Down Time Episode 12: "Velvet brick"/Finding focus

Hailing from the relative flatland of Minnesota, Kaylin Richardson was never thought of as a speed skier. After all, that's where tech skiers and born and bred, right? Well, yes and no. While slalom is still one of Richardson's two strongest disciplines according to U.S. Ski Team coach Chris Knight, he added that Richardson has turned herself into a four-discipline skier in the past 18 months pretty quickly. "She comes from a tech background and that always helps when you swap over to speed," Knight said. The reigning U.S. national champion in downhill, Richardson is considered a super hard worker and very talented athletically and extremely smart. Those traits all add up to equal a ski racer with vast potential.   
    "I think everyone in this sport has a screw loose here and there," says T.J. Lanning. Lanning rose up the ranks as a risk-taking racer capable of either blowing up or winning every race. Lanning still retains that aggressive attitude but a series of injuries has slowed his rise to the World Cup level. "He finds the fall line naturally, which is hard to teach," said U.S. Ski Team head men's coach Phil McNichol. McNichol said his biggest objective with Lanning is keeping him healthy so he can progress. "It's been quite a long spell since he's put down the kind of results he's capable of," McNichol said.
    Ski Racing and Rival Films present episode 12 of the 16-week series Down Time: The Summer Sessions .

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Hailing from the relative flatland of Minnesota, Kaylin Richardson was never thought of as a speed skier. After all, that's where tech skiers and born and bred, right? Well, yes and no. While slalom is still one of Richardson's two strongest disciplines according to U.S. Ski Team coach Chris Knight, he added that Richardson has turned herself into a four-discipline skier in the past 18 months pretty quickly. "She comes from a tech background and that always helps when you swap over to speed," Knight said. The reigning U.S. national champion in downhill, Richardson is considered a super hard worker and very talented athletically and extremely smart. Those traits all add up to equal a ski racer with vast potential.
    "I think everyone in this sport has a screw loose here and there," says T.J. Lanning. Lanning rose up the ranks as a risk-taking racer capable of either blowing up or winning every race. Lanning still retains that aggressive attitude but a series of injuries has slowed his rise to the World Cup level. "He finds the fall line naturally, which is hard to teach," said U.S. Ski Team head men's coach Phil McNichol. McNichol said his biggest objective with Lanning is keeping him healthy so he can progress. "It's been quite a long spell since he's put down the kind of results he's capable of," McNichol said.
    Ski Racing and Rival Films present episode 12 of the 16-week series Down Time: The Summer Sessions.

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