 2006, was 416cm (164 inches). The snowfall record dates back to 1979.

“This is an unprecedented start to the season,” says Anton Horvath, Whistler Mountain weather forecaster. “The excitement of locals and guests alike

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NBC is giving Olympic fans the opportunity to design the helmet of Lindsey Vonn, Team USA’s top ski athlete.  The contest starts monday and all entries must be submitted by Dec. 21. The winner will be decided Jan. 11.

The winner will be awarded a trip for two to Vail. Other prizes include a pair of Head skis and bindings and a Uvex helmet and goggles.

Click here for more information.

As I wrote earlier, Whistler Blackcomb can make enough snow to compensate for anyting El Nino shortchanges the site of the Olympic alpine ski races. But it looks like Mother Nature will provide help in record-setting fashion.

Just got this message from Tabetha Boot at the ski resort:

The current storm system has blanketed the mountains with over 204 cm (80 inches) of fresh snow in the past week. Operations crews are hard at work preparing more lifts and terrain to open this weekend as conditions allow.

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