ALPINE:

Canadians Cook, Terwiel post Nor-Am wins at Panorama

Dec. 15, 2010 — Alpine Canada 

PANORAMA, B.C. — Reigning Nor-Am Cup overall men's champion Dustin Cook won his first Nor-Am race of the 2010-11 season, finishing with the top time in Wednesday's giant slalom at Panorama Mountain Village.

Cook finished in a two-run combined time of 2 minutes, 12.18 seconds and said the first Nor-Am win in GS of his career was something of a relief.

"Giant slalom has always been my thing, I just have never won a Nor-Am I guess," he said. "It's awesome because it hasn't been that stellar the last couple weeks for me. In the second run I skied smart because a lot of people were having trouble in the ruts, and ripped it in the bottom flats."

"I am not too pleased with how (my Nor-Am season) got started," said Cook, who had one podium in the first five Nor-Am races he competed in this season. "I had a bunch of good training runs in downhill and then I didn't get the podium that I wanted. So I came here to win and I was happy that I did it today. I got the podium in super-G (Monday) but I want to win."

It's the second Nor-Am win of Cook's career. American Charles Christianson was second, 0.22 behind, with Colby Granstrom finishing third.

On the women's side, 21-year-old B.C. provincial team skier Elli Terwiel won the slalom in a two-run time of 1:41.46.

"I had (winning) in the back of my mind today but I was trying not to focus on it. I am really trying to concentrate on the process, what I need to do to get down the course versus the actual win, and it worked out," said Terwiel, who also has trained with the national team this season.

Alberta provincial team skier Madison McLeish, who is also a participant in the national prospect program, was second in 1:41.57. American Mikaela Shiffrin picked up another podium, her third in the past two days, in a time of 1:42.01.

The Northwest Funds Nor-Am Cup presented by Continental Tire at Panorama Mountain Village, concludes Thursday with a busy schedule, a men's slalom and women's GS.  S-Magazine