Alpine Ski Racing is One Brutal Sport

By Published On: January 16th, 2019Comments Off on Alpine Ski Racing is One Brutal Sport

I’m spending the winter at our cabin near Sugar Bowl while my daughters attend the winter-term program at Sugar Bowl Academy. I’m knee deep (literally and metaphorically) in the ski racing life as my daughters experience the many challenges that our sport presents to them. It has brought back many memories from my own days as a racer at Burke Mountain Academy. My time on Donner Summit has also added a new twist to my journey in our amazing sport because I’m learning that being a ski racing parent is almost as tough as being a ski racer.

My time up here has got me thinking about all of the different sports that I have competed in over the years including not only ski racing, but also tennis, karate, running, cycling, swimming, triathlon, golf, basketball, baseball, and soccer, as well as somewhat esoteric sports (at least in the U.S.) like squash, fencing, diving, and mixed martial arts.

These ponderings led me to think about these sports and the many different demands — both external and internal — that they place on athletes. I’ve come to the conclusion that alpine ski racing is one brutal sport.

Before I make my case for how difficult ski racing is, let me offer up several other sports that could be anointed the top honor for brutality and with my reasoning for why they don’t quite make the grade.

The first one that comes to mind is our Nordic cousin, cross-country ski racing. There is little doubt that it may be the most physically demanding sport out there. A few ticks against it include not being very technical compared to some other sports (I’m sure I’m going to get blow back from that statement) and, because of its long duration, racers can recover from mistakes and still do well.

The second nominee goes to mixed martial arts which requires incredible physical strength and stamina with a high tolerance for pain. I disqualify MMA because it is, despite its exposure on television, pretty far outside of the mainstream of youth sports (do you know any teens who are training to be MMA fighters?).

Other sports that might earn a nod include ultra-running, Ironman triathlon, soccer, and basketball. And there is no doubt that every sport has its own physical, psychological, and environmental challenges and all are worthy of respect and participation.

I could continue to nominate and then disqualify many sports that are challenging in their own right, but I think it’s time to argue my case for why alpine ski racing gets my vote as the most demanding and unforgiving sport (though, admittedly, I’m biased).

I’ll begin with equipment. Ski racing is a gear-intensive sport (though not quite as much as, say, sailing or car racing, or as inconvenient for traveling as pole vaulting). Of course, you have multiple pairs of skis, all of which need to be tuned with such precision, with edge bevels and base grinds, that only an engineer, much less a teenager, could achieve (no wonder so many parents are their children’s ski technicians). Boots need to fit like very tight gloves which usually means great discomfort and little blood flow. They need to be canted down to millimeters. Bindings need to be adjusted so they are tight enough so you don’t pre-release, but not so tight that you can’t release when you need to. Then there is all of the other gear, including poles, helmets, armor, and race suits. And have you noticed the price of wax these days? You’d think it was gold! And don’t forget about having to lug all of your gear around every day.

Don’t forget the physical demands. Though not as grueling as endurance sports, alpine ski racing requires a rare combination of strength, agility, fine motor skills, stamina, and mobility. Add in the fact that almost all alpine racers will experience a serious injury (and the painful recovery that is required) at some point in their careers and you have one more reason to believe that alpine ski racing is one demanding and unforgiving sport. Lindsey Vonn, Steve Nyman, and Anna Veith can speak to the challenges of missing multiple seasons and having to undergo the pain and frustration of recovery from a serious injury.

One thing that really sets alpine ski racing apart from many other sports is the weather conditions in which you have to train and race. Let’s start with the weather. It can get really cold out there. The coldest race I was ever in was when I was 13 at Jay Peak in Vermont. It was -42 degrees plus a bitter 20-mph wind (okay, the Iditarod has worse weather, but the dogs are doing the work). Add in the snow conditions which can range from bulletproof ice to slushy ruts. Of course, race courses are like snowflakes; no two are the same. And don’t forget the terrain which can range from a near cliff to flat as a pancake, all in the same race. In sum, the individual conditions that alpine ski racing throws at you are enough to send you off the rails. When you combine all of the possible conditions that you face at a race, you’re confronted with a tsunami of challenges to overcome.

These diverse challenges result in levels of uncontrollability and uncertainty that are rare in sports or even life. Consider your preparations for, say, an exam in school. For the most part, everything in the test-taking process is within your control (aside from the test itself). In general, if you are well prepared for the exam, you will do well on it (assuming the test is fair). Now let’s compare this mostly controllable situation to ski racing. You can be completely prepared physically, technically, tactically, with your equipment, and mentally for a race, but any one of the conditions I discussed, for example, a gust of wind, piece of ice, or chatter mark, can cause you to make a mistake that results in a DNF or a significant loss of time. You can have had a truly spectacular race run, but that one mistake can mean a slow time, making your effort go for naught (at least in the results; you can still be proud of your skiing).

Speaking of time, in alpine ski racing, time is all that matters and there is not much to play around with. Races are won and lost by hundredths of a second (again, Anna Veith can speak to that after the 2018 Olympic super-G), so every mistake means critical time lost. There are very few sports in which you don’t have the opportunity to make up for a mistake (100-meter sprint?). For example, in tennis, you can serve a lot of double faults and still win. In golf, you can plunk a shot or two in the water, but still have a great round. But in alpine ski racing, one mistake and your race day can be over.

Another thing about ski racing is that it is absolutely objective. Our sport doesn’t give style points, there is no judging, and there is no excuse line on the results sheet. You get the time you get and that’s what counts at the end of the day. The harshness of time being the only clear criterion of success and the minuscule increments that separate success from failure means that alpine ski racing is an unforgiving sport in which excitement and despair are only moments apart.

Everything I’ve discussed so far focus on the tangible aspects of our sport, all of which cause alpine ski racing to wreak havoc on you psychologically. It starts with unrelenting motivation. To be the best ski racer you can be, you have to really want it. Without that deep passion driving you, you’re not going to put in the time in the gym, in the tuning room, in front of a screen watching video, and on the hill to be physically fit, technically and tactically sound, and mental ready to give it your all.

Alpine ski racing is, by nature, a risk sport meaning the consequences of failure can be dramatic and traumatic. What happens if you strike out in baseball? You feel disappointed, but you get another at-bat a few innings later. But if you crash in a ski race, you can really feel pain! A few years back, the Frenchman Johan Clarey was clocked at over 100mph at Wengen! Now that is scary!! You need to be supremely confident in your ability to be willing to take the risks necessary to ski your fastest. And that confidence comes from devoting time, energy, and effort into every aspect of your ski racing.

You need to be able to control your fear that is caused by two powerful forces. First, as I just mentioned, injury is a caught edge away, so every time you get into the starting gate you must overcome your fear of injury. Almost as powerfully, you must also quell your fear of failure which is just about every racer’s deepest fear. Both forms of fear take serious cojones to overcome those fears and throw yourself down the mountain at high speeds.

Focus is another mental area that alpine ski racing challenges constantly. Many other sports allow for a lapse in focus without serious consequences. In basketball, a play might throw an errant pass. In soccer, a forward might have the ball taken away by a defender. In either case, games aren’t usually on the line. But in alpine ski racing, a loss of focus can mean, at best, a mistake that costs you a good result and, at worst, a bad fall and even an injury. And alpine ski racing provides you with a myriad of distractions that can easily throw your focus out of kilter. These focus killers can include internal distractions such as doubts, irrelevant thoughts, emotions, and physical tension. External distractions include the weather, snow conditions, the approaching finish line, and people on the side of the course (have you seen or heard your parents, coaches, or teammates on the side of the course as you go by?). If you lose focus for a split second, your race can be over.

Alpine ski racing also takes you for a ride on an emotional roller coaster. You can feel inspiration, excitement, joy, and pride one run and then frustration, anger, despair, and disappointment on the next run. Because you care about ski racing so much, you feel these emotions powerfully and frequently.

Lastly, as I’ve been learning the last few years, for the parents of ski racers, alpine ski racing forces on them everything I’ve just discussed as they experience their children’s racing ups and downs vicariously. Just watching your kids in a race is a brutal parenting experience because you want them to do their best and be happy, but their races don’t always turn out that way. What makes it so painful for parents is that in wishing the best for their children, parents have little control over what happens to them between the start and the finish.

Oh, and lest I forget, alpine ski racing is a very expensive sport. As my own daughters immerse themselves in the ski racing world, I fantasize about the low cost of sports such as swimming (suit and goggles), running (shorts and shoes), and soccer (a ball). But then I return to alpine ski racing and realize that all of the costs, the conditions, and the physical and psychological demands that are placed on racers and that make alpine ski racing such a brutal sport have a priceless payoff: determination, confidence, resilience, and, well, just plain toughness. And those attributes are worth every penny to me because they will serve racers well long after their ski racing ends in school, career, and life.

Note: This is an updated version of an article that never goes out of style.

It’s not too late in the season to get your mind dialed in. Check out my Prime Ski Racing online mental training courses.

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About the Author: Jim Taylor

Jim Taylor, Ph.D., competed internationally while skiing for Burke Mountain Academy, Middlebury College, and the University of Colorado. Over the last 30 years, he has worked with the U.S. and Japanese Ski Teams, many World Cup and Olympic racers, and most of the leading junior race programs in the U.S. and Canada. He is the creator of the Prime Ski Racing series of online courses and the author of Train Your Mind for Athletic Success: Mental Preparation to Achieve Your Sports Goals. To learn more or to contact Jim, visit drjimtaylor.com