Just finished up my last World Cup, which was a mandatory event if I want to go to the Olympics again.  I was meeting up with JJ Thomas in Chicago where he had a short connection (hint, hint) and Keir Dillon a month earlier claimed he was coming too. But he always travels on his own program and you never really know if or where he will be. Back to JJ having a short connection and a change and airlines I was a little worried for him.  Sure enough as we wait at baggage claim in Zurich a sickening look came over his face when the baggage carousel stopped. Getting no help or sign of hope from the claim office, I talked him out of flying straight back home.
    We showed up to a crowded pipe that was rock hard and low visibility. JJ on all barrowed gear and all three of us, Kier made it, much out of practice and trying to figure out our program.  Second day we woke up to the snow coming down.  At breakfast we were informed the practice was closed.  JJ’s gear had just showed up and I needed practice on anything! Super motivated I talked the whole crew into going up even if just to do a few runs in the pow.  When I got off the train at the top of the glacier the pipe cutter was just coming back, leading me to believe it just had been cutting.  Sure enough the pipe had just  been cut and no one was around.  Pipe was actually way better then the day before even though I could barely see anything.
    That night during the coaches meeting, our coach for the week, Ben, got some humbling news. I walked into my hotel room and JJ was just staring at me with this look of disbelief, “ Did you hear that”.  “No, what?” I said.  Turns out Ben had just informed him that I had been pulled from the contest due to not having enough FIS points. I haven’t done a FIS event since the Olympics. Not having any luck that night trying to persuade them to putting me back in the event, I had a feeling that it would work out.
    The next morning we woke up to 2 feet of snow. The qualification day had been canceled and the mountain was closed. Thanks to this extra day we were able to get a FIS point recount and I was reinstated. Now the downfall to this, was we would now only get a one run qualifier and a one run final. Typical FIS! That means we could not fall or our trip would be a waste.
    Morning of the last day possible to run the event was upon us. There was a super early start because they had a lot to fit in. The lifts were not running so we ended up waiting in the puking snow weather at the bottom for 2 hours. Finally the lifts opened and we headed up still unsure if they will be able to pull off the event.  After waiting at the upper lodge for another half hour they opened the mountain.
    Practice was a joke. 100 people were supposed to get practice done in a half hour. With two practice runs, a lot of snow in the bottom of the pipe, flat light, still puking snow,  and wind that would kill what visibility there was, it was now time to get our ONE RUN!
    JJ was the first to go and he had to wait ten minutes before the wind died down enough to see the halfpipe.  I was 2 people behind him and was able to watch him finish his run still on his feet. Note, if you finished on your feet, you were guaranteed top 30 which is all we needed.  My run went pretty smooth till the bottom when I did a Cripler pulling away from the wall. Upside down I could see I was going to land flat, but unsure when I would actually hit due to flat light.  Soon as I hit, I dug my heel edge and rode away sketchy, but it was enough.  So fired up, but felt bad for Keir because he had to go almost last, which would allow the pipe to fill up with even more snow.  Almost 2 hours later we watched Keir drop in suspense. Loosing his heel edge in the pow as he dropped we gritted our teeth thinking he might go down. Making the last second decision to not do his micky first hit.  After saving his drop, he thru a couple sevens and finished safely.  Trip accomplished we celebrated with some hi fives. The funny part is none of us wanted to do finals cause it was so bad. Finals was top 12. We finished 13th thru 15th.  We had a good laugh and went to find something warm to drink.