Ski racing is a cruel mistress. That’s about all that came to mind as I contemplated producing the annual “Long Road” treatise. Since its creation in 2012, I have reposted The Long Road every March 1 as a PSA to ski racing parents heading into the vagaries of “Champs Season.” This year ski racing brought me to my knees in the heartache it doled out. As my ski racer parenting days wind down, I wasn’t sure I had it in me to do this ritual one last time.
But then, I saw two things:
THE VILLAGE PERSPECTIVE
The first was an Instagram post by a ski dad who has trudged shoulder to shoulder with us through this journey. It was a replay of his son Charlie’s final run at the final carnival of his ski racing career and the title simply says, “Best for last…”
I love everything about this post (starting with Charlie and his family) and especially the long list of shout-outs to the people who helped make the moment happen. I poached the list from Chris’s caption so it can be copy and pasted for eternity:
“Thank you every coach, course setter, timer, gate keeper, finish judge and referee. Thank you every snow maker, groomer, ski patroller, mountain manager and ski area employee. Thank you every ski rep, boot fitter, ski tuner and ski manufacturing company. Thank you every teammate, parent, brother, sister, cousin, aunt, uncle and grandparent. Thank you every surgeon, physical trainer and conditioning coach…”
It truly takes a village to get to the start gate and through the finish in this sport. That village becomes a lifetime support system.
A PICTURE OF PERSPECTIVE
The second was this picture, sent by my son from somewhere in Canada, where he was racing against my friend and former teammate’s son. The two are five years apart—one at the end of his extended NCAA career and the other at the beginning of his. I imagine how their age difference will compress when they look back on that day and this time of life.
Their smiles and easy camaraderie held all the assurance I need that this brutal, ego-crushing sport, with so many uncontrollable variables—where success or failure is determined by fractions of a second; where losing is the rule and winning the rare exception; where injury, bad luck and capricious snowsnakes lurk at every turn IS worth every bit of the heartache.
Everyone who has lived this sport as an athlete or parent knows that the dream exit rarely happens. It is more often an unremarkable run at an unremarkable race that ends with no remarks. (No remarks for polite company, at least.) It’s just…over.
It takes a few more turns down the long road, however, to understand that as soon as the snow melts, the details of a run or a race or a season or even an athletic career don’t really matter. What matters is the joy you bring to all those days and years outside the small fraction of the experience captured on livetiming. What matters is what you’ve built by taking every step along the way.
The famous John Woodenism that “Sport doesn’t build character. It reveals it,” never felt truer than when you see these “kids” launch into adulthood with their tribes of badass wing men and wing women whose characters have long ago been revealed to one another. Their bonds are lifelong and iron-clad.
Yes, ski racing you are a cruel mistress. And an expensive one at that; but, in the end, you leave us crying for more. Your benefits are priceless, and they will go the distance down the long road. To all of you in the thick of this championship season, try to enjoy the ride. You’ll miss it when it’s over.
THE LONG ROAD IN REVIEW
If you or anyone you know could use some perspective heading into or digesting Championship Season, check out the original Long Road here.
If it’s a slow day for you, or your livetiming stalking is over, here are previous editions of the Long Road.
2024: https://racerex.com/four-tips-for-sanity-on-the-long-road/
2023 https://racerex.com/the-long-road-friends-fans-and-family-and-edition/
2022 https://racerex.com/ten-years-down-the-long-road/
2021 https://racerex.com/its-a-long-road-bring-your-friends/
2020 https://racerex.com/keep-calm-and-race-on/
2019 https://racerex.com/the-long-road-rolls-on/
2018 https://racerex.com/the-long-road-warriors/
2017 https://racerex.com/the-long-road-parable-go-slow-to-go-fast/
2016 https://racerex.com/the-long-road-en-francais/
2012 https://racerex.com/its-a-long-road-for-a-box-of-chocolates/
As a parent of three daughters, this was excellent! So grateful and appreciative for the support from the ‘Village!’ The journey continues!