American Downhiller Podcast: Talking Kvitfjell with Tommy Moe
The American Downhillers are joined by Olympic champion Tommy Moe to discuss the Kvitfjell Olympic Bakken course, which will be run this weekend. This is the same course that Moe beat Norwegian favorite Kjetil Aamodt on by 4 hundies to win gold in 1994.
What should you expect from this race? High-speed, super technical turns and huge air are a few aspects that the Downhillers named.
Tommy then describes his memories of his golden day from how he woke up just meters from the course, to how he almost missed the final gates, and how quiet it was at the finish. He talks about how he made the mental decision in the gate, thinking to himself, “[I’m] either going to win or I’m gonna crash”.
AJ, Marco and Daron then describe how Moe’s win set the tone for the next generation of American Downhillers. Kyle Rasmussen won the following year, Daron broke through four years later winning his first two World Cups there and, of course, Bode carried that tradition later on. Moe showed the US speed skiers that this was a course they could dominate and ski with confidence.
They then talk about the critical points of the course so that this weekend fans will know what to look for as they watch. There is no room for error, and aerodynamics are essential to a fast run, especially in the final section. To add another element, the terrain and snow is unpredictable year to year, making a good inspection and the ability to adapt crucial.
If that isn’t intriguing enough, Tommy shares secrets about how the legendary ski tech Willi Wiltz made his skis as fast as possible. There was a special wax, sidewall craziness and oiling up the edges – some worthwhile inside information.
The crew then talks about what makes this downhill a place where young and unknown racers break through. Every year, there are surprises on this course from relatively unknowns that jump start their careers.
This year, like most at Kvitfjell, there is a double downhill with the makeup race from Beaver Creek (which was a makeup from Lake Louise). The boys talk about how that effects the psyche and how some people thrive and others struggle in this type of situation.
The conversation then moves to their thoughts on the Olympics now that they are in the rearview mirror. Lew talks about the fact that the Olympics are more of a mental skill test than a skiing skill test and that the Americans might need more sports psych training to prepare them for the big races. Daron shares what he heard from the reps in China regarding how tough the snow was to nail consistently with setup.
Lastly, the subject changes to what it is like for Tommy, AJ and Daron to be ski racing dads and how they walk the fine line between being a parent and a coach.
If you want to feel the fun and intensity of this course, here are three links to get you in the right frame of mind:
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