EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Kristina Koznick goes independent again

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Kristina Koznick goes independent againTeam Koz is at it again. Last year, after three years of racing independently, Kristina Koznick dissolved her separate program and went back under the wing of the U.S. Ski Team. But it only lasted a year. This summer, Koz decided again to forge her own independent path, and reassembled her group, including Dan Stripp, the U.S. Ski Team alum who coached Koz in the late-1990s and through her independent years. Ski Racing’s senior editor and chief correspondent for women’s World Cup racing, Bill McCollom, caught up with Koznick at Sölden to discuss her decision.

SKI RACING: What will be the make up of Team Koz?
KRISTINA KOZNICK: Well, Stripper is back as coach, manager, and just about everything. Raul Guisado will be the assistant coach and strength and conditioning guy, and John Mulligan is my ski tech. It’s the same group from 2002. In my three previous years of skiing independently I felt I was the best prepared with this team. We’ve all made a two-year commitment (through the 2006 Olympics). After that? We’ll see; it could be the end for me.

SR: Why did you return to independence after a year with the team?
KK: I discussed it with the team and they said they wanted me back. I tried, but the door wasn’t really open. Maybe there were past grudges, but it went wrong right from the beginning. I was taking the blame for problems with the team I was being made a scapegoat it wasn’t a healthy environment. But I had made a commitment and stuck it out. It’s funny because I expected things would be good with the staff and maybe there’d be some resentment from the girls, but the opposite was true. [My teammates] were very open to my return. The best thing was I got a chance to know the young girls and I feel like they’re really my teammates at this point.

SR: Did the team want you to stay?
KK: They said they wanted me to stay, but I could see the arrows pointing out the door. I wanted to hire my own coach, who would not be Stripper, at no expense to them. This is not uncommon on the World Cup, but they said no ‘our staff is good enough.’ There was no room for compromise. Then it became my choice to retire or go on my own. I took about a month to consider, figure out the kinks, and when the guys (Team Koz) committed I said, ‘I’m in we’re going.’

SR: With whom will you train?
KK: Stripper sets up all the training. We were alone at Mt. Hood in July, and then took some time off. When we came to Saas Fee, it made us feel really good that we had so many offers the Finns, Swedes, and Norwegians all approached us. It’s nice to know we’re welcome. At Saas Fee I had two days of full-length GS with just Anja Paerson, and then Sonja Nef joined us for a day. I’m training with the Swedes here at Sölden, but we’re very welcome; there are many open arms. As we move into the season, we’ll take it as it comes. We don’t want to wear out our welcome.

SR: Will you be wearing the USST uniform?
KK: I have to wear the team uniform, but I don’t get any of the sponsorship money. But the guys [Team Koz] are sponsored by Columbia and that really helps, and they’re lookin’ good.

SR: Do you receive any funding from the U.S. Ski Team?
KK: No not a cent. It’s all about me raising money now. I just need to ski fast and hope things work out. I’m a believer that things happen for a reason. I’m hopeful that someone will come along who believes in me and will want to help out. My web site has information about helping out, and I’ll be selling t-shirts. No, we’re not doing car washes (laughs) at least not ‘til next summer. Völkl, Tecnica, Marker and Swix have been awesome and that means a lot to me. The amount the team is saving on me is huge. It will cost me about $150 200,000 a year for this that’s another reason for only two more years (laughs).

SR: Will you have any relationship with Lake Placid such as last year?
KK: No, this winter I’ll be based out of my home in Minnesota. The relationship with Lake Placid was good, but it came and went. The door will always be open there, however. I’d like to work something out with Aspen. My mom has moved there and I’d like to do something there when I end my career.

SR: Will you be working with the U.S. Ski Team in the upcoming World Championships and Olympics?
KK: I’ll have to qualify just like anyone else, and when we’re there we’ll have to wait and see what the team comes up with, but they’ve taken care of me in the past.

SR: Why did you reject independence last season? What has changed since then?
KK: When I decided to go back with the team, I thought it would be a good change. There were changes in staff and I thought that if there was ever a time, this would be it. I now know that I wouldn’t do it over, but I thought it would work out for the better. But now I know that it just doesn’t work. That doesn’t mean it’s bad it’s unfortunate it seems it would be better for all but without any compromise….here we are again. But I have no regrets – it’s the most amazing thing for an athlete to be surrounded by people who believe in you and believe you can win. Team Koz supports me as a person as well as an athlete. That’s what’s motivating them and that’s my motivating force.