Chris Frank Blog
Chris Frank grew up here in Windham, the son of the resort’s general manager for 23 years, Dan Frank. He began racing at the age of 7 through Windham's junior race program. While in the race program at Windham, Chris had success at the state level early and nationally during high school. He attributes much of his early success to the coaches at Windham who made skiing challenging yet fun at the same time.
With success racing in high school and college Chris now continues his commitment to the sport. For the past two seasons, Chris was a member of a post-collegiate training group called Ski Racing International (SRI). Recently, Chris’s efforts have been focused on the North American (NorAM) Cup circuit, which is one step below the World Cup. His goal this season is a big one: to be selected as a member of the United States Ski Team for the 2010 Olympics.
This blog follows his journeys around the world. Go get ‘em, Chris!
Feb 09, 2010
Slalom Week
This past week has been pretty hectic. The final leg of my Europe trip has really snuck up on me. I just finished a brief slalom tour of racing. The first slalom races were held in Italy just over the border from Austria in a town called San Candido or In
Jan 30, 2010
Restart
The last few days have been a bit rough and have kept with the up and down trend of the trip. In the giant slalom race the day after the slalom, I went down in the second run. I was a bit fired up right afterwards because I had again put myself in positio
Jan 25, 2010
Roller Coaster Ride
I have become accustomed to having ski seasons filled with highs and lows. Typically these peaks and valleys last for a couple weeks. It happens to all top-level athletes. Many times the most successful athletes are able to extend the highs and shorten th
Jan 18, 2010
A rough start in Europe
Needless to say, I made it over to Europe safely and with little sleep. It was a battle the whole first day here to stay awake throughout the day, but I made it and cannot begin to describe how good it felt to get into a bed and sleep the whole night.
Jan 14, 2010
Leaving on a Jet Plane
As I am writing this update, we just took off from Washington-Dulles airport bound for Munich, Germany. I have made this trip seemingly countless times, but it is still exciting.
Jan 11, 2010
A tough break
I made my way back up to Vermont for some much-needed training after a well-deserved Christmas break. During my break, I was able to spend time relaxing away from skiing and work on some physical conditioning while home.
Dec 30, 2009
Chasing the Dream, Step One
Happy holidays! I cannot believe how quickly this time of year has snuck up on me. Because of my race schedule, it always comes before I know it, but this year it surprised me. I just retuned home from a six week long trip that included some training, a
May 05, 2009
End of the season and looking ahead
My season has come to a close well after Windham’s. It often still seems odd to me to be racing into late April; I guess I have not quite gotten used to it yet. My season was supposed to end with six races in Colorado, followed by a night of travel, the
May 04, 2009
Alaska trip gets a little interesting
This season our national championships were held at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska. When my flight to Seattle landed, I heard the news that Mt. Redoubt in Alaska had erupted. Mt. Redoubt is about 50 miles southwest of Anchorage, which was where I was
Mar 10, 2009
A new place
One of the most rewarding parts of what I have accomplished with my skiing are the places that it has allowed me to see. I have spent time in some of the most breathtaking places in the world.
Feb 15, 2009
Having fun
It seems like this year has been a marathon, even more so than previous years. By the end of the year, I will have as many race starts as I have had in the past few seasons. The difference this year is the amount of travel that I have been doing. I was j
Jan 15, 2009
Getting used to ice
I am back in Europe for what seems like a very short trip. It is hard to believe that I have already done near 20 races this season.
Dec 16, 2008
Early season ups and downs
My racing season is in full swing. In the last two weeks, I have raced four slaloms, two downhills and one super G. This week, I will have two more super G races, two giant slalom races and a super combined.
Dec 03, 2008
Training with the U.S. Ski Team
It is hard to believe that my first race of the season is almost here in Colorado. This off-season has seemed to fly by, but I feel that I got the most out of my preparation opportunities and am ready to race.
Nov 18, 2008
A new season offers promise
Now that winter seems to be on our doorstep, I thought it would be a good time to update everyone on my continuing goal to make the U.S. Ski Team and reach the top levels of World Cup racing. As a whole, last season was successful - but at the end of the
Apr 07, 2008
A Long Stretch
I have just finished up quite a long stretch of racing. I have been on the road for the last month, putting over 2,000 miles on my car. I have been to Ontario, Lake Placid, Sugarloaf, and Vermont for races during this time. The end of the trip included 10
Mar 13, 2008
March Madness
Spring is here and my racing is in full swing. The spring races are some of the best opportunities all season for racers in my position. From here on out, I will be racing against national team athletes trying to score points that will help my world ranki
Mar 03, 2008
Rollercoaster Ride
Ski racing can be one of the more frustrating sports around. It boggles my mind how quickly things can change. Emotionally, it can be a rollercoaster ride from great highs to disappointing lows in a mere matter of days - then back to those wonderful highs
Feb 07, 2008
A Different Perspective
While at home recovering from the crash that cut my Europe trip short, I had the chance to see a couple ski races as a spectator. In the week that I was home, I caught a Windham Ashland Jewett Central School Ski Team race and a J-V and J-IV (13 years and
Feb 14, 2008
A Long Trip
My recent trip to Whistler Blackcomb sure seemed like the longest eight-day trip that I have ever been on. When I decided to go there to compete in the Canadian National and Junior National Championships, I envisioned good races being held under decent co
Jan 28, 2008
Feeling pretty beat up
The skiing world in Europe is far different from anywhere else in the world, especially North America. Here, skiing and mountain life are a part of the culture. Skiing is a social activity...
Jan 19, 2008
Another World
A lot has happened since my last entry. To begin with, I spent three days at Sugarloaf waiting to race downhill. The always-reliable January thaw was far from merciful during our races there. In the three days, I only skied three runs - all of which were
Jan 08, 2008
A good start to the new year
I just finished the first half of an eight day racing block. The first four days were NorAm Cup slalom and giant slalom races. They were held at Sunday River right after New Year’s...
Dec 26, 2008
Home for the holidays
After a whirlwind trip across North America that included 13 races in Colorado, Canada, and Maine and spanned just about a month, I can say without a doubt that it is good to be home. As exciting as it is to travel great distances and see beautiful places
Dec 14, 2007
A Great Day
After a whirlwind trip across North America that included 13 races in Colorado, Canada, and Maine and spanned just about a month, I can say without a doubt that it is good to be home. As exciting as it is to travel great distances and see beautiful places
Dec 10, 2007
North of the Border
I arrived in Calgary, Canada, to some bone chilling weather. I came up here after racing in Colorado to compete in NorAm Cup speed races. There were two downhill races, two super G races and a super combined (one run of super G and a run of slalom). My fi
Dec 02, 2007
The season is underway
I just finished up my first North American Cup races (NorAms) to kick off the competition season here in North America. The races proved to be quite competitive, as there were many World Cup teams gearing up for the upcoming races at Beaver Creek.
Nov 23, 2007
A little down time
I am finally home and getting some much needed rest. The journey home was a long one, totaling over 6,000 miles and 28 hours of traveling. I got home a few days ago and am just getting over the jet lag. I am now able to stay awake past 9 pm and can sleep
Nov 07, 2007
Surrounded by the Best
AUSTRIA -- Paul Epstein, my teammate for the year, and I made our way back to Soelden for the weekend to watch the World Cup races. We were excited to get out of Hintertux after a difficult week of training because of the snow and weather conditions. I
Oct 30, 2007
Thrown Into Winter
Thrown into winter - October 23, 2007 - It has been 10 days since I stepped off the plane in Munich, Germany. After getting my bags in the airport, I hopped into a van for a 3-1/2 hour drive south that brought me to Soelden, Austria...