"It's a lot of work. We're on course before daylight and usually don_t quit until the end of day," says Rouse, 46, a Palisades Tahoe race coach since 1981. "The job only pays in room, board, and experience, but we wouldn't miss it for anything."

Not only are the hours endless, but working a World Cup/Olympic alpine course, especially a speed event, is not for the faint-hearted. Grizzly, the formidable Snowbasin downhill, is ranked as one of the top three World Cup speed courses by Herwif Deschar, former head coach of the Austria and United States women's team.

Course Slipping
The surfaces of world-class racecourses are typically harder than a marble tabletop. Specialists inject water into the snow on the course. They use scientific acumen and high technology in order to freeze the surface so it's like skiing on an ice rink slanting downhill.

To maintain the firm but fragile course, workers ("course slippers") must smooth the snow surface after each downhiller races by. However, the slippers cannot use their ski edges in their work for that would mark the course for the next downhiller. Slippers must maintain their speed, whether snowplowing or sliding sideways. And, sliding tip to tail, they have to be able to maintain direction through the gates in order to get off the course ahead of the next racer on the course, who will be traveling 60-80 mph.

"Dick, John, myself, and one other guy were the only course workers allowed to slip the final section of the Grizzly downhill called Flintlock Jump. It's a 70% grade that drops out underneath you. It's quite a ride," says Jeff.

Stay Out of the Way
In the downhill, a first-seed skier takes off through the starting gate every two minutes. After the top thirty go, it drops to one minute in between racers. Slippers have to smooth the snow and make it quickly to the next safety zone out of harm's way. Fall, and the race is delayed.

"It's like sliding on a tin roof," admits Banfield, 45, a Mighty Mite coach at Palisades Tahoe for twenty years. "Sometimes it's hard just to stand up, but the racers go screaming down the course, knifing into the bullet proof stuff at unbelievable speeds."

The Perks
Some might think the three guys are harebrained to be on course before first light and then work long days in sometimes-adverse conditions for no money. But the three agree the job has its perks. Time permitting, they're allowed access to certain other Olympic events such as the rehearsal opening ceremony, hockey contests, curling, and medal ceremonies. They also have the best seats in the house for the alpine events.

"No one's closer. We're right there. Downhillers fly down in their tucks and they make an unreal, spooky sound. They're cutting the air cleanly with terminal velocity," explains Holbrook, 45, a lifelong skier and Palisades Tahoe passholder since 1979. "We were at the downhill gate in 2002 when Daron missed his pre-jump in and went flying. You could see the bottom of his skis."

The three Palisades Tahoe skiers traveled to Italy on February 4th. They begin work on the sixth at Sestriere's Monta Motta, site of the speed events.

"John and I traveled there last February to work the courses during a Women's World Cup," says Jeff, a former collegiate racer at UNR. "The course isn't quite as dangerous as Snowbasin's Grizzly, but it's technically challenging with a lot of gliding and rollers."

The three locals were selected as the only American course workers at the Torino Winter Games. This is both an honor and an opportunity to be the chief cheerleaders for U.S. competitors.

"After coaching 26 years and seeing many of our race team athletes reach this level, being a part of it all is worth every wake-up call, every challenge," says Jeff. "And our kids (local competitors) love our being in Torino; it's great for them to see a familiar face from back home. Cheering them on and working at the Olympics makes us feel as if we are a part of something much bigger than ourselves."

Editor's Note: These three course slippers will provide onsite Olympic observations directly to Tahoetopia throughout the 2006 Winter Games in Torino.