It’s the first day of winter and Lake Tahoe News’ ski reporter says it’s mid-winter conditions on all the slopes.

Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

By U.S. Ski Team

COURCHEVEL, France – Julia Mancuso of Squaw Valley produced her best Audi FIS Alpine World Cup slalom result since 2008, finishing 21st with teammate Resi Stiegler of Jackson Hole in 23rd. Austrian Marlies Schild captured the victory Tuesday as an extremely tricky first run course set claimed 23 racers including World Cup leader Lindsey Vonn of Vail and Germany’s Maria Riesch.

Schild is now tied with Finn Tanja Poutiainen, who finished second, for the slalom points lead.

“It was like a survival first run and I definitely got pretty lucky,” said Mancuso. “I wanted to ski solid, but I guess I needed to be a little faster. It will be good to have a little break now over Christmas and then get back into it. I’m very fired up with how things are going.”

With the exception of the Aspen slalom, Mancuso has surged since landing double silver at the Vancouver Olympics, scoring top 25 finishes in every World Cup race this season including a super G third two weeks ago in Lake Louise, Alberta.

“It was a good day for Julia to take advantage,” said technical Head Coach Trevor Wagner. “She’s been training great slalom and just took it to the hill today.”

For Stiegler, who waved to the booming crowd of thousands then wished a worldwide television audience “Merry Christmas” after crossing the finish line, it was another huge leap toward regaining her World Cup form. She was 25th in Aspen, her first race back since suffering a severely broken leg two races into the Olympic season. Prior to that, she had been sidelined much of the two previous winters with an injury string that began in December 2007.

Official results, Audi FIS Alpine World Cup, Courchevel, France, Slalom

1. Marlies Schild, Austra, 1:34.95

2. Tanja Poutiainen, Finland, 1:35.73

3. Tina Maze, Slovenia, 1:36.93

4. Maria Pietilae-Holmner, Sweden, 1:37.20

5. Kathrin Zettel, Austria, 1:37.21

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21. Julia Mancuso, Squaw Valley, CA, 1:39.53

23. Resi Stiegler, Jackson Hole, WY, 1:39.62

–

Did not qualify for 2nd run: Sarah Schleper (Vail, CO), Hailey Duke (Boise, ID)

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Did not finish 1st run: Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO).

By Suzanne Bohan, Contra Costa Times

CANCUN, Mexico — With Google’s new Earth Engine, anyone will be able to view forest conditions worldwide.

When it launches next year, the online tool will provide satellite imagery of forests and will reveal where these woodlands have been razed or degraded by logging.

With Earth Engine, small nations, nonprofit groups, independent researchers and everyone else will be able to assess an environmental crisis of growing magnitude: deforestation. No longer will these groups have to rely on a handful of distant academic or government labs to access the information.

“It’s transformational,” said Greg Asner, a scientist with the Carnegie Institution for Science at Stanford University, shortly after he described the application Dec. 2 at the United Nation’s climate summit in Cancun, Mexico, which ended Friday.

Asner flew to this resort city to announce the successful download of 26 years of data from Landsat, the oldest Earth-observing satellite, into Google’s computers. By next year, Asner expects that software he developed for monitoring deforestation will be integrated into Google Earth Engine for public use. Anyone with Internet access will have a free view of forest conditions dating as far back as 1984.

Read the whole story

By Martha Bellisle, Reno Gazette-Journal

Battling fierce winds, stinging rain, sleet and snow, about 30 skiers competed Sunday in the Sierra Nordic duathlon, skiing first around a 5-kilometer course on classic skis, and then switching to skate skis and repeating the track.

Alex Hamilton was the first man to complete the two laps, finishing in 33 minutes, 51 seconds. Tav Streit of Sacramento followed in 34 minutes and Rick Reynolds of Truckee came in third 2 seconds later.

Former Olympian Beth Reid of Palo Alto and her daughter, Joanne, who skis for the University of Colorado, were the first women finishers, crossing the line holding hands. Third was Julie Young of Truckee.

Read the whole story

More snow, more wind. One day the news might change.

Enjoy the last day of fall.

Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

By Elizabeth Karam, U.S. Ski Team

VAL d’ISERE, France -– Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn of Vail regained the overall lead over German Maria Riesch, winning the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup super combined to sweep the weekend in Val d’Isere.

Sunday marked the second day this year for a USA double victory with Olympic Champion Ted Ligety of Park City on top in the Alta Badia, Italy, giant slalom for his third straight GS win this season.

“I watched Ted’s run before I raced and it definitely motivated me,” Vonn said. “He skied amazingly well. He’s on an incredible roll right now and I’m really excited for him. It’s a great day for the U.S. Ski Team.”

Saturday, Vonn received one of the highest honors in global sport. The Associated Press, the world’s largest news agency, announced her as its Female Athlete of the Year – the first time a skier has received the honor.

Soft snow and flat light did not stop Vonn from charging, crossing the super G finish line in 1:18.66 with a three-tenths cushion over Austria’s Nicole Hosp heading into the slalom portion.

In the slalom run, times were tight making an exciting finish for the cheering crowd, where they witnessed four Americans land inside the top 30. Julia Mancuso of Squaw Valley was 15th, followed by World Cup rookie Laurenne Ross of Klamath Falls, Ore., in 16th and Leanne Smith of Conway, N.H., in 26th.

Vonn posted the fifth fastest slalom run, for a combined time of 2:07.80, building her lead on Hosp and the field to clinch her fourth super combined and 36th career World Cup win. Hosp finished third with Austria’s Elisabeth Goergl second.

The women race slalom in Courchevel Dec. 21 before a short holiday break.

Official results, Audi FIS Alpine World Cup. Val d’Isere, France, Super Combined

1. Lindsey Vonn, Vail, CO, 2:07.80

2. Elisabeth Goergl, Austria, 2:08.26

3. Nicole Hosp, Austria, 2:08.49

4. Anna Fenninger, Austria, 2:08.57

5. Maria Riesch, Germany, 2:09.05

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15. Julia Mancuso, Squaw Valley, CA, 2:10.32

16. Laurenne Ross, Klamath Falls, OR 2:10.65

26. Leanne Smith, Conway, NH, 2:11.72

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34. Stacey Cook, Mammoth, CA, 2:13.37

36. Megan McJames, Park City, UT, 2:15.15

By Nicole Dreon, ESPN

After the 2010 Winter Olympics, both Daron Rahlves and Casey Puckett suggested that they may retire. And while each has greatly reduced his race schedule for 2010-11, both are returning to Winter X to compete in Skier X.

One of the favorites for gold at Winter X 2010, Rahlves’ day was cut short in Skier X when he went down hard in the rhythm section during the quarterfinal and dislocated his right hip for the fourth time in his career. “I had a little more speed than I thought, and I tried to stay in the draft as long as possible,” says Rahlves, now 37. “I was watching the terrain and not the person in front of me.”

Daron Rahlves

When Rahlves was taken off the course in a sled and sent to the Aspen Valley Hospital, his chances of making a fourth Olympic appearance less than a month later seemed slim. But he remained positive that he would return for Vancouver.

With the assistance of a PRP shot, which used his own blood to help regenerate soft tissue, he was ready to go for the Olympics. “It is the best procedure ever,” says Rahlves. “It was like super juice. It was the only way I was able to recover so quickly.” The only thing that wasn’t easy about the procedure was getting it approved by the IOC in such a short amount of time.

“Once you get within three weeks of the Olympics, things like that get tough,” said Rahlves. “Luckily, a doctor in South Lake Tahoe helped me get it authorized and helped deal with all the bureaucracy.”

Read the whole story

By Freddy Perryman, U.S. Ski Team

INNICHEN, Italy – American John Teller of Mammoth raced his way onto the podium Sunday with third in the skicross World Cup in Innichen. Australia’s Scott Kneller won the race.

Teller, a former University of Colorado Ski Team captain, marked a career best on the World Cup stage. He qualified for the finals in 11th and made the most of it finishing second in each heat to advance to the four man final race.

Sunday’s finish was the best showing for Teller in all competitions since February 2010, where he finished second in the NorAm Cup race at Sugar Bowl. He followed in Casey Puckett’s (Aspen) footsteps, making it the second consecutive year an American has placed third in Innichen. He is also the first American to stand on a World Cup skicross podium since Daron Rahlves of Sugar Bowl finished second in St. Johann, Austria, last January.

Teller was one of only two athletes from the U.S. who competed. He was joined by Pat Duran of Vermont in 34th. There were no women competitors from the U.S.

The next World Cup skicross is scheduled for Jan. 7 in St. Johann, Austria.

Official results, FIS Freestyle World Cup,Innichen, Italy, Skicross

Men

1. Scott Kneller, Australia

2. Alex Fiva, Switzerland

3. John Teller, Mammoth, CA

4. Tomas Kraus, Czech Republic

5. Christopher Delbosco, Canada

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34. Pat Duran, N. Fayston, VT

Women

1. Fanny Smith, Switzerland

2. Ashleigh Mcivor, Canada

3. Heidi Zacher, Germany

4. Anna Homelund, Sweden

5. Andrea Limbacher, Austria

Elena Hight of Zephyr Cove was second Saturday in the snowboard superpipe finals in the Winter Dew Tour’s Nike 6.0 open.

Olympians Louie Vito and Queralt Castellet won the competition in Breckenridge, Colo.

Vito, who is from Ohio, took the men’s title with 90.25 points. Matt Ladley, from Steamboat Springs, was second at 75.00.

Castellet, from Spain, won the women’s event at 85.25.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

All of the rain on Saturday at lake level has given way to snow today. The resorts as measuring the white stuff in feet at the higher elevations.

Even though it will be a powder day on the slopes, wind could wreak havoc with being able to get certain lifts spinning. Be sure to check with your resort of choice before heading to the slopes today.

The winter storm warning is in effect until 4pm Monday.

Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.