Jeremy Bloom talks about his endorsements, charity work and the lead-up to Torino

Jeremy Bloom talks about his endorsements, charity work and the lead-up to TorinoJeremy Bloom of Loveland, Colorado, took the World Cup circuit by storm in 2002, making his first Olympic Team and winning the World Cup moguls title. Over the last two seasons, he has balanced ski preparation with playing football (wide receiver, kick returner) for the University of Colorado. Last spring, the NCAA issued its final decision on his petition to keep endorsement money from skiing while playing college ball; the organization said he could not. Bloom, who has completed his sophomore year at CU, said he’d ski and he signed contracts with Under Armour, Volkl (skis), Tecnica (boots), Marker (bindings) and Bolle (eyewear), and began preparing to defend his dual moguls World Championship title en route to the 2006 Olympics. He took time from workouts at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs to speak with Ski Racing correspondent Paul Robbins for a newsletter sent to USSA suporters.

U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association: You’ve been at the Olympic Training Center, but after winning your last World Cup [in Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE], you had arthroscopic surgery to relieve the pain in your right knee. What’s the report?
Jeremy Bloom: I’m still in the Springs. I’ve been here a month and I was here for about a month in the summer. I’m getting my knee ready. It’s just a recurring injury, between football and skiing. I had it ‘scoped March 5 and, frankly, it’s been a hard rehab, much harder than anticipated. It just happened that way. …But they have a great Sports Science Department at the OTC and I’ve got a massage therapist who takes care of me on as daily basis.

USSA: You were with the Ski Team when it went to Chile in August. How was that moguls camp?
Bloom: Chile was good. It was soft snow, typical spring skiing so I didn’t get a good indication because it typically hurts more on ice – like the World Cup courses – than soft snow or slush. But my skiing went well. We had three weeks and I thought it was pretty good…We didn’t have a full moguls course until toward the end – the snow was so soft – but I was jumping. It wasn’t just free-skiing. Every day I went out to improve, and I feel I did improve.

USSA: So, your knee’s improving. How’s your head? Are you adjusting to fulltime focusing on skiing and not playing football?
Bloom: My head’s in the right place. For sure, each week goes by and the disappointment of not being on the football field diminishes and I’m slowly transitioning my thoughts into setting new goals for ski competitions and improving in the sport.

USSA: Have you been to a CU football game this fall?
Bloom: I was at the first game and it was my first opportunity to say goodbye to my teammates and the coaches. I haven’t been back, though. It was hard. Coach [Gary] Barnett and the whole university and everyone in Boulder did everything they could to support me – they were behind me all the way. And I did everything I could with the NCAA…but unfortunately it didn’t work out, and I have to move on.

USSA: You’ve signed an endorsement contract with Under Armour as a sponsor, and you’re on the Volkl/Tecnica/Marker equipment package plus Bolle. Anything special happening on the sponsor front?
Bloom: I’m doing appearances for them. I limit it as much as I can because every time I leave it’s difficult to get back into the swing of things. I can’t miss a whole week of training but I’ll do two or three days out of two weeks. And I’ll be doing a TV commercial for Under Armour in November; that should be fun.

USSA: You’re one of the Ski Team athletes who will be part of the Verb program to get inner city kids outdoors and make them a bit more active. What’s the connection?
Bloom: Verb is a good program. It’s designed to help fight child obesity. We want to reach those kids who come home and turn on the TV, encourage them to go outside, to do something besides watching the television and not doing anything. Get them active.

USSA: But, with Verb, you’re not going to be taking urban kids skiing at Eldora [outside Boulder] or Winter Park or wherever, are you?
Bloom: We’re working on the details, so I don’t know…but Verb’s such a great idea. How can you not want to fight child obesity?

USSA: This isn’t the first charity you’ve participated in, though. Considering your training schedules and your classes at CU, you’ve been surprisingly active in several things.
Bloom: No, it’s not my first charity, not at all. I’m involved a few other programs…especially in Loveland, and the Denver Rescue Mission, the Colorado Cancer Foundation, the RTJ School District. I’ve worked with all of them on various projects. Sometimes it’s donations, signing memorabilia for auctions, working with them on promotions and with sponsors. I try to do as much as I can with the limited time I have for outside interests.
With Verb, we’re going to be encouraging young kids who may not have fatherly or motherly guidance, or don’t believe in themselves. We want to get them away from gangs, violence, drugs and all that, and put their energy elsewhere. We want them to do something positive. I was fortunate growing up in a community and in a family that was athletic, so when I was two or three or four, I’d be catching a football. I was lucky to have that family environment but a lot of kids aren’t that lucky. The whole idea of Verb is to get them motivated.

USSA: You’ll be defending your dual moguls gold medal, looking to upgrade from silver to gold in moguls at the World Championships next March. Will we see some new tricks this season?
Bloom: No new tricks this season. The tricks I’ve done in the past I’ll do this year. I don’t know where that’ll take me next year, but it’ll be the same old stuff.

USSA: But you won the last World Cup event you were in, and you won two medals at the 2003 Worlds at Deer Valley. Something’s working okay. You know what they say: If it ain’t broke…
Bloom: I hope so. I’m comfortable with my tricks but…everybody’s improving…

USSA: What about your classes in Boulder?
Bloom: CU’s on hold. I want to train properly for the next year and a half. I’ll be a junior when I go back and I’ll have ample opportunities to graduate, but I’m taking time off from classes now to focus on skiing. The 2006 Olympics aren’t that far away.

USSA: What’s your weight now compared to when you were playing?
Bloom: I’m about 10 pounds lighter…about 168 now…I’m trying to get into more ski-specific shape.

USSA: You’re going cold turkey with no football. Are you anxious to get started with moguls?
Bloom: Very anxious. It’s not just football or skiing, it’s missing competition itself. I love to compete.

USSA: Got a specific goal for the 2005 season?
Bloom: My only goal for this year – and, really, for next year – is to be able to improve every day. I feel like all the other things are great – World Championships medals, World Cup wins, all of it – but if I can improve every day I’ll get there. The other stuff will take care of itself.