This season’s combination of up-and-down temperatures and lack of natural snow has had an interesting impact on Maine skiing. Both have been positive. First, while other states have struggled, Maine ski areas have offered some good skiing, and skiers have responded. Second, lack of snow elsewhere has resulted in some key races being moved to Maine.

Today, Sunday River has a giant slalom and Sugarloaf has a GS and Super-G Monday, and Tuesday, both Eastern Cup races originally scheduled for Stowe. They were moved because of Vermont didn’t have enough snow.

Wednesday, I was at Sunday River for one of four Nor-Am races being held on Obsession. A pair of GS races had already been run and I got to one of two slaloms. It was worth watching although getting to the finish wasn’t easy.

I saw some race watchers climbing up from Heat’s Off, a run from Obsession down to Lower Cascades, but I chose to ride the White Heat chair and ski down the course before the race started.

The first person I saw at the top of the lift was Middlebury ski coach Forest Carey, who had brought four of his skiers over for some top competition. He’s enjoying working with college athletes now that his racing career is over, and the kids get the benefit of his experience at every level.

Sugarloaf skiers will always remember the many races he won on his home hill, including the Junior Olympics.

I followed Forest as he headed down the course. This allowed me to get a feel for both the terrain and the snow conditions, and Obsession made this a true test. The trail has double all lines and some truly steep pitches as it makes a left to right arc down the mountain. Add a rock-hard surface and the slightest mistake would result in a DNF (did not finish).

The course and mountain defeated some of the top skiers as four of the top 10 seeds failed to finish the first run, including Jimmy Cochran. Cochran is the son of Bobby Cochran, who along with siblings Barbara, Lindy and Marilyn, skied on the U.S. Team and in the Olympics in the 70s. He is already a member of the U.S.B. team and is slated to have one of the five GS spots in the World Championships scheduled for Bormio, Italy Jan. 29 through Feb. 13.

High aspirations

That is the goal for many of these skiers: secure a spot on the U.S. Ski Team and move up to the World Cup level. For others, the goal is to improve against top competition on courses as tough as those on the World Cup. Many of these are college racers who will take their skills back to the Carnival scene in hopes of leading their school team to an NCAA title.

One of these is Paul MacDonald who was the top U.S. finisher after a pair of Canadian racers. Macdonald has been offered a European start but has chosen to stick with the Dartmouth Ski Team. Under a quarter system, Dartmouth has allowed students to pursue high levels of competition while maintaining their studies. MacDonald is almost through college and will take another look at trying to make the team after he completes his degree.

Cochran and MacDonald both fought their way down icy race courses that would challenge the best World Cup racers. There were 85 racers on the start list and each had an individual story – whether it was looking for a spot on the U.S. or Canadian teams or simply improving his ski racing. It was well worth watching.

Looking ahead

Of course, taking the time to cruise around the mountain was also fun. The skiing was a lot more forgiving on the rest of the trails and skiers at Sunday River today can watch some of the racing between runs.

I checked with Bill Swain at Sugarloaf on their outlook for the week and he was upbeat with the races moved from Stowe. He said Narrow Gauge was in great shape and they would be making more snow for the event. I haven’t seen a Super-G there since the National Championships a few years ago. Maybe Tuesday will be a Sugarloaf Day.

Swain reported a busy week for college vacation with a strong turnout from Ottawa and Quebec. He attributed part of this to the drop in the dollar. That plus some pricing specials has made Sugarloaf attractive to skiers north of the border. The rebuilding of the road from Carrabassett to the border has also made the trip a little easier for skiers from places like Sherbrooke.

Recipe for success

On another competition front, you might not have noticed that Emily Cook won the first women’s aerial event of the season. Cook, a CVA grad, is coming back from injuries and is obviously making strong progress. Let’s hope Kirsten Clark can get back to form for the World Championships.

The other feature of January is specials, both in events and pricing. I received an email from Shawnee Peak with a whole page of specials. I’m sure there are a lot more out there so for some bargain skiing this month check those Web sites.

Dave Irons is a freelance writer who lives in Westbrook.