Alex Schmid DSV in Ushuaia

As a skier who started at a very young age, Alex Schmid finds himself amongst the young guns of the German ski racing team. He comes from an athletic family that has always loved skiing. Eventually, the little kid developed into an Olympic athlete who travels the world honing his craft.

While in Ushuaia, I talked with him about nearly everything. However, we focused on his training sessions here in our ski racer’s paradise.

Team Germany has arrived in Ushuaia with the same goal and mission as their competitors from all over the world. They trained on the best snow they could find as much as possible. For the past two Argentinian winters, they planned to train in Ushuaia and were unable to because of COVID international travel restrictions. They decided to tackle the Southern Hemisphere right away this winter, so when summer started in Germany, they gathered the entire team and made the trip south.

The speed team prepared in Chile and the rest of the program made their way to Argentina. Schmid points out how hard it is to get quality snow and training in Europe due to climate change. Additionally, he mentions the extra physical challenge of training at the high altitude of the glaciers. Schmid comments, “Ushuaia is the place to be.”

This is not Schmid’s first rodeo in Ushuaia, and he reports he has had a great time during every visit.

This time it was excellent. As he points out, “The snow conditions were not only very consistent but almost perfect.” During the last two weeks, he and the rest of the team encountered fresh snow that helped raise the level of the training camp experience.

(By the time we finished this interview, the German team was considering extending their stay due to the good snow conditions.)

He is sure this training camp will be an excellent boost for the upcoming season. Schmid is also confident that Team Germany will return to Ushuaia next year.

Regarding his training, in particular, Schmid told us he is pleased with his work here. He says, “I had time to test new material in great conditions, but also on different slopes.” He also pointed out how it would help to be ready for the rest of the preparation work that will be done in Europe before the racing season kicks off. “I am looking forward for the season to start; it’s going to be a good one.”

Seeing Team Germany’s work on the slopes reveals how united the team is and how all of the people involved really push each other to maintain the high level of the camp. “We are a strong team and in very good shape. The time in Ushuaia has been great individually and for the entire team to improve. Even though we only have three athletes in the top 30, these training camps are where we build for the future. These are the situations where everyone pushes each other for better results; we will continue coming without a doubt.”

As far as his feelings about the upcoming season, he says, “After Corona, I’m happy that we are going back into a normal season where we can feed from the crowd’s energy, and I am excited about it. I believe it will be an excellent season for the entire team and me; we are excited for it to start.”