Interview Season

What Keeps Me Coming Back For More

Every year, as stick season sets in, I think, “Maybe I don’t have it in my anymore. Maybe this is the year I back away and stop caring so much about ski racing.” There was definitely some writing on the wall:

For the first time in 20 years, I will not be coaching a batch of young, enthusiastic ski racer kids; the persistent drive to start the season earlier and earlier continues to drive me bonkers; the related expense of that pursuit is beyond disheartening; expectations for a decent, proper winter feel ever more tenuous. For a normal person, there are plenty of reasons in addition to these to fall in line with the rest of America in winter and to channel one’s interest into football, basketball and hockey instead of only really caring about skiing; and yet, I can’t do it.

Instead, every year when Soelden Saturday arrives, I find myself in the same place, drinking coffee at 5 am yelling at the screen, willing favorite racers to get the green light, or make the flip, or finish. It’s a disease.

I have a real love/hate relationship with the Soelden World Cup and what is now a slate of pre-Thanksgiving races. I get these early season races as marketing tools used by both the World Cup for its sponsors, and the industry to give retailers a jump-start to the season. What I don’t get is how extending the season so far on the front end helps the athletes at any level. I know for sure that extending the urgency of the season all the way down the feeding chain has not helped anyone stay in the sport. Well that’s not entirely true. It’s helped the Colorado economy and its beneficiaries plenty. You’re welcome, Colorado. 

There was a time when I thought saner heads, not to mention economic realities, would prevail. I thought we as a ski racing community would figure out the folly of assessing “talent” as anyone who, starting at age 15, is ready with guns blazing by late November. The trickle-down economics that this mindset has created—the compulsion to spend earlier and more often—is disheartening, and devastating to our talent pool. Development has become its own race. The wallets are winning and the sport is poorer for it.

See how bad this pre-season stuff is for my blood pressure? Why I feel like I should step away?

But then, Soelden happens. For me, something else also happens: I get assigned a story that means interviewing some athletes. That leads to another story and more interviews. In each, the athletes can’t contain their excitement for the new season, and their hopes for how it may unfold. When coaching, my favorite job was always start duty, because the start area is filled with so much hope. The same goes for the start of the season. Speaking to these athletes on the cusp of all their potential success this season is inspiring.

As I’ve said here before to ski parents, the only way to improve the odds of your kid having a successful day at the races is to adopt more kids. These interviews remind me how invested I am in the athletes I already know, and also in the new faces whose stories I get to learn and share. There will be stories about underdogs, comebacks, rookies and seasoned vets. Just like in the start area, early season feels infused with possibilities. It’s going to be fun to watch the stories unfold, and to have the privilege of telling them. So bring it on, ski season!

WHERE TO GET YOUR FIX

This season I’ll be writing in some of the usual places: Skimag.com, Skiing History (still in print, which I love. Please subscribe to support it!) and of course Ski Racing Media. I’m aiming to be better at updating Instagram @racerexski with links to these articles. And of course, I’ll save this space right here for any unauthorized and unassigned stuff that needs a home.

Like many of you out there, I’ve had fun listening to the Skiing is Believing podcast, where Al and Matt interview some of ski racing’s greats as well as up-and-comers. Their enthusiastic interviews are helping us learn more about ski racing’s personalities.

If you have any ski travel in your future (or even just in your fantasies) you should check out my bro-in-law John Morgan’s Where to Ski podcast.

For some behind the scenes World Cup perspective directly from athletes, you can follow Tricia Mangan and Erik Arvidsson on their Substacks.

Find Tricia at Updates From the Road

Find Erik at Tales From the White Circus

If you know of any other good ski racer blogs or pods to follow I’d love to hear about them and share them. Happy Thanksgiving all, wherever you are. If you’re not already in it, winter is coming, and I hope it’s a great one for you and yours.