Rahlves, others take alpine experience to ski cross (News Feature)

By David Hein Feb 19, 2010, 20:10 GMT

Cypress Mountain, Canada - Daron Rahlves has seen his share of big races - competing at three Winter Olympics and winning downhill races at the legendary courses of Kitzbuehel and Wengen as well as a second place in the Bormio downhill.

But when he takes to the slopes on Sunday in hopes of his first Olympic medal, the American skier will be among the participants in the first ever ski cross Winter Games race.

'I get more nervous in the start gate in ski cross than alpine skiing,' the 36-year-old American said of the sport which has four racers skiing down a course at the same time - just like the snowboard cross event.

'It's so important to get in front first and then you can ski your race. You have to be able to react very quickly.'

Rahlves, who won the gold medal at the 2001 alpine worlds before giving up the sport in 2006, said it's difficult to compare alpine to ski cross

'There are risks on both sides. In ski cross if you ski the course itself you can't compare the risk to Kitzbuehel. Kitzbuehel was so challenging, the course itself, you were just trying to hang on or there's consequence,' said the California native.

'But the difference in ski cross is that you're competing against three other guys. You never know what's going to happen in front of you and you need to be prepared for that and to adjust very quickly.'

There are advantages and disadvantages coming from the alpine world, says Rahlves.

'In a course, if it has high speeds and it's icy I have an advantage because of my background,' said the father of two-and-a-half-year old twins.

'The only thing that hinders me is going too hard with a lot of terrain, where in downhill you go really hard, in ski cross you need to be really loose over the jumps. I always seem to be flying further than the other guys, but if you go higher, you get more air time, and that's not a good thing.'

Rahlves will be not the only American ski cross with a wealth of alpine experience to call upon at Cypress Mountains. Casey Puckett, 37, will be competing at his fifth Olympics.

And Austrian Katharina Gutensohn is another former alpine skier to make the move to ski cross. The 43-year-old - a winner of the 1990 downhill World Cup and 1985 worlds downhill silver medallist - is competing at her fourth Olympics.

Puckett recalled his Olympic premiere in 1992.

'I remember going into Albertville and racing slalom and giant slalom there when I was 19 and racing against Alberto Tomba and Marc Giradelli,' said Puckett.

'It was overwhelming to be on the global stage with those guys at 19. But now I'm quite a bit more experienced and I'm hoping to bring all I've learned over the years to the Games this time.'

Still, Puckett loves being at Vancouver 2010.

'It doesn't feel any less exciting. It's more exciting to be in an Olympic Games when you're more of a favourite to win a medal. The energy the Olympics gave me has been extremely exciting from the first one to this one,' said Puckett.

The US men's ski cross coach Tyler Shepard likes the chances for Rahlves and Puckett.

'They're both extremely decorated Alpine skiers. These guys have way higher skills than most of the guys out there,' said Shepard.

'It's going to be a huge advantage for those guys to draw on their past experience. We have here four-times and five-times Olympians. They won't be as nervous at the gate as the rest of the competitors - I hope.'

'I feel more relaxed than '06,' said Puckett.

'There is less pressure for me. In 2006, I had three World Cup wins and I came in feeling it was mine to win and there was a lot of pressure there.'