Ben Lustgarten was a 2010 graduate of Burlington HS and formerly a MNC member. He just finished his collegiate career at Middlebury College. This past season was a major break-out season for him, highlighted by two top-10 finishes at Senior Nationals (in an Olympic year!!). He was recently named to the National Training Group by the US Ski Team which means he is one just one step away from the US Ski Team!! GO BEN!
[reprinted from NENSA.net]
The season is over but the memories linger on. Ben Lustgarten, Member of the Middlebury Ski Team and NENSA Elite teams, recaps his first trip to U23 World Championships, and how experiences like this continue to fuel the competitive fire.
My trip to U23 World Championships in Italy was the highlight of my year! Not only was it my first World Championship racing experience, but it was my first trip to Europe!
With all that excitement and energy being used on being super stoked to be in Europe and seeing the streets, coffee shops, people, and dramatic mountain ranges I had a little less in the tank for racing. I do not think that is necessarily a bad thing. Leaving Italy with a little disappointment for how I raced will help fuel the fire for next year and hopefully some years of international racing to come.
One of the many memorable times during my trip was a little afternoon walk around the town of Predazzo, a town right next to Val di Fiemme, where the Opening Ceremonies were held. This was the day before the skate sprint, and a little walking exploration (with lots of picture taking!) was good to help the legs feel fresh and loosened up. We explored some small touristy-type shops and found an excellent little store that sold small American flags for 5 euros. Naturally many of us bought some for cheering later on in the week.
Erik and Ben
Our wandering led us to a hotel whose front desk served as a gelato store as well, thanks to Erik Bjornsen’s previous knowledge of the hotel. The next stop was a bakery with all sorts of pizza, chocolates, donuts, pastries and breads. Scott and I eyed an enormous tray of chocolate creations. I wanted to try some Italian pizza, where they were sold by weight not by slice. It was as delicious as I expected it to be. Erik and Tyler were checking out a funny little electronic expresso/coffee/mocha machine. Simply put in 0.50 euro and hit a button to choose what small hot beverage you wanted. After a few tries I finally got it and thoroughly enjoyed a rich hot chocolate with Erik.
The next day was the skate sprint. I do not see myself as a sprinter much, but I definitely would like to work on that next year to feel more comfortable sprinting. I did not qualify for rounds but it was a good experience. Tyler and Erik both qualified for rounds and we got to see them on TV later that day, they looked so professional with their waves to the camera at the starting line and representing the US Ski Team tights with glory.
All in all it was a wonderful and eye opening experience. I’m excited to race with and against these guys for years to come and see what we can do!
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