Bode is a Super Star

Next Tuesday is the first night of ABC's The Superstars. Bode is teamed up with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's Paige Hemmis in some "totally re-imagined mind bending events". The highlights in the below promo reel focus's on the inter-team conflicts, which obviously make for "good TV". Bode and Paige looked to get along from the bowling high five, however Terrell Owens and his partner, Joanna Krupa, look like they may need some relationship counciling. Will see if TO = good TV.

Bode won the Superstars in 2002 when it was an indivual event. This experience should serve him and Paige well.

What a difference a year makes

This time last year we were celebrating Bode's win of the World Cup overall. This year he ended his season early. The World Cup season is long and grueling, especially for athletes like Bode who compete in all disciplines of the sport. Bode suffered an injury in an early season crash that continued to nag him through-out the season. Once it was apparent the overal was out of reach, Bode decided to end the season.

Bode is uncompromising in his approach to life and ski racing. When he skis, he goes full bore, which has made him the most compelling skier to watch on the hill. It's an all or nothing approach and his decision to give up on the rest of the season coincides with this philosophy. We hope that Bode comes back healed, healthy and motivated for the 09/10 campaign.

We suffered a summer of golf without Tiger. Let's hope we don't have to suffer the same fate with Bode for next season's World Cup tour.

Casey Puckett- All Out

Casey Puckett joined KJUS as a team rider last season. He had a pretty good season with a number of podiums including a bronze at the X-Games. However, along the way he had a couple of injuries including an amazing crash in Grindelwald. Rehab is complete on his shoulder and Casey is ready for the season. He is also back on the US Ski Team as a member of the inaugural skier cross squad. Here is video that the ski team just released on Casey and the upcoming season.

Bode's Turtle Ridge Foundation

This weekend in Franconia, NH, Bode is hosting the BodeBash- a weekend filled with tennis, golf, live music and a "growers dinner" organic feast. In past years Bode has hosted the BodeFest and other events that give anyone the chance to meet Bode. These aren't just meet and greet events however, they are also key fund raising vehicles for his Turtle Ridge Foundation (TRF).

KJUS is a proud supporter of TRF and its mission to enrich the lives of others and building a strong community through supporting health, diversity, and sustainable living. Over the years TRF has supported the Boys & Girls Club of America, Adaptive Ski Programs (organizations that provide skis and equipment to kids & adults with disabilities), Inner City Youth Sports programs, Cancer Treatment Centers, provided ski racing scholarships to deserving children and dispensed thousands of dollars worth of warm jackets to kids in need.

Bode recently created a 30 second spot about TRF that will be airing on the Resort Sports Network starting this fall.



If you would like to support the Turtle Ridge Foundation you can do so online.

1 Day to Beijing, 554 Days to Vancouver

Tomorrow evening, the Beijing Olympic Games open. While all eyes are on the world's best summer athletes, the Vancouver Organizing Committee announced the schedule of events for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

KJUS could be represented by two athletes at the Winter Games; Bode Miller and Casey Puckett. Bode will have a packed schedule with events almost every other day, while Casey's skier cross qualifying and finals are all one day, February 21st.

Casey and Bode are busy training for the upcoming season. Bode is currently in Treble Cone, New Zealand. Casey is at home in Aspen completing rehab on his shoulder.

Greatest Athlete of All-Time?

Yesterday, Tiger Woods added another major championship to his mantel. Over the weekend there was much talk of his position in history as the greatest golfer ever. The volume was turned way up after he defeated Rocco Mediate.

This morning two sports writers from the UK Mirror didn't debate Tiger's position in golf, but whether he's the best athlete in all of sport today. While one reporter debated that Tiger was the best in all of sport, rivaled only by tennis's Roger Federer, the other had a list 5-

Call me a purist but the guys that I’m championing as being greater than Mr Woods are competitors in sports that are in no way flash and (with one exception) all considered minority sports.

They’re done for the love of the sport and the endeavour to achieve perfection rather than the money, fame and plaudits that attract people to more mainstream sports.

So in no particular order, the five sportsmen I think are greater than Tiger Woods at their given sports are: Phil Taylor (darts), Shaun White (snowboarding), Ronnie O’Sullivan (snooker), Bode Miller (Alpine skiing) and Ben Ainslie (sailing).

These are definitely 5 athletes who are dominant in their respective sports, but the flying tomato and Bode standout as all round athletes. Maybe Tiger, Federer, White, O'Sullivan, Ainslie and Bode should go head to head in the Superstars competition, to settle the score.

Our money of course would be on Bode. Bode won the competition in 2002 against some of the NFL's and baseball's top athletes.

Ski Racing Issue 11 Vol. 13 just Arrived

The latest issue of SkiRacing Magazine showed up in our mailbox yesterday. Bode and Lindsey Vonn, don the cover as you would expect for an issue that re-caps the season, finals, and US Nationals. Additionally, there is a great story on the 48Straight Jeep King of the Mountain event in Sun Valley- including a quote from KJUS skier Casey Puckett. With skier cross becoming an Olympic event in Vancouver in 2012 look for more SkiRacing coverage of the sport.

Opposite the 48Straight story is an ad we placed. The photo of Bode cradling his globes was taken right after worlds at an undisclosed location in Switzerland. He's wearing this year's Fusion softshell ski jacket.

Good uses for gold medals...

Last night Bode spent time with Conan. He talked about the Olympics, the difference between first and third in race- try starting and stopping a stopwatch inside of .03- and good ole yankee ingenuity, including an uncommon use for a gold medal. Watch it on NBC.com.

Lasse Still Has the Stuff

We mentioned a few weeks ago that Lasse was throwing his hat back in the ring. Well he got the equivalent of a leaner this past weekend placing second in the downhill at the Norwegian National championships.

Not bad for a guy who has been away from the sport for two years.

Congratulations Lasse!

Bode's Galaxy

Congratulations to Skispace for breaking the 3 million page views mark. link: http://news.websitegear.com/view/48469

If you haven't checked it out yet, do so. It's Bode's social networking site that is ski centric. Bode may be done for the season (he's skipping US Nationals this week at Sugarloaf, ME to get some well earned rest), but you can keep up with him, ask him questions, and meet friends during the off-season on the site.

Thanks to Wicked Outdoorsy for the image of Bode's Galaxy.

Ski With Casey

Brian Blackwell of Hailey was the big winner of the Ski with Casey giveaway. Before heading out on the slopes we gave Brian next year's Formula Jacket in Methyl Blue and Formula pant, which is what Casey is going to have as his uniform for next year.

His whole family came out to meet Casey.

Hanna gave us prime headgear placement and had Casey sign her helmet.

Brian gave us a great tour of the mountain and showed us how the locals ski- fast and well! Brian was not the only winner, as Meredith of Brass Ranch also got to ski with Casey.

We had lunch up at the Round House where afterwards we took a photo of the team.

From l to r Michael Collin- KJUS USA, Stacy- Brass Ranch, Meredith- Brass Ranch, Casey Puckett, Brian Blackwell, Kurt Widen- KJUS USA, Dave Kellam- KJUS USA rep.

After the afternoon skiing we took a break down at Warm Springs. Checked out the half pipe competition and then headed to Apple's to cap off the day.

We finished the day off back at Brass Ranch where we presented Brian's wife Brenda an outfit. Everyone had a great day and we all got some good technique pointers from Casey.

Afterward Brian said SKIING WITH CASEY, RECEIVING YOUR INCREDIBLE PRODUCT, AS WELL AS ENJOYING ALL YOUR COMPANY MADE THE DAY OF THE YEAR FOR BOTH OF US.

We all felt the same- great skiing, great weather, and great people made it a perfect day all around.

Bode Gets His Globe

48Straight JKOM- Sun Valley- Post 2

Today was the big day for the Ski with Casey giveaway drawing. But before that could happen, Casey had some racing to do. He qualified 8th and was in a fairly good bracket. There were some timing issues in qualifying so Casey and Jake Fiala had to take second runs which included a head wind which wasn't there on their first run.

Before the race Casey was interviewed for the CBS Broadcast which was simulcast on the big screen at the event.

Casey was mobbed by kids after every run to sign autographs.

In the race Casey made it into the mini final, but with his shoulder he wasn't able to get a strong start. It was evident that the day had taken a lot out of him.

After the race Casey met us at the Brass Ranch at River Run to select the winner.

Casey called the winner Brian Blackwell of Hailey to meet him the next morning to ski with Casey.

48Straight JKOM- Sun Valley- Post 1

This past weekend we were in Sun Valley for the 48Straight Jeep King of the Mountain series final and the Ski with Casey giveaway. It was a tumultuous week leading up to the weekend as we were not sure if Casey was going to be able participate and then we heard he was not only going to be able to free ski, but he was going to race with a separated shoulder.Doctors told him he really couldn't do much more damage to it and if he could handle the pain he could race.

On Friday we did a little free skiing in the morning at Baldy. It was a beautiful clear day and scenery was amazing. The runs have great pitch and are super wide, compared to what we are used to in the East, which makes for some great GS or Super G turns.

The light got very flat in the afternoon so we headed over to Dollar to take in some of the snowboard cross.

That afternoon we stopped in at the Brass Ranch location at River Run where people were signing up for tomorrows drawing of the Ski with Casey giveaway.

Congratulations Bode

Bode takes the World Cup Overall! By Cuche deciding not to ski in the slalom, Bode is assured the Cup. Way to go Team America-

KJUS Welcomes Sara Orrensjö to Freeride Team

Today, we announced that Sara Orrensjö, one of the world's top female freeride skiers, has joined the KJUS team of riders. You can learn more about her on her website, or if your Swedish isn't what it should be, try here.

These shots of Sara also give a sneak peek of next year's KJUS line. In the top photo she's wearing the 08/09 ladies Fomula in Java, and in the bottom photo she is wearing the ladies Val jacket, which is part of the new Spirit Collection we are introducing next fall.

The Man in Black

As the original man in black says- he walks the line, and in skier cross it is a fine line. Just ask our Casey Puckett. Casey has been in Europe for the past week or so competing in a couple skier cross World Cups.

There is a lot of rubbing of paint in skier cross, which makes it exciting to watch, but dangerous to compete in. A couple of US athletes have had unfortunate crashes. You can read about the details on Casey's blog.

On Sunday, Casey got his second podium of the trip finishing 2nd in Les Contamines, France. Hew was third earlier in the week at the Tignes “Airwaves” event.

The man in black will hopefully continue the trend and move to the top of the podium this week when the ski cross World Cup heads to Flaines, France.