John Meyer/The Denver Post

Greg Johnson, Beaver Creek’s director of mountain operations, was technical delegate for the men’s alpine races and a member of the race jury at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Greg Johnson has been responsible for preparing many World Cup courses at Beaver Creek in recent years, from the initial snowmaking operation to grooming, safety fencing and course maintenance.  He know what it’s like to direct an army of volunteers battling Mother Nature in a desperate mission to offer clean and exciting courses.

But the resort’s director of mountain operations got to see it up close at the Vancouver Olympics. Johnson was the technical delegate for the men’s alpine races and a member of the race jury.

“We definitely knew the weather would be a challenge, that wasn’t a surprise to anybody, but the team here has handled it so well,” Johnson said. “They’ve done anything that’s been asked of them, anytime of day, anytime of night — coming in at 1 o’clock in the morning, even, with hundreds of people. It’s been a fantastic thing to see. It’s really impressive. The 24-hour, around-the-clock operation is something that’s very unheard-of for organizers. The trails are lit, so they can work around the clock.”

At Beaver Creek, if there is a challenge it usually involves heavy snow that requires removal before races can be run. At Whistler there was snow, rain and warm temperatures.

“The variables are a lot greater here,” Johnson said. “You get rain, you get snow on top of corn snow that’s slush, and it does very difficult things to the snow. The snow can fall apart in just a few hours. In Colorado, the temperatures and the snowpack is so much more consistent. It doesn’t rain there. When you get weather like this, that makes it very challenging to get a great course.”

The Whistler crew got it done. Weather can produce flukey winners in ski racing, but it didn’t happen at Whistler.

“I think we’ve seen across the board extremely worthy Olympic champions, in every event, in conditions that are exceptionally difficult,” Johnson said. “A lot of other Olympic Games have had results that are more unusual. Things can be different at Olympic Games, and that has not been the case here. You’ve seen truly the best athletes in the world rise to the top here.”

Johnson had a great time, as we all did, watching exciting races and historic results.

“It’s a huge honor to be here, work on the jury and represent the sport for the FIS,” Johnson said. “As an organizer (at Beaver Creek) it’s been a privilege to see the things this group of volunteers have pulled off under such trying circumstances.”

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Saturday morning’s downriver sprint will see the wobbly paddlers punting their crafts down a rowdy 3-mile stretch of Gore Creek from East Vail into the village.

Sunday’s SUPcross event will surely please spectators in the village as battle-ready SUPers race from the village’s Covered Bridge down to the International Bridge. (Or is that been changed to Lindsey’s Bridge now? Let’s go to Lindsey Village and park alongside I-Lindsey and ride the Lindsey-bahn to the Lindsey Bowls. Then I’ll write about in The Post’s Outdoor Lindsey blog.)

But I digress.

Looks like SUP is here to stay. Get your surf on and try Colorado’s newest riversport at Teva, which will offer demos and clinics and meet-n-greets with SUP athletes.

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While Americans were watching her chat with Leno — the first show of his return — Vonn was on an overnight flight to Europe to complete the World Cup season. This weekend there are speed races in Crans Montana, Switzerland. Next week the season concludes with World Cup Finals in Garmisch, Germany.

While most Americans may think the pressure is off for Vonn, there’s still a lot for her to accomplish. The next seven races will determine whether she wins her third consecutive World Cup overall title. And when the tour gets to Garmisch, Vonn’s closest pursuer in the overall chase — Germany’s Maria Riesch, a double gold medalist in Vancouver — will be competing in her home town.

Now there’s an interesting dynamic: Who has the most pressure? Vonn, who is trying to accomplish something only one American has done (Phil Mahre won three straight overall titles 1981-83)? Or Riesch, who has never done it and must desperately want to do it at home?

Leno mostly asked Vonn questions she’d already been asked and answered multiple times in Vancouver, but he did ask her about the ridiculous criticism Vonn received for her Sports Illustrated cover shoot before the Games. In that picture she’s bent over in a downhill tuck (turning her head to look at the camera) and some have preposterously claimed it is an inappropriate, sexually suggestive pose.

Vonn said she didn’t understand the criticism. Leno said he didn’t get it, either.

“I had so much fun doing that cover shoot,” Vonn said, “and I thought it turned out great.”

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Lindsey’s Run

VANCOUVER — Vail Resorts had a surprise gift for Lindsey Vonn Saturday night at a party the company threw to celebrate her achievements in the Vancouver Olympics.

With Vonn wearing a black dress, high heels and her two medals in a tony Vancouver restaurant, chief executive Rob Katz called the Olympic downhill champion to the stage and announced that Vail’s International run had been renamed Lindsey’s. The new trail signs went up Saturday morning.

Vonn, who was taken by surprise, thanked Katz and talked about how she hopes to be a role model for children, the way Picabo Street was for her.

International was the trail used for women’s speed events at world championships in 1989 and 1999, plus many World Cup events.

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Bill Demong proposes to Katie Kuczynski. (Photo courtesy US Ski Team)

WHISTLER, British Columbia — A party at US Ski Team house to celebrate another historic day for the U.S. nordic combined team had been going for a couple of hours Thursday night. Speeches had been made, medals shown off, ovations given, toasts offered.

Late in the party, Steamboat’s triple silver medalist Johnny Spillane grabbed the microphone and asked the crowd to sing Happy Birthday to his wife. A few minutes later, newly crowned Olympic champion Bill Demong — the first Olympic champion in any nordic sport for the U.S. — grabbed the microphone, called his girlfriend to the stage, got down on one knee and asked her to marry him.

Demong won again — Katie Koczynski said yes.

“The most cheeseball thing ever,” Demong would say later.

Of course it wasn’t that at all. It was a wonderful moment, one none of us privileged to see it will ever forget.

Demong received another high honor: Moments before popping the question, Demong learned he had been selected by his fellow US Olympians to be flag bearer at the closing ceremonies. It overstates the obvious to say it is an honor well deserved, but it couldn’t happen to a more deserving guy.

Demong will be the first skier to bear the US flag at the closing ceremonies since Phil Mahre in 1984.

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U.S. skier Julia Mancuso speeds down the course during the Women’s super-G, at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010. (AP Photo/Charlie Krupa)

WHISTLER, British Columbia — Julia Mancuso posted a Facebook update regarding her relationship with Lindsey Vonn, after the tension between them came out Wednesday, claiming everyone else cares about it when the women involved don’t. She closed with the admonition: “Save the drama for your mama!”

That’s just not fair. Mancuso is the one who introduced the drama, not those of us here to write about Vonn, Mancuso and their teammates.

It was Mancuso who, three days before the Games began, let it be known she didn’t appreciate Vonn getting all the attention. It was Mancuso who, that day, told Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post: “The interesting thing about attention is … it’s really more about those who are paying the attention. So if you’re not paying attention to me, you’re just missing out. I’ve got a great story.”

It was Mancuso who complained about the “popularity contest” in a Sports Illustrated online story posted on the eve of the women’s giant slalom and added: “Our team is struggling, as a group. People are having a hard time reaching their potential because it’s such a struggle for attention. You come to meetings after races and it’s like it’s a bad day if Lindsey didn’t do well.”

Now, in the wake of the SI post, I did ask Vonn how she felt about Mancuso’s remarks. And she said: “It definitely has hurt me that she has said some negative things about me. All I can do is continue to support her, like I always have, and hope she reciprocates that.”

Silver medalist Julia Mancuso of the United States, right, talks to her teammate Lindsey Vonn after completing the women’s super combined event, at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics on Feb. 18, 2010. (AP Photo/Breloer)

And because I wanted to be fair to Mancuso, I asked her what was bothering her regarding Vonn, a question she refused to answer. Then she went on Facebook, answered it (sort of) and accused others of creating “drama” where none exists.

Now, I don’t want to be accused of playing favorites. It’s my job as a Colorado skiing and Olympics writer to cover the US Ski Team, with an emphasis on skiers from Colorado. That’s what a local newspaper does. It covers its “locals,” and Vonn lives in Vail. Mancuso lives in California and Hawaii.

You can make your own judgments about the comments of both skiers, but let’s be clear about one thing: Vonn got the pre-Olympic attention she received because of her accomplishments in skiing. I included these figures in a previous blog, but I’m posting them again here so you can decide for yourself if Vonn received more attention than she deserved. Since Mancuso won her GS gold medal at the last Olympics, Vonn has dominated her sport. A few comparisons of what they have achieved in their careers to date:

World Cup overall standings: Vonn has won most coveted title in skiing twice, something no other American woman has done. And she’s probably going to win it this year. Mancuso’s best finish in the World Cup overall standings was third (2007). She was 27th last year and is 23rd this year.

World Cup wins: Vonn 31, Mancuso 4.

World Cup podiums: Vonn 60, Mancuso 19.

World Cup discipline titles: Vonn 4 (with more coming this year), Mancuso 0.

World championships medals: Vonn 4, Mancuso 3

World championships gold medals: Vonn 2, Mancuso 0.

Olympics medals: Mancuso 3, Vonn 2.

Olympics gold medals: Mancuso 1, Vonn 1.

Now let’s look at their stats for this season:

World Cup overall standings: Vonn 1, Mancuso 23

World Cup downhill standings: Vonn 1, Mancuso 9th

World Cup super-G standings: Vonn 1, Mancuso 20th

World Cup combined standings: Vonn 1, Mancuso 22nd

World Cup giant slalom standings: Vonn 28th, tied with Mancuso

World Cup slalom standings: Vonn 13th, Mancuso not ranked

Those are the facts. If Mancuso goes to the next Olympics with credentials equal to or greater than Vonn’s, she will get attention equal to or greater than Vonn. Period.

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Reports from the resort indicate Johnson, 26, was skiing Light Towers at Squaw, tangled on some rocks at take-off above a cliff and landed hard.

CR was one of the most approachable, amicable pro skiers out there. He was literally void of ego, a true rarity in the sport. Following his 2005 accident in Utah, Johnson was in a coma for two weeks and doctors wondered if he would ever walk again. He was paralyzed when he woke from the coma. He learned to talk. He learned to walk. And holy s**t did he learn to ski again. Johnson climbed back to top-tier status, starring in movies, railing the biggest lines with grace and even designing a signature ski for 4FRNT.

I sat down with CR at the 09 X Games and he spoke openly of the accident and the residual fear that lingered. That conversation went so deep, I was just struck with Johnson’s candor and lack of bro-bra, tough-guy disdain that haunts his generation of big-mountain skiers.

Talking about hitting big cliffs and big lines, he said:

“I brace for impact and go into survival mode. I think, ‘Whatever happens, just live. From an athlete’s perspective, you know that injury is part of the sport, and it’s in the back of your head. But then, once you get hurt doing it, you are like, ‘Whoa, this is a reality.’ Then you actually have fear. Fear is restricting.”

His ability to harness an especially poignant fear – a reticence that should, at the very least, disrupt elite performance – will forever remain Johnson’s hallmark accomplishment. He was a natural skier, but his dedication to regaining top form will forever inspire greatness. The ski world has lost another Great One.

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Such as: If the fog doesn’t lift today and the race cannot resume, what happens next? Will the race resume tomorrow with the second run only, or will this morning’s first run be thrown out in order to have two runs tomorrow?

Julia Mancuso probably is hoping for the latter. She was flagged off the course during her first run today when teammate Lindsey Vonn crashed below her while he was racing. Mancuso got a “re-run,” but started 31st instead of 18th, had to endure bad course conditions and currently finds herself 1.3 seconds out of the lead. She was unlucky today, so if today’s first run is thrown out, that would be a lucky break for her.

There’s no reason to throw out this morning’s run, of course. It was a fair race for everyone except Mancuso, and what happened to her was just one of the unlucky breaks of ski racing. But the race jury can do whatever it wants. It will be fascinating to see what they decide.

Stay tuned, I will let you know as soon as I find out.

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