The Golden Years

Age Barriers in Ski Racing Just Went Downhill Fast

I never had so much FOMO as I did watching the WC Finals from Sun Valley. What a glorious celebration of the sport, in a venue and with people that represent the very best of skiing and ski racing. Thank you Sun Valley for getting it in a way that sometimes seems forgotten in the sport we love. If the Finals return there in 2027,  as rumored, this old ski racer will be there!

This corner of the internet is where we celebrate underdogs. If there is an unlikely path in ski racing I’ve lived it, watched it and probably done the interview. Not surprisingly, this is not the place where I’ve written much about Lindsey Vonn. Never, in the 15 plus years of Racer eX, has she been considered an underdog.

Until this year.

Cautious, Skeptical, Momish

Full disclosure. Last fall, I was not convinced Lindsey Vonn’s comeback was a wise thing. I was definitely not a hater, but also not a true believer. I wanted to be. I wanted to think that at 40 years old, with some significant maintenance issues, it was still possible to match the performance of athletes in their 20’s—even in a sport as physically punishing as Downhill racing.

It’s a leap, however, to believe in something that has never been done, even though that very prospect drives our fascination with sport. You get to see people in real time putting everything on the line, defying odds and predictions and preconceived limitations, to perform the impossible.

I loved the potential script. When I was asked about her comeback in November on the Skiing is Believing podcast, I was supportive, but also concerned. The old ski racer in me, with the lingering effects of three blown out knees, was skeptical; and the mom in me, who gets a flash of anxiety every time DNF pops up on Livetiming, had a lurking gut-bomb at the thought of Vonn jumping back into such a high stakes arena. Furthermore, I wondered if it was responsible for people like me—who know exactly the stakes– to support this outlandish dream. What if our support was feeding a gladiator-like voyeurism of certain doom?

Putting It In Perspective

I remember being 40, and watching World Cup ski racing, though barely. With 5- and 7-year-old kids of my own, World Cup ski racing seemed a world away. And yet, when you’re putting in the time and physical energy it takes to raise active kids, squeezing workouts into the wee hours of the morning and maxing out every moment of weekend recreation, you’re running on previously untapped powers. You know you have almost the physical capacities of your prime but with way more wisdom, perspective and appreciation for your talents. Indeed, I’ve heard of athletes in many sports who feel like their technique, experience and mindset finally come together at 40.

What if our limitations are not physiological at all, but are more about opportunity and desire? There are all kinds of reasons the vast majority of elite athletes don’t consider, like Vonn did, going back to sport for a Round 2. To be real, how many retired athletes have had even a fraction of Vonn’s success in Round 1? How many manage to stay in top condition? How many have financial support and access to top training and equipment? More importantly, how many have the mindset that it took to win 82 World Cups the first time around, and to come back from the crashes and injuries she sustained along the way?  

Getting On Board

My point is, it’s impossible to actually put yourself in Vonn’s boots. Who was I, or really anyone, to judge this venture? That’s where I landed when her comeback was imminent. I trusted that she had enlisted good counsel on the medical front, and fully understood the risks involved with her pursuit. Nonetheless, when watching on TV, I looked away anytime she went through a rough section, or caught her ski on a rogue bit of terrain or approached a big jump.

People asked me about any downsides of her comeback, beyond the sheer physical risk: Was she taking away spots from younger athletes? Not in my book. Ski racing is a meritocracy, where the clock doesn’t lie, and speed rules supreme. Would her celebrity be a distraction to her teammates, and take the all the air in the room? Judging from the team’s results, having Vonn back in the mix was no handicap. If it was a distraction, it was clearly one that worked.

From the spectator’s perspective at least, Vonn was not taking all the air in the room, as a celebrity athlete might do, intentionally or not. On the contrary, based on her teammates’ comments and on whatever TV coverage we onlookers got, she seemed to have a positive effect, boosting the team atmosphere with experience, confidence and a sense of new possibility. Even on her roughest days—and she had her share— she pulled herself together and showed up with a smile to support teammates on the podium. That’s the part that really got me on board. Picking yourself up for the sake of the team is one of the earliest lessons in ski racing. It doesn’t get less important at the top, and it certainly doesn’t get easier.

The Age Advantage

I recently rode the chair with Sarah Schleper, who is the topic of an upcoming article in Skiing History Magazine. It was the day after the 46-year-old landed in tenth place in the US Nationals GS. Schleper has no aspirations to get back on a World Cup podium, or to make statements about women in sport. She just loves ski racing, has the opportunity to keep doing it as a side hustle, and enjoys the challenge.

The entire women’s Super G podium in Sun Valley–average age of 35–felt like a victory for everyone, male or female, who isn’t ready to be relegated as past prime. I love watching the prime time champs notch victories at the peak of their powers; and the journeymen/women doggedly work their way up the ranks; and the young talent decisively bust through on the circuit. That said, I feel an entirely different connection to someone who is closer to menopause than to puberty. I just do. And I suspect I am not alone.

So, thank you Lindsey, for pushing the limits of what we think is possible. Thank you for giving me one chance to write about you here, and congrats for earning your pass out of Racer eX’s Underdog Haus. I may not be writing about you here next year, but I promise to watch you even in the tough sections, with all the same respect but this time with more faith.

As we close out this season and think about the next, I look forward to cheering on all the passionate ski racers—from underdogs to big dogs and everyone in between—who have the guts to step into the arena. It’s a privilege to watch you chase your dreams.