Groan….. I just completed the 4th World Cup of the season and after a very costly mistake I finished 11th (was sixth after the first run…….). Koenigssee is a very short track and there are 2 key areas – the ’straight’ and the ‘kreissel’. Here the straight is actually kinked 3 times with no actual corners so to turn a Skeleton sled thru this section requires a well timed hit of the wall to generate a bounce and then a subtle steer back and forth to just squeek by the edges. A feat I accomplished on the first run but not the second. The kreissel is the large 360 degree turn which gives us 3 waves and if they are not all steered correctly (under 4 G’s of force) the result is a crash at the exit. I managed this feat 2 times fairly well. So all in all it was a disappointing result, but a great step forward for me (this is my ‘worst track’ and least favourite on tour) looking to the first half of next year when we will be back here for another shot at it.

We are off to St. Morritz, Switzerland tomorrow for our race next Friday. My favourite track in the world for sure. It is a traditional ice track made entirely of ice blocks hauled up from the lake every year. Quite an amazing feat and steeped in tradition. The ice is always so smooth that we make almost no sound as we fly down at over 130km/hr! Very cool. St. Morritz is thought to be the birth place of Skeleton (they still do Cresta which is a slower – and, believe it or not, crazier – form of skeleton where you ride on your elbows and drag your feet which have been fitted with ‘rakes’ to control speed and turning). I was honored to claim my place in history a few years ago by winning in St Morritz – so let’s cross fingers for next week too!