Skiing, racing and all the space in between
To the athletes battling their way through the ranks, the $2 million funding “gap”—that number between what the US Ski Team provides and what it needs to fund all the athletes—feels more like a bottomless rut… Wouldn’t it be nice to give directly to these athletes who are just on the cusp of breaking through to the very top level?
This particular talk focused on the all-important “F Words” —friends, failure, fear and throughout, the importance of FUN, which, it turns out, is actually a worthy performance goal.
The Olympics are nothing if they are not about the athletes, current and future. Whether these dreamers know it or not, a gold medal won’t change who they are, but the pursuit of it will.
Being part of a ski town is the security of knowing that if you have the right spirit for it, you will always belong.
One day—one great run, one satisfying race, one smiling afternoon with friends, one spirit-lifting chairlift ride when you forget your troubles on the ground—is all it takes. We are such suckers for this sport. Each of us is one run away from being out of a rut. The hard part is believing in between those runs.
Well Happy March to you! Assuming that you have already awoken and said “Rabbit rabbit” into the mirror, parents of ski racers have one more task. It is the annual tradition of reading The Long Road, to keep blood pressure in check during the upcoming weeks. This year, in addition to reposting the piece, I am including a French lesson. This comes in the form of excerpts from a fine book my sister recently unearthed, … » read more
It has a deeper meaning as well though, a reminder to be grateful for every day and every run, for the privilege of being outside and doing this sport with these fabulously fun people. Deeper still, it says “I know you’re with me. You’re a true skier, you’re one of us.”
What John Tesh, Wilson Philips and Monty Python have to do with the Meaning of Life in the dead of winter
I’m taking a moment here to remember someone who, to me, was a legend. I heard this morning that Koni Rupprechter had passed away. Koni was the head Womens DH coach for the US Ski Team from 87-89 or so. He was as unconventional as he was classically Austrian. Smoking, drinking, charming—the man knew how to balance intensity and levity. What he was best at, however, was working the room. He knew how to read … » read more