On Tour With Kaylin: Too tall for a gymnast

Every person is different, and every racer operates differently, making our world and this sport so incredibly awesome. There can be two racers in the same competition who train, prepare and race completely differently, but tie at the end of the day. That is possible because there is so much wonderful variation in ski racing.
AH, MY OWN BLOG. Good news for you: You can stop reading at any time and, because it is the Internet, avoid going through the awkward social situation of having to politely ask me to “please stop talking!” Good news for me: I can ramble and indulge in every tangent to my heart’s content — both liberties I will undoubtedly abuse.
    I want to give you an inside look into my world, which revolves greatly around ski racing, but you will come to find many other things as well. Actually, let me rephrase that. I don’t like the phrase “inside look” — sounds too 6 o’clock news for me. I want to give you a chance to get a better understanding of who I am through what I do — ski.  
    Every person is different, and every racer operates differently, making our world and this sport so incredibly awesome. There can be two racers in the same competition who train, prepare and race completely differently, but tie at the end of the day. That is possible because there is so much wonderful variation in ski racing. Alpine racing is not a judged event, so you don’t have to cater to any one person’s preference of style. Technique and tactics are of utmost importance, but there are so many unique ways to ski that there is no exact way to do it. It is all about which person gets down the hill through the obstacles fastest.
    If you are the ugliest technical skier on the mountain, yet still manage to get the fastest time, it doesn’t matter — you win. There are undeniable rules of physics that one must maintain to be fast, but inside that realm it is up to you how you get from the start to the finish. I love that.
     I think my parents saw early on that I was a unique case when it came to sports. I think every child goes through that stage where they constantly say, “I can do it myself.” It is one of life’s little ironies that into your adult life the banner statement of your toddler years is turned on its head. At 23, it seems like I’m having to tell people, “I can’t do it myself,” frustratingly often.     
    When I was 9, I thought I would have it all figured out by the time I was in my 20s. For all you young readers out there, I’m going to let you in on a secret: I don’t think that you have it all figured out by the time you are 90. Anyway, I wanted to do everything myself in my own way. My parents were astute enough to see that their little tomboy of a girl would not thrive in ballet class, where there really is a right and wrong way to do something. However, I was not, and am not, the full free spirit. It would have been lovely to be the creative, artistic child that made beautiful things and was ambivalent when it came to competition. I was not that; I fully comprehended the concept of winning, and I really liked it.
    I wasn’t into the full, military regimen of gymnastics either (today I stand at 5-foot-10, so I am glad that did not take, because I think my dreams would have been dashed in fourth grade when I cleared 5 feet). I needed something with a little more self-expression. Lucky family that we Richardsons are, we sort of stumbled into ski racing by accident. It was a perfect mixture of tasks and skills to master while also giving me the freedom to be myself. I haven’t looked back since.
    Thank you for reading my inaugural blog. I hope you enjoyed it and continue to read as I venture into the 2007-08 season. And, a special thanks if you are not my mom.
    For now, Kaylin.

U.S. Ski Teamer Kaylin Richardson will contribute to skiracing.com all season. Also check out Kaylin as part of Down Time: The Summer Sessions, our Web video series debuting in November. Got a question for Kaylin? E-mail info@skiracing.com with the subject line KAYLIN.