Adelboden slalom champ Strolz insists on tuning his own skis

Upon being demoted from the Austrian Ski Team last spring, Johannes Strolz did some soul searching and seriously contemplated hanging up his racing skis.

The 29-year-old Austrian was at a crossroads in his career, uncertain which direction to go next. In 2020-21, Strolz finished 35th in the World Cup slalom standings, totaling just 40 points

Encouraged by those around him who still believed in his abilities and potential, Strolz decided to persevere onward.

“I always had the feeling that I could be one of the best skiers in the world and a lot of coaches and team staff members always told me you have everything it takes, but it never happened,” Strolz says, in an interview with Ski Racing Media. “I struggled with that mentally because when everybody tells you have the technique, physical ability and mental ability, but it never happens, you start to struggle and worry about it.”

While not offering full support, the Austrian Ski Team allowed him to join a few pre-season training camps and if he could prove that he was capable of being competitive, Strolz would once again be granted World Cup starts. However, it would come with the stipulation that the team would not be providing him with a ski tech. Strolz was ok with the new arrangement.

“It’s a lot of work and energy, many hours that you spend in the ski room sharpening your edges and waxing the skis,” Strolz says, about tuning his own race skis. “It has disadvantages obviously, but there are also advantages because you are a technician and athlete all at once.

“I tried to see preparing my skis as a second discipline for me – like training and racing GS,” said Strolz, who races on HEAD skis. “I found a good way to prepare my skis and feel good about them.”

Following a DNF at the Val d’Isere slalom season opener, Strolz dug in his heels, committed to make progress and showing bursts of speed in the first run of the Madonna di Campiglio night slalom in December, placing 11th.  Despite yet another DNF, in the second run, the Austrian Ski Team was willing to once again provide the well-traveled racer with a technician.

Strolz politely declined.

“I decided to keep preparing skis on my own because ski racing is a lot of trust in yourself and your equipment,” Strolz says. “I had the feeling that if I am standing at the start for the next race and I didn’t prepare my own skis, I would not be 100-percent confident, so I decided to keep doing it myself.”

His gamble paid off.

Conquering the Chuenisbärgli

On the revered Chuenisbärgli race hill in Adelboden in front of 20,000 flag-waving Swiss fans, Strolz unleashed a game-changing performance. Kicking out of the start 38th, the Austrian racer went full gas and executed in superb fashion, ascending the leaderboard to seventh place after the morning run. He stood just 0.17 seconds behind first run leaders and teammates Fabio Gstrein and Manuel Feller.

“I trained with Fabio just the day before and we had a battle for the fastest time of the day, so to see him in the lead even with a mistake, that gave me some positive vibes,” Strolz said.

“When I was warming up, the visibility got a little better and I thought that it won’t get any better to take a chance and make a really good result,” Strolz said. “I tried to be laser-focused and give it my all.”

With nothing to lose and everything to gain, Strolz sped full throttle down the 68-gate set in his second run. He stormed into the lead and assured himself of a career best result – his previous top slalom finish was a 10th at Madonna di Campiglio, in December 2020. 

Some of the marquee names in slalom faltered in the second run: Ramon Zenhaeusern, Alexis Pinturault, two-time winner Henrik Kristoffersen, Luca Aerni and ultimately Strolz’s Austrian teammates Gstrein and Feller. Feller crossed the line 0.17 seconds behind in what became a highly improbable first career World Cup victory for Strolz.

“Between the two runs I was thinking about straddling again like the first two races of the season,” Strolz admitted. “I was thinking about my future and maybe the last chance to succeed this season to keep my career going.

“I knew I had only one possibility – 100% and full gas. I pushed it every gate and crossing the finish line and seeing the green light was amazing. Many of my teammate and guys from other nations were so happy for me and that really meant a lot – you try not to cry, but I couldn’t stop it. I thought that I was so thankful for all the people that helped me to get here – it has been an amazing journey,” Strolz said. 

Two days after the slalom triumph, Strolz was surprisingly back in action, but this time for a Europa Cup downhill training run in Tarvisio, Italy. The veteran Austrian – who has 65 career World Cup starts – is pushing to qualify for his first Olympic team in both slalom and alpine combined. If he makes the Austrian team, Strolz will carry on his family’s Olympic lineage as his father Hubert won alpine combined gold and giant slalom silver at the Calgary 1988 Olympics.

“He has always believed in me telling me that I have everything it takes – when a lot of people told me stop doing slalom, focus on downhill and super-G, he always told me you are a good slalom skier,” Johannes says about his father Hubert. “He has always been 100-percent supportive.”

Unpredictable and entertaining World Cup slaloms

Strolz could not duplicate the same magic in Wengen this past Sunday as he pulled out the hat in Adelboden. His day ended unceremoniously with a second run DNF as Norway’s Lucas Braathen charged to an otherworldly victory, even topping Strolz remarkable back-of-the pack performance from the weekend prior.

“I was taking a little bit too much risk over the break-away – I had too much pressure on my edges, went a little too straight into a turn and jumped to the wrong side of the next gate,” Strolz explained, of his second run mishap.

It has been a wild and unpredictable slalom season thus far, especially these past two Sundays on Swiss snow. Braathen provided fireworks in Wengen that were somehow even more sensational than Strolz in Adelboden. The 21-year-old rising talent catapulted himself from 29^th after run one to an odds-defying triumph, cemented when his Norwegian teammate Kristoffersen straddled a gate within sight of a sure victory.

“His second run was just from another world,” Strolz said about Braathen.

“We have four slaloms now and four different winners. It shows that a lot of guys can ski fast, especially in slalom. It is so tight.

“With Lucas and me with the high bibs, it’s just crazy. If you don’t risk 100-percent you won’t be able to achieve anything in slalom at the moment.

“It’s good for our sport – it’s nice to watch on TV because any guy in the second run can win the race.”

With the classic Kitzbuehel and Schladming slaloms on tap before the Beijing Olympics in February, and five in total this season, Strolz stands in 10th place in the World Cup slalom standings, just 80-points behind current leader Sebastian Foss-Solevaag.

The Austrian is ecstatic to battle Kitzbuehel’s hallowed slalom and its unique sidehill, skier’s right approaching the finish.

“It is amazing for all skiers, but especially for an Austrian in such an amazing place where so many great skiers have won races,” said Strolz, who has raced the Kitz slalom three times, but has never completed both runs. “It is a legendary and epic place.”

And in case there was any doubt, Strolz will indeed be tuning his own skis in Kitzbuehel. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

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