April 12, by Judi Oyama

First women's pro slalom event in over 25 years, the first ever US SlalomCross race. What a blast. After doing well last season during all the qualifying runs and then choking at the finals I finally put it together. Our women's elimination round was the first run down the SlalomCross course with two riders and the first race of it's kind.

Two lanes to start, a hard fast push start against strong headwinds, a set of straight cones set 6 feet apart and then the dreaded pass through gate which only has enough room for one rider comfortably. Once through the gates, hay bale turns that you have to be totally committed too, no run out, no escaping once your on the course. Then through the hay bales you hit a super fast left turn, a blind corner you bear down and turn hard, next a sharp off camber right turn and then two lanes of cones an uphill section super wide apart, pumping hard to get the momentum to hit the next section which heads down hill again a long 30 foot gap of no cones then staggered cones to the finish. The longest course by far over 2/10's of a mile with 60 cones. A max of 6 cones 2/10's of a second penalized during the qualifying runs but for this elimination round it's first riders wheels across the finish line gets to go to race off for first or second. And this is the first time they had prize money for the women.

My first run wasn't my fastest but it was the fastest of my times. My second run was harder at the top with major headwinds. I double pumped the hay bales and really was hauling butt around the hay bail corner. I was like oh shit I'm going to eat it and was just holding on to the turn thinking what have I gotten into here then I shot out and made the next corner which was even harder. Off camber turn to the harder red course, pumped up the hill and down. I lost only a second and a half. The other racers were loosing 7 seconds the closest women's times were by 10 seconds. Some extremely awesome racing by all the women.

Final Results Bahne SlalomCross

#	Name
1	Judi Oyama
2	Isabelle Caudle
3	Terry Benko-Brown
4	Lynn Kramer

Pro Women Qualifying Results

#	Name	1st run	2nd run	Best time
1	Judi Oyama	57.832	59.034	57.832
2	Isabelle Caudle	DQ	67.22	67.22
3	Lynn Kramer	DQ	68.90	68.90
4	Terry Benko-Brown	DQ	DQ	DQ

Since this race went off so well the promoter of the High Plains Drifter race June 6-8 in Breckenridge, Colorado is going to do a similar course. The second SlalomCross which is suppose to be faster! Downhill and slalom mixed with the added one lane pass through gate. I'll be there and will let you know the outcome of this exciting new race format.

Also check out the kids division some great up and comers.

Complete results and other information on this race in this thread:
2003 FCR Series forum: Bahne Slalom Cross