Elisabeth and Mary Bocock

American Skiing Sisters Gear Up for their World Cup Debut

Pushing out of the gate in your first World Cup and stepping into the major leagues is a rite of passage every ski racer dreams about, yet few experience. Two American women will make that step when the 2023-24 World Cup season kicks off in Sölden. These two bright stars in US skiing also happen to be sisters.

For Mary Bocock, 20, the 2023 Overall NorAm Champion, Sölden has been on her schedule throughout the prep period. The NorAm title brings a guaranteed start spot for all World Cups this season, and Sölden is one of the races where she will take the World Cup opportunity. After taking one gap year after high school, Mary started college at Dartmouth this fall and will also race for them, so her race prep has also involved juggling classes.

For her younger sister Elisabeth, 18 and just out of high school, the Sölden start is a recent and unexpected bonus. Her group had initially planned to be in Europe at this time, but poor snow conditions changed those plans. Three weeks ago, however, she learned that she would still be making the trip to Europe, but to race.

Mary and Elisabeth took time to talk from Soelden, where they are doing final prep for the race this weekend.

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GETTING HERE 

Both sisters feel ready for the race and credit an extraordinarily productive prep period. “First of all, we got all of June and July off from skiing, which was nice because we got to have a big strength period in the gym,” explains Mary. “I think that’s really important to have for the season.” After that, they went to New Zealand as part of the Development Group, coached by Shaun Goodwin, Foreste Peterson and Zan Spilar. The group will concentrate mainly on Europa Cups, with a small group of athletes sampling some World Cups throughout the year, as appropriate, and Spilar connecting them between the circuits.

In New Zealand, their group enjoyed excellent conditions in Round Hill, Ohau and Coronet Peak, which included close proximity to the World Cup women. “It was nice because we got to see a snippet of what their training environment was like before actually being fully integrated into it here,” says Mary.

Competing in the World Cup has been a dream for both growing up, but it came into tight focus last summer. With a World Cup start secured, Mary’s season plan included everything from the early season World Cups to domestic NorAms and Uni races. Sölden may not have been on Elisabeth’s schedule, but it was on her radar. “Knowing that Mary was going to start, it was a really big goal of mine, but it was a reach. It wasn’t on my schedule,” says Elisabeth. “It was a really hopeful thing for me, and I knew it would be a cool experience for both of us to start together.”

RACE DAY GOALS

Neither athlete has skied on the race hill and will likely not get the chance due to extraordinary hill preparation challenges. Instead, they found challenging terrain on the nearby Pitztal glacier. Their only on-hill time at Sölden has been training on the flats above the race hill.

Both are optimistic and realistic about race day, an attitude their coaches have helped support. “For me, I hope to score points,” says Elisabeth. “Obviously, that doesn’t happen very often on the first try, so it’s not really an expectation but just something to aim for.” Beyond that, her goal is more to enjoy the experience. “Zan and Foreste have both told us how much fun the first World Cup is, how exciting it is and to just take that in. So I’m excited to do that.”

Mary is also not putting outcomes ahead of performance. “I’m more focused on trying to ski like I know how to ski. I really just want to ski aggressively and execute my plan. That’s my biggest goal. If I do that, I think I’ll be satisfied, whether that is getting into the top 30 or not.”

Elisabeth, known for her fearless approach, takes that to the race: “I focus a lot on just being as aggressive as possible and not giving up at all.” She’s also mindful of smart tactics on the notoriously steep, challenging hill. “I tend to cut off the line, so I’m going to do my best to go a little bit deeper into the turn and maintain elevation on that long pitch. That’s the goal.”

PREPPING FOR THE SHOW

The sisters grew up watching World Cups live (at Beaver Creek) and on TV, but neither has experienced being on-hill or even forerunning on the world stage. The closest thing for Mary was last season at the World Junior Championships, which took place right after the World Cup in St. Anton. “They had everything set up in terms of the cameras, and being at the start and having a camera on you. That was cool.”

She has also gained insight from World Cup athletes like Paula Moltzan, who have shared their first experiences. “Just getting a feel for the atmosphere has been helpful because I have no idea.”

Mary has no go-to tactics for dealing with nerves because she typically doesn’t need them. “I honestly don’t really struggle with nerves too much,” says Mary. “I do get butterflies, but I’m not necessarily, like, a nutcase when it comes to race day.”

“On the other hand,” says Elisabeth, “I would say I am a nutcase.” She has historically struggled with nerves and pre-race jitters, but finds it helpful to use breathing exercises to calm down. That and herbal tea in the morning are her trusted weapons for stress.

Both Rossignol athletes will also have a familiar face at the start. Elisabeth’s technician, Jesus Calzada, will work for both sisters on this trip. “He goes into the start with me and he cheers me out of the start. He’s great!” says Elisabeth.

THE FAN BASE

Team Bocock will also have a full cheering section of family and friends. Their parents and one of their two brothers are coming to watch, as are several friends studying abroad in college. “We have a big group of people that are going to be here, which is exciting,” says Mary. “It’s a little nerve wracking, but it’s more exciting.”

Mary will also have at least one fan flag, one made by Elisabeth for Mary’s 20thth birthday on October 7. “She made it before she knew that she was going to race,” says Mary.

While very different in some ways, the two are each other’s biggest fans. Says Elisabeth: “Mary is so diligent and pays such attention to detail. She’s so Type A, where I am not. I am more messy and loose.”

Likewise, Mary has learned from Elisabeth how to be open-minded and empathetic to connect better with teammates and coaches. “In terms of skiing, I look up to the way that she’s able to be really aggressive and clean.” And she’s fearless, and that comes through in her outgoing personality and skiing style. “I sort of look up to that.”

NEXT STEP

From Sölden, Mary will return to Dartmouth for two weeks to finish the fall term before racing at Killington.

Mary explains that the added academic load to her schedule “is honestly a nice distraction from skiing. It’s nice to be able to have something else to focus on when I get off the hill and something concrete that I need to do. I love that balance.” She sees the benefits of personal development in college and wants to attend soon enough to integrate with classmates her age. Racing for college is another goal she will realize this season, starting in January. “I really wanted to get the experience of racing for a college team and sort of being a part of a group where everyone’s results matter.”

Elisabeth, who is now taking her gap year, plans to start college next year. Depending on how Sölden goes, Elisabeth may join her sister in Killington after some training at Copper Mountain. In addition to racing her first World Cup and possibly a second at Killington, she’ll be working on college applications.

Mary has been in touch with her Dartmouth classmates, sending them pictures from training on the glacier while they celebrated homecoming weekend. They are supportive and somewhat awestruck. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” says Mary. “I’m lucky enough to be getting the best of both worlds, where I get the atmosphere of European racing and the higher intensity while still getting the fun of college life.”