Truckee Welcomes Home Daron Rahlves - World Champion

By Tammie Thompson

Last Saturday night, Truckee put on a hometown celebration to rival the best of them. In celebration of homeboy, Daron Rahlves' World Championship gold medal, Truckee and Sugar Bowl, gathered the forces and put on a show for the whole community.

The Railroad Regulators were in force in Truckee, hunting down their fugitive. Handing out "Wanted" posters in bars and restaurants, the Regulators, in full western regalia, were on the hunt for Rahlves. The kids loved the charade and wanted in on the action.

A crowd gathered at the Truckee Train Depot - restless in anticipation of the hometown hero's approach. The Sierra Mountain Middle School Jazz Band (from Truckee) entertained the crowd. My daughter was mesmerized by the brass and almost missed the police escort's arrival of Daron Rahlves. This is not a cliché, but the crowd went wild! This is the first time an American has won the coveted World Championship medal in Super G - and the first male since 1982 to bring home the gold from the World Championships. And to make this event that much more exciting was the wild run that brought home the gold.

Daron Rahlves was up against the Austrian giants on their home turf - St. Anton, Austria. The crowd wanted the favorite, Hermann Maier, to blast to victory. But it was Rahlves who bucked his way to the top of the podium. A hushed crowd couldn't believe it. But the fans in Truckee could.

After a few requisite speeches by the Mayor of Truckee, a proclamation by the Governor of California, and a pardon from the Railroad Regulators, Daron Rahlves got to the podium to speak. From the heart, he thanked Sugar Bowl and the Town of Truckee for the festivities. And he thanked his fans for making the win so special. What a regular guy! And to the delight of all of the race kids gathered at his feet, he spent about an hour signing autographs.

So this column is dedicated to Daron. Thanks for bringing home the gold. You are an inspiration for the families and kids out there who can now dream of gold. We wish you continued success - especially for next year's Olympic games on American turf. And hey, just maybe your success will motivate my son to grab the gold in ten or twelve years. Look out here they come.

Daron Rahlves is the official skiing ambassador of Sugar Bowl Ski Resort. Daron trained at Sugar Bowl's state of the art racing arena during his past Christmas break and said that his recent success on the World Cup is partly due to a "good holiday rest and some fun skiing at home". Kudos to Sugar Bowl for reviving alpine racing around the lake.

For more info on Sugar Bowl's Race Team visit their website here .