CARRABASSETT VALLEY – Stacey Cook doesn’t really like Maine temperatures.

The Mammoth, Calif., native finds it difficult to adapt to Vacationland’s seemingly frigid climate and recent gusty winds, but if she can continue to win National Championships in such an environment, it is a trade-off she’ll gladly accept.

“I still can’t feel my feet,” Cook said after claiming the top spot in the super-G Sunday morning. “But I will take the National Championship, for sure.”

Cook’s only other National title came at Sugarloaf two years ago. Sunday, she edged out Leanne Smith, Katie Hitchcock and World Cup champion Lindsey Vonn.

“I’m not a fan of the cold weather here right now,” said Cook. “I like the sunshine and the 70-degree weather that California is having.

“As far as racing goes, we seem to get along well here. I’m just really psyched about a National title. I’ll try not to complain about the cold and keep positive. I’ll embrace it.”

In the men’s race, Kevin Francis continued his success in the super-G. The overall NorAm champion took first in the afternoon for his first U.S. title. Bryon Friedman took second, and Marco Sullivan was third.

“My coach came up to me last night and said, ‘You look kind of sad,'” Francis said. “I said, ‘Let me ski some speed, and I’ll have a smile on my face tomorrow.’ It’s been great to have a sunny day and get some speed in.”

Despite plenty of sunshine, strong winds swirled Sunday, especially during the women’s race in the morning. It was a bigger factor Sunday, compared to Saturday’s slalom, which is held on lower terrain. The racers at the top of Narrow Gauge trail faced winds that were not only strong and gusty, but also changing in direction.

The downhill races are expected to be held Monday after training in the morning.

“It was a lot worse today than it was yesterday,” said Vonn, who won the slalom convincingly Saturday. “Some people got headwinds. Some got tailwinds. It was pretty much a luck of the draw.”

Cook said she had good fortune on her run. She didn’t ski it as cleanly as she would have liked, but also had little problem with the breezes.

“I think I got a little bit lucky,” Cook said. “I definitely saw the gates blowing around down here at the bottom. It was good that I was able to squeak in, in front of Leanne, because I thought for sure I’d gotten that headwind. I seem to have gotten a lot of those this year. Maybe it was time for a break.”

Cook conquered the course in 1:15.00. Smith was second in 1:15.05 followed by Hitchcook, from Sugar Bowl, Calif., at 1:15.53. Hitchcock had three top-10 finishes in the super-G in late February and early March.

“I wouldn’t have been surprised if Leanne did take it today,” said Cook. “She’s a super-fast skier. She’s so young and hungry. She’s a great teammate and a great person. We all really like being around her. Katie, she’s done some amazing things in super-G this year that nobody really expected. That’s really cool for her, and it’s another California girl on the podium. So we’re all happy about that.”

Though Vonn followed Cook, she couldn’t beat her time and make it back-to-back titles. The Minnesota native, now living in Colorado, finished fourth in 1:15.72.

“I think it was good,” Vonn said. “It was solid skiing. It was nothing special. I was hoping for better than fourth place, but there’s nothing you can do about the wind.”

The wind diminished a bit in the afternoon. Francis felt a bit of breeze as he waited in the starting gate, but selected a moment after it subsided to push off. It wasn’t much of a factor beyond that.

“My coach gave me a sweet report up top,” Francis said. “The fourth gate, you just had to get a little more direction. That took me down across the flat a little quicker. I was able to carry some speed down there.”

Francis won a number of NorAm super-G events en route to the season title. That performance earned him a spot in the super-G in the World Cup next year.

“The super-G has been super good for me this year,” said Francis, a Bend, Ore., native who was second in the U.S. downhill in 2003.

Francis finished in 1:19.62, and Friedman, who battled his way back from injury, followed in 1:19.73.

Friedman has been frustrated this season by the snow conditions he’s faced in a lot of the NorAm races that he would expect at the higher levels. To have good conditions and a good result was especially meaningful for the Park City, Utah, resident.

“I’m stoked,” said Friedman. “I’ve been waiting all season to have good conditions, good snow, good start positions and a real super-G. I’ve been racing the NorAm’s, and it’s been like GS-like super-Gs. I’m more of a slider-downhiller.”

Sullivan was the favorite coming in but had to settle for third. He was clocked at more than 67 miles per hour at one point, but settled for a time of 1:19.96.

“Points-wise, I was kind of the guy to beat,” said Sullivan. “So I knew all these guys were going to be charging. I was giving it too, but I was a little bit too slow.”