CARRABASSETT VALLEY -- Tuesday was the best day of the U.S. Alpine Championships for Warner Nickerson. That it was the warmest day of the five-day event, and he competed under cloudless blue skies, had little to do with Nickerson's enthusiasm.

Tuesday was the day Nickerson, a Colby College graduate, turned his return to Sugarloaf into a very happy homecoming rather than a melancholy trip down memory lane. If he had the same results in wind, rain, or bitter cold, it would have made no difference to Nickerson.

Nickerson took third place in the giant slalom with a two-run time of 2 minutes, 6.22 seconds. It was the first nationals podium for Nickerson, who was cut from the U.S. Ski Team last year after one uneventful season.

"I've been just racing on my own," Nickerson said.

Nickerson was in fifth place after the first run. While his second run of 1:01.69 was just the 11th-fastest of the heat, combined with his first run of 1:04.53, it was enough to temporarily move Nickerson into the lead with four skiers left to compete.

Jimmy Cochran, who won Saturday's slalom, did not finish his second run, and Jake Zamansky couldn't ski fast enough to take over the top spot. Nickerson watched as Tommy Ford approached the finish line.

"Here we go. ... He's skiing well. Oh, bummer," Nickerson said as he saw Ford's two-run time of 2:04.77 flash on the scoreboard. "He just put together a great run. He's been skiing really well at the end of the season. That's impressive."

Tim Jitloff followed Ford and took over the lead, bumping Nickerson to third place, but Nickerson's disappointment was a passing shower and did nothing to diminish his enthusiasm.

"You've got to be happy with that. Any day you're on the podium is a good day," Nickerson said. "This is the place to do it. It's great to be in front of kind of the old home crowd, and I'm psyched."

World Cup champion and former U.S. Ski Team star Bode Miller didn't compete in this week's championships, but he played a role in Nickerson's success. Miller outfitted his fellow New Hampshire native with equipment, and Nickerson wore a suit provided by Miller during Tuesday's race.

"Bode's been really helpful. He's given me a suit and jacket and stuff," Nickerson said.

When the U.S. Championships were at Sugarloaf two years ago, Nickerson placed fifth in the giant slalom. At last year's national championships in Alaska, Nickerson wasn't able to finish his first run in the giant slalom, and he missed a gate in the second run of the slalom to earn another disqualification.

Nickerson's week at Sugarloaf continued the trend. Just yards from the end of his first slalom run, Nickerson missed a gate and picked up another did not finish. Rather than stew about another frustrating result, he shrugged it off.

"I've been struggling in slalom all season, so it didn't really mean much to me," Nickerson said.

Few competitors brought Nickerson's institutional memory of Narrow Gauge, the trail the giant slalom ran on, into the race. Nickerson skied the trail countless times while training at Colby, and he picked up a first place in the giant slalom Dec. 19 on this course in an FIS race.

After Tuesday's second heat, Nickerson recited exactly how he attacked the run.

"The key to this hill is always bringing a little bit of shape into the top of Snowbowl, and then hammering right on to the headwall, and then trying to be quick off the headwall. Then it's full pin all the way to the bottom," Nickerson said.

Another stint with the U.S. Ski Team is unlikely, but Nickerson has no plans to stop racing anytime soon. He'll end this season with a few Eastern Cup races before taking a vacation to Puerto Rico with his girlfriend.

With the competition done, Nickerson looked forward to celebrating his podium appearance with friends.

"It's great to be back here at Sugarloaf. I love this place," Nickerson said.

Travis Lazarczyk -- 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com