Olympians race Stowe before Sochi

The two slaloms were part of a four-day NorAm series at Stowe that kicked off Monday and Tuesday with giant slaloms. It was the highest level of racing Stowe has seen in recent years, both in terms of talent and international recognition.

Among the high points was the performance of U.S. Ski Teamer Ryan Cochran-Siegle, recently back from competing in Europe, who skied to a sixth and a third in the giant slaloms and a notable 10th in Thursday’s slalom, a terrific finish for the speed-discipline specialist.

Cochran-Siegle’s cousin, Tim Kelley, who has surged on the international circuit this season, also apparently felt quite at home on Spruce Peak, finishing third in the final day of slalom.

Stowe and the Mount Mansfield Ski Club put on a performance of their own, flooding race days with workers and volunteers to successfully stage the races in solid New England conditions: cold and snowy on a hard, dependable track.

“The surface was really incredible both days,” U.S. Ski Teamer Colby Ganstrom told Ski Racing Magazine. Ganstrom finished second and first, respectively. “Both days it was grippy ice and it held up great for the whole race.”

The course might have held up great, but as is often common at the highest levels of ski racing where everything is left on the hill, more than half the field did not finish the slaloms. Over 100 racers competed Wednesday and only 39 finished. The field was a hair smaller Thursday, with just 31 finishers.

The field all four days was packed with talent: Swiss national team member Markus Vogel (skiing into the top 10 on two of the days); all three stellar Cochran family members, Robby, his aforementioned brother Tim Kelley and Cochran-Siegle; Norwegian star Jonathan Nordbotten; and U.S. Ski Teamers Robert Cone, Michael Ankeny, Duffy brothers Drew and Danny (of Vermont), and Brennan Rubie, among several others.

Rubie, who’s had some World Cup starts and has been strong in continental cups, commanded the giant slaloms, winning both days.

The slaloms ended up being a duel between Ganstrom and Spence, who traded first and second both days of slalom, with veteran Kasper finishing seventh and 15th.

After completing the Stowe series, Spence and Kasper both were off immediately to Russia to prepare for the Olympic slalom, the final alpine skiing event, which is to be held Feb. 22.